estrogen

An alternative to Lupron Depot, Letrozole, or Danazol?

| Bloomin' Uterus
Syringe for Lupron Depot injection

The Journal of Restorative Medicine has published an article by Dr. Edward Lichen in their December 2016 compilation about non-surgical treatment of Endometriosis.  You can read the article, in it’s entirety, by clicking on the link under “Resources,” but I wanted to give a brief overview of my interpretation:

Causation:

  • Causation continues to be a mystery.  An overview of the nine theories of causation is given.
  • DNA research is ongoing.
  • Estrogen plays a role.  Many women with Endometriosis cannot opt for estrogen replacement therapy (even if post-menopausal) due to high recurrence rates of estrogen stimulation.
  • Xenoestrogens, dioxins, and endocrine disruptors increase inflammation and can cause Endometriosis to develop/recur.
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Parabens & Endometriosis

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Store shelves with shampoo bottles

What are Parabens?

Parabens are chemicals used as preservatives in consumer products.

Why are they Bad for Us?

If you happen to suffer from Endometriosis, or any other estrogen-driven condition (like breast cancer), please be aware that parabens mimic estrogen.  Just like soy.  Just like flax.  Parabens are an “endocrine disruptor,” which alters our body’s hormone levels.  They’ve been found to play a role in breast cancer cell growth, too.

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FDA Bans Ingredients in Antibacterial Soaps

| Bloomin' Uterus
A soap sud covered hand

If you haven’t already heard, this week the FDA banned 19 ingredients used in anti-bacterial soaps.  You’ll see these soaps on sale at the market only to disappear from the shelves within one year…unless the soap manufacturers can find a way around the 19 ingredients that were banned.

But why?  Either the ingredients couldn’t be shown to do squat against bacteria, or they posed a potential threat to our bodies.  Interesting to note, the ban is only for the ingredients found in antibacterial soaps, not other household agents that may contain these ingredients (like creams or hand sanitizers).

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Cervical Endometriosis

| Bloomin' Uterus
Sprinkle-covered donut
…not really a cervix, but you get it… 😉

So, WordPress shows me a lot of the searches that people run that lead them to my site.  One has recently come up again and again.  “Cervical Endometriosis” and “Endometriosis on Cervix.”

Seeing as I’ve never touched up on that particular location, I figured I would today!

What are the symptoms? How are you diagnosed?  What’s the treatment?

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Endometriosis & The Heart

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Diagram of human heart

I’ve read bits and pieces here and there that Endometriosis can grow on your heart (or the lining of your heart).  And have heard from a friend that she may have it on her heart.  That’s scary business!

Which got my juices flowin’ to find the documented cases of Endometriosis on the heart, how it was excised (if at all), etc.  Here goes ( PS – there’s not a lot out there…)!

Endometriosis is usually found within the pelvic cavity, but has also been known to travel northward and latching onto the liver and diaphragm.  It has also been found on the membranes surrounding the lungs.  Even rarer, it has been found on the brain, in the lymph nodes, and on the eyes.  But today, we focus on the heart…which is also SO INCREDIBLY RARE. Please, I’ll preface it by saying this is so super duper rare.

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Endometriosis & Soy Products

| Bloomin' Uterus
Bowl of soy beans in the pod

Here we go again, inspired to write due to a dietary “restriction.”  I’ve read that as an Endo Sufferer, I should avoid (or drastically cut back from) soy and soy-based products.  I’ve read soy mimics and increases estrogen levels, which we’ve come to understand can affect our Endometriosis growth and symptoms.  So today, I want to do my own research.

Soy products are the “richest sources of isoflavones” that humans can eat.  What the heck is an isoflavone? It’s a “plant-based compound with estrogenic activity” English, Lisa, ENGLISH! It means it’s a plant-based compound that mimics estrogen.  So, soy has a very rich, or high levels, of a property, a compound, a thing…that acts like, or mimics, estrogen.  The isoflavones can attach themselves to estrogen receptors throughout the body, and either mimic or block certain estrogen effects in tissues.

Why is that bad? Well, it’s not, for everyone.  Estrogen may help prevent certain forms of cancer (breast, uterine, or prostrate), stimulate bone growth, or help women suffering with post-menopausal symptoms. But for those of us who suffer from what very-well may be an estrogen-driven disease, it can be very bad.

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Reader’s Choice : Can Men Get Endometriosis?

| Bloomin' Uterus
Male symbol

Last night, my boyfriend and I were talking about Endo’s “weirdness” how it can pop up in strange and unheard of places, and he popped the question (no, not THE question…), “Are there any reports of men having Endometriosis?”  I remembered reading somewhere that there were a few rare cases of it, but hadn’t read them deeply enough to understand their situations, diagnoses, and prognoses.  So, we have our topic for today!!

In rare cases, cis-men develop Endometriosis.  Transmen also suffer from the disease. But we will focus on cis-men for this blog: it appears many have been treated with long-term or large doses of estrogen therapy, but some are healthy men who have no history of cancer or estrogen treatment.  Here’s what I could find:

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Why no dairy?

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Pitcher and glass of milk

I’ve read a lot of books and webpages that say women with Endometriosis should avoid dairy.  I’ve taken that step as best I can.  I miss my cheese.  I miss bagels with cream cheese.  I miss sour cream.  But, I do feel better!  Very little bloating, cramping, or gas (but that may be a combination of the changes in my diet…).

But now I’m curious as to why “no dairy” and why I feel better for not having it…

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No red meat?

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A cow and hamburger with a "no slash" through them

So, I’ve read time and time again that people with Endometriosis should avoid red meat.  I’ve altered my diet to avoid it as much as possible.  And have even written about it in small quantities in previous blogs.

But today I want to delve deeper into why: why no read meat? What does it do?  And I want proof; not just theories!  Let the research begin!

Some studies suggest that frequent consumption of red meat and ham increases the risk of developing Endometriosis. An Italian study published in 2003 found that there may be a link between diet and Endometriosis.  It also found that women who ate red meat seven or more times per week increased their risk of Endometriosis by 80-100%.  Women who ate ham three or more times per week were 80% more likely to have Endometriosis than women who ate less.  In comparison, women who ate vegetables and fish were 40% less likely of having Endometriosis.  This study was actually the combined data of two separate studies conducted on 504 women, and it reviewed their eating habits, lifestyles, and separated the women into two groups: who did or did not have Endometriosis.

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