The Endometriosis Diet?

One of the most common questions I hear when I tell people about my chronic pain and disability is "Have you tried alternative treatments?" Most people seem to think that what "Western" medicine won't cure, "alternative" medicine will. What I've found since suffering from disabling pain is that most people want to offer a solution and don't want to believe that sometimes there isn't one. Suggesting alternative treatment is just one manifestation of that attitude.

And the truth is, until recently, I haven't had much faith in so-called alternative methods. Why? Certainly not because I have any less faith in alternative medicine than in Western medicine, but simply because, when it comes to my conditions, I have little faith in either! I've tried and researched treatments from all ends of the spectrum for my conditions and have found that in most cases nothing works. The illness I have (endometriosis) is a chronic, incurable one and many, many who suffer from it don't find relief or get worse (some women do get better, but not because of the treatment they tried. Many just don't get better no matter what they try.)

I've tried acupuncture for a long period of time, I've tried Chinese medicine, I've tried the vitamins and supplements that are supposed to help, the lifestyle changes and the relaxation methods. I've quit smoking, and meditated, tried a macrobiotic diet, and taken lots and lots of calcium supplements. I've drank the herbal teas and the nauseating concoctions mixed up by the herbalist. I've also tried surgeries, and pain-management treatments, and physical therapy, medications with side effects, and all the other medications and treatments the "Western" doctors threw at me. I went to support groups and traded information with other sufferers, I read the online message boards and traded emails about treatments. Nothing worked. In fact, I got worse after each of my three surgeries. I developed adhesions on top of the endometriosis.

But lately, I've thought about the fact that my dog sees a holistic vet, who prescribes all sorts of herbs and nutrition therapies for him. And you know what? They actually work. I've seen his thyroid levels go down from the herbal medicine, or his tumor held at bay from the herbs and nutrition. Lately, I've started thinking, if it works for him, why not for me? At this point, I don't expect a cure or magic relief of my symptoms. But I know that there I things I might be able to do that might help, or at the very least, if not help with my pain, at least just get me healthier.

Usually, alternative treatments are expensive and time consuming. As a disabled pain patient, money and energy/time are two things I am usually running very low on. So even if some treatments have a chance of helping, such as the traditional Chinese medicine that I was told I needed to try for at least a year, once a week, at a hundred dollars a pop (no insurance reimbursement, of course), is out of the question, even if it might help. Get me a chauffeur and personal assistant to drag me out of bed, drive me the appointment, and a trust fund to foot the bill, and I'm there. Until then, I'll stick to trying treatments that are actually realistic and possible.

One "reasonable" approach I want to look more into is diet. Again, I don't believe it will cure me, nor do I believe that at my level of disability, I can stick to it fully. I don't grocery shop or cook anymore, and my husband works full-time and takes care of me, so putting a lot of time into cooking isn't exactly his priority at the end of a long, tiring day. But I think it still helps to be aware of what eating habits might be helpful and see if we can incorporate some of them into our eating. Luckily, neither of us eats meat, and we already try to focus on eating fresh, organic fruits and vegetables, so we've got that foundation already down. We don't eat a lot of sweets or dairy or a lot of fats or junk food. So what else can we change?

The diet I found on the diet section of the site EndoResolved suggests the following:

"* Increase omega-3 fatty acids
* Avoid meat, dairy products, wheat and sugar
* Increase fiber
* Modulate estrogen
* Avoid caffeine and alcohol
* Avoid refined foods, e-numbers, additives
* Minimize or avoid soy products (as they contain high levels of phytoestrogens, and soy contains a particular toxin which seems to be particularly detrimental for women with endometriosis)
* Peel fruit and vegetables to remove toxic chemicals
* Eat organic produce wherever possible
* Drink lots of filtered or mineral water"

The site also links to a research article that suggests that certain foods, such as animal fats, fish, and dairy (all of which contain more of the chemicals that may contribute to endo. and are harmful regardless of whether or not you have endo.), are to be avoided. They suggest a plant-based diet (I've been a vegetarian for about 15 years, but that did not prevent endometriosis or pelvic pain for me) and an emphasis on immune boosting foods nutrients, such as "beta-carotene, found in orange vegetables, such as carrots and sweet potatoes; vitamin E, found in grains and beans; and vitamin C, which is in many fruits and vegetables."

Maybe I need to focus on adding more of the immune boosters to my diet and reducing or eliminating dairy. As it is, I rarely eat dairy (or eggs) except for in my coffee (milk, I'm talking about, not eggs!), and we only buy organic dairy products to eat at home. Even though I already practice most of these suggestions, and have for many years, with no noticeable effect on my symptoms, it can't hurt to try to add in a few more of the suggestions. I may also speak to my doctor about natural progesterone, but only after researching some of the negative side effects first (If you know about the good and bad effects of natural progesterone treatment, please comment or email me!). Maybe the dietary changes won't help my pain, but they can't help but at least make my body somewhat healthier overall, and that's always a good thing.

Have you tried a specific diet that helped with your pain or illness? What was it? What are "alternative" methods have or haven't worked for you?