New Diet Plan is Helping

[DonCorleone92]

just a bit of a background. I got diagnosed with endometriosis a few years ago and I’ve been on the waiting list for surgery for later this year. I have, however been in agony for the past couple of years and have tried all avenues prescribed by my GP:

-Codeine, Transexamic, Mefanamic acid

- Progesterone only pill ( pain remained the same and introduced new issued)

- Combined Pill ( pain reduced but again introduced for health issues)

- My GP finally then told me to have a baby (not joking ).

I was so fed up calling in sick to work and the constant A and E trips that I decided enough was enough. I researched into a lot of holistic and dietary remedies. I have always been fairly healthy (healthy BMI, exercise regularly, balanced diet) But after reading ALOT of studies (happy to send these to any of you ) since December 2021 I decided to go on a strict diet that consisted of No Gluten, No Dairy, No meat , Low Sugar intake (Max.25g), Low Sodium (Max. 1500mg), 2L of water a day,

Kept my minerals and electrolytes optimised ( tracked this using “Cronometer App”. Used these multivitamins if did not optimise with diet: Standard multi with calcium, magnesium etc, Omega 3 with fish oil, Sea Kelp, Gentle Iron ( only during Luteal Phase and Menstrual Phase). Stopped drinking alcohol and coffee (went tee-total).

Coffee was a hard one for me so this is what helped me:

Luteal and Menstrual stage : Strong peppermint tea for energy and a Tumeric latte ( with soy)

Rest of Follicular phase Day 7-14 : Organic Green Tea or Matcha Latte ( with almond milk)

Ovulatory Phase: Peppermint Tea

The above really helped curve my cravings. As for alcohol, I only used to drink socially - so if I know I’m going to be around people who drink - I get sparkling water with lemon (if possible).

I started this in December and Between January to March the pain persisted and was still requiring mefanamic acid and codeine to get me through the days.

It wasn’t until April, I had my first okay period. The abdominal and rib pain went from the usual 9-10/10 to 6/10. Bowel cramps were still 9/10 first two days of menstruation but reduced to about 7/10. I was able to go for walks and do yoga/Pilates. May was the same and by then I had stopped taking codeine and mefanamic acid altogether. In June I took one ibuprofen when needed but I haven’t called in sick to work since April and no A and E trips.

I know I still have a long way to go but thought I’d just put it out there. It’s been really hard as I don’t ever have takeaways or eat out anymore but I want to reach a year mark of minimal pain then hopefully I will start to re-introduce certain foods back into my diet and hopefully can avoid another excision surgery.

Disclaimer: I am NOT A DIETITIAN, so please do your own research.

[puzzleprincess]

This is really helpful, thank you for sharing. I am also starting to look into more holistic ways of managing my symptoms, so this is a nice positive story to read!

[BloomingMarvellous]

fantastic results . We all have a point where we go am going to do something for myself on this one and that you had a great platform to start from too. I hope you carry on getting great benefits from your hard work . Getting a life back is an amazing achievement 😊😊😊 and achieving remission marvellous. Getting the body to a point where it reverses its metabolism back to the tipping point of pre endo is always the goal .

My younger self would have done something similar too ( and did actually without having a diagnosis) and while it helped for some years it was too extreme to maintain and as my body changed gave diminished returns as it was clearly a holding device ( totally not to be sniffed at though !) and I still became very unwell through peri menopause and menopause. Retrospectively I know that I was still limited by the disease and certain patterns were slowly starting up. I just didn’t clock it. Fast forward apparently minor issues weren’t minor any more and diet approach didn’t deal with it either. Drs methods left me dealing with severe gut issues, 24/7 pain relief that wasn’t working ( have to say they really tried ) and totally immobile.

As a practitioner I have concerns about extreme diets ; experience showed me most clients struggled to manage them for the long haul for all manner of reasons , it can also feed into real and dangerous waters of eating disorders and weren’t balanced either ; it isn’t the whole story either. For example FODMAP is there to diagnose and help guide after but again it’s understanding that intolerances happen because of the disease process coupled with perhaps an already existing allergy. FODMAP restricted diagnostic diet isn’t a diet for life as it’s too imbalanced. Any dietician will acknowledge that. The leaky and vulnerable gut just begins to react to whatever it encounters on a regular basis and the laws of diminished returns can kick in. Healing the gut step by step is the other side of the coin. This includes dealing with stress : some find the heavy restrictions so stressful to maintain it actually counterbalances the good achieved with the diet. Not a win. This illness is a chronic process and being aware of that needs to be a lifeboat for hope and joy as we won’t get a day off from needing to self care and cherish.

For me I’ve got myself back in order with a combined approach and still working on it surgery, supplements, physio, dietary changes .Finding the individual tipping points is essential. What works in you when you are 20, 30,40,50,60 may not work as your metabolism alters as our body naturally fluxes.

The takeaway from this is from my experience is research, trust yourself and talk it through with those who you trust, small changes at a time and bed them in singularly and give them at least 3 months to measure effect. Some changes need to be done together with others to make the larger shifts. Some are the stellar moves. Try and work out which is which. Mine are specialist physio, walking , low dose bio identical hormones, omega 3, Reservatoral, milk thistle , Levagen and probiotics and 3-4 litres of water daily. Post surgery I did six months of serrapeptase . My diet always veg rich is more Mediterranean type, not much refined foods or sugar but I don’t deny myself if I really want , no eggs as allergy to those, and off lactose as that’s a real bummer . So far it’s working . Finding the groove is so important to keep me out of A and E, off the meds, but I also know I may well need the hysterectomy. Am not shutting any door as I know that’s inviting the hell back into my life. Being kind is my best option to well being and knowing the ninja moves need time and constancy. 💕 For my welfare heavy duty restrictions don’t always bear fruit and can be miserable long term and finding a half way house has been very important. Life is for joy not for the hell that is endometriosis and much that clangs along behind it. Totally with you in giving that the firm boot 🥾