the one thing you haven’t tried for your endo symptoms
So you finally have a diagnosis after years of unexplained symptoms, being dismissed and told your period pain was normal, only to find that the options presented to you are surgery, and / or hormonal birth control. You follow the advice and realise this gives you only temporary relief for your symptoms, if any, and in no time you are back at the GP, or worse, hospitalised with pain so bad you’re barely conscious.
This is a familiar story to my client, and to so many others living with endometriosis and feeling like there are no other options but to deal with the symptoms of this debilitating condition. As someone with endometriosis myself, cases like this always hit different. Until you’ve experienced the pain of endometriosis yourself, it’s impossible to relate. Not only to the pain, but to the impact it has on your life; missing work, social events and other commitments because you can’t get out of bed. I say this from experience, as I can honestly say I had no idea before my symptoms started.
With the limited medical toolkit you are provided with, it can feel like a bit of dead end when it comes to the treatment of endometriosis. What I want to share with you, is there is something else out there you haven’t tried!
my client’s story
My client first came to after having laparoscopic surgery to remove lesions and a mirena IUD inserted, as she was told this would manage her horrific symptoms. After she had no relief, she advocated for herself, had the mirena IUD removed and came to see me two weeks later.
Her symptoms included excruciating period pain which would wake her during the night, sometimes accompanied by nausea and vomiting, pain with bowel movements, shooting pains down the legs, feeling faint, and needing 6 super tampons daily, along with a liner for leaks. Her energy was struggling, she had acne, severe bloating, anxiety, had gained weight and felt she had no hope for managing the condition, improving her symptoms and her quality of life.
I remember her saying, “Even though I didn’t want to, I thought if I just did what they said it would get better”. We both shed a tear or two in that first appointment - I couldn’t relate more to her feeling of hopelessness.
WHAT WE DID
Immediately after our first consultation, I started my client on a minimal prescription to manage pain and increase iron stores, and arranged for her to complete a functional gut microbiome test. The test revealed some telling results:
Elevations in lactoferrin (a marker of intestinal inflammation), secretory IgA (a marker of intestinal inflammation and increased intestinal permeability, or leaky gut) and beta-glucuronidase producing microbes (microbes which produce a bacterial enzyme which can re-activate hormones and result in excess)
Borderline elevation in calprotectin (a marker of acute intestinal inflammation, often seen in those needing to use anti-inflammatory medications frequently), low gut microbial diversity and so much more, all indicating a pro-inflammatory picture, and driving her endometriosis symptoms and progression of the disease
When we went through the results, not only did it provide us with answers and inform a specific treatment plan, it gave my client so much validation around her experience, after feeling dismissed and let down for so long.
I started her on a targeted and specific treatment plan, to address the above areas, using a combination of supplements, dietary and lifestyle modifications.
THE RESULT
Fast forward to three months into her treatment, my client said her last period was the best she could ever remember having, where she didn’t need to take anything for the pain for the first time in a long time, along with a significant reduction in blood loss, as well as improvements in her digestion and energy.
She had been so consistent, so committed to implementing the dietary and lifestyle changes, taking the supplements and to this day, almost six months down the track, she is amazed with the change gut microbiome testing and naturopathic treatment has brought to her life, after feeling she had lost all hope. Our next steps are working on supporting her skin and reducing hormonal acne - the exciting part is we are only just getting started!
FINAL NOTE
As a sufferer myself, endometriosis is one of my favourite areas to work with. The impact that naturopathy can have on improving your quality of life is truly astounding.
If you’ve been diagnosed with endometriosis and feel like you’ve hit a dead end when it comes to managing your symptoms, book a FREE 15min discovery call here and let’s chat. And finally, don’t forget to follow me on Instagram to check out my client’s test results and incredible transformation.
