Any advice.

[Purplestar86]

Hi, I'm looking for some tips/advice of ways to get through this illness without using contraceptions.

I'm currently being treated for brain cancer and the chemo I take cannot be used alongside the contraceptive drugs options for Endo. I'm looking for some tips/strategies from more of a holistic option. I still take pain meds and use heat/tens. I'd say I have a fairly decent diet which I think has helped with reducing flares also. Getting to desperation point.

I was taking Dienogest and then Ryeqo prior and found these somewhat helpful but obvious had to stop them.

I'm not with my gynae consultant till the end of the month, just fed up of it all and feeling lost!

TIA 🙏🏻

[Daisys79]

So sorry to hear you're going through this and hope you make a full recovery. Have you tried taking omega supplements, they can help with inflammation?

I take an algae one from Time health. I've found it really helps. I notice if i don't take it for a few months my symptoms worsen again.

[Purplestar86 in reply to Daisys79]

I have started taking a lot more supplements recently and Omega 3 is one of them, hopefully I start to see the benefits! I've not tried an algae version but will look into it...thank you 🥰

[Anon135]

hi there.

So sorry to hear of your troubles. Well done for fighting it all. Sending love.

I’ve found diet has really helped. No gluten, no alcohol, no caffeine - less red meat, less UPF, less sugar.

I find daily stretches really help - I know that sounds minimal compared to pain we experience but it really disrupts the cycle for me. The book beating endo and ‘how to endo’ were good for showing some. I leant them out but can try share pages if I can get them back! - they might have some other ideas in and I highly recommend both sometimes just reading makes you feel like your doing something constructive to help cope.

For the mental distress of coping with cronic condition, I have found 5HTP patches really good. The ones I get have sold out but trying some others I’ve found online. Patches are better than supplants because it’s not so easy to digest.

I know everyone’s different and it’s so terrible that we have to rely too hard on holstic lifestyle choices but perhaps some of this helps

Ellie

[Anon135 in reply to Anon135]

Also some people have said Accupuncture can help if you can find / afford someone that has specialism with endo.

[Mindfullness4791 in reply to Anon135]

I think you can get acupuncture on the nhs, if you have cancer xx

[Purplestar86 in reply to Mindfullness4791]

That's true, at my oncology centre at least it is. I'm booked in for a couple of sessions and hoping they can poke wherever it is for pelvic release!Thank you 😊

[Mindfullness4791 in reply to Purplestar86]

❤️

[Purplestar86 in reply to Anon135]

Thank you for the many options you gave me Ellie. As you say, diet is a biggie and more times than not my current intake works, I know I could do better.

I aim to do 3 pilates/yoga sessions a week and play football twice to stay fairly active. Movement most definitely helps with Endo even on days you can't get out the bed. I will always stretch!

You're right in that reading is a coping strategy, it empowers me for sure, especially when so many things are out of my control.

I became an amputee back in 2018 so I think my emotional resilience is fairly solid, I just didn't expect to have brain cancer chucked in to deal with too, there is only so much a human can take. I will look into the patches that you mention.

I see you've mentioned it below in regards to acupuncture. I've booked a few sessions in at my oncology centre already. I'm not sure if the meridians are the same for brain and endo, but can only try 🙏🏻

[ClaudiaGrace]

Hey, have you read the book heal endo as there’s loads of stuff in there regarding a holistic approach. You could try taking NAC which is a supplement that’s meant to reduce inflammation. Probiotics can be helpful too as improving gut health can reduce inflammation too. Regarding diet even with a good diet increasing the amount of anti inflammatory foods you eat and decreasing inflammatory foods can help. I agree omega 3 too. Best of luck with it.