Help With Endometriosis

[Mossy]

Hello my fellow Peaters,

I’ve searched these forums and online for Peat’s information on endometriosis and there is not too much on it. For the threads on it, on this forum, I can’t say that I’ve found any success stories or any extensive application of treatments.

I have a friend who has been suffering from endometriosis for the past 10+ years. She is 28 and recently has had an episode of great pain, resulting in a trip to the ER. They found that she has some growths and possible fusing of organs, via these growths.

I've read Peat’s article online, Tissue-bound estrogen in aging, as well as located a quote claiming to have been from Peat on endometriosis, which has led me to conclude the following may be helpful for my friend:

1. Aspirin

2. Progesterone

3. Thyroid

4. Low PUFA

5. High-altitude

6. Adequate protein and sugar

7. Trace minerals and vitamins


I did see this post:
Sweating And Toxic Pesticides Excretion, about OCPs and how they’ve been linked to higher rates of endometriosis in women. She is a stylist and works with hair dyes and chemicals—I wonder if there is a correlation there.

The trouble is that she is a vegetarian and most likely eats a considerable amount of PUFA, as well as stays away from sugar. She is seriously contemplating surgery, which I’m hoping may be prevented with the proper measures.

If anyone can share any experiences, recommendations, or any additional references to share, that would be great.

Thanks!

P.S. If anyone knows how to email Peat, that would be appreciated.

 

[Anders86]

Josh Rubin: Do you think endometriosis is more of the inability to be classified as excess estrogen versus a low progesterone?

Dr. Ray Peat: Yes, it involves the liver and the pituitary but estrogen is very central to the actual lesion or abnormal tissue of the endometriosis. Simply by reducing estrogen exposure, you can alleviate the symptoms of endometriosis The cells begin producing estrogen, they contain the express the enzyme aromatase which manufactures estrogen which they used to think existent only in the ovary, then it turned out to exist in fat cells, breast cells, skin cells, bone and muscle everywhere that's under stress will begin to produce estrogen molecules. And when that happens in the endometrial tissue, it should be exposed to estrogen for only about 12 hours each month and then progesterone should surge up to 50 or 100 times higher concentration and cause the cells to give up their production of estrogen and release what they had. But instead of that the aromatase keeps turning out estrogen and the estrogen excites the tissue turns on these cyclooxygenase enzyme which turns polyunsaturated fatty acids into prostaglandins creating inflammation that causes the pain, contractions and all of the symptoms, and the inflammation from the prostaglandin in turn creates more aromatase and so it gets a vicious cycle going. And the simplest most physiological way to stop it is to eat a diet with adequate protein and sugar and trace minerals and vitamins but to make sure your thyroid is functioning. I've seen people who had been constantly for months or years suffering painful endometriosis who in two or three days completely stop the symptom permanently just with quick acting thyroid and a good diet and aspirin or other blockers of prostaglandins production it all by themselves can greatly reduce the formation of estrogen and break the cycle.

 

[Mossy]

Josh Rubin: Do you think endometriosis is more of the inability to be classified as excess estrogen versus a low progesterone?

Dr. Ray Peat: Yes, it involves the liver and the pituitary but estrogen is very central to the actual lesion or abnormal tissue of the endometriosis. Simply by reducing estrogen exposure, you can alleviate the symptoms of endometriosis The cells begin producing estrogen, they contain the express the enzyme aromatase which manufactures estrogen which they used to think existent only in the ovary, then it turned out to exist in fat cells, breast cells, skin cells, bone and muscle everywhere that's under stress will begin to produce estrogen molecules. And when that happens in the endometrial tissue, it should be exposed to estrogen for only about 12 hours each month and then progesterone should surge up to 50 or 100 times higher concentration and cause the cells to give up their production of estrogen and release what they had. But instead of that the aromatase keeps turning out estrogen and the estrogen excites the tissue turns on these cyclooxygenase enzyme which turns polyunsaturated fatty acids into prostaglandins creating inflammation that causes the pain, contractions and all of the symptoms, and the inflammation from the prostaglandin in turn creates more aromatase and so it gets a vicious cycle going. And the simplest most physiological way to stop it is to eat a diet with adequate protein and sugar and trace minerals and vitamins but to make sure your thyroid is functioning. I've seen people who had been constantly for months or years suffering painful endometriosis who in two or three days completely stop the symptom permanently just with quick acting thyroid and a good diet and aspirin or other blockers of prostaglandins production it all by themselves can greatly reduce the formation of estrogen and break the cycle.

It’s a little buried, but I link to that thread in my post. But, thank you for pointing it out—it is one of the clearest comments from Peat on the subject.

 

[CaptJim]

A little late (a few years)- but I found this

MEDICAL MANAGEMENT OF ENDOMETRIOSIS

Endometriosis is a chronic medical condition that affects around 6–10 % of reproductive age women. Pelvic pain, dysmenorrhea and infertility are the most common presenting symptoms. The disease is characterized by estrogen dependent growth of ...

www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Aromatase inhibitors in the treatment of endometriosis

Endometriosis is a chronic inflammatory condition in which foci of endometrial tissue grow outside of the uterine cavity. Endometriosis was estimated to affect 176 million women of childbearing potential all over the world in 2010. The presence of extrauterine ...

www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Anastrazole, letrozole and exemestane are third generation aromatase inhibitors that can be administered orally. They are reversible, more potent and have faster onset of action. Used in combination with combined oral contraceptives, GnRH agonists or progesterone, they significantly decrease the endometriosis-associated pain, improve quality of life and have shown to decrease the size of the lesion.

Without trying the AI route, more natural AIs might be helpful such as Vitamin E.

 

[Mossy]

A little late (a few years)- but I found this

MEDICAL MANAGEMENT OF ENDOMETRIOSIS

Endometriosis is a chronic medical condition that affects around 6–10 % of reproductive age women. Pelvic pain, dysmenorrhea and infertility are the most common presenting symptoms. The disease is characterized by estrogen dependent growth of ...

www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Aromatase inhibitors in the treatment of endometriosis

Endometriosis is a chronic inflammatory condition in which foci of endometrial tissue grow outside of the uterine cavity. Endometriosis was estimated to affect 176 million women of childbearing potential all over the world in 2010. The presence of extrauterine ...

www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Anastrazole, letrozole and exemestane are third generation aromatase inhibitors that can be administered orally. They are reversible, more potent and have faster onset of action. Used in combination with combined oral contraceptives, GnRH agonists or progesterone, they significantly decrease the endometriosis-associated pain, improve quality of life and have shown to decrease the size of the lesion.

Without trying the AI route, more natural AIs might be helpful such as Vitamin E.

That is the first question that entered my mind when reading, if non-prescription AIs could be used.

Thanks for sharing.