Endometriosis

Endometriosis is a very common condition where the body develops endometrial tissue ( normally confined to the lining of the uterus), in other areas usually within the pelvis, occasionally in the bowel or even near the umbilicus.

This rogue endometrial tissue grows and breaks down with the woman's normal menstrual cycle, typically causing pain which starts with a period and persists though the bleeding for 4-5 days or more, unlike normal period pain which rarely lasts more than 24 hours or so. The pain is in different sites depending on where the rogue endometrium is situated. What is worse bits of this rogue endometrium can break away and seed themselves in new areas spreading and changing the nature of the problem.

Recent research indicates endometriosis tends to run in families and there is a gene for it, which may eventually lead to a cure through stem cell research.

The pain severity and site and pattern may vary greatly from patient to patient, many endometriosis victims remain undiagnosed simply thinking they have severe period pain.

Treatments for Endometriosis.

Simple Remedies.

Go to bed, use a heat pack or hot water bottle.
Use Naprogesic, Nurofen or even aspirin. These over the counter medications counteract chemicals called prostaglandins which are the main mediators of period and endometriosis pain.
Use the old fashioned herb "Chasteberry" which has been effective for many women with period pain for hundreds of years.
Cut down on refined flour, wheat products and coffee & other caffeine products notably Colas, chocolates etc which all increase the bodies production of prostaglandins and related chemicals.
Get your doctor to prescribe some natural progestagen 200mg troches (available only from compounding pharmacists) and take this from day 25 to day 5 of each period, Progeseronehelps sustain endometrium and makes the painful breakdown causing endometriosis less.

More permanent methods:

Go on the pill - this will often make periods lighter and shorter thus easing the intensity and length of endometriosis pain for many women. There are obviously risks with the pill especially if you smoke, so discuss all this with your doctor.
Preventing periods prevents endometriosis pain; this can be achieved in several ways:

Skip the sugar tablets that is go straight onto the next active tablets. You can do this for 2 months in a row, then next month take the sugar tablets and you will get a period, and maybe period pain but only every third month which has to be an improvement. You should consult your doctor before doing this
Go on natural progesterone cream or lozenges
Ask your doctor about Depo-Provera. This is a three monthly contraceptive injection which stops periods in many women, no periods = no endometriois pain. The main side effect is spotting or breakthrough bleeding in about 20% of women.
Ask your doctor about Mirena IUD which releases progesterone
Ask your doctor about Implanon Implants. This is a small rod which is implanted in the upper arm and gradually releases tiny amounts of progesterone. It provides contraception for three years and in many cases women stop having periods altogether for this time again No Periods = No endometriosis pain. In my opinion the Implanon implant is the most likely way to successfully minimise endometriosis pain until a woman is ready to start having kids, or even to the menopause, when endometriosis obviously stops.

Have a baby!!! Not a good reason for having a baby but if you are considering pregnancy, most women find that their endometriosis pain is far less after having a child.
Surgery, get referred to a gynaecologist who can perform a laparoscopy and laser away areas of endometriosis from within the pelvic cavity. This often helps for a while but the difficulty is that it is hard for the surgeon to spot all the areas of endometriosis and if he/she misses tiny seedling areas these will grow bigger and the problem often may recur.