Any doctor can diagnose, remove, and treat Endometriosis.

As much as we’d all like to hope that all doctors are created equal, they are not.  There is no known cause for Endometriosis, only theories.  Some doctors don’t even think about it as a possible cause for pain, infertility, or lengthy cycles.  Some have never even heard of it.  Some refuse to believe it’s a real disease, but purely prompted by a psychosomatic response.

There are doctors who refuse to perform surgery while others immediately gravitate toward operating.  Others surgically remove the Endometriosis in such a way that it immediately grows back, or they miss removing all of the implants.  Others remove it more thoroughly, but there is still a chance for recurrence.  A few doctors claim they’re “the best” and are skilled enough to remove it all.

Some only treat the symptoms with experimental clinical trials, others more tried-and-true methods.  Some doctors only rely on Western Medicine, while others point you in the direction of Eastern.  It’s a crapshoot.

You must advocate for your own health.  Continue to search for that one special doctor (or team of physicians) that suit your needs.  And just remember : all doctors are not created equal…

Stress may affect your Endometriosis symptoms, flare-ups, and growth.

We all know that stress can do some interesting things to your body, as well as really cause a lot of unnecessary emotions, panic attacks, short tempers, and freak outs.  But can it do anything to your Endo?  Yes.  Studies have shown that it exacerbate your symptoms.  Want to know more?  Or need ideas on how to de-stress?  

Is Endometriosis a sexually transmitted disease?

No.  Although a cause is not yet known by the medical or scientific community, it is not infectious.  It cannot be spread by bodily fluids.  It may be genetic, but it is NOT an STD.  Rest easy…and have sex. 😉

Environmental toxins may play a role in the development and progression of Endometriosis?

Do I sound like a dirty hippy?  Maybe.  But there are a lot of theories out there about what may cause or influence Endometriosis.  But scientific studies have been long-published, and are also newly-emerging, that support the evidence that environmental toxins play a role in Endo’s development and progression.

A study published in the 2015 book “Endometriosis A Comprehensive Update” discusses just those factors.  The abstract states, “[h]uman exposure to toxins is often unavoidable, but measures including a detailed history taken by clinicians and lifestyle changes can help detect and limit exposure and assist in the body’s detoxification processes. Growing evidence suggests a possible link between endometriosis and environmental pollutants.”

So I may sound like a dirty hippy, which is okay by me, but the chemicals and toxins that we expose our bodies to may very well play a role in the progression of this disease.  You may want to do a little bit more digging on this subject.

One day, a medication may be able to shrink or stop the growth of Endometriosis lesions without affecting ovarian function.

Many believe that Endometriosis is an estrogen-driven disease.  Current treatments include stopping estrogen production in the body by inducing chemical menopause or by prescribing continuous birth control to effectively limit estrogen production in the body.  These treatments can have devastating side effects, and some may only be taken for a limited period of time.

On January 21, 2015, a story was published in the Biology of Reproduction which discussed the discovery of compounds that block the inflammatory properties of estrogen receptors, without affecting the functions of the ovaries.  The University of Illinois also published a story.

Tests were performed on mice and found that these compounds blocked new and additional Endometriosis growth, without affecting the mice’s fertility.  Tests were also performed on cells from human Endometriosis lesions with the same stopping and shrinking results.  These compounds were also shown to work well with Letrozole, a drug which inhibits estrogen production in the hopes of reducing Endometriosis pain and symptoms.  Further testing with primates is needed before additional conclusions can be drawn.

However, it does appear that in the future medications may likely be created that will reduce, slow, and possibly stop Endometriosis growth without the horrible side effects of some of the other standard medications, including chemical menopause, bone loss, and infertility.

You can read the actual study abstract published in Science Translation Medicine.

The medical community has a standard of care for Endometriosis.

There are many physicians who have heard, and treat, Endometriosis.  And there are many still who have not heard of it, nor know the first thing about treating Endometriosis.  With that being said, is there a medical-community standard for successfully suppressing symptoms of Endometriosis?  In this modern day and age of scientific discovery, you’d think yes…but…

No.

Some physicians will operate, surgically removing or destroying Endometriosis implants and scarring from the pelvic cavity and beyond.  Some physicians refuse to operate.

Some prescribe Lupron Depot with the “Add Back” pill.  Some refuse to prescribe the Add Back pill.  And some refuse to prescribe Lupron.  Some prescribe Depo Provera, others prescribe Zoladex, others Danazol, others Lanzopral.

Some suggest hysterectomies.  Others are vehemently against them.

Some suggest birth control pills, IUDs, implants, or a “ring.”  Others do not.

Many prescribe NSAIDs and pain killers.  Many do not.

And while any of these above-referenced treatments may work for some women, they do not work for all women…

The medical community still does not know what causes, contributes to, or sustains Endometriosis.  Without that knowledge, they cannot begin to iron out a standard of care for all women, let alone a cure.  It’s trial and error.  Hit and miss.

And it’s frustrating.

Physical therapy may help improve Endometriosis pain, pelvic pain, and adhesion pain?

There is a lot of claims, research, and studies out there that physical therapy can help improve pain and symptoms associated with Endometriosis and adhesions.  More on this topic will follow in a few weeks on this blog.  But there are many, many, MANY patients and facilities stating that physical therapy has helped with their pain.  Whether it be pelvic floor therapy, the Wurn technique, or other PT, it may be an avenue of treatment you may wish to pursue.  Because it works for some women, but not all women, I’m classifying this as a theory.  And will most certainly be looking more into it in the very near future.

Have a great and pain-free day.

Yours, Lisa