Chronic pain and bloating in a woman’s abdomen may point to an abnormality of the endometrial tissue. According to research or other evidence, the following self-care steps may provide some relief:
What You Need To Know:
- Ease the soreness with C and E
Lessen the pain by
taking a daily combination of 1,000 mg of vitamin C and 1,200 IU of vitamin E
These recommendations are not comprehensive and are not intended to replace the advice of your doctor or pharmacist. Continue reading the full endometriosis article for more in-depth, fully-referenced information on medicines, vitamins, herbs, and dietary and lifestyle changes that may be helpful.
Vitamins that may be helpful
In a study of women with pelvic pain presumed to be due to endometriosis, supplementation with vitamin E (1,200 IU per day) and vitamin C (1,000 mg per day) for two months resulted in an improvement of pain in 43% of women, whereas none of the women receiving a placebo reported pain relief.
Animal research suggests that fish oils may reduce the severity of endometriosis, and fish oils have been shown to improve symptoms of dysmenorrhea (painful menstruation), which may be caused by endometriosis. Therefore, while no specific research has been done on the effects of fish oils in women with endometriosis, some health practitioners recommend several grams of fish oil per day for this condition.
Herbs that may be helpful
Vitex is recommended either alone or in combination with other herbs, such as dandelion root, prickly ash, and motherwort, by some doctors to treat the symptoms of endometriosis. Although vitex affects hormones that in turn affect the severity of endometriosis, and it may be effective for premenstrual syndrome, no research has tested the effect of vitex supplementation on women with endometriosis. Similarly, no other botanical medicines have been
scientifically researched for treating this disease.
Holistic approaches that may be helpful
According to preliminary reports, regular meetings with other endometriosis sufferers may help women with endometriosis learn about the disease and cope better with the many psychological and emotional issues that often accompany this condition. One preliminary study found that…