Emily is a 42 year old lady who came to our clinic with a long history of endometriosis. She had been suffering with the condition at varying intensity for the previous 15 years. Last year she had an endometrioma (also known as a chocolate cyst) removed from her left ovary and she ended up losing the entire ovary.

Emily experienced strong pain in her lower abdomen and lower back for the first two days of her menstrual cycle. She commented that “It feels like someone is cutting me in half”. Along with the pain came extreme fatigue and nausea. As is common in many women with endometriosis, Emily experienced a great deal of bowel disturbance while she was menstruating. She experienced lots of abdominal bloating, wind pain and diarrhea alternating with constipation.

Her doctor just told Emily to use Advil to control the pain. Advil did reduce the pain significantly but Emily was concerned that the endometriosis was causing harm to her body and she wanted a natural solution.

Emily had done a bit of reading about endometriosis and learned that improving immune health is important in overcoming the condition. Therefore she was taking a probiotic to try and improve immunity. This was a wise decision and I always focus on improving gut health in my endometriosis patients, as most of our immune system is housed in the digestive tract.

Emily has an intolerance to dairy products; she experiences severe abdominal bloating and cramps if she consumes them, therefore has been avoiding dairy products for years. She suspects that wheat may be a problem also, as she suffers with a lot of gas when she consumes it. Research has shown that endometriosis shares a number of features of autoimmune disease.

In endometriosis, tissue from the lining of the uterus grows in places it shouldn’t; such as the ovaries, the fallopian tubes, the bowel and other locations. A healthy immune system should recognize the presence of foreign tissue but for some reason this doesn’t happen. The high levels of inflammation present in the disease cause a great deal of pain and fatigue. I recommend all my patients with inflammatory or autoimmune conditions eliminate grains, dairy products and sugar from their diet. I asked Emily to base her diet on vegetables, salads, protein and healthy fats.

My recommendations for my patient

  • Progesterone deficiency is a major driver of endometriosis. When women don’t make enough of this hormone they are prone to suffering with heavy and painful menstrual bleeding, as well as an increased risk of endometriosis or uterine fibroids. I asked Emily to use a natural progesterone cream.
  • Magnesium is wonderful for helping to reduce painful muscle spasms and cramps. It also has amazing calming properties and is great for pre-menstrual tension. I asked Emily to take a teaspoon of magnesium powder each evening with dinner.
  • Serrapeptase is a natural enzyme that helps to reduce inflammation by breaking down scar tissue and inflammatory deposits in the body. It should help to control the growth of endometriosis and help to reduce pain. I asked Emily to take 2 capsules twice daily on an empty stomach.
  • Although Advil is very effective at reducing pain, unfortunately it adversely affects the intestines and makes them more permeable – a.k.a. leaky gut. Studies have shown that leaky gut syndrome is a big driver of inflammation in the body. I gave Emily Intestinal Parasite Cleanse capsules to reduce levels of harmful gut microbes that promote bloating and gas, and also glutamine powder to heal the intestines and reduce her digestive discomfort.

I saw Emily six weeks later and she was happy with her progress. She said “My last menstrual period was still bad but everything felt less intense. The pain was still there but it didn’t completely ruin my day like previously”.

Emily said she felt significantly calmer and wasn’t as snappy as usual. She struggles a bit with staying away from sugar but said “I’m getting better at that”. I asked Emily to continue her supplements and added Livatone Plus to her regime. It is the liver’s job to break down excess estrogen in the body and clear it, and that doesn’t happen well enough in women with estrogen dominant conditions such as endometriosis.

The above statements have not been evaluated by the FDA and are not intended to diagnose, treat or cure any disease.

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