# Treating endometriosis



## RachelGS (Sep 29, 2002)

I have a history of endo and have been having a hard time for a few months. My doctor (whom I adore and really trust) has recommended either having another baby ASAP or going on Lupron for 4-6 months. I'm weighing those options and feeling a little anxious about both. I think I'm also going to give acupuncture a try, but I feel pretty crappy and am just looking for feedback and insight about treatments people have tried.


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## Belleweather (Nov 11, 2004)

I haven't had either treatment yet, but I've just been diagnosed with Endo and they're talking very seriously about Lupron. I'm a bit worried about it because there are starting to be links between Lupron and later Ovarian Cancer in some women. It's probably worth googling at the very least.

On the other hand, I've heard absolutely fantastic things about acupuncture and chinese medicine for Endometriosis -- good things about pain reduction and about fertility stiff, since supposedly the Acupuncture balances your hormones and helps to keep the adhesions from spreading and growing.

My inclination is to go with Acupuncture first and see if it helps, but to each their own, of course.


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## RachelGS (Sep 29, 2002)

That's my inclination, too. I've been reading up on lupron and there are some real horror stories.


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## caligirl (Jul 2, 2004)

I had Lupron when I was 19 (over 10 yeras ago!!).
Supposed to be 1yr and I only could take it for 3-4 months (I can't remember).
I didn't like it at all. Just like going through menopause. Those hot flashes were killer!

Eventualy, after 2 laparoscopy laser surgeries 1 yr apart to get rid of it, I decided that I can't treat it like this forever, so I stopped doing anything and just lived with it. I don't have it really bad, but I had my moments.

I was still able to get pregnant and deliver a healthy baby and we are working on #2. I've lived with endo so long I don't know what "normal" feels like anymore.
I'm soooo used to painful periods, painful ovulation, painful sex, back aches, etc., that all of it seems "normal" to me now.

Not that I reccomend this approach, and I'm sure it wouldn''t work for anyone who has it worse than me, but I just decided to not let endometreosis run my life anymore....and it dosen't.

Good luck with your treatment whatever you chose. Endo is no fun!!


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## musicmaj (Jun 14, 2004)

Hi,
I have been diagnosed with endo for 5 years now. I did the Lupron thing prior to getting pregnant with #1. I wish every day that I had not done it. It was terribly hard and did not help me with the pain. I don't think my body will ever be the same again. My body was not meant to go into menopause and then back to normal (whatever normal is. lol) The side effects were horrible for me.

I think it would be better to find a really good surgeon and get the endo removed. I know the thought of surgery is scary, but I would take that any day over the Lupron.

I still have pain, but I have been able to keep it under control. I take green tea supplements, omega 3, vitamin B complex, eat alfalfa sprouts, vitamin C, and vitamin e. I know it sounds like a lot, but it has completely helped me out. I don't feel severe pain unless I missed a few days of my vitamin/nutrition therapy. The green tea is really key for me. If you get a chance, read the endo reccommendations in Prescriptions for nutritional healing, and Prescription for herbal healing.

That being said, My endo is now showing up on ultrasounds so I know it has gotton worse. DH and I want more children, so we will be ttc very shortly. I am a little bit nervous because I know that my insides are a mess. (Last year my appendix ruptured and left a mess too, so that combined with endo just doesn't make me feel too good.)


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## musicmaj (Jun 14, 2004)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *caligirl*
I had Lupron when I was 19 (over 10 yeras ago!!).
Supposed to be 1yr and I only could take it for 3-4 months (I can't remember).
I didn't like it at all. Just like going through menopause. Those hot flashes were killer!

Eventualy, after 2 laparoscopy laser surgeries 1 yr apart to get rid of it, I decided that I can't treat it like this forever, so I stopped doing anything and just lived with it. I don't have it really bad, but I had my moments.

I was still able to get pregnant and deliver a healthy baby and we are working on #2. I've lived with endo so long I don't know what "normal" feels like anymore.
I'm soooo used to painful periods, painful ovulation, painful sex, back aches, etc., that all of it seems "normal" to me now.

Not that I reccomend this approach, and I'm sure it wouldn''t work for anyone who has it worse than me, but I just decided to not let endometreosis run my life anymore....and it dosen't.

Good luck with your treatment whatever you chose. Endo is no fun!!

Tell me about living with the pain. When my appendix ruptured last year I went three days before dh made me go to the hospital. I thought it was my endo giving me the pain. Bad mistake. It just goes to show you how you can get a high pain threshold from living with the pain for so long.


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## JavaFinch (May 26, 2002)

Quote from THIS site:

Quote:

Some of the simplest steps (to treat endo) are:

Change your diet to minimize xenoestrogen exposure. As much as you can, eliminate non-organic dairy products, beef and chicken. (Note that because organic foods contain no growth hormones, there's no reason to limit their consumption.)

Increase nutrient-rich foods - especially cruciferous vegetables, soy, cold water fish and fiber - that support hormonal balance and help clear excess estrogen from the body.

Decrease body fat to reduce endogenous estrogen production (body fat is a secondary production site for estrogen).

Follow a lower-carbohydrate diet to support healthy insulin metabolism and thereby support overall hormonal balance.

Supplement with vitamins and minerals to make up for what is lacking in your daily food intake, including calcium and magnesium.

Supplement with natural progesterone to offset estrogen dominance.

Supplement with Omega 3 essential fatty acids as a natural anti-inflammatory.

Don't microwave food in plastic wrap or containers, and try to minimize the use of plastics for food storage.

I personally just scheduled a lap and hsg, but I cancelled and decided I will try the above for a few months along with possibly just the HSG alone and see if that helps (been ttc over 3 years) - we also have male factor issues, so I hate to put myself thru surgery for nothing.

Also, if I can ask, what are all your symptoms? I have no pain with sex or backaches, but I do have painful periods - most of the time I have to take Advil (4 of them) at least one time when my period first starts. This month I made it through without and took 2 hot baths (I really could have used the Advil, tho). My only other symptoms are I tend to get a bit constipated right before AF and then have several BMs when AF starts and I also get sharp pains upon quick movement down in that region (like rolling over in bed I have to be careful - it feels like a pulling muscle or something).

Good luck to all!


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## caligirl (Jul 2, 2004)

Well, I don't really have a trick to living with the pain.....

To me, just managing the pain on a dialy basis (motrin or hot bath when I need it) was better than the alternatives. What I mean by that is, shortly after I was diagnosed with endo, I researched it, and found support groups, and books, you name it. It only got worse after I got internet accsess. There are so many web sites and support groups on line that one could easily be "obsessed" with thier endo. I didn't want to live that way. Some peolpe kept daily journals about thier pain and how it affected them ,and them put it up on the web for everyone to read. I know that everyone deals with it differently, and it is helpful for some peolpe to talk about it openly, but to me that kind of thing was obsesive and it allowed the pain to rule over you as long as you were focusing on it everyday like that.

All I really did was one day I said to myself that I wasn't going to let endo run my life. Literally. This took a while though. Probably like 3-4 years after I was diagnosed. More sonograms than I can count, 2 surgeries, lupron etc. I couldn't do it anymore.

In the long term I guess it really did highten my pain threshold.
When I had my daughter I dealt with the labor pain pretty well, and I rarely take pain meds for anything. But I always have some sort of unnatural feeling in my abdomen. I'm just really used to it now.

Like I said in my pp, I know endo can get really bad, and mine must not be for me to be able to "un-treat" it.......

Hope that helped.


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