this is my first post but have been stalking the community for a while now!
i will tell you a bit about myself. I am 21 years old and i am a teaching assistant (however recently i have had to have a fair amount of time off due to pain) and had my first lap last week. They found a polycystic ovary and mild endo on my right side, which is strange and confusing as i have only had pain on the left side, and the ache which i had previous to the lap and why i went to the docs in the first place still seems to be there.
I have seen a lot of ladies mention the endo diet and i have done some research on it and it is something i think i would like to try as i am on so many painkillers i really would like to reduce the amount! as i have this ache on my left side i am thinking maybe it is something to do with what i am eating which contributes to the pain? not sure.
Who is on the diet? and can anyone give me any tips and tricks to make it easier, as to be honest cutting out so many things seems a bit daunting! any good food swaps which you are doing or what do you do for treats?! i love exercising but find it difficult to do frequently due to tierdness and pain, therefore i find myself sitting or lying down most of the time and eating healthily sometimes is the last thing on my mind.
I hope everyone is having a nice and relatively pain free weekend!
xxx
Written by
emily1991em
To view profiles and participate in discussions please or .
Most of my endo was found on left side but my pain is always right sided, agree, it's confusing.
They think its scar tissue (adhesions). I had a CT scan which also picked up Diverculitis so doubley confused. Suppose it makes sense, if you have it mostly one side and maybe a tiny bit the other you can still get pain on the side with only a tiny bit more depending on what organs are affected and if scar tissue is pulling on adjacent organs and nerve pain can travel. Sorry can't comment much on the diet apart from an article I read this week in the Mail, health section which indicated in Boston, researchers now think dairy products like cheese etc actually help stop endo pain! I always thought the complete opporsite!
I was diagnosed with endo last July and had suffered through my teenage years (I'm 24 now).
I had the mirena coil fitted at the same time as lap as the surgeon thought this was the best solution as it had worked for me before. I found the pain had worsene since having y lap and the mirena wasn't helping although my periods did stop.
I was prescribed provera 10mg 3 times a day but found this made me bleed again an had agonising cramps. After 3 weeks of this I thought I had to try and do something myself. The provera made me have terrible mood swings and I just generally felt awful.
I decided to go gluten free for 4 weeks to see if this made a different, with a plan to cut out one thing at a time, as like you the prospect of doing the complete endo diet in one go is daunting.
I have been gluten free for 4 weeks, I have had plenty of pain free days. When you have been in constant pain for months, being pain free makes you feel incredible.
I have been able to go back to the gym 3 or 4 times per week. I couldn't even manage 3 or 4 times since the lap!
For me, I've found going gluten free has been fantastic. I still have painful days but feel I can manage the pain a lot better and experiencing pain free days after months of horrendous pain is incredible. I take no pain killers at the moment (I am trying to move away from any long term medication and its side effects).
I would recommend trying gluten free first to see if it works for you, then try each food group at a time.
I've been gluten free since last year, it helped a lot of with pain, no painkillers needed only heat pads or patches for me. I also reduced red meat, only organic chicken and eggs, trying to avoid refined sugar (e.g. biscuits, cakes-you can always make cakes with unrefined sugar though), no caffeine and minimised alcohol too. Soya is not allowed too as it is oestrogen based (something that endo loves and grows on it). I still have though occasionally cheese but I swapped dairy milk with rice and almond milk that they are nice and very easy to digest.
It is a strict diet but it can help you so much and if you take one step at a time, it will be easier to make the changes.
It can be a bit daunting when you're trying to change your diet at first. Try to get yourself a decent recipe book. I used to be vegan and the best book I ever found (and still use to cook for my meatie Husband!) is Vegan with a Vengeance by Isa Chandra Moskowitz. My fave recipes include 'The best pumpkin muffins' which are absolutely incredible! You could use either a spelt wheat flour (much easier to digest than wheat) or a gluten free alternative.The recipe calls for soy milk, but you can use an alternative here too. Spicy indian rice with toasted almonds, sweet potato fries, balsamic-glazed portabello mushrooms, moroccan inspired tagine and brooklyn pad thai are also my favourites. So good to find recipes that are so delicious and so good for you! Many of the main course recipes call for tofu, but you could easily substitute with some organic chicken.
Do you have a health food shop near you? You can usually buy lots of gluten free alternatives such as rice or bulgar wheat pasta (although you can usually get these in supermarkets too). I find that normal pasta bloats me so these are great. Careful how you cook them though - overcooking will make the pasta sticky and mushy! You'll also be able to find lots of interesting and healthy bits and bobs you might not be able to find in the supermarkets too.
Sorry for some reason it wouldnt let me reply individually so i had to reply this way! thanks girls for your replies, means a lot the info you have all given me is really useful! I will have a look at all your suggestions. My mum went gluten free shopping for me today and got oats, museli, bread, crackers and spag and a couple of naked bars- they are rather pricey!
Slowly going to build up my collection of foods! its my first day today so so far so good. i didnt realise gluten was hidden in so many foods! i am going to see how i am with just being gluten free then cut out soya and caffine. if i do it all at once i will be withdrawing from so many things i will need more time off work!! haha.
one thing- what do you girls do for small treats and snacks?! as this is my downfall!
New to this forum but have to say it's great to see so many people offering support. It's really refreshing to see so many people be there for each other.
I'm 24 and been diagnosed since I was 18. The past year the pain has been unbearable to the point its started affecting my work and personal life. It's always been there, but I've been able to manage it up until the past year.
I've been researching into going gluten free and after reading this post, I'll definitely give it a go. Going to try all of the above suggestions! So thank you for all the advice!
Content on HealthUnlocked does not replace the relationship between you and doctors or other healthcare professionals nor the advice you receive from them.
Never delay seeking advice or dialling emergency services because of something that you have read on HealthUnlocked.
I have dense adhesion and get severe pain prior to my period, is that mean endo under the adhesion? 
Endo diet and Endo belly
What is the Endo diet??
Im on the endometriosis diet and loosing to much weight.
I’m pregnant!
