Subject: Endometriosis help needed

From: [email-masked] (Scott Chapman)
Date: Wed, 21 Dec 94 23:30:33 PST

Hi,
I am new to this list and getting more and more interested in herbal 
medicine.

My wife has endometriosis, a rather serious case of it and I am 
interested in input from people who have experienced this and especially 
interested in herbal assistance for it as opposed to surgery and modern 
meds.

My understanding of endometriosis:
(Took my wife into the emergency room recently due to very serious pain 
and found this all out)

Apparently it is caused by uterine lining (endometrium) cells getting out 
via the fallopian tubes into the lower abdominal cavity.  These cells 
continue to respond to the change in estrogen levels caused by a woman's 
monthly cycle and continue to bleed (into the stomach cavity) 'on que'.  
This somehow causes cysts and scarring (whereby the organs in the 
abdominal cavity can become joined by scar tissue).  The body somehow 
absorbs the blood from the cavity.  

The doctor said that changes in the hormone levels seem to make the 
problem worse, not simply the presence of the hormones.  

The way modern medicine deals with it is as follows:
 - giving women birth control pills in an effort to regulate the 
   production of the hormones.
 - other drugs designed to reduce the cysts.
 - laproscopy.  This is done by inflating the stomach cavity with air 
   (sometimes) and then using a scope to examine the organs to determine 
   the extent of the uterine tissue, cysts, and scarring.
 - operations to remove the cysts and scar tissue (which creates more 
   scar tissue and is generally a uphill battle)
 - removal of the uterus and in some cases the ovaries also
 - hormone replacement medicines.
This is given in order of progression and endometriosis is not curable 
with modern medicine.  The final "cure" here may well be worse than the 
original problem.

Here is what, ideally, herbs need to help the body do:
  - make it so the hormone level does not change (in a safe manner)
  - prevent further migration of uterine tissue into the stomach cavity
  - reduce the existing scar tissue (but not able to apply herbs directly 
    to the scar tissue due to internal location)
  - help the body get rid of the uterine tissue where it doesn't belong  
    (yet leave it alone where it does belong)
  - help the body get rid of any cysts that are present.

My wife has already done a lot of different birth control pills, when she 
was younger (now 28).  They didn't help much.  I married her and we have 
had three children.  We had heard that having children (which keeps the 
hormone level balanced for a long time) would basically cure the problem, 
but it obviously has not.  Now, we are looking at moving on to the next 
medical steps listed above and it doesn't look too pleasant.

I doubt that our knowlege of herbs, currently, would enable a cure for 
the problem but it might.  If you know of real information that can help 
with this, please e-mail it to me, not the group.  I will be glad to post 
a summary to the group but may not be able to check it often enough to 
get the information that way.  My email is given above but here it is 
again:  [email-masked].

Thanks in advance for any assistance!

---

From: [email-masked] (FRED W. BACH)
Date: 25 Dec 1994 01:02 PST

In article <[email-masked]>, [email-masked] (Scott Chapman) writes...
#Hi,
#I am new to this list and getting more and more interested in herbal 
#medicine.
# 
#My wife has endometriosis, a rather serious case of it and I am 
#interested in input from people who have experienced this and especially 
#interested in herbal assistance for it as opposed to surgery and modern 
#meds.

  [ snip ]

#I doubt that our knowlege of herbs, currently, would enable a cure for 
#the problem but it might.  If you know of real information that can help 
#with this, please e-mail it to me, not the group.  I will be glad to post 
#a summary to the group but may not be able to check it often enough to 
#get the information that way.  My email is given above but here it is 
#again:  [email-masked].
# 
#Thanks in advance for any assistance!

  From the SURANET list of mailing lists:

WITSENDO on LISTSERV@DARTCMS1 or [email-masked]

     WITSENDO is a moderated mailing list which discusses all aspects of
     ENDOMETRIOSIS with particular emphasis on coping with the disease and
     its treatment.  Anyone with an interest in this disease is welcome to
     participate whether or not they actually suffer from the disease.  The
     list will act as a clearinghouse for information exchange and to
     promote discussion of current treatments, research and educational
     literature.  Professional (medical) comments are of course, most
     welcome.  However, the list is primarily dedicated to the women who
     suffer from this painful and often demoralizing disease, therefore any
     information should be expressed in lay terms and attempt to exclude
     professional jargon ( or at the very least provide adequate references
     and/or definitions of terms ).

     To Subscribe to the list, send mail to:  [email-masked] or
     [email-masked] with the BODY of the mail (NOT
     subject) containing the command:  SUB WITSENDO yourfullname

     To post to the list, send mail to:  [email-masked] or
     [email-masked]

     Owner: David Avery <[email-masked]>

 Fred W. Bach ,    Operations Group        |  Internet: [email-masked]
 TRIUMF (TRI-University Meson Facility)    |  Voice:  604-222-1047 loc 327/333
 4004 WESBROOK MALL, UBC CAMPUS            |  FAX:    604-222-1074
 University of British Columbia, Vancouver, B.C., CANADA   V6T 2A3
  Damien says " If you don't STAND for SOMETHING, you'll FALL for ANYTHING "
 These are my opinions, which should ONLY make you read, think, and question.
 They do NOT necessarily reflect the views of my employer or fellow workers.