Improving symptoms through Diet and Nutrition

[Endopink14]

I have read the following a gluten and diary free diet can improve/reduce Endometriosis symptoms along with taking supplements? I have tried this for a month before surgery but still not sure if it helped. Was wondering if anyone else has tried this and what were the results? In addition if you took supplements which ones would you recommend?

[Hannah0091]

Hey, I have changed my diet completely I cut out coffee cut down meat & gluten and cut out dairy and it has helped a lot if I’m honest but that being said everyone is different. I find omega 3. Cranberry tablets and CBD oil has worked really well for me x

[DEvangeline in reply to Hannah0091]

I agree with you, omega 3 and CBD is amazing. I also take Vit D, B12, iron and magnesium and cut down gluten & dairy ☺️

[luthien]

I've found that for me reducing; dairy, red meat, wheat and processed foods has really reduced some of my symptoms mainly the bloating and general tiredness. I have increased; the variety of fruit and veg, fish, beans and pulses. I don't eat fast food. If I eat out with friends we pick a small restaurant that specialises in healthy food so I don't bloat and have gas. I don't have caffeine, well it's in chocolate, so maybe a little - I've found my go to is the Doisy and Dam range, they're amazingly vegan, gluten free and healthier! I try not to have sugary treats, if I want them I bake them or select healthier ones with fruit based sugars such as dates

It does vary greatly what helps some women and it can take up to 6 weeks for some of the benefits to show. I would suggest eliminating one food item every few weeks, to see what works, sometimes it's a combination of foods. Once a food is removed though you need to keep it removed for about 8 weeks as that's how long the body takes to get rid of all traces, then you can reintroduce a tiny bit and see what happens; if it makes your symptoms worse then keep it out altogether.

I find that doing it all a step at a time means it's not so scary and you can work out your trigger foods so making life happier, rather than just cutting out everything as it needs to be balanced, so if you remove meat you need to think where you get your protein, fats and iron from.

xx

[Endopink14 in reply to luthien]

Thank you for responding it’s much appreciated x

[Sylva123]

I've cut out gluten for the past year and I'm not sure if it has helped, but I think it has. I've read so much about going gluten free for endometriosis I do believe it's the right thing to do, even if it slows down the growth of more endo.

I've been thinking recently about going dairy free but I'm already veggie gluten free so I think it'll be hard!

I've increased my fibre and have flax seed as well, which I think helps. Good luck! X

[Endopink14 in reply to Sylva123]

Thank you for responding it’s much appreciated x

[Fightback]

I have cut out/down on White bread, dairy, gluten and fatty foods and felt it has helped me a lot. That said I still have really bad days but over the last year since changing my diet it had reduced the amount of bad days i have.

[Endopink14 in reply to Fightback]

Thank you for responding it’s much appreciated x

[Cactus80]

Hi, I have been caffeine free, cut out red meat and dairy and plenty of omega 3 since May and felt great the first 6 weeks but pain back again. I'm still continuing with the diet anyway. I've not tried any supplements but think I should. I hope it works for you x

[Endopink14 in reply to Cactus80]

Thank you for responding it’s much appreciated x

[Coffina]

Hi honey.

From my own experience I can tell you that the change of diet is a key thing to deal with endometriosis and it definitely helps with the symptoms but you need to stick to it for at least 6 months before you can see any improvement. I became vegan, gluten and soja free in 2013 as my intestines were struggling to process animal products and gluten; I was in so much pain !

Since I made these changes in my life some symptoms have decreased, (my period arrived on time regularly and is not all over the place like used to be before) I also left any hormonal treatment behind. I got fed up with them all ..

Make no mistake being vegan gluten free and soja free with endometriosis is not easy at all, you need to cook A LOT from scratch and consume fresh pulses (not cans ) you also need to fortify your iron supplements or drink NATURAL fresh juices like the combined of orange carrot and beetroot every day, its certainly hard work !

Also being vegan doesn't mean you can eat anything that says "vegan" as there is many processed vegan food these days. Try to go for natural fresh food. I learned this the hard way.

With regard with the supplements I am on magnesium, iron/spirulina, MSM with vitamin C and Endovan (MARVELOUS product ) After all of these changes I avoid to have more operations ( laparoscopic) and I finally recovered the control of my life.

Bear in mind diet alone doesn't eliminate all the symptoms , only helps you to cope and keep you strong and healthier, I recently realised that, so I researched a lot and found LDN .( Low dose of naltrexone ).

Endovan and LDN are amazing but you must be on an endo diet !

I can tell you now that I am over the moon. SO HAPPY . Better than the operations better that hormones better than anything! . I am not saying this cure me I don't think so .. What I am saying is my symptoms are reduce from 100 to 20% maybe 10%

I used to faint due to the endometriosis pain, bleed crazily for 10 day and have 10 day previous to my period with sharp stabing pain in my ovaries, my back and legs, I was effectivrly disable at home deppresed and hopeless now I can leave the house on my period and if I have some pain I take 200 paracetamol and I am perfect . BEFORE I was on hormonal treatments , tramadol combined with ibuprofen and still was in agony, drug out and with a messy stomach.

Of course, every woman is different, you might be OK without such a restrictive diet, if you are not becoming vegan at least try to be away from anything processed, and avoid gluten dairy and soja just as you are now. Except nattokinasse which is some kind of soja but is properly fermented and its good for endometriosis .

If you have any question please let me know.

[Endopink14 in reply to Coffina]

Thank for all that info, definitely something to consider x x x