Endometriosis

[starbuck]

Ok, so my ob/gyn is putting me back on birth control pills as a treatment for endometriosis I was diagnosed with about 5 years ago. I had been taking the pills (Seasonale to be exact) after my docs found the endo and did some surgery to remove a particularly troublesome bit of it. I was pain-free after that (woo!), but I HATED the side effects of the Seasonale. While taking them, I felt hot-flashy, depressed, had a lowered libido, and I ballooned up like crazy. I think I gained about 30 lbs in a very short amount of time. I actually went off of them after a while because I really couldn't handle how crappy I felt. Probably not too smart of me, but I haven't had problems with the endo since.

After a nice, long lecture from my doc, I am going to go back on them again. Even though I haven't felt any pain for four years, I don't want the endo to grow, and he's convinced this is the best preventative measure. I told him about my hatred of the side effects and he's trying me on a brand called Yaz.

Does anyone else have these kinds of side effects on BCPs? I've asked all my friends and none of them really seem to react the way that I do. Any thoughts from those in the medical field? I reeeeally don't want to deal with nasty side effects and weight gain. I'm finally losing the weight, and I don't want to put it back on, especially with all the hard work I'm putting in with my personal trainer. Yes, vanity, thy name is starbuck.

I'm at my wits end and about to chuck this package of pills in search of a more holistic remedy. Any thoughts? Anyone else have this incredibly frustrating condition?

[Dasein]

Starbuck. I don't have this condition but I feel for you.

Why don't you give Yaz a shot? I am on it's cousin Yasmin and found it to be more expensive but worth every cent. I had issues on other pills and found this to be the most stable.

[starbuck]

Starbuck. I don't have this condition but I feel for you.

Why don't you give Yaz a shot? I am on it's cousin Yasmin and found it to be more expensive but worth every cent. I had issues on other pills and found this to be the most stable.

What other issues did you have if you don't mind me asking? I went crazy on Seasonale.

[Dasein]

What other issues did you have if you don't mind me asking? I went crazy on Seasonale.

To be honest it was mainly to do with mood rather than weight gain etc. I have been on a few different types like the "tri phase" ones which I hated. I initially went on the tablets due to severe period pain (not endo though). Yasmin has been the best for me.

I would suggest before throwing in the towel just trying a few other brands.

[shh!]

My doctor wants to put me back on the pill, too. I'm not going to. I had weight gain (10 lbs?) and reduced libido when I was on before (both common side effects) and I am unwilling to do it again. It took me a year to get my sex drive back after going off.

Of course, I wasn't dealing with the same health problems you are having...

[1averagejoe]

It took me a year to get my sex drive back after going off.

Would have taken a lot less if I was around .

[ecojeanne]

a natural healing food recommended for this condition is Tempeh

[ecojeanne]

an article written by Mike Adams a consumer health advocate with a mission to teach personal health to the public He has authored more than 1,500 articles and dozens of reports, guides and interviews on natural health topics:

According to new research, consuming red meat such as beef or ham increases your risk of endometriosis by 80 to 100 percent. Endometriosis is a painful health condition experienced by women, and it is sadly becoming more common. It typically strikes women in their 20's and 30's, and the more they consume red meat, the greater their chances of being diagnosed with endometriosis.
Having this disease can also cause infertility, painful menstruation, severe cramping and may even be linked to various forms of cancer. Doctors are seeing alarming increases in endometriosis, especially in Asia where it seems to strike women at a younger age.

The solution to endometriosis is the same as for virtually all other chronic diseases: avoid red meat and other unhealthy foods, and eat fresh fruits, vegetables, superfoods and other items that promote good health.. It isn't difficult to avoid chronic disease: all you have to do is stop eating the foods that cause it.

There's another possible link here, too: in the study, the consumption of ham was strongly linked to endometriosis. This could be partially caused by sodium nitrite, a highly toxic food additive added to virtually all ham products. (It's listed right on the label.) Sodium nitrite forms cancer-causing nitrosamines when ingested, and although this is just an educated guess, it's not unreasonable to think that these nitrosamines may radically interfere with the normal, healthy function of reproductive organs.

The message to women is clear: if you want to be able to reproduce, if you want to experience less pain, and if you want to remain disease-free for life, it's time to seriously think about taking red meat out of your diet. No beef, no ham, no pepperoni pizza. There's absolutely nothing positive about red meat from a nutritional standpoint other than its protein content. But even that isn't saying much: ounce for ounce, spirulina contains twelve times more usable protein than beef. (Spirulina is a superfood harvested from ocean waters.)

Let me add this comment: I wouldn't touch red meat if you paid me. Not only is red meat completely lacking in fiber, it may also contain the prions that cause mad cow disease, and that's fatal. Mad cow disease doesn't go away from cooking the meat, either. Protect your health, folks. Just say no to red meat.

[ecojeanne]

a few suggested herbs:

Dong quai
Fennel
Sarsaparilla
Uva-ursi

[ecojeanne]

Caffeine consumption equivalent to more than two cups of coffee per day has been associated with an increased incidence of infertility due to tubal disease or endometriosis

quitting white-carb foods improve the insulin profiles of infertility patients, but it also helps women with other reproductive health challenges such as endometriosis

Gossypol, a Chinese drug derived from the cotton plant used to inhibit male fertility (as a birth control method) and to treat female disorders including endometriosis

[starbuck]

According to new research, consuming red meat such as beef or ham increases your risk of endometriosis by 80 to 100 percent. Endometriosis is a painful health condition experienced by women, and it is sadly becoming more common. It typically strikes women in their 20's and 30's, and the more they consume red meat, the greater their chances of being diagnosed with endometriosis.
Having this disease can also cause infertility, painful menstruation, severe cramping and may even be linked to various forms of cancer. Doctors are seeing alarming increases in endometriosis, especially in Asia where it seems to strike women at a younger age.

My endometriosis is most likely genetic. My mom has it and my grandmother had it. My twin sister has it, too. I don't eat a whole lot of red meat currently, and was a vegetarian for years. In fact, during the time I had the surgery, which was when my pain was the worst, I was a vegetarian except for seafood. I don't think it's entirely accurate that diet causes endometriosis.

There is a whole slew of things that people with endo aren't supposed to eat. Wheat, red meat, caffeine, dairy, soy, refined sugar, chocolate, alcohol. That's pretty much all the good stuff! I suppose I could try a stricter diet, but it's going to be hard. One of my favorite things to do is go out to eat/drink with my girlfriends, and I can already see myself forgetting all about restricting myself when the wine starts aflowin'.

They say these things, but I've never noticed a correlation between my diet and my pain, and I have been pain-free for about 4 years. In fact, I've eaten more meat since my surgery, and no pain. (Only around my periods, but that's nothing new).

The frustrating thing about this disease is that the endo can get worse, but not give symptoms. So there really is no telling how bad it's getting. There's no cure. It's really just a wait-and-see condition.

[ecojeanne]

i dont know but have a look at this:
another article:

Dr. Dean Ornish, head of the Preventive Medicine Research Institute in Sausalito, California, is a well-known author advocating lifestyle changes to improve health. Dr. Ornish is also affiliated with the University of California at San Francisco. He recently reported on the Gene Expression Modulation by Intervention with Nutrition and Lifestyle (GEMINAL) study. This study indicated that making positive changes in one's diet, exercise, and stress management can affect more than a person's weight. Dr. Ornish's study was published in the June 16, 2008 edition of the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

The study followed 30 men who had opted out of conventional treatment for low-risk prostate cancer. The men decided, before they were recruited to take part in the study, not to undergo treatments such as surgery, radiation, or hormone therapy normally advocated for the disease. The men were closely monitored for tumor progression through the duration of the study.

Instead, for three months, they made changes in their lifestyle: They ate a diet rich in fruits, vegetables, whole grains, legumes and soy products. They exercised moderately, walking for half an hour a day. Each day they spent an hour practicing stress management methods such as meditation. Additionally, the men participated in support group sessions.

As the study progressed, the men lost weight, lowered their blood pressure and cholesterol, and generally saw improvements in their health. Previous studies gave evidence of lowered prostate-specific antigen (PSA) levels with dietary changes.

****Biopsies taken at the beginning and end of the study demonstrated some more significant changes. About 500 genes evidenced changes in activity at the end of the study. 48 disease preventing genes were turned on. 453 genes which promote disease, like breast and prostate cancers, were turned off.

Dr. Ornish expressed excitement over the results in a Reuters interview. The implications of this study go beyond men and prostate cancer. People are not doomed by their genetics. They can make positive changes fairly quickly. In three months, genetic changes can be made through the choices we make in food, exercise, and the way we handle stress.

This is an area of study that merits further investigation, the researchers concluded.

[shh!]

I don't think it's entirely accurate that diet causes endometriosis.

Of course not. If it did, then a lot more women would be suffering.

I feel for you... what a tough choice!

[ecojeanne]

starbuck i personally dont know if those two articles are true for you..everyone is different..however i have read a lot on nutrition and health...infact its kinda my thing for the last 5 years..im a sceptic by nature..my last job was as a fraud investigator...i am studying to become a naturopath and all the books i have read past a present give me the belief that we shouldnt be so quick to trust our doctors...pharma companys are behind a lot of what they prescribe...all im sayin is....its worthwhile to keep and open mind

[shh!]

It's true that physicians don't know everything, but it is also true that all medicine is based on the natural world.