Welcome to the group!! I am so sorry you are going through all this.My doctor has me currently taking pine tree extract. He said that he has seen women with endo have a lot less pain afterwards. I've only been taking it for a few days, so I'm not sure if it's doing anything yet. He's having me take 30mg 2x a day. Also he said diet change can really help. Have you tried to change your diet? Wishing you the best of luck!!

Hi Cait the Great, you should be called Cait the Beautiful. :-)

Welcome to the group! Friends are sick of your griping? You HAVE found the right place. Gripe away. Bitch, moan, throw a tissy fit...we forgive all crabbiness and sad moments and melt downs. Why? Because we KNOW what it's like. We're there too with you.

So the endo is actually commonly found with other aliments like the ones you listed. I have allergies too, my sis has a skin issue, I have anxiety too (gulp), and I'm going to start looking for gluten intollerances.

I'm using natural methods to help right now. The best thing I'm doing is yoga. It's AWESOME. I got a private teacher at first, someone trained in working with people with health issues, and she taught me about my body and how to listen to my pains and then release them. I couldn't exercise for 3 years because of back pain and now thanks to her I can.

Also other natural things are pelvic floor therapy, accupuncture, meditation, and of course diet.

We're starting a book club and the books we'll be reading have sections on diet. You should join (plug, plug, these books are boring!! I need help getting through them).

Hang in there, things will get better. I've been on the board since May and my friends will now talk to me (jk, they still would have, I was just driving myself nuts!) and I feel like I can live life a bit more with this board.

Big hugs...

the specialist doctor i saw recently recommended acupuncture for pain and stress management. she's skeptical about the mechanism, says the relaxation/me-time part of it is probably more what helps, but it helps her with her migraines. i think i'm going to try it (despite ridicule from my bf). has anyone tried this?

Thank you all for your suggestions!!

I actually started to do acupuncture for a while but the costs started adding up. I started it around the same time as my Lupron so it's hard to tell if the acupuncture actually helped. I'll definitely try it again soon though cause it was VERY relaxing. :)

I also tried Yoga on Wednesday nights (a community center offers it for $3.00 a class!) but i just started night classes so I have to look into different times.

I do a lot of juicing and try to eat fairly healthy. Things are going really great right with Lupron so I have a little bit of relief. I will look into the pine tree extract though.

Thanks again!

Hi! I totally understand what your going through! I was only diagnosed a year ago and I'm sixteen. I did Lupron and it worked wonders but I'm on so many medications at such a young age I was looking for natural remedies as well. I just started pelvic floor therapy& I'm super excited about it.! Everything is externall and she has great results! I don't know where your from but I go to dr Laura mercier and she too has severe Endo and now does not have it as bad since she's used her own techniques on herself. She does do clients from out of state on long weekends I would HIGHLY recommend her! Other than that I'd like to say welcome! And good luck with everything I know exactly how you feel! Hugs!

Perfect timing to come back in...been a month since I've posted. Yes, you can change this with your diet! Not only have I lost 7 lbs. of "werid" weight, belly and arm bloat since September...Just changing my diet; no GMH products, juicing, and no fast food, or processed food, it's easier than you think... and I use a castor oil pack every night, with exception of ovulation and menstruation. Look it up. I thought it was weird, but I thought what the hell, I'm scheduled for a hysterectomy in December, can't hurt. I may now may be cancelling my December surgery. I'm in the middle of ovualtion, and my symptoms and pain have not been this mild in years!...so great!

BTW...be careful with acupunture...the reason I don't use this is because during ovulation and menstruation, it causes increased blood flow, which is great for a lot of things for healing, but not for endo or fibroid issues, as that is what causes pain. Massage is good, with no heat! NO HEAT!

Hi Katie,
I have red that the pine tree extract or the Moducare supplement helps in building your immune system by regulating or balancing your cortisol level. It will take a few months before you feel a difference so I encourage you to keep taking it :-)

Welcome to the site. It's amazing how supportive these ladies are. I have a supportive husband, but there's only so much understanding he can have. I know he gets tired of hearing me whine about my pain, and I don't fault him for that. Sometimes I log-on here just to read posts to make me feel better and not so alone with how I feel. That can help!

As for natural remedies, one that I've been using for over half a year now is vitamin E. I actually read about it here on this site. If you start taking vitamin E 3 days before you get your period, then the first two days of your period, cramps from your period can be reduced. It is true.

I know you stated you're on Lupron, and I'm not overly familiar with that one (never tried it), but the vitamin E trial may not be for you at this time, but keep it in mind for the future.

This is very important, you want the NATURAL form of vitamin E. A lot of the vitamin E supplements sold are synthetic. dl-Alpha Tocopherol. YOU DON'T WANT THAT. You want d-Alpha Tocopherol. The synthetic form simply won't work. The natural form inhibits the formation of prostaglandins, the chemical produced right before your period which causes uterine contractions. Vitamin E stops most of that production, thus, reducing pain. For me, it has worked wonders. I still get period pain, bad at times, but it's improved since the vitamin E.

Vitamin E isn't something you want to take every day. It's for short-term use. I take it for just 5 or 6 days per month for my period. It won't help with endo pain during non-period times, but to me, any relief is relief.

For anxiety, I recommend holy basil tea. Holy basil is an Asian herb which has been safely used for many, many years. It does lots of things, from reducing inflammation to reducing effects of stress and anxiety. And it's proven to work. I drink a cup of holy basil tea when I feel anxious and it does help.

Best wishes to you, Caitlyn, and again, welcome to the site. Lean on us, we'll never let you fall.

I haven't read everyone's responses... but a friend of mine with endo and Poly-cystic Ovarian Cysts said that Progesterone cream really helps. :)

I am absolutely horrible at responding in a decent time. But I do appreciate all the advice :) thank you all so much!!

@BrehnPetry - I try eating healthy but it's not always convenient with my schedule. I work full time and go to school part time. Monday - Wednesday I'm gone for about 14 hours a day. I've tried juicing and cutting out processed foods but i find it so hard to stick to. Any suggestions? Recipes? Do you find juicing specific things helps with your Endo? Also, did you keep your hysterectomy appointment? Sorry to bombard you with all these questions. :)

I'm very interested in the Vitamin E. I actually used to use Vitamin E oil to help with my psoriasis. I haven't had a period in years (and don't plan on having one soon) but once it does become that time again, I will be happy to give these suggestions a try.

I'll keep y'all posted with what I do try! Pelvic floor therapy seems helpful but very scary!!