DISCLAIMER: The answers provided are general. The medical information is provided by a medical professional but should not be used in place of seeing an OB/GYN for individualized care.

When you were diagnosed with endometriosis, what questions did you ask? Were they any of the following?

Huh? Endo… what?

Will this be with me forever?

Will I be able to have children?

What treatments are available?

Is this curable?

Excuse the bombardment of questions and if any unpleasant flashbacks arose. Triggering is not a goal here. The purpose of the aforementioned is to jog your memory to the time when you received the diagnosis and compare it to where you are now. If you’ve been managing endometriosis well for a while, kudos to you! That’s a huge accomplishment, and you deserve to be celebrated. But, this article may not be for you. Although, I hope that you can agree and possibly glean some information from it. If you are on the opposite end and haven’t been managing the symptoms of endometriosis well, or if this is a new diagnosis, then this article may be for you.

From personal experience and via hearing the testimonies of other women who share the same diagnosis, dealing with the complications of endometriosis is much like the above scenario. And the diagnosis of endometriosis is heavy news for any woman to receive. The diagnosis is given, and then trial and error begin. And because this is a condition not understood by many people, including physicians, many women spend most of their days and even years coping with the pain as best as possible associated with this inflammatory condition. This article is here to help answer that with a summary of medical and non-medical treatments available to care for endometriosis. For this purpose, I communicated with Obstetrics & Gynecology Specialist Dr. Jodie Rai, MD in Saint Louis, MO, to give a medical professional’s insight on medical ways to treat and alleviate endometriosis.

The one question that typically remains is, now what? And, this article will not leave you there. If you’re tired of trying to find your way around in a dark room or looking to try something else, I hope that the information in this article encourages you.

Medical Treatments

First things, first. If this is new for you, let’s get a good understanding of endometriosis.

Q: What treatments are available for endometriosis?

A: For some patients, medications that address the symptoms but not the disease may be sufficient. These include pain medications like NSAIDs (Non-Steroidal Anti Inflammatory Drugs), such as ibuprofen and naproxen.

Medications that treat the disease typically involve hormonal manipulation that slows or stops the growth of the abnormal tissue. These approaches include methods that are also used for birth control: estrogen and progesterone containing oral contraceptives, skin patches, vaginal rings, progesterone pills, injections and implants, and IUDs. These can often stop the menstrual cycle. In addition, a class of medications that affect Gonadotropin-Releasing Hormone (GnRH) are effective.

Sometimes major surgery is required. Fortunately, this is not usually the case. Major surgery may include hysterectomy, removal of the uterus and Fallopian tubes, with or without removal of the ovaries. Rarely, symptoms can come back even if the uterus, tubes, and ovaries are removed.

Surgery may be done both for the certainty of diagnosis and treatment. The most common is outpatient laparoscopy, where a camera is placed through a small incision in the skin into the abdomen to visualize the pelvic organs. Additional small incisions might be made to better visualize the pelvis and to perform biopsies and treatment. Treatment can include excision or cautery.

Pregnancy and breastfeeding, due to their effects on the levels of estrogen and progesterone, will also generally suppress endometriosis. Endometriosis and its symptoms usually resolve with menopause.

Q: Are there any side effects that accompany these medications?

A: They can also have side effects like mood swings, weight gain, decreased libido, and irregular bleeding. Besides birth control, Danazol, a pill, also lowers levels of estrogen and progesterone. Side effects can include weight gain, acne, deepening of the voice, and hirsutism.

GnRH-based treatments are not for pregnancy prevention and include injections like leuprolide and oral daily medications like elagolix. They lower estrogen levels by turning off the ovaries temporarily and creating artificial menopause that is reversed after the patient stops the medication. Side-effects can include hot flashes, vaginal dryness, mood swings, decreased libido, and bone loss with prolonged use.

Q: Are there stages of endometriosis? If so, how are they staged?

A: Most physicians stage endometriosis at laparoscopy as mild, moderate, or severe bases on the number, extent, and location of lesions and scarring. However, because there is little correlation between these stages and the patient’s symptoms, treatment is generally not based on the stage of endometriosis.

Non-Medical Treatment

There are times when the medical route is not the way someone wants to go. And, that is fine. If that is you, here are four non-medical treatment options I’d like to offer to anyone looking to try or restart a natural approach.

NOTE: The following are personal recommendations from experience, not from or recommended by a medical professional.

Change your diet. Eliminating or reducing foods that cause inflammation can make a huge difference. Some foods and groups to consider cutting or decreasing intake from your diet are beef, pork, dairy, gluten, soy, eggs, and fried foods. Limiting the amount of alcohol consumption can be helpful as well. The good news is that there have been many advancements with food, providing many alternatives, including gluten-free wines.

Heat up. Staying warm helps to reduce cramping pain. Have you ever noticed cramps get worse when the body is cold or after having a cold treat? That’s because the cold causes tightness, and that aids pain. When managing endo pain or menstrual cramping, heat––whether indirectly by turning up the thermostat or direct with a heating pad––can do the body much good. Hot teas, all year round, are also helpful and tasty too.

Be active. If possible, try not to sit for long periods. To help with breaking up the monotony of sedentary work, set a timer to move for at least 5 minutes every waking hour. Walking is a great activity to get all joints moving and to take in some fresh air when able to walk outside.

Let out the stress. Having a condition can be stressful on its own, so there’s no need to hold in any feelings about it. Having a therapist helps talk things through to prevent internal, emotional buildup. And if talking isn’t your thing, perhaps writing in a journal will be therapeutic.

Wholistic Therapy. There are benefits of reducing inflammation with acupuncture therapy. As an ancient practice, it can be helpful to do when coupled with a diet change. But please, do your research and consult your doctor before trying this.

Whether endometriosis is a new diagnosis to you or not, the most important take-away message is to take good care of yourself by doing what is best for you.

DISCLAIMER: The answers provided are general. The medical information is provided by a medical professional but should not be used in place of seeing an OB/GYN for individualized care.

Treating Endometriosis. What Can I Do?