Dealing with flares

[Chifie]

Hi all, I've had endometriosis for about 10+ years, got diagnosed quite young(18) after 4 years of back and forth. I have had 3 laparoscopys and have been on the depo injection to stop periods for about 10 years. Recently the flare ups have been horrendous, swelling very badly and intense pain. I have also had bleeding which I have not had in a long time. I went to get checked out today due to pain levels and was given pain relief injections and alternative pain relief. It seems everything is flaring it up just now stress, after eating, anything. I know it will be a long wait until I can see gyne again so just wondering if anyone has some other tips for dealing with flares ups besides the usual pain relief and hot water bottles. Willing to try anything! Thankyou

[charlatan]

I know it sounds like a cliche, but I would really recommend making some changes to your diet. A private consultant recommended it and while I was skeptical myself at first, it really made a massive difference. Okay, cut down on meat especially red meat (not a problem for me as I’m a committed vegetarian). Cut out wheat - this is a massive one. If I ever have wheat two days in a row, I pay for it. Avoid carbs, dairy and sugar. No alcohol, no vegetable oils, no processed foods. Oh and take 2-3 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil everyday. It isn’t overly pleasant I grant you but again, I can see a real difference when I do it. Give it a go for a couple of weeks, I was so amazed by how much it changed things for me. Hope this helps x

[EmB18]

Like you mentioned stress can be a big trigger with endo so trying to do something relaxing every day to help manage your stress levels is important, whether that's a soak in the bath, some gentle stretches or yoga, a walk in nature or some breathing exercises.

I also found changing to a more anti-inflammatory diet really helped my symptoms. Add in more anti-inflammatory foods like fruit and veg and see if any of the more inflammatory foods trigger the pain. For me, wheat and sugar made things worse, but we all react to different things. Good luck.

[SofaGoblin]

For me caffeine and alcohol are terrible for this stuff. I'd highly recommend minimally processed food and plenty of fibre! I shove a handful of beans in my lunches and dinners. They don't taste of much so you barely notice them. Oestrogen is excreted through pooping and if you are at all constipated or slow to go to the loo, the longer it sits in the colon, oestrogen can get reabsorbed back into the body. Alcohol is also oestrogenic.

Most people in the UK should be on a vitamin d supplement and an omega 3.

I also do a blood test with Thriva once a year to check on various things. I was really low in folate and started supplementing for this. My cholesterol was also slightly high, so I made some changes and it's back to normal. You just want to rule out any other stresses on your body as far as possible and get your general health as good as it can be.

Make your bedroom an absolute haven for sleep. Drop your bedtime back by 30 mins. Keep your room very cool and dark. We got a portable air con and a fan. Being cooler you get better quality sleep. Take magnesium glycinate in the evening 200-300mg per day. This will help relax your body. The headspace app for meditation is a great option. It can take 2-3 months to start feeling a difference. Address stress as much as you possibly can. We release stress hormones all the time in response to things in our life and it just depletes us even further. Good stress is where you're doing something you feel really engaged with, that's challenging in an enjoyable way, like being in a flow state.

Keep hydrated! Even a small amount of dehydration is a stress on the body. Keep pee very pale yellow coloured.

I know it's not necessarily possible when pain is a big issue or fatigue, but walking as much as you can each day. I aim for 7,000 steps a day or 55,000 per week, whichever I can manage. But I'm fully aware that there have been extended times when this wouldn't be possible.

Go easy on yourself! Dealing with pain and inflammation absolutely depletes your dopamine and can make it incredibly hard to feel pleasure or motivation. Don't beat yourself up if that's happening to you. It can be so so tough. Hope there are some ideas in here!

Also get a heated electric blanket for winter! It's incredible for basically boiling yourself on the sofa if you're in pain. x x x