Why Menopause Won’t Cure Endometriosis, Fibroids, or Ovarian Cysts

Great article! Had to share. 🙂

http://www.everydayhealth.com/news/why-menopause-wont-cure-endometriosis-fibroids-ovarian-cysts/

As another “Endo Hell Week” officially begins today, I can’t explain how much I wish that this article wasn’t true, but as a woman with ALL of the aforementioned conditions and a broken, barren reproductive system, complete with 20+ symptomatic, painful, and infertile years, I am fully prepared for the probability that all of my problems are not likely to disappear and everything isn’t going to suddenly be sunshine and roses even after menopause.

The same goes for the all-too-common question of “why don’t you just have a hysterectomy?” For more information on that topic, please check out another great article, 10 Things Your Doctor Won’t Tell You About Hysterectomy

My current goal is to make it through the next few days with my body and sanity intact. I REALLY need to make it to work tomorrow, but I have been here before and I know that it will take a miracle for that to happen. 😥

11 Comments

  2. An older woman once told me a story of how she had suffered from headaches all of her life, and when she got through menopause, they went away. Sounded like a miracle to me. The only thing that went away for me after menopause was my monthly period pain, but considering it was pretty bad, I’ll take what I can get. (And never having to buy another box of tampons.)

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    • I will settle for no more periods too. 😉 My doctors have always led me to believe that pregnancy, hysterectomy, or menopause would likely “cure” my pelvic pain so it’s always a hard pill to swallow realizing that it may in fact be a life-long battle. I still have some hope that the severity may lessen with the right treatment or maybe even menopause, since it does help SOME women but I have also learned to educate myself and remain realistic because doctors don’t know everything and I can only endure so much false hope and disappointment. I learned that the hard way when the GYN who I trusted for 20 years, wasted decades failing to Dx my Endo and PCOS, while it destroyed my fertility, and then failed to educate me about the conditions or the fact that they have no cure. At least they haven’t been able to give me any false hope with my mysterious facial pain syndrome since they can’t even accurately Dx it or agree on a Dx between the endless doctors, dentists, and other specialists that I’ve seen over the years. I have finally learned not to get my hopes up (most of the time) which lessens the blow of each disappointing appointment and failed procedure or treatment. I greatly depend on medication to manage both types of chronic pain but I am still seeking other sources of relief because I know that the meds may not work forever and will likely become inaccessible sooner rather than later given the current state of affairs.

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      • Mysterious facial pain? I thought it was TMJ, the same condition I have. Unfortunately, I was diagnosed in the 1980s, when I was young and still believed what my doctors/dentists/oral surgeons told me. Not that treatment for TMJ has advanced since that time.

        I’m not surprised that endometriosis is so difficult to treat — it affects women, and doctors are usually men. Women’s medical conditions have received little attention in the past.

        I’ve read that there’s a lot of inflammation involved with endo (unlike with TMJ), so I guess if you want to try and treat it yourself, you’d have to start with diet. Eliminating foods that cause inflammation is so tough — there are so many of them. I don’t think I could do it. After all this time, I still have trouble sticking to my soft diet. I’m just glad chocolate melts in my mouth. 🙂

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        • Well, my facial pain actually has been Dx as TMJ but it has also been Dx as Trigeminal Neuralgia, Atypical Trigeminal Neuralgia, Atypical Facial Pain, Facial Neuropathy, and the most ridiculous Dx of all … a HEADACHE! If it weren’t so frustrating, it would almost be comical. I have no idea how so many medical professionals can disagree on what condition I have and some of them have even changed their diagnosis throughout the course of treatment. I have no doubt that I have TMJ. That is a Dx that I believe to be accurate. However, I am pretty sure that there is more to it than just that. I have started to believe that it is a combination of issues that are working against one another, which could be why it causes such “atypical” symptoms, making it difficult to fit into any the parameters required for some diagnoses. I also wonder if there could be some underlying disease or umbrella condition that everyone is missing, which could be contributing to all of these various ailments that I seem to be collecting over the years. From my broken reproductive system (riddled with multiple conditions) to my facial pain, cervical spine problems, lower GI issues, pancreatic bile duct blockage, Sphincter of Oddi Dysfunction, inflammation of most upper GI organs (spleen, liver, gall bladder, pancreas, ascending colon), etc. – it almost seems too much of a coincidence for my body to be going downhill so fast at only 37 years old. As for natural Endo treatments, I have tried many and while they may help a little with some of my symptoms, I’ve yet to find an effective homeopathic treatment that brings the pain down to a tolerable level where I can function. I follow a strict anti-inflammatory diet (some call it the Endo Diet), which eliminates meat, dairy, gluten, and most processed foods. I primarily eat organic fruits, veggies, and gluten free pasta and grains along with as much juicing and smoothies as I can afford. I will admit that I can’t always afford to adhere 100% to my diet though, due to the high cost of natural foods, but I really do try. Even if it doesn’t completely control my pain and symptoms, I believe it is the healthiest choice for my body. I have tried every treatment option within reach and will continue to until I find a solution or die trying.

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            • Probably about 2 to 2 1/2 years (off and on) but I was a vegetarian for many years in my late teens and early twenties, so this change hasn’t been all that difficult for me (other than the cost) due to the fact that I really don’t enjoy eating meat and have always had ethical concerns and guilt surrounding my diet when I was eating meat, dairy, or whatever sounded delicious at the time. 😉 Giving up dairy is probably the most difficult part for me because I LOVE cheese. I have become quite fond of dairy free yogurt, milk, and ice cream though, which was a surprising discovery. I have found a lot of meat free protein sources, such as quinoa, nuts & nut butter, beans, chickpeas, green peas, rice, avocado, chia, leafy greens, seeds, non-dairy milk (almond, hemp, rice, & coconut), and a variety of other foods. I’m still learning, finding new recipes, and discovering tasty alternatives to the traditional American diet every day. 🙂

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    • I’m very sorry to hear that you are still in pain. That is a prime example of the reason I think it is important to share this type of information. Too many people, including doctors, are under a false impression that menopause (surgical, medical, or natural) will resolve the symptoms of every woman who experiences pelvic pain. While it may help some women, it may not help ALL women and those who still experience symptoms should be properly treated, taken seriously, and not be made to feel as if it’s impossible for their condition, along with unpleasant symptoms, to persist and possibly require further treatment to be resolved.

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