Alternative Treatments for Endometriosis
Some Women May Not Require Aggressive Medical Therapy
Aug 26, 2009
Endometrium is the tissue that lines the uterus. During each menstrual cycle, this tissue thickens in preparation for implantation of a fertilized ovum; if fertilization does not occur, the endometrium is shed through menstruation.
Endometriosis is a condition in which fragments of endometrial tissue are implanted outside the uterine cavity; when this tissue “cycles” in response to monthly hormone fluctuations, it causes inflammation, pain, and scarring of nearby tissues.
Some women with extensive endometriosis may have minimal symptoms, while others with very little disease may suffer from intractable pain.
Medical Treatment for Endometriosis
Current therapies for endometriosis include pain control with non-steroidal anti-inflammatories (NSAIDs) or other drugs, medications to suppress ovarian function and reduce endometrial growth (e.g., oral contraceptives, Danazol, or Lupron), ablative surgery to address individual sites of endometriosis and adjacent scarring, or—in select cases—hysterectomy.
Recent information demonstrating an autoimmune basis for endometriosis in a large percentage of sufferers may lead to new therapies aimed at modulating the immune response. (Gajbhiye R, et al. Multiple endometrial antigens are targeted in autoimmune endometriosis. Reproductive Biomed Online. 2008;16[6]:817-24)
Since it isn’t yet clear whether endometriosis is the cause or the effect of immune hyperactivity, and since immunomodulation is fraught with side effects, it may be some time before these treatments are available.
Alternatives to Medical Therapy for Endometriosis
Since endometriosis implants contain estrogen and progesterone receptors, they respond to changes in hormone levels during the menstrual cycle: endometriosis grows, differentiates, and bleeds, just like the lining of the uterus does.
Alternative approaches to treating endometriosis are thus aimed at reducing the influence of hormones on abnormal endometrial tissues, alleviating pain, and balancing the immune response.
Phytoestrogens
Although a good deal of controversy surrounds the use of plant-based estrogens in women who have a history of breast, ovarian, or uterine cancer, there is emerging evidence that phytoestrogens exert a selective effect on estrogen receptors.
Phytoestrogens bind to the same receptors that estrogens do, but the former aren’t as potent. Theoretically, then, in situations where endogenous estrogen (i.e., that produced within) is “over-stimulating” estrogen receptors—in endometriosis or breast cancer, for example—phytoestrogens occupy the receptors and prevent estrogens from exerting their full effect.
On the other hand, when endogenous estrogen levels are low (menopause), phytoestrogens bind to available receptors and exert a weak estrogenic effect.
Sources of phytoestrogens include:
- Soy or tofu (the isoflavones genistein and daidzein bind avidly to estrogen receptors, but only exhibit a tiny fraction of the potency of human estrogen)
- Flaxseed (excellent source of lignans, a class of phytoestrogens)
- Burdock root
- Kudzu
- Lentils
- Dried beans
- Sweet potatoes
- Pomegranates
- Red clover
- Mung beans
- Alfalfa sprouts
- Hops
- Parsnips
- Ginseng
- Wild yam
Estrogen Conversion
The most potent form of endogenous estrogen is estradiol. This hormone is a strong stimulator of estrogen receptors. Conversion of estradiol to weaker forms, such as estriol, helps to reduce the potent “grow” signals induced by estradiol.
Indole-3-carbinol, a compound found in cruciferous vegetables like broccoli and cabbage, increases the conversion of estradiol to estriol. (Endometriosis in Life Extension Foundation’s Disease Prevention and Treatment, 4th Edition. Life Extension Media 2003:1245-6)
Inflammation
The symptoms and tissue damage caused by endometriosis are due to underlying inflammation. Reducing the inflammatory process requires a multi-factorial approach that includes proper diet, sufficient rest, stress reduction, and adjuvant therapies.
Dietary measures that limit inflammation:
- Avoid refined or processed foods; limit sugar, alcohol, and caffeine.
- Eat foods rich in alpha-linolenic and gamma-linolenic acids, which help to regulate the levels of inflammatory prostaglandin molecules in the body. Good sources include evening primrose oil, black currant seed oil, flaxseed oil, hemp seed oil, and borage oil.
- Maintain adequate intake of antioxidant vitamins C (500 – 1000 mg daily) and E (400 – 800 IU daily) through diet or supplementation.
Consider anti-inflammatory herbs:
- Turmeric
- Boswellin
- Ginger
- Devil’s claw
- White willow bark
- Meadowsweet
- Rosemary
- Licorice root
Other Important Measures
- Women who exercise several hours weekly may have a lower risk of developing endometriosis or suffering from its symptoms. This may be due to the relatively lower levels of circulating estrogens in active women (since fat tissue is a source of estrogens, less fat means less estrogen).
- Cut out non-organic red meat and dairy products; they can be sources of estrogens.
- Consider using a potent progesterone cream. Progesterone is the “other” female hormone; its effects are mainly the opposite of those caused by estrogen. For women whose endometriosis symptoms are more severe, the addition of progesterone may alleviate discomfort.
Many women with endometriosis don’t necessarily want to submit to surgery (hysterectomy or laparoscopic ablation) or medications that increase their risks for other problems or evoke side effects that are just as unpleasant as endometriosis.
For these women, alternative approaches to dealing with their condition might be sufficient.
 |
