Endometriosis and Alternative Medicine

Other than Western or Modern Medicine, I have also tried Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM), more specifically, herbal medicine. According to the herbal specialist who was introduced to me in 2010, herbal medicine can help reduce the size of my cysts, and then, promote pregnancy.

The herbalist gave me a long list of herbal or natural medicine that I should take to help treat my endometriosis.  Most of the "medicine" he prescribed to me were plant-based capsules.  I can't remember the names and kinds of medicine but there were a lot of them.  Some should be taken several times a day.  Some should be taken a few times a week. 

Sadly, I did not inform my Ob-Gyn when I consulted with the herbalist.  I knew that she would discourage me from doing so.  But then, I was intrigued by the herbalist because he said there were a few women who testified that their cysts grew smaller after a month of taking the medicine he prescribed.  He even told me about a couple who had a baby.

And so, I spent a few thousand pesos to buy the medicine he prescribed, and started taking the meds for a month. Indeed, the herbal medicine helped with the pain and with my monthly period.  I felt healthy, and I even gained a little weight. 

To check if the herbal medicine worked, I had an ultrasound.  The results were not as I expected.  My cysts grew bigger.  If I remember correctly, I had one cyst in my right ovary and around 3 cysts in my left ovary, and all of them grew significantly bigger a month after taking the herbal meds.  Because of the turn of events, my Ob-Gyn told me that I needed another surgery because one of the cysts got really big and might rupture.  I told my Ob-Gyn about the herbal meds, and she told me that not all women have the same reaction to herbal meds.  Indeed, it is true that some women have positive results, i,e, that is, their cysts grew smaller, but for some women, the result is just like what happened to me: the cysts grew bigger. But still, herbal meds are not a cure for endo.  They are simply treatments, which may or may not work. 

After my trial with herbal meds, I, once again, underwent surgery.  For my second surgery, not all of the cysts were removed because one cyst in my left ovary was very difficult to remove.  My Ob-Gyn said that if she persisted in removing that cyst, I might have had extensive bleeding during the surgery. Though she noted that my cervix and uterus were significantly healthier.

So, this was the result of the herbal meds to my body: my cervix and uterus became healthier but my cysts grew significantly bigger.

These are the lessons in my experience with herbal meds.  First, women have different reactions to herbal meds.  Alternative medicine might or might not work for you.  Always consider all your options before trying herbal medicine or any other CAM. Most of these alternative medicine has not been scientifically studied thoroughly and is not regulated by the government. "Natural" does not always mean safe.  Second, always inform your Ob-Gyn about the alternative treatments that you are trying out.  If he/she has any comments about alternative meds, be sure to listen and take his/her advice.