"Jeanne's Endo Blog": Interstitial Cystitis Is A Common Co-Existing Illness To Endometriosis... See Article About Interstitial Cystitis...

Are you one of the many patients with both interstitial cystitis and endometriosis like I am? If so, keep reading because I'm sure you'll find this article interesting. Even if you don't have one or both of these conditions, you may find it informative.

Is there "cross talk" between organs?

Here is a very interesting article that my friend (and local endometriosis support group member) Roberta sent me.

It's about interstitial cystitis, pelvic pain, colon nerves, bladder nerves, the spinal cord, etc. It's very interesting!

Pepperoni Pizza And Pelvic Pain

By the way, the article states, "the pelvic pain is so intense some women inject anesthetic lidocaine directly into their bladders to get relief". Well, I am here to tell you that bladder instillations are very helpful and not as scary as they may sound. There are various medications used for bladder instillations.

In addition to taking oral medication for IC, I do self-catheterization for bladder instillations. This provides tremendous relief. Learning how to self-catheterize meant I don't have to drive 45 minutes each way to my doctor for each instillation, I don't have to conform to my doctor's schedule, and I don't have to pay a co pay for each instillation. When my pelvic pain specialist first mentioned self-catheterizing at home, I looked at him like he had 10 heads. I have to say, though, that I'm glad I learned how to do it. It's far more practical to do bladder instillations at home when it's convenient for me (following my doctor's directions on frequency of treatments, of course).

Related links:

Too numerous to list. Please use search engine (top left of blog) to look for other interstitial cystitis posts.

This article was posted by Jeanne via "Jeanne's Endo Blog" at www.endendoat.blogspot.com.

Endometriosis Blog: Webcast On BLOGTALKRADIO About Endometriosis

Please see disclaimer at the top of my blog's homepage.

I listened to a webcast about endometriosis on BLOGTALKRADIO.

* The host was Elizabeth Lee Vliet, MD

* The show name is "Dr. Vliet’s Savvy Woman’s Health Guide™ - Straight Talk About Hormones"

* The show description is "Painful Periods? You need to know about Endometriosis"

It aired on BLOGTALKRADIO on 6/9/2008 but is available as a webcast on:

"Dr. Vliet’s Savvy Woman’s Health Guide™ - Straight Talk About Hormones"

Here is the description of Dr. Vliet's webcast on endo:

Dr. Vliet’s Savvy Woman’s Health Guide™ - Straight Talk About Hormones

Whether you've been a patient of mine, or read my books, or attended one of my speeches, you know where I stand on issues involving hormones and women's health. My messages have been consistent over the years - and they've been proven reliable. Messages such as "Hormone is not a dirty word" or "Your health problems are NOT all in your head" or "Take charge of your health - and find a doctor who listens."

As you know, the traditional news media have not always been receptive to these messages. But advances in technology have opened up a new opportunity to get these life-saving messages to ever-larger numbers of women.

With this new understanding of technology, we decided to start a Blogtalk radio program called "Straight Talk". "Straight Talk" will be your chance to talk about the latest studies making the news, to clarify the meaning of "bioidentical," or to learn more about fibromyalgia, weight gain, insomnia and other hormone-related health issues. Occasionally I'll have a guest on with me - such as a newsmaker or a patient telling her story.

The webcast is 60 minutes long. I found it quite interesting. It starts by giving a basic description of what endometriosis is.

Then Dr. Vliet talks about a wide variety of topics including: hormones such as estrogen, estradiol, testosterone and estrone; the World Endometriosis Conference of 2002; adhesions; cytokines; inflammation; endometrial tissue; typical locations of endometrial lesions; The Endometriosis Association; painful bowel movements; painful urination; painful intercourse; dioxin; adenomyosis (endometrial tissue within the muscular wall of the uterus); laparoscopic surgery; theories on causes of endometriosis; the retrograde menstruation theory; the theory that endometriosis is a congenital condition that lies dormant during childhood; genetic factors; immunological factors; "chocolate cysts"; different colors of endometrial implants (that not all doctors are aware of/that may get missed during surgery); the importance of picking an experienced surgeon; dioxin as a cause of endometriosis; studies with a rhesus monkey colony; how dioxin-exposed monkeys didn't show symptoms until years after exposure; endocrine disruptors; her book; treatment options; suppression of ovulation; GnRH agonists; extreme fatigue; birth control pills as treatment for endometriosis; progestin; aromatase inhibitors; continuous birth control pills as an endometriosis treatment... and GnRH medication to treat endometriosis that can cause side effects such as depression.

Dr. Vliet said some women pass out or vomit from the pain of endometriosis and that up to 50% of endo patients have trouble getting pregnant.

During the radio program, she took several callers. These calls resulted in discussion of questions/comments on treatment options, endocrine disruptors, endometriosis as a cause of infertility, pregnancy, endometrial ablation, endometrial cancer, hysterectomy, GnRH agonists, hormonal changes following hysterectomy, bioidentical hormones, dietary issues, gluten, food intolerance, magnesium deficiency, hormone replacement therapy, and timing of hormone testing for women taking hormone replacement therapy.

She suggested listeners take a look at her website Her Place: Health Enhancement Renewal for Women, Inc.

She said it is a non-commercial website for informational purposes.

I took a very quick peek at Her Place: Health Enhancement Renewal for Women, Inc.

The site had this statement: "Our Website is dedicated to being educational and informative to help you have sound information to guide your discussions with your health professionals. We do not sell supplements, vitamins
or herbs, or other remedies, and we DO NOT use "Pop Up" ads". (Some of her books are featured on the site).

The site above has access to archives of other BLOGTALKRADIO shows featuring Dr. Elizabeth Lee Vliet. Just click on the yellow button "click for archived shows". This will route you to a wide variety of radio shows featuring Dr. Vliet.

This article was posted by Jeanne via "Jeanne's Endo Blog" at www.endendoat.blogspot.com.

Endometriosis Blog: Vulvodynia And Vestibulitis, Launch Of Polish Website About Vulvodynia

Today's post is about vulvodynia.

For those who are unfamiliar with vulvodynia, I thought I'd start with a definition of it from the National Vulvodynia Association:

About Vulvodynia: What is Vulvodynia?

The International Society for the Study of Vulvovaginal Disease (ISSVD) defines Vulvodynia as chronic vulvar discomfort or pain, characterized by burning, stinging, irritation or rawness of the female genitalia in cases in which there is no infection or skin disease of the vulva or vagina causing these symptoms. Burning sensations are the most common, but the type and severity of symptoms are highly individualized. Pain may be constant or intermittent, localized or diffuse.

Vulvodynia has been classified into the following subtypes:

Generalized (or dysesthetic) Vulvodynia--

Generalized Vulvodynia symptoms may be diffuse or in different areas at different times. Pain may be present in the labia majora, labia minora, and/or the vestibule. (see vulvar anatomy). Some women experience pain in the clitoris, mons pubis, perineum and/or the inner thighs. The pain may be constant or intermittent. Symptoms are not necessarily caused by touch or pressure to the vulva, i.e., with intercourse or bicycle riding, but these activities often exacerbate the symptoms.

Vulvar Vestibulitis Syndrome (also known as vestibulodynia)--

Women with VVS have pain only in the vestibule, and only during or after touch or pressure is applied. Burning sensations are the most common symptom and may be experienced with some or all of the following: sexual intercourse, tampon insertion, gynecologic examination, bicycle riding, and wearing tight pants.

There are several other conditions that cause chronic vulvar pain and may coexist with Vulvodynia. The most common of these are listed below:

Cyclic Vulvovaginitis--

Women with cyclic vulvovaginitis have recurrent burning and itching symptoms at the same stage of the menstrual cycle. Many have cyclical bouts of yeast infections and some have other causes for their symptoms.

Vulvar Dermatoses--

There are many dermatologic conditions that may cause pain in the vulva. The most common include: allergic or contact dermatitis, lichen sclerosus, lichen simplex chronicus and lichen planus. These conditions may cause symptoms of itching and burning. Scratching the vulva and overusing topical medications may inflame the tissue, causing swelling and additional pain.

Vulvodynia, as with most chronic pain conditions, can have a profound impact on a woman’s quality of life. It typically affects her ability to engage in sexual activity and may interfere with daily functioning, e.g., sitting at a desk, engaging in physical exercise, and participating in social activities. These limitations can negatively affect self-image and lead to depression.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

National Vulvodynia Association (NVA) is an educational, nonprofit organization founded to disseminate information on vulvodynia. The NVA recommends that you consult your own health care practitioner to determine which course of treatment or medication is appropriate for you.

Last updated September 26, 2008

Many of my local endometriosis support group members have been diagnosed with either vulvodynia or vestibulitis. I myself was initially diagnosed with vestibulitis by a pelvic pain specialist who treats many women with this condition. I was then referred to a second pelvic pain specialist who also specializes in pelvic pain and vulvar pain. He said that I actually have vulvodynia. (So it all boils down to which specialist I want to believe... but I have one or the other).

I recently contacted Alexandra Carmichael of CureTogether, a medical research organization studying vulvodynia. I asked her if she had any research regarding any connections between vulvodynia and other conditions such as endometriosis, fibromyalgia, interstitial cystitis, etc.

She sent me a very interesting article:

This fascinating article "Assessment of vulvodynia symptoms in a sample of U.S. women: a prevalence survey with a nested case control study" by Lauren D. Arnold, PhD, MPH*; Gloria A. Bachmann, MD; Raymond Rosen, PhD; George G. Rhoads, MD, MPH from the American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology said, in part:

RESULTS: Current vulvar pain of at least 6 months duration was reported by 3.8% of respondents, with a 9.9% lifetime prevalence. Forty five percent of women with pain reported an adverse effect on their sexual life and 27% an adverse effect on their lifestyle. Cases more frequently reported repeated urinary tract infections (OR, 6.15; 95% CI, 3.51-10.77) and yeast infections (OR, 4.24; 95% CI, 2.47-7.28). Associations existed with chronic fatigue syndrome (OR, 2.78; 95% CI, 1.33-6.19), fibromyalgia (OR, 2.15; 95% CI, 1.06-4.36), depression (OR, 2.99; 95% CI, 1.87-4.80), and irritable bowel syndrome (OR, 1.86; 95% CI, 1.07-3.23).

The article also said:

Current literature supports associations between vulvodynia and fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue syndrome, pain with first tampon use, yeast infections, recurrent vulvovaginal infections, irritable bowel syndrome, interstitial cystitis, and oral contraceptive use.

The article referenced above is in a .PDF file. If you would like a copy of the entire article (which is very interesting!) please email your request to endendo@frontiernet.net and I'll be glad to send you the .PDF attachment that contains the whole article.

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Launch of Polish website on vulvodynia:

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Recently, I was contacted by Mikolaj Czyz, a co-author of the very first website about vulvodynia in Polish. This new website is promoting awareness about vulvodynia... a "completely unknown and/or neglected issue" in Poland.

I'll include two links (below) to their site about vulvodynia. The first is written in Polish. The second link is the same website translated into English. (The English translation isn't word for word and some words didn't translate through but the main idea is apparent).

This site has some very interesting information including an interview with Dr. Ines Ehmer of Germany and an interview with Mr. Marek Jantos, a psychologist dealing with chronic pain, including vulvodynia, and the author of several studies on it.

Vulvodynia in Poland: Polish version of vulvodynia awareness site

Vulvodynia in Poland: English version of vulvodynia awareness site listed above

According to Mikolaj Czyz the vulvodynia treatment options are limited in Europe and the U.S. has more treatments available to vulvodynia patients. Mikolaj Czyz is working to create awareness of vulvodynia in Poland. (See right sidebar for icon that links to the Polish version of the site).

Related links (previous posts that have mentioned vulvodynia):

Monday, September 22, 2008 Endometriosis Blog: Interstitial Cystitis & Endometriosis

Monday, August 11, 2008 Endometriosis Blog: Check Out Newly-Added Co-Existing Illness/Chronic Illness Links in "Frequently Visited Sites" At Bottom Of Homepage!!!

Friday, August 8, 2008 Endometriosis Blog: SEVENTH Anniversary Of My Local Endometriosis Support Group!!!

Tuesday, July 22, 2008 Endometriosis Patient Survives Yet Another Annual Exam Without Perishing On The Table :) :)

Tuesday, July 15, 2008 Endo News Flash!! An ENDOMETRIOSIS RESEARCH ORGANIZATION called CureTogether Launches On JULY 15, 2008!!!

Saturday, June 21, 2008 Endo Blog Spotlight: Interstitial Cystitis, Endometriosis, and Co-existing Conditions/Chronic Illnesses

Another resource readers may find helpful is the International Pelvic Pain Society.

This article was posted by Jeanne via "Jeanne's Endo Blog" at www.endendoat.blogspot.com.

Jeanne's Endo Blog: YouTube Video Clips --- Endo, Infertility, Chronic Pain, Pelvic Pain... ***PART TWO***

***PART ONE WAS ON JUNE 9, 2008***

### The video clip posted on June 9, 2008 on this blog can be viewed easily by clicking the title of this post. That will route you to YouTube. This is an AMAZING video on chronic illness!!!
###

***THIS POST BELOW IS PART TWO***

Please view the comments listed under the June 9, 2008 post:

Jeanne's Endo Blog: YouTube Video Clips --- Endo, Infertility, Chronic Pain, Pelvic Pain...

The woman behind the hauntingly beautiful video clip that cycles through and displays on this blog daily posted a comment today. The clip is about chronic illness. I'm sure just about anyone reading this blog will find her clip amazing!

This article was posted by Jeanne via "Jeanne's Endo Blog" at www.endendoat.blogspot.com.

Endo Blog Spotlight: Interstitial Cystitis, Endometriosis, and Co-existing Conditions/Chronic Illnesses

*** Please read the disclaimer at the top of this blog. ***

As many of you know, interstitial cystitis is one of the illnesses often found in women who have endometriosis. Interstitial cystitis affects both men and women but there have been research studies showing a higher incidence of IC in endometriosis patients than in non-endometriosis patients.

Wow! I found a great interstitial cystitis video clip (on http://youtube.com/watch?v=myjd4UMtCfw) and I decided to include it here. It was posted on YouTube by “YourUpdate” on June 21, 2007.

Here is the description of the clip from www.YouTube.com: The Interstitial Cystitis Association (ICA) educates both patients and healthcare providers to better understand and treat people with IC. Contact The International Cystitis Association (ICA) at for info at: http://www.ichelp.org/



Another source of information on IC is the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive Disorders and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK):

See their website at:

http://kidney.niddk.nih.gov/kudiseases/pubs/interstitialcystitis/

I had had interstitial cystitis for 12 years before finally finding a doctor who properly diagnosed me. My 4th cystoscopy (with hydrodistention) was performed while I was under anesthesia for one of my laparoscopies for endo.

The cystoscopy was done at that time because I still presented with classic IC symptoms despite 3 previous negative cystoscopies prior to my diagnosis by a different doctor. (Ironically my first 3 cystoscopies were done by 2 different urologists and my proper diagnosis was finally made by a pelvic pain specialist).

Anyway, I have a regimen that I follow and it does help. I believe I had IC for the 12 years leading up to my official diagnosis. Whether the appearance of the inside of my bladder lining changed much in those 12 years or whether my pelvic pain specialist was better at properly diagnosing IC than the urologists had been, I may never know. All I know is my IC has responded to IC treatment.

It is crucial to advocate for yourself. Like the interstitial cystitis patient in the video clip, I believe it is crucial for IC patients to “take an active role” AND to “get the correct diagnosis from your doctors”. IC is often misdiagnosed.

HINT: If you do get diagnosed with IC and your doctor prescribes medications to be instilled into the bladder, the pediatric size catheters are a 'must' in my opinion. So if you suspect you have IC and you DO end up getting diagnosed with it, just keep that in the back of your mind. My doctor automatically ordered the pediatric size for me but not all doctors may think to do this.

That reminds me… for anyone who is unaware of this, you can request a smaller sized speculum for Pap smears. Just ask your GYN and you may find pelvic exams are less painful!

Last but NOT LEAST: I found this amazing blog today on chronic illnesses. Actually I found this blog a couple of weeks ago & subscribed to it then --- BUT the IC stuff just jumped out at me today's mailing. There are just TONS of IC links near the bottom part of the (emailed via my subscription) link listed below.

http://chronichealthblog.com/category/interstitial-cystitis/

If you even think you might have IC, these links (the last link above) are worthwhile reading (I think) from what I saw when I skimmed through them. (I simply didn’t have time to read through them ALL but there are just LOADS of them)!

Follow your gut and find the medical care you deserve. After all, we ALL deserve a decent quality of life.

Let's skip past "striving to get well" and skip right to "thriving" if at all possible.

Be well!

This article was posted by Jeanne via "Jeanne's Endo Blog" at www.endendoat.blogspot.com.

Endo Blog Spotlight: Interstitial Cystitis, Endometriosis, and Co-existing Conditions/Chronic Illnesses

Just a quick reminder to follow up on what was mentioned in the above disclaimer: The following is not intended to be construed as medical advice. Please consult your physician for treatment. The following is for informational purposes only.

Women and girls with endometriosis may also suffer from other chronic conditions. Several other illnesses have been correlated to endometriosis in various studies. I’ll mention just a couple of them here but there are others as well.

Many women with endometriosis also suffer from fibromyalgia and/or interstitial cystitis. These conditions can cause debilitating pain and can be detrimental to quality of life. Many women in my local support group have multiple co-existing conditions (that includes me)!

Here is a quick summary of two (IC and fibro) of the many co-existing illnesses that can affect some endo patients... ones that affect a surprising number of women I know personally.

Fibromyalgia patients may experience symptoms of widespread musculoskeletal pain (such as pain from head to toe). Also, disturbed sleep and severe fatigue are common for fibro patients. So is “brain fog”. Fibromyalgia means pain in the muscles, ligaments, and tendons – the soft fibrous tissues in the body. I have found numerous sources helpful for fibromyalgia information, including Fibromyalgia Network:

http://www.fmnetnews.com/.

Fibromyalgia too is often associated with other illnesses besides endometriosis and IC. One example of this is Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS). CFS is another illness affecting multiple women in my endometriosis support group.

Interstitial cystitis (IC), also known as painful bladder syndrome, is a chronic, painful, inflammatory condition of the bladder wall that affects over one million people in the U.S. Although its cause is unknown and there is no cure, there are many available treatment options to help relieve symptoms. Although IC is considerably less well-known than them... it is as common as Parkinson's Disease or Type I diabetes. For further information regarding IC, I have found the ICA (Interstitial Cystitis Association) very helpful.

For IC info see:

http://www.ichelp.org/.

Research indicates that in some patients, IC itself may be associated with other diseases besides endo and fibro such as vulvodynia (vulvar/vaginal pain) --- (an excellent source of information on vulvodynia is the NVA (National Vulvodynia Association).

For vulvodynia info see:

http://www.nva.org/

IBS or irritable bowel syndrome is often common in endometriosis patients as well.

While endometriosis in and of itself can be debilitating for some patients, having endometriosis plus one or more of the illnesses mentioned above (or others I did not mention) is even more challenging still. It's a great deal to juggle!!

It is a testament to the chronically ill patients who deal with one or more of these illnesses that they are able to do the things they do! I have been truly inspired and uplifted by having the opportunity to meet and get to know other endometriosis patients who, like me, have co-existing illnesses with their endo. Networking with patients going through similar experiences can be SO supportive, powerful, and life-altering! It can lead to fantastic friendship because the illness(es) seem to generate some sort of instant bond between people who "get it" because they have lived through like experiences.

A final note... You may have stumbled upon this blog and NOT be an endometriosis patient. PLEASE feel welcome here and don't feel you need to have endometriosis to read or post comments on this blog.

Perhaps you have one of the illnesses discussed briefly in this post but DON'T have endometriosis itself. You may still learn something helpful or gain needed support from this blog! Or you may be able to share your insights with patients who share your diagnosis/diagnoses (and no, I'm not requesting marketing plugs from companies selling their wares... I'm inviting patients with illnesses like fibromyalgia or others mentioned above to join the conversation here). You may find needed support here.

So please feel welcome and at home! I intend to have plenty more posts about chronic illness and co-existing illnesses in the future!

This article was posted by Jeanne via "Jeanne's Endo Blog" at www.endendoat.blogspot.com.

YouTube Video Clips --- Endo, Infertility, Chronic Pain, Pelvic Pain...

You may have seen the YouTube clips to the right (see the "YouTube Slideshow. Random Videos will Cycle Through. Not responsible for content!" arrow).

I really found the "Hyperfluorescent Endometriosis" clip - a demonstration of the hyperfluorescent endometriosis with autofluorescent laparoscopy from Steven F. Palter, MD's prize winning video - intriguing. I had never heard of this method of visualizing small endometriosis implants that are not easily seen by the naked eye. Dr. Palter mentioned the use of a combination of illumination and observation filters.

There are clips on chronic pain and infertility as well. The clips will occasionally rotate to a new set. It takes a bit of time for it to rotate sets but the clips will switch on their own if you're patient. I tagged this search for YouTube videos on the topics of chronic pain, endometriosis, infertility, and pelvic pain. Please excuse any ads or inappropriate language that might dynamically rotate through. (I am not responsible for the content of the video clips). The tags I listed should hopefully get it narrowed down to some good videos.

This article was posted by Jeanne via "Jeanne's Endo Blog" at www.endendoat.blogspot.com.

EDITOR'S NOTE:
Here's a little postscript...
Please see a follow up to this post on JULY 14, 2008
Jeanne's Endo Blog: YouTube Video Clips --- Endo, Infertility, Chronic Pain, Pelvic Pain... ***PART TWO***

Alternative Medicine Is Amazing!

As per my disclaimer above, I do not prescribe treatment options. You need to consult with your health care provider(s) for that. I am excited to share some info regarding alternative medicine because many endo patients are not aware of all of the options available for managing endo symptoms.

For the purposes of this blog, I am going to use the phrase “alternative medicine” to refer to treatment options other than the typical “drugs and surgery” that are offered by Traditional Western Medical doctors for treating endometriosis.

In my personal experience and that of many women I know through my endo support group, many alternative medicine options have come to my attention. We will be talking a great deal about alternative medicine options on this blog. This post is just a jump off point for starting a dialogue on options that are available other than standard hormonal treatments and surgeries.

Since surgery can cause adhesions and scar tissue and since these can cause more pain, the benefits and risks of surgeries should be weighed carefully by talking with your doctor. Many women have numerous laparoscopies to remove endo. Also, medications can have side effects.

If alternative therapies and Traditional Western Medicine can be used together as integrative medicine, patients can get the best of both worlds: endo patients can choose the options that are best for them based on their age, fertility desires, number and severity of symptoms (including pain), etc.

Here are just a few alternative medicine options I am aware of through either personal experience or what my support group members have shared with me:

Acupuncture – I have been getting regular acupuncture for over 7 years now. I love it! For many years, I had heard women rave about acupuncture and I was afraid to do it. I thought it would hurt. I was in enough pain already and didn’t want to add to it by getting stuck with needles! However, I now wish I have tried it sooner!!!! My acupuncturist is awesome. He uses Japanese style needles. They are so thin and flexible… nothing like hypodermic needles! He describes them as “about the width of a cat’s whisker”. They are so skinny it’s unbelievable. They do NOT hurt! The cool thing about acupuncture for me is that it helps me in a holistic way…. It helps my whole body. He doesn’t just treat my endo symptoms. He treats all symptoms that acupuncture can appropriately address. It helps me enormously! My acupuncturist is a licensed acupuncturist. Here are a couple of websites you may find helpful:

http://www.acupuncturetoday.com/
http://www.acupuncturefinder.com/

Chi Nei Tsang – A couple of my fellow endo support group members have tried this modality and found it to be very helpful! I’m including a website with info about Chi Nei Tsang: http://www.chineitsang.com/. According to this website, “Chi Nei Tsang is a holistic approach to the healing touch modality of old Taoist Chinese origin. It integrates the physical, mental, emotional and spiritual aspects of our being.” If you haven’t tried this modality, it’s something you may want to investigate!

Diet and Nutrition – Many endo patients find that dietary changes help them feel better. Some endo patients feel better when they follow a wheat free and/or dairy free diet. There are books about endo and nutrition out there. One I’ve heard good things about (but haven’t read) is Endometriosis: A Key to Healing Through Nutrition by Dian Shepperson Mills and Michael Vernon.

Some endo patients have found diets for treating candidiasis helpful. See the book The Yeast Connection: A Medical Breakthrough by Dr. William Crook for more information.

Homeopathy – This has helped me so much! I am very blessed to have a friend who is very knowledgeable about homeopathy and who has helped me determine which homeopathic remedies are appropriate for my needs. If you are interested in checking out homeopathy, I would suggest finding a licensed naturopathic doctor to assist you in selecting the homeopathic remedies that are right for you. Going to the store and buying homeopathics and simply going by what’s on the label isn’t a great option because homeopathy is complicated and those labels simply aren’t enough to guide you if you are not trained in homeopathy. Homeopathic remedies are easy to take (the pellets dissolve under you tongue), they can be fast acting (depending on what symptoms you are taking it for), and they really work!!!

Massage Therapy – Many people think of massage therapy as simply a luxury or form of pampering. However, massage therapy certainly has medical benefits! If massage therapy interests you, try finding a licensed massage therapist by word of mouth. Some massage therapists are take-your-breath-away relaxing and others are just so-so. Some have special training in massage therapy that is more geared to medical benefits rather than just relaxation. Ask around and you may find that someone you know has a massage therapist they swear by!

Physical Therapy for Pelvic Pain – I never knew there was such a thing as this until a support group member told me about it. Then I tried it myself and saw what she was talking about. Then we told other support group members and several of them tried it too. I haven’t heard any negative feedback from the women who have tried this therapy. If you are experiencing pelvic pain, you may want to see if there is a physical therapist in your area that does this particular, specialized form of physical therapy. For information about this therapy, I would try searching on these two websites: http://www.pelvicpain.org/index.asp or http://www.nva.org/. This therapy is typically covered under insurance and often requires a doctor’s referral. The only reason I’m calling it “alternative” is that most endo patients aren’t aware this therapy exists and most doctors don’t mention it to their patients. Some geographical areas don’t have these specially trained practitioners. However, there could be one in your backyard and you won’t know it if you don’t check. This is a modality that can really help women with pelvic pain. Ask your doctor if it’s an option available near you and don’t be afraid to research on your own to see if it’s available in your area. It may be available and your doctor doesn’t know it yet! This is a relatively new field within physical therapy from what I understand.

HAVE A GREAT DAY!

This article was posted by Jeanne via "Jeanne's Endo Blog" at www.endendoat.blogspot.com.

Endometriosis and Endo-related Links You May Want to Check Out

Hi! I thought I'd post some links that may be of interest to endo patients. Some of them are endo websites. Others are sites for illnesses that often co-exist in endo patients. Still others are websites you may find uplifting/supportive.

There is no cure for endometriosis. There's a myth that hysterectomy is a cure for endo. Only you and your doctor can make treatment decisions as a team but I've included a couple of websites on the topic of hysterectomy. I thought this might be helpful since there is much confusion about this topic. One site is devoted to alternatives to hysterectomy. The other site says it provides "woman to woman hysterectomy support".

http://www.endometriosis.org/
http://www.endocenter.org/
http://www.endometriosisassn.org/
http://www.butyoudontlooksick.com/the_spoon_theory/
http://www.resolve.org/site/PageServer
http://www.pelvicpain.org/
http://www.noharm.org/us
http://www.womenandenvironment.org/
http://www.forgrace.org/women/in/pain_home/
http://www.ichelp.org/
http://www.fmnetnews.com/
http://www.hersfoundation.org/
http://www.hystersisters.com/

I hope you find these helpful!