Tuesday, November 20, 2012

Day 20: Alternative treatments for endometriosis

I think there is definitely a place in medicine for "alternative" treatments. If there is one thing I have learnt through this process, it's that western medicine does not have all the answers and often it can have a bit of tunnel vision. I think it is important to have a holistic view to medicine and try as many different treatments as you need to before you find something that works.

Currently the only supplements I am taking are Krill Oil supplements. The omega 3s in this oil has been found to reduce the risk of developing endometriosis and improve immune function by a few studies. From my own experience I have found that particularly in the first few months after having surgery, I could tell when I had forgotten to take my omega 3 supplements for a few days as the pain would be worse. I've been a bit slack lately so it's not quite so obvious as I don't think I am taking them regularly enough (I've been good this week). I take Nature's Own 1000 mg at the moment as they are the cheapest, but I have taken Nature's Way 500 mg krill oil + fish oil before. (I'm trialling the higher dosage to see if it makes a difference.)


I'm not sure if people would consider nutrition an "alternative treatment" but I consider it to be one as it is not something that my gynecologist told me to do. I talked to a nurse at the Canberra Endometriosis Clinic and she recommended that I limit my intake of alcohol and coffee and to make sure I get enough sleep and exercise. I already had stopped drinking coffee a few years ago because I recognised that my guts reacted to it quite badly and I got severe cramping after drinking it, but this year I also discovered something else it gives me - terrible anxiety. So my sneaky coffee every six months when I drank it because I craved it so badly and just dealt with the pain has now been abandoned. I'm also trying to go completely alcohol free for a few weeks to see if that helps with pain/anxiety. They also say that cutting out sugar helps but I haven't tried that yet.

Massage is another alternative therapy that I find really improves my condition. I had my first Thai massage today and it was amazing. I have a lot of tension in my back from the pain (lower back) and changes in my body from the Mirena (upper back) so it helps to "decongest".

Alternative therapies I would like to try in the future include acupuncture and hot rock massage. Has anyone ever tried these therapies before? Have they improved any health complaints? Do you recommend them? (Any recommendations for the Canberra area?)


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This month I will be taking part in National Health Blog Post Month. Check back every day to see the new topic and learn more about endometriosis. Today's topic is: Write about alternative treatments / regimens / medicine. What do you support? What is crazy?

2 comments:

  1. I'm taking Krill for my cholesterol..initially I was taking King Krill as dad said that they weren't synthetic, therefore more effective, however they were super expensive. Now taking those ones from that brand who advertised throughout the olympics...but they STINK when I open the lid of the container. Do Natures Own smell less???

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    1. Hmmm, hadn't heard anything about synthetic vs non-synthetic (will have to read up!), but I have to say that Nature's Own do smell a little, although they've added some kind of vanilla smell to improve it. They are way cheaper than the Swisse vitamins (I assume those are the ones from the Olympics) for the exact same product.

      The other brand I have taken is Nature's Way, which barely smells at all, and is in a super easy to swallow tablet. The only reason I stopped taking those ones was to try the stronger dosed Nature's Own tablets (the ones I was taking were only 300mg), but otherwise I think I would recommend them the highest. :)

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