Endometriosis 101

Mainstream medical treatment

Unfortunately the normal clinical treatment of endometriosis is very difficult and has not been very successful. Trying to identify and remove each endometrial cell group is often only temporarily successful. Many of the cell groups are simply too small to see and are missed in the surgery only to cause the same problems later on. Another, more radical surgical approach is to remove the ovaries, uterus, and fallopian tubes. The goal in this is to reduce the woman’s hormone levels dramatically and bring a change in the woman’s condition.

Natural / Herbal treatment

The use of natural progesterone (which causes a woman’s body to believe it is pregnant) against endometriosis is well documented and has even been copied by mainstream pharmaceutical companies in the form of progestin, which is a chemically altered version of progesterone.

Don't let the diagram scare you. Think of it like a puzzle where you try to find the difference. One is correct, the others are altered. The diagram below shows how a slight change in chemical makeup can make a very drastic difference.

These two look very similar however they are as different as... Well as different as men and women.

John Lee M.D. had this to say:
“Pregnancy often retards the progress of the disease and occasionally cures it. With this in mind, other medical treatments attempt to create a state of pseudo pregnancy, with long periods of supplemented progestin to simulate the high progesterone levels of pregnancy. Unfortunately, the high doses needed are often accompanied by side effects of the progestin and breakthrough bleeding.
As an alternative, I have treated a number of endometriosis patients, some after failed surgery, with natural progesterone and have observed considerable success. Since we know that estrogen initiates endometrial cell proliferation and the formation of blood vessel accumulation in the endometrium, the aim of treatment is to block this monthly estrogen stimulus to the aberrant endometrial islets. Progesterone stops further proliferation of endometrial cells. I advised such women to use natural progesterone cream from day six (6) of the cycle to day twenty-six (26) each month, using one ounce of cream per week for three weeks, stopping just before their expected period. This treatment requires patience. Over time (four to six months), however, the monthly pains gradually subside as monthly bleeding in the islets becomes less and healing of the inflammatory sites occurs. The monthly discomfort may not disappear entirely but becomes more tolerable. Endometriosis is cured by menopause. From my women patients, I learned that Premenstrual Syndrome, PMS, was most often a sign of estrogen dominance. I also recommend adding vitamin E in dosages of 600 IU at bedtime, supplemental magnesium (300 milligrams a day), and vitamin B6 (50 milligrams per day)*. This treatment is simple, safe, inexpensive, successful, and natural."

Elizabeth Smith M.D. had this to say:
“What is it about pregnancy that cures endometriosis?
There are three types of estrogen that the body produces: estradiol, estrone, and estriol. Estradiol produced during a normal menstrual cycle goes into the cell receptor and stimulates the cell receptor strongly stimulating endometriosis to grow. However, estrone and estriol go into the same receptor and stimulates it weakly blocking out estradiol (estradiol stimulates the endometriosis to grow). During pregnancy, the fetus produces precursors to estriol in the fetus’s adrenal glands. Then, the placenta produces estriol several orders of magnitude greater than the non-pregnant state. Progesterone is also produced by the placenta during pregnancy. "Pro" means "for" and gesterone means "gestation". During regular menstrual cycles, a woman produces 20 mg per day of progesterone. However, during the peak of pregnancy the woman's body produces 400 mg per day of progesterone.
Thus, pregnancy may cure endometriosis in three ways. Progesterone tells the cells to stop proliferating and differentiate (grow up into an adult cell). Progesterone also signals the ovary to not ovulate and thus, the ovary does not produce estradiol. Estriol goes into the estrogen receptor and blocks out estradiol and xenoestrogens from stimulating the estrogen receptor, and causing the endometriosis to grow.
By taking natural progesterone, a patient can fool the body into thinking it is pregnant and stop the endometriosis from growing. Natural progesterone is a natural bio identical hormone that your body produces during the latter half of your menstrual cycle and all throughout pregnancy.
Natural progesterone indirectly signals the ovaries to stop producing eggs and estradiol. Thus, natural progesterone commands the ovary to stop signaling the endometriosis to grow.”

Natural herbal treatment of endometriosis is becoming more and more common and it is not difficult to find an herbal cure for endometriosis that is both cheaper and more effective. So then why don’t doctors recommend this avenue of treatment? Simply put, there’s no money in it. The reason a mainstream drug can be marketed is because it can be patented and corner the market. But for an herbal remedy to be patented it must first be chemically altered which can, and often does, cause terrible side effects. Unfortunately many doctors will continue to proscribe these drugs despite the side effects. Not because they want to hurt you or anybody else, I firmly believe that the medical field is full of people who want to help you. They do this simply because it is what they have been taught. Your most valuable weapon against endometriosis or any ailment is your ability to think for yourself. Look into the research, read through the data (yes, you are smart enough), don’t just take the doctors word for it and don’t be afraid to ask big questions. I’m not saying that this will put you in control of the situation, but it will show you why the doctors believe what they do and help you understand their decisions.