Period Pain IS NOT Normal

Posted on March 4, 2019September 9, 2019 by Andrew Orr

We need all women, and men, to know that Period Pain ‘is not’ normal and it is about time healthcare professionals knew this as well. We are getting there, but it is not quick enough for my liking.

Millions of women around the world are told that period pain is normal and then go on to endure years of suffering and even fertility issues because it. Some women have endured so much pain and been “missed” and “dismissed” by so many healthcare professionals so many times that they have ended up taking their own life because of it. It just should not happen and it needs to stop.

Endometriosis & Adenomyosis are a major cause of Period Pain

One of the major causes of period pain is Endometriosis, or its sister disease Adenomyosis. These crippling diseases can cause period pain, pelvic pain, joint pain, pain with bowel movement, irritable bowel syndrome, pain with ovulation, swollen painful belly (known as endo belly), chronic fatigue, anaemia, heavy painful menstrual flow and can lead to infertility. Some women will quite literally not even be able to work due to debilitating symptoms of this disease.

A significant portion of women with endometriosis are asymptomatic

One thing to note is that some many women with endometriosis get lots of pain and associated symptoms, a significant portion of women with endometriosis are actually asymptomatic (No symptoms at all). These women are usually diagnosed by accident or through fertility evaluation when they could be having issues conceiving. Just remember that just because a woman does not have pain and associated symptoms of endometriosis, it does not mean that she can’t have it.

Period Pain ‘is not’ Normal

Period pain ‘is not’ normal and the sooner we get everyone to know this important fact the better. Sure, a little bit of discomfort can be normal. By that I mean just a tiny bit of pressure and basically knowing your period is about to come. But pain…. That is not normal.

I’ve spoken about this many times before and if you click on the links below here, you can read my previous articles about this

There is help

If you, your friend, your daughter, your sister, your wife, or any other woman you know, has to have days off work, days of school, is laying on the floor in pain, taking pain killers to get through the day, or beginning of their period, then that IS NOT normal.

Period pain is not normal and if you need help and assistance with period pain, then please give my friendly clinic staff a call and find out more about how I may be able to assist you.

Regards

Andrew Orr

-No Stone Left Unturned

-Women’s and Men’s Health Advocate

-The Endometriosis Experts

-The Women’s Health Experts

Endometriosis DOES NOT Always Cause Infertility

Posted on March 4, 2019September 9, 2019 by Andrew Orr

Many women are led to believe that if they are diagnosed with endometriosis, that they will be infertile. The one thing I do want all women to know is that Endometriosis DOES NOT always cause infertility.

Over the years I have helped over 12,500 plus babies into the world and many of the women who went on to have these babies had endometriosis.

I have had women who have been diagnosed with endometriosis being told that they cannot fall pregnant, based on the diagnosis and AMH (Anti-Mullerean Hormone) levels alone, and no other fertility investigations. This is disgusting and should never happen. It is so sad hearing things like this and women believing they are infertile and cannot have a baby, when it fact they actually may be able to.

Endometriosis can make it harder to fall pregnant

While having endometriosis can increase your chances of having fertility issues (about 50%), it does not mean you are infertile. To be honest the word infertility is often wrongly uses. Unless you have absolutely infertility and have been diagnosed with a condition that would render you infertile, then we should really be using the word subfertility. Subfertility is a better word to use for those that may be experiencing difficulty falling pregnant, but may need assistance of some come.

Biology 101 tells us that it takes two people to make a baby

Let’s not forget that just because you have endometriosis, it does not mean that the fertility issue falls solely with you. Men are just as big an issue when it comes to fertility issues and could be the bigger part in you not being able to fall. The problem is that many fertility clinics will solely focus on the women because she has a diagnosed condition and this is wrong. Many times I have seen a women with endometriosis blamed as the main cause of the fertility issue, when in fact it is actually the man’s sperm that is at fault. Please remember this. Biology 101 tells us that it takes a sperm and an egg to have a baby, not just an egg.

Endometriosis can make it harder to fall pregnant and can affect egg quality, fertilisation and implantation, due to the resulting inflammation from the disease. But this is where it gets a bit tricky.

Pregnancy rates are not necessarily related to the extent of the disease

It isn’t always about the amount of the disease either. We know that pain levels and the associated symptoms of endometriosis are not related to the extent of the disease. I will address this in one of the other facts posts sometime in the future. The hard thing is that sometimes stage 4 endometriosis sufferers, with lots of the active disease, will have not issues falling pregnant at all. Meanwhile a woman with stage 1, or minimal disease, may have lots of issues falling.

Then we have the women who are having issues falling pregnant and will not even know that they have endometriosis and then it is found as part of fertility investigations, via a laparoscopy. Just remember that a significant portion of women with endometriosis are asymptomatic (meaning no symptoms).

Like I always say to my patients, Endometriosis can make it harder to fall, but having the disease does not mean that you are automatically infertile, or will have trouble conceiving. This is why it is important to see someone who specialises in Fertility, not just a regular OB/GYN or a GP, and also specialises in the area of endometriosis.

Fertility Program

If you are having issues falling pregnant, please give my clinic a call and find out how my fertility program may be able to assist you. I can help you and assist you in receiving the proper fertility evaluation and investigations you should be getting. This is for the couple, not just the woman. Like I mentioned before, my multi-modality fertility program has helped and assisted over 12,500 babies into the world and it may be able to help you too.

Take care

Regards

Andrew Orr

-No Stone Left Unturned

-Women’s and Men’s Health Advocate

-The International Fertility Experts

-The Endometriosis Experts

Sometimes The Body is Like a Well Sprung Spring & Other Times Not

Posted on February 21, 2019September 6, 2021 by Andrew Orr

Sometimes the body is like a well sprung spring, and over time the spring gets stretched, but , bounces back to its original shape, but overtime, one day, it will get to a point where it is slower to recoil to its original state, or, will no longer spring back to its original shape and have no more spring to recoil to its original state. No matter what you do to it, it just will not recoil and will in essence become to a state of non-repair.

As everyone knows, I always use a very integrative medicine/ multi-modality approach to treating people and getting the best for people’s health. I always believe that preventative medicine is the best approach to any health problems, but sometimes medical intervention, in the form of surgery, is needed for some acute complaints.

It is always hard when someone comes into the clinic and they are doubled over in acute pain from endometriosis, or an acute skeletal issue, and while I can help them, I know that the best thing for their long term health would be intervention in the form of surgery. That is not saying I cannot help and assist people with acute pain, but sometimes the best thing to do is get the person in for surgery to help with the acute pain, and then follow up with preventative and rehabilitation care.

Often it can take several months to help regulate hormonal issues and pain from conditions such as endometriosis, or pelvic inflammatory disease, with more conservative forms of treatments such as pharmaceutical medicines and hormones, complementary medicines, acupuncture, supplements etc. While the outcome after treatment is always great, is it really beneficial for people to endure constant pain for months, when surgery could produce a faster result, for the pain?

In saying that some of these conditions have a high rate of return, so that is where an integrative medicine/multi-modality approach can help post surgery.

I was talking to a medical specialist colleague recently, who promotes a holistic approach for all his patients, and he explains it to his patients like this;

“Sometimes the body is like a well sprung spring, and over time the spring gets stretched, but , bounces back to its original shape, but overtime, one day, it will get to a point where it is slower to recoil to its original state, or, will no longer spring back to its original shape and have no more spring to recoil to its original state. No matter what you do to it, it just will not recoil and will in essence become to a state of non-repair.”

I see people in my clinic just like this spring. Some are well oiled, and well sprung, and bounce back into shape very quickly. Some are showing the signs of starting to lose their spring, and then others have just pushed their body to the point or no spring, or worse still to the point of non-repair.

Obviously I like seeing people do the right things and use preventative health so that they stay well oiled and well sprung. I do like to see people coming into the clinic when they get the first signs of ill health and the spring is starting to recoil slowly.

The sooner you get onto any health complaint the easier it is to treat. Early intervention is the key to any disease state, or health issue. But, we all know people who push through pain and say “She’ll be right mate” and get to that point where they just can’t recoil anymore. Then we get the ones that have gone beyond that and unfortunately no matter what they do you will never be able to get them back to what they used to be like. So, please don’t ever let your body get to this point if you can.

The reason for this blog was to not only inform people to be proactive with their health but to also make sure people are covered if they do need surgery. It is always such a shame and I always feel sorry for people who need urgent medical attention, but they don’t have private health cover. I know that not everyone can afford it, and I am not pushing it either. But, it is worth considering for anyone who have a long term health issue, or especially for women trying to conceive.

Every woman is going to need to see a gynaecologist at some stage in their life and you don’t want to be relying on a failing public health system that could have you waiting months, or even years, for an appointment, or much needed surgical intervention. Those experiencing fertility issues will need some investigation at some stage so it’s almost necessary to be prepared and well covered.

I’ve seen so many people over the years that come into my clinic, for so many different ranges of acute conditions, that actually do require some sort of urgent surgical intervention, but only to find out they can’t get the necessary treatment they need because they aren’t covered.

The public health system is in such a mess at the moment and wait times are becoming increasingly long. If you have an acute condition, you don’t want to be waiting months, or years for treatment. The other issue is that you don’t get to see a surgeon of your choice and can then end up with the lucky dip of whomever is there on the day. The other issue is that this person may not specialise in the disease state, or issue you are there to have treated. This is what happens to many and this can then have long term health consequences if you aren’t given the right care that you need, or they actually miss crucial issues as well. It is a big issue.

Then when you finally get to having the surgical intervention, it may require multiple surgeries, and the first surgery may be just for investigation only. I’ll give you an example.

I had a friend, with acute period pain that got nausea, vomiting and even fainted, (from severe endometriosis) go on a 12 month wait list for surgery in the public system. Finally she got in for surgery only to wake up and find that the operation was one of many to come and the first one was only for investigation purposes only. She would need ‘three’ more surgeries spaced at months apart. So nothing was done with the first surgery, she was still in pain and now had to prepare for further surgeries.

Yet, a similar friend who had a private cover, got to chose the gynaecologist of her choice, got someone who specialised in her disease state, was an advanced trained excision surgeon, had no wait time, had not out of pocket expenses, had everything tidied up and the endometriosis removed on the first surgery. This same lady also saw me for assistance. There is a huge difference in the time, the surgeon who did this the surgery, the treatment and the amount of surgery needed.

As I said, it is a hard topic to talk about and is by no means a push for private health cover. I am only talking about this to educate people that sometimes it may be a necessary part of your overall health. It just distresses me seeing people who need desperate immediate help, not being able to get it. I know that not everyone can afford it and believe me you have to shop around when you do start looking at it. The big companies are usually the worst to deal with and the smaller companies are usually the best to deal with, and give you better rebates.

In saying that, private health is a sometimes necessary part of overall health care, especially for those with ongoing health concerns and especially those that may require some form of medical intervention. There are some great smaller funds out there that don’t cost that much and give you full hospital cover with an outlay of a couple of dollars per day. You can also look into having extra’s cover as well, which will cover part of the treatments with us also.

Again some of the smaller funds provide better rebates and the best thing would be to give us a call and we can tell you who those funds are. I hate talking about these sorts of things but at the end of the day I care when people aren’t getting the right help and am here to help people with every area of their overall health. It is a very important issue that we all need to consider and that we all need to discuss too.

If you do need help with pain, or a women’s health condition, help having a baby, or just need someone who cares and can help you get the right advice and health management, please give my clinic staff a call and find out how I may be able to assist you.

Take care

Regards

Andrew Orr

-No Stone Left Unturned

-Women’s and Men’s Health Advocate

-The Women’s Health Experts

-The International Fertility Experts

-The Endometriosis Experts

The Importance of Following Through With Advice, Treatments & Change

Posted on February 19, 2019September 9, 2019 by Andrew Orr

I see so many people who have been ‘missed’ and ‘dismissed’ and who have suffered in silence with their disease state.

But the biggest shame is when those that are offered real help, then do nothing with that advice and continue on the vicious, merry-go-round cycle of their disease.

My motto is “No Stone Left Unturned” and I apply that to every patient that I see. My initial consults are usually 1-2 hours in length and I also do lots of preliminary work prior to see a patient as well. I make sure all my patients are now only sent health appraisal questionnaires, but are also evaluated with mood and stress questionnaires for their mental health too.

I really want to delve into every fine detail of a persons life to see what may be driving their disease state and symptoms. It is to also help with diagnosing those that have not been properly diagnosed either. I then write up a comprehensive report for all my patients, with everything they need to do, the changes they need to make, the medicines they need to take, the investigations and testing they need to have and all their step by step health management moving forward. It really is a matter of ‘No Stone Is Left Unturned’ as I mentioned before.

As I mention in this video blog is that the greatest shame is those that come to get the advice and help and then do nothing with it. Just remember that if you do not change anything, or do the work needed, then nothing changes. The key to real change is actually within you.

If you so need help with a particular health issue, or you just aren’t getting the right answers and care, then please book in a time to see me and let me be your guide to better health and getting your life back to normal.

Let’s Talk About Fertility

Posted on February 19, 2019September 9, 2019 by Andrew Orr

Dr Andrew Orr has an honest and open chat about his years of experience dealing with couples with fertility issues.

Much of it gets back to couples not having the proper testing and investigations, being on the same page, preconception planning, getting healthy, doing the work and the expectations versus reality.

Have a listen to Andrew’s open and honest discussion about a very serious topic.

If you do need help and are struggling with fertility and not having a baby, Andrew can assist you in your journey to becoming parents.

To find out how Dr Andrew Orr’s fertility program, please call his friendly staff to find out more.

Endometriosis a burden on women’s lives

Posted on January 30, 2019September 9, 2019 by Andrew Orr

Research published in the Journal of Family Planning and Reproductive Health Care found that endometriosis affects women’s sex lives, personal relationships, work life, and emotional well-being.

Endometriosis often takes a long time to be diagnosed and affects all areas of a women’s life, a study has found. Endometriosis is a chronic, recurring disease that is experienced by approximately 10 per cent of women worldwide. This number could be greatly understated as many women have not being diagnosed properly and many women still think period pain is normal.

But, while period pain is part of endometriosis, a significant portion of women with endometriosis are asymptomatic (meaning no symptoms) and only get diagnosed when there is a need for fertility treatment.

Common symptoms include of Endometriosis
• Painful menstruation,
• Heavy menstrual bleeding,
• Painful sex
• IBS like symptoms
• Bladder issues (UTI like symptoms)
• Ovulation Pain
• Pain with bowel movement
• Chronic Fatigue
• Infertility

The Research Unit at the School of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, reviewed a number of papers that documented women’s experiences of endometriosis. The most common theme was that women had experienced delays in diagnosis.

Many women feel they are being dismissed and this is evident in the fact that it often takes up to “10 years, or more” for women to be diagnosed properly.

The study found that women were more likely to be diagnosed sooner when they approached their doctor describing symptoms as fertility-related rather than a menstrual issue.

The study showed that some women initially delayed seeking help for their symptoms because they believed all women had painful periods. When women revealed their symptoms to a family member, friend or medical professional their experiences were typically normalised as being what all women must endure. Period pain is not normal and all women need to know this.

The study also found that women often felt frustrated and angry at unsatisfactory experiences with healthcare providers, and had concerns about the effectiveness and side effects of treatments.

Women want their doctors to really listen to their experience and concerns. They want to explain the true impact of the condition on their lives, rather than simply rank their pain on a scale from one to 10, or be dismissed each time they try to have their doctor listen to what they are going through on a daily basis.

The study found that further research was needed to gain a comprehensive understanding of endometriosis as experienced by diverse groups of women.

This research will contribute to the improved health care of women with endometriosis in Australia, and around the world.

Too many women being ‘missed’ and ‘dismissed’

I see so many women who have been misdiagnosed, had symptoms missed and been dismissed for years and seen multiple healthcare practitioners, both medical and complementary.

There are clear-cut signs and symptoms that point to endometriosis and we need for healthcare practitioners to start to know this. We also need for practitioners and the public to know that endometriosis can only be diagnosed by a laparoscopy (surgical intervention) and that scans and blood tests, do not diagnose endometriosis.

Lastly, my message to all women is ….. “Period Pain IS NOT Normal” and people need to stop telling women it is.

There is too much BS out there about endometriosis and we need all women and all healthcare practitioners to start knowing the facts. 10 years, or more, to a diagnosis is unacceptable for any health condition. It means many women are being ‘missed’ and ‘dismissed’ along the way. Let’s put an end to Endometriosis.

If you do need help with period pain, or help managing endometriosis properly, then please call my friendly clinic staff and find out how I may be able to assist you.

Regards

Andrew Orr

-The Endometriosis Experts

-The Women’s Health Experts

-No Stone Left Unturned

Poor Diet, Stress and Sedentary Lifestyle ups Risk of Developing PCOS

Posted on January 29, 2019September 8, 2019 by Andrew Orr

Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS) is a hormonal/endocrine/reproductive issue and is on the rise due to unhealthy food habits, low physical activity and high stress levels, a new study has found.

It has long been known that insulin resistance and poor dietary and lifestyle habits increase the risk factors for developing PCOS. While being overweight is a risk factor for PCOS, women can be of any body type and still develop PCOS. Women of all body shape can still have poor dietary and lifestyle habits and this is every increasing in our modern world.

Increased refined foods, increased refined grains, increased refined sugars and a sedentary lifestyle are big factors in developing PCOS and also other health conditions such as Diabetes and Heart disease.

We also know that high stress levels can lead to high cortisol levels and high inflammation in the body and then also be drivers of PCOS and many of the conditions that go with this disease state.

What is PCOS?

Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is the most common hormonal/endocrine/reproductive disorder among women of reproductive age. Symptoms can include include

Irregular or absent menstrual cycle
facial hair growth and excess body hair (hirsutism)
Acne
Increase weight and increase body fat (all body types can have PCOS)
Infertility and difficulty conceiving

The condition has many physiological implications as well. It also results in emotional and psychological agony in affected women. For more information on PCOS, have a read of my page about “Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome”

A recently concluded study published on the 12^th January 2019, has revealed that uncontrolled or untreated PCOS can raise the risk of diabetes, heart disease and infertility. It has also been concluded that psychological issues such as anxiety and depression can also be the consequence of untreated PCOS. This study fits in with many other recent studies and has prompted changes to PCOS guidelines.

The study was conducted on two groups — one group of 150 patients with untreated/uncontrolled PCOS and the other group of 150 women who had controlled PCOS. The study found that those affected with PCOS followed a poor lifestyle, consumed excessive junk food, had no or low physical activity, more intake of refined carbohydrates and high stress levels.

The study also discovered that there was lack of awareness among the affected women and about 40 per cent were seeking information online. This is a major cause of concern as there is a lot of misinformation on the internet and this is leading to women trying to self-diagnose and go off recommendations of friends and internet groups, rather than healthcare professionals who specialise in this area.

During the study, one group was taking probiotics along with maintaining good lifestyle, while the other group was only maintaining good lifestyle. While both groups showed improvement, the group taking probiotics had additional improvement.

Good gut health and restoring the microbiome is something that I have always promoted in women, not only with PCOS, but other gynaecological/reproductive issues as well. New research has shown that healthy levels of good gut bacteria not only help with restoring the microbiome and gut and digestive health, but also help with reducing inflammation, helping with a healthy immune system and helping with psychological health and wellbeing as well.

Women with PCOS need to be properly diagnosed first and then treatments require a multimodality approach with diet and lifestyle interventions as well. Women with PCOS also need to be properly monitored and managed by a healthcare professional and not go off self-diagnosis and recommendation of untrained people.

The long term consequence of mismanaged, or unmanaged PCOS can be damaging on many levels many patients are not aware of this. The problem these days is that everyone wants a quick fix, or a magic pill, and when things don’t seem to be working, they get impatient and either change treatments, or opt advice from untrained people, or friends and this can be very dangerous.

While self-education is very important, self-management can also be detrimental as conditions such as PCOS requires constant motivation, guidance and proper healthcare management. This was also highlight as part of this recent study.

The study also highlighted that the top 3 issues with PCOS were irregular periods, hirsutism and weight issues. Irregular periods, or absent periods affect about 7 in 10 women with PCOS. Hirsutism or the extra hair on face or other parts of body are seen in 70 per cent cases, while 70 per cent to 80 per cent of women with PCOS are either overweight or obese.

But, women of all body types can have PCOS so this also needs to be noted. Many women put off being investigated for symptoms of PCOS because they believe they need to be overweight to have this condition. There also older healthcare practitioners who still believe this to be the case and this is why it often takes up to 3 years for a woman to be properly diagnosed with PCOS.

There are also other symptoms of PCOS that are often overlooked. Acne, dark patches on the skin on back of neck and others areas, skin tags, hair loss, anxiety, depression, difficulty in getting pregnant, recurrent miscarriages and sleep apnoea are other symptoms that a woman may have PCOS.

What the study concluded

Besides the known factors such and diet and lifestyle, the study highlighted that many women with PCOS suffered in ignorance and isolation. Many women with PCOS are often take up to 3 years to be diagnosed and many are misdiagnosed on the way.

The study also showed that many women with PCOS were unaware of the long term fertility and health consequences, and many hardly have any information given to the about this disease. Many women with PCOS are dependent on internet, friends, other people with the disease etc, as their main source of information.

The study also showed that while routine treatments for PCOS are needed, they can be expensive and less effective than proper dietary and lifestyle control. Poor diet and lifestyle and increased stress levels are a major reason for the rising prevalence of the disease.

In the study diet and lifestyle changes had a comprehensive impact in controlling other health problems like insulin resistance, diabetes, and hypertension. When women were overweight, or obese, and they reduced body fat, there was also improvement in the symptoms and their testing reports.

Probiotic supplementation also had an overall additional benefit in reducing the abdominal fat, LH:FSH ratio, total testosterone, LPS level, menstrual regularity and also preserving the gut and digestive function. The addition of probiotics to any treatment regime for PCOS needs to be looked at as it could be a new PCOS treatment modality in future.

There are many things women can do to help PCOS and the associated symptoms and the short term and long term health consequences of the disease. While diet and lifestyle interventions needs to be part of this and is the number one treatment for PCOS, women with PCOS do need to be carefully monitored by a qualified healthcare practitioner. This then ensures proper care, management and also accountability and also ensures the disease in properly monitored along with any other changes in symptoms. It also helps with monitoring future fertility and future health issues as well.

If you do need help, or assistance with PCOS, please give my friendly staff a call and find out how I may be able to assist you.

Regards

Andrew Orr

-No Stone Left Unturned

-The PCOS Experts

-The Women’s Health Experts

References

-https://doi.org/10.3389/fendo.2019.00346

Insights into Endometriosis

Posted on November 29, 2018September 8, 2019 by Andrew Orr

Previously I posted a story about endometriosis being aired on SBS television. I am sure many people watched it and it is great to see that sufferers are finally being recognised. It is important that sufferers are finally being recognised and that there is more education about this disease.

But, is education and awareness enough?

Well, ‘yes’ and ‘no’. I always say this when I am asked this question. Yes, it is great to get education and awareness out there, but what are we doing to support those who are struggling daily?

Any education and awareness about this horrible disease is great. It is a huge win for sufferers when we do see programs go to air and aren’t scared to ask people their experiences of living with a disease state.

I do think those that were involved and those that are driving this awareness need to be applauded. Getting media to listen is one of the best ways to bring awareness to the disease states such as endometriosis.

While there was lots of information shared, I do believe more could have been talked about. I was a little disappointed to hear that the opening line was more about associating endometriosis and periods. We know endometriosis and its symptoms can be there daily, not just around the menses. But, it does open up discussion for more programs and media recognition for those with endometriosis, or any gynaecological condition really.

I’ll talk about the good things, the not so good things and everything in between. Let’ have a look what was talked about and some of the things that should have been talked about as well. I do realise time constraint mean that not everything can be talked about either.

The important things that were talked about

Millions of women world-wide suffer this disease
Millions of suffers do have a wide range of symptoms that vary with each individual
Period Pain IS NOT Normal
There is no cure for endometriosis
Millions of women world-wide have been led to believe their symptoms are normal, when they aren’t
Women are being missed and dismissed daily and told to basically suck it up
Many women take more than 10 years to be diagnosed
GP’s and other healthcare people are missing the disease and also failing to refer on
Many women are misdiagnosed for other disease states such as IBS, gastro etc
When presenting for medical help, many women are told they just have a gastro virus, or it may be an ectopic pregnancy
Endometriosis affects the daily life of sufferers and their partners and family as well
Partners can be affected by watching their loved one go through this disease state
Intimacy and a happy healthy sex life can be hard for sufferers due to pain and associated symptoms
Many endometriosis sufferers have to take pain killers daily, just to get through their day
Endometriosis requires a laparoscopy to be diagnosed
Scans and blood tests cannot diagnose endometriosis
Women need a highly specialised surgeon when needing to have the disease diagnosed and cut out
Despite the best medical treatments available, women are still in pain daily
Many women will require multiple surgeries to deal with endometriosis
Despite multiple surgeries, women are still in pain and have all the associated symptoms of endometriosis.
Women will need hormones, pain medications, pain management and psychiatric help dealing to be able to deal with endometriosis
Often pain and associated symptoms are not managed well at all
Women who suffer endometriosis are holding down jobs and many people are unaware they are suffering this disease
Many women with endometriosis cannot hold down fulltime employment either
Women are not being told the facts about endometriosis
Many healthcare practitioner do not know the facts about endometriosis
Women of all shapes, sizes and colour have endometriosis
Endometriosis is just as common as many other well-known disease states, yet little is known about it.
Complementary medicines such as acupuncture and Chinese medicine may help women with endometriosis (although this was brushed over very quickly)
Genetics/hereditary links are now known to be a big part in the disease expression

Important things that were not talked about

Endometriosis pain and associated symptoms do not just happen around the menses
A significant portion of women with endometriosis are asymptomatic (meaning no symptoms) and are only diagnosed through needing to assess for other issues such as fertility investigations
Not all women with endometriosis will experience fertility issues
Pregnancy does not cure endometriosis
Hysterectomy does not cure endometriosis
Endometriosis is Estrogen driven and not caused by estrogen dominance
Progesterone in suppressive to the disease
Pain levels are not related to the extent of the disease
Teenagers are not too young to have endometriosis
Certain combined contraceptive Pills that contain estrogen, could be making the disease worse, or in fact helping mask and then drive the disease
The facts around endometriosis need to be standardised and more freely available
Despite the best medical treatment not working for some women, we need to educate about other alternatives, including complementary therapies
Women with endometriosis do need a multimodality (team) approach to manage their disease state and daily symptoms
There needs to be better funding to help women access all services they need for endometriosis and the associated symptoms
Too much surgery can be just as bad as not having surgery
The first surgery should always be a sufferer’s best surgery
Women with endometriosis need to see and advanced trained laparoscopic surgeon who specialises in endometriosis and is an excision specialist.
Not all gynaecologists are advanced trained and not all gynaecologist will be able to effectively manage endometriosis
Most of the good advanced trained surgeons do not do public work. Some do limited work, most don’t.
Women and healthcare practitioners need to be educated about the facts are endometriosis
GP’s and other healthcare providers who are the first point of call for women, should be better educated about endometriosis and the associated symptoms
Women with endometriosis can have adenomyosis, PCOS and other gynaecological diseases at the same time
Women who suffer bad symptoms of endometriosis have contemplated suicide, or had suicidal thoughts
Women with endometriosis will require help with depression, anxiety and other mood disorders
Many women with endometriosis are addicted to pain medications and opiates and are not monitored , or managed well
Many women cannot function without some of the pain medications and the alternatives that are not as addictive need to be discussed
Diet and lifestyle changes can help with reducing the symptoms of endometriosis and may help with reducing some of the inflammation driving the disease
Healthy gut bacteria and restoring the microbiome can help with some of the symptoms associated with endometriosis and the inflammatory processes around endometriosis
Exercise may assist with the symptoms of endometriosis

There are probably many other things that need to be discussed, but, for now this is a great start. Any awareness is a great outcome and again those that were involved need to be applauded and commended. The sufferers, the specialists, the partners, the families, the media people and everyone involved deserve to be praised for this story. We now just need to take it to the next level of education and awareness for the sake of those and their families that suffer from this horrible disease.

There is no cure for endometriosis and even with surgery and the best medical interventions; women will still suffer the daily consequences of the disease. The best way to treat and clinically manage endometriosis is with a multimodality (team) approach that requires many different modalities and medicines. While there is no cure, with the right interventions and management women can become asymptomatic (meaning no symptoms). We now just need governments to provide better funding to this with endometriosis and those who will ultimately be involved in their care.

Let’s hope that with awareness and education, this brings further funding and changes. We also need for more programs to be aired on the media to talk about what women with endometriosis can do to manage their disease better and where to access the help they so desperately need.

Take care

Regards

Andrew Orr

– No Stone Left Unturned

– The Endometriosis Experts

– Women’s and Men’s Health Advocate

Hysterectomy Does Not Cure Endometriosis

Posted on October 25, 2018September 8, 2019 by Andrew Orr

One of the things I get asked to comment on often by women, colleagues, media etc, is “Will Hysterectomy Cure Endometriosis?”

Every time I hear the question asked, or hear of women being told that hysterectomy will cure their endometriosis, I almost cringe and have to stop myself from swearing. The fact is this, and I want everyone to know this. Hysterectomy “does not” cure endometriosis. It never has and it never will and I am going to explain why.

Endometriosis is typically not found in the uterus as it is endometrial like tissue that grows outside the uterus. Endometriosis is really normal tissue, growing in abnormal areas. It can grow on the bowels, bladder, pelvic wall, utero-sacral ligaments (USL’s) and it can spread to nearly every part of the body.

Endometriosis is also one of the most misdiagnosed disease states in women and can take up to 10 years to diagnose on average. Some women are never diagnosed and many take up to 20 years, or more, to be diagnosed. This means that a hell of a lot of healthcare people miss it along the way. That is a fact. It also means a hell of a lot of healthcare people do not know much about the disease as well. Another fact as well. Let’s not get started on the surgical side of this either. I have explained this in other posts (Click Here)

The other fact is there is a lot of BS (Bullshit) put out there about endometriosis by uneducated healthcare practitioners, media and general public alike. Again this is a fact.

One of the biggest pieces of misinformation is women being told that hysterectomy will cure endometriosis and is the solution to all the symptoms they are getting. Not only is this not true, but it is downright reckless, misleading and bordering on negligence. It is also causing women to have a healthy uterus removed and many to undergo a procedure that is not even going to cure their disease. There is no cure for endometriosis at this present time.

Why Won’t Hysterectomy Cure Endometriosis

Firstly, there is no cure for endometriosis. That is a fact.

Secondly, endometriosis is outside the uterus. As I have said before it can grow on the pelvic wall, the bowels, the bladder, the ovaries, the fallopian tubes, the USL’s and it can spread to the diaphragm, the lungs, the pericardium, the heart and nearly every part of the body. That is the truth.

Now, if the disease is not in the uterus, how is taking the uterus out going to be a cure for the disease?

Well, it isn’t a cure and this is what we need for people to know. Sure, menstrual related symptoms like period pain, heavy bleeding, clotting etc may be stopped due to a hysterectomy and not getting a period anymore. But, that is it really.

Endometriosis will still be there and so will many of the non-menstrual related symptoms. Worse still many then think, or have been told, that the endometriosis is gone and that the symptoms they are experiencing post hysterectomy are not from endometriosis. The fact is, the endometriosis is still there and those symptoms are still from endometriosis. Many women are then led to believe the symptoms are in their head, or then told to go and see pain specialist and suck it up basically. That is what happens.

The other thing is, many women who have pain with their menses and heavy bleeding may have another condition called Adenomyosis and may not even know they have it. Hysterectomy will help adenomyosis, because this is confined the uterus. So when women say they got relief from having a hysterectomy, they may have just had adenomyosis and not even known they had it.

They may also just be having symptomatic relief from menstrual related symptoms from not having their period. Adenomyosis and endometriosis often go hand in hand too and many do not know they have both disease states. Many now believe they are one in the same disease, but just in different locations. But, regardless, endometriosis will still be there regardless of whether a woman has a hysterectomy, or not.

No matter what anyone tells you, hysterectomy will not cure endometriosis. If endometriosis has been diagnosed, then it will still be there regardless of the uterus being taken. This is what we need all to know. Many women are told hysterectomy will be the cure to their endometriosis only to find the symptoms come back again after the procedure is done. The women I feel sorry for are the ones led to believe that hysterectomy will be the great savior for all their symptoms, only to find out it isn’t.

Let’s not forget that endometriosis symptoms don’t always relate to the menses either. Women with endometriosis can be in constant pain at anytime in their cycle and pain can also be cyclic, regardless whether the period is due or not. “Endo Belly” can strike at anytime. Women can go from having a flat stomach one minute, to looking like they are pregnant the next minute, and then back again.

Then we have all the other physical and emotional symptoms as well. Hysterectomy is not going to fix any of that. Again hysterectomy will only help with the menstrual related physical and functional symptoms and endometriosis will still be there.

There is only one way to deal with endometriosis and that is via a multi-modality approach and manage the disease properly. I have written many articles about this and spoken about it at many seminars and events. If you want to find out more about how to manage endometriosis please click here

I need every woman with this horrible disease to know that Hysterectomy will not cure endometriosis. No matter what anyone says to you, it won’t cure the disease. That is a fact and we need to start getting this information out there and stop those spreading the misinformation to be educated properly. If anyone tells you that hysterectomy will cure endometriosis, tell them they are misinformed. The endometriosis will be there still. If you, or someone else, needs to know the facts about Endometriosis, you can always direct them to my Endometriosis Facts Page or visit Endometriosis Australia’s page as well.

Let’s end the silence and also put an end to the misinformation as well. Lastly, always remember that Period Pain is not normal either.

Regards

Andrew Orr

-No Stone Left Unturned

-Women’s and Men’s Health Expert

-The Endometriosis Experts

Are we really doing enough for women with Endometriosis?

Posted on September 18, 2018September 7, 2019 by Andrew Orr

I often myself “Are we really doing enough for women with Endometriosis?”

That is a hard question to answer in one way, but easy to answer in others. But, the bottom line is that we really aren’t doing enough for women with this terrible disease.

Now, before I continue and start with what I am about to stay and before anyone takes this the wrong way and gets upset (which isn’t my intent), let’s look at the positives around endometriosis.

There has been more awareness of the disease than ever before and awareness brings about change. But unfortunately that change can also be slow. But, it is a step forward in the right direction. At least there is now some government recognition is some countries like Australia. It is about time though and we need all countries to step up on this front. Governments also need to do more, including ours here.

Yes, we have surgical interventions, pain killers and hormones to help those who suffer the disease. All of these things, either in isolation, or in combination can help women with the disease. Some women even become asymptomatic (meaning no symptoms), after certain interventions, or a combination of all interventions combined. That is what we would like for all women with endometriosis.

Surgical intervention can control active lesions and the inflammation and symptoms they cause. Pain meds can help control pain, but after a while women will need stronger pain meds to control the pain. The body will get used to the level of pain meds and there are also high side effect profiles. Hormones such as progestins and GnRH agonists can help with the control of symptoms, help with pain and inflammation and also help with the suppression of microscopic and active lesions. But, again it isn’t enough.

We know that despite the current medical model of treatment that women are still being missed and dismissed, women are still in pain, women are still having numerous symptoms, women are having high levels of anxiety, basic bodily functions are being denied or hard to achieve, and women are being offered multiple surgeries, because that is all that the medical model can provide for them. That is the pinnacle and once that is reached, then this leaves very little options left.

Women are then offered radicle treatments and removal of body parts and that is not the answer to their often horrible daily journey either. Hysterectomy does not cure endometriosis, not at all. But it is still being offered as such by the ignorant, ego driven and uneducated out there still. Sure, it can stop you having a menstrual cycle. Sure it can help with symptoms associated with the menses.

The trouble is that many women that get relief from hysterectomy actually have adenomyosis as well, or in isolation (usually missed diagnosed or missed completely), which a hysterectomy will help, and these symptoms are then controlled permanently by this procedure. But, the problem then is that these women think that their endometriosis is gone and cured. Not so.

If endometriosis has been diagnosed, it will still be there and it can still cause inflammation, and flares, and gastrointestinal symptoms, destabilise moods, causes endo belly, still spread throughout the body, still wreak havoc on bodily functions and most likely still need interventions of some sort.

Many women with the disease are at the point on suicide some days; let alone asking them to undergo reproductive suicide. I am sorry to put it so bluntly, but that is what it is. I have seen young women who have being told that the only way to cure their endometriosis is to undergo reproductive suicide and permanently halt their chance at having a family, all due to ignorance and being told BS, heartless, unethical statements like that.

Just go and chop out your uterus and you will feel better they say. No woman should ever be faced with that option because there are ways to manage this disease that many have not even been told about, or even begun to explore.

I want every woman to know that hysterectomy does not cure endometriosis and that is a fact. I also want women to know there are options for a normal life, outside the current medical model, or to be used in conjunction with the medical model.

The other issue is that like the fashion industry and their assault of women through marketing, we also have pharmaceutical companies trying to mislead women to believe they have the latest and greatest “fix all” pill for their endometriosis. Again, much of that is just over marketed hype and remarketing of medications and hormones that we already have and are just being sold under another patent and another name.

Many women work out very quickly that the benefits being marketed are not forthcoming and are again left with the feeling of despair. I would love to see a new medication to help women. I would love to see the cure all pill appear on the market, but unfortunately there is no such thing, it does not exist and probably will not exist in the near future either.

We also now have women basically addicted to pain medication, because without them, they cannot function in a day to day life. This then leads to judgment by many and we are now seeing women being viewed as ‘druggies’ so to speak. Many women are also being questioned at pharmacies, even when they have a doctor’s script.

We also have medical centre GP’s refusing women pain medication because they just have not listened to the women and her symptoms and that she in fact has endometriosis. All they hear is “Here is another addict trying to get pain meds”.

No, this woman is in pain and you are not listening to her, or even able to understand the level of distress and pain she is in daily. Sure, pain meds are addictive and they have side effects, but what other options do we have for these poor women? Until someone comes up with a better solution, on a medical level, then this is what women with endometriosis have to do in order to survive their day.

So, yes, while we have come far in awareness and recognition etc, which we desperately need, but we are still stuck in the dark ages as far as medical diagnosis, disease classification, interventions and true clinical and overall health management of the disease.

What women with endometriosis need is an individualised, case by case, individualised, multidisciplinary approach to fully treat and manage the disease but this is not happening. Much of this is due to ego, certain marketing, suppression of research by pharmaceutical interests, lack of funding, lack of education, lack of awareness and people not willing to research or explore new ideas around this disease that don’t fit the model they want to explore, or believe.

There are ways to treat this disease effectively and it requires a multi-modality approach to do so. It requires the team approach that I always talk about. There is good research and evidence out there to suggest that there are some great treatments and management options outside the medical model, which can also be used alongside medical options to enhance treatments and overall health for those with endometriosis.

We just need more education, more research, more funding, more open mindedness, less suppression of research and education by those with monetary interests in certain areas of medicine, more subsidisation for affordable treatment options and certain people letting go of old belief systems and ego so that new thought processes and education can occur.

While awareness is great and it brings recognition to those with the disease, we also need to then give those same people ways to manage and treat the disease as well and stop viewing these women and druggies, or hypochondriacs, just because the medical system hasn’t caught up with what these women actually go through and what they need to live on a day to day basis.

I’ll talk about some other options for the treatment and management of endometriosis in some upcoming posts. In the meantime please know there are better ways to manage this disease and while I would love for there to be a “one pill” or “one treatment fix all’ approach, I am sorry but that does not exist and we will probably not see that exist either. We can hope, but please don’t hold your breath waiting. Sorry for the rant, but it need to be said and more needs to be done.

Regards

Andrew Orr

-Women’s and Men’s Health Advocate

-No Stone Left Unturned

-The Endometriosis Experts