Diet

[Apatche4]

Online there is something that says changing your diet can help? Has anyone tried this?

[Thecraftyadder]

I have and I work in dietetics so have a bit of knowledge of different diets in general but I'm not a registered health professional so this reply is based on my personal experiences

There is lots of conflicting advice out there but the main thing to remember is changing your diet is about managing your symptoms, it won't 'cure' endometriosis in anyway and different things work for different people.

I'll summerise the main ideas:

No A1 Caesin dairy (cow's milk dairy products). This type of milk is inflammatory. You may be ok the A2 type which includes goats, sheep and buffalo milk products. You need to test how you feel on them.

No gluten. Again it's inflammatory and a lot of us endo girls react badly to it. You can exclude it for 6 wks see how you feel and then reintroduce it to check for a reaction. Be wary of the high sugar in some gluten free stuff though.

No or very limited Soy products as these may encourage estrogen production which feeds endometriosis growth.

Many find excluding caffine and red meat good as well.

Limit your refined sugar intake. Sugar feeds bloating and gut problems. If you have a sweet tooth start reducing it down. Your taste buds do adapt.

Try and up your omega 3 intake which is found in oily fish, avocado, coconut oil, olive oil, chia seeds and macadamia nuts. You can take a supplement of this if you choose. It's helps fight inflammation.

As much as your circumstances and budget allow try to include lots of fruit and veg in your diet as they have lots of vitamins and nutrients we need. Especially as our immune system gets effected by endometriosis.

They are the main principles to work on. There are many extream diets out there and it can be overwhelming. Don't try and change everything at once. The first two are the biggest for many people. If you have a lot of bowel issues you might find the low fodmap diet useful which was developed to help people with IBS. It's best done with a dietitian over seeing. You could ask for a referral to one from your GP if it seems appropriate.

I still suffer pain despite the diet but my immune system is better than it used to be and I have bowel control (which I didn't before). So it's helped me to manage better

Hopefully that gives you some pointers but feel free to ask any questions.

[wren01 in reply to Thecraftyadder]

Thats a great answer and really helpful. I've changed my diet as above and it has helped me and really notice the difference on naughty days so I definitely think it helps. Hope it helps others as well

[CC3003]

I’m currently working through full exclusion diet. No wheat, bovine dairy, gluten, processed foods, refined sugars, trans fats, caffeine or alcohol. Im getting on much better than I expected although real sugar DTs the first week! I also take a large amount of vitamin and mineral supplements with pre and pro biotics and digestive enzymes to help reduce gut inflammation and increase absorption. I’m on week 6 of 3 months and am noticing quite a reduction in pain an and inflammation now. Consultant was about to put me on waiting list for full hysterectomy but I’ve asked her to hold off to see how this goes. It means I’m giving it my all just now. If I’m noticing real improvements in 6 weeks I’m keen to keep going. Things I miss - a nice cup of tea (with milk) and cheese! But it’s worth it just now. There’s evidence that wheat intolerance can also lead to temporary lactose intolerance so by eliminating wheat I might be able to reintroduce dairy later on 👍🏻

It’s worth the effort when the next option is major surgery.

[Thecraftyadder in reply to CC3003]

I just wanted to make you aware of something so it doesn't cause you issues later about the lactose intolerance. Secondary lactose intolerance can occur alongside coeliacs disease, (which is true gluten (protein) intolerance and more serious than a wheat intolerance or a gluten sensitivity), because its caused visible damage to the villi in the small intestine. After a period of time (sometimes several years) on a gluten free diet the gut recovers enough for some to tolerate lactose again. Some don't manage it though.

In the case of endometriosis it's usually suggested to remove bovine dairy as it's the A1 caesin (protein) that's inflammatory. Someone who is lactose (sugar in milk) intolerant may manage a small amount or be able to take lactase enzymes to digest it. This is the case for some with IBS as well. But someone who reacts to the caesin (protein) just needs to exclude it from their diet.

[CelestialFluff]

Hi. Lots of good replies already. I found moving to a vegan diet (no dairy, meat, eggs) was enough to change my pain from being constant to just at certain points during my cycle. I haven't excluded gluten as it hasn't been necessary for me. Hope you find something that works for you too. Xx