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What Causes Endometriosis Pain in Our Bodies? Why Do We Keep Getting This “Pain” Message?

Pain makes us tired. It makes us angry, frustrated and reach for the Nurofen as quickly as possible! So, why does our body experience pain with Endometriosis? Well, we can blame it all on a messenger that exists within our body.

They are called prostaglandins and they are hormone-like substances found throughout our bodies. They perform some of the most important duties in our bodies, including jumping when we hurt ourselves. They are incredibly important to us, but they are also responsible for causing us pain with Endometriosis.

See, you get “good” prostaglandins and you get “bad” ones. The bad ones are called antagonistic prostaglandins and they cause:

  • Inflammation
  • Pain
  • Fever
  • Blood clotting
The good ones do the opposite… plus heaps more. They also protect our stomachs from burning by protecting the stomach lining. Now, typically when we experience pain with Endo, what do we do? Well, we reach for the painkillers! Right? Well, the reason painkillers work is that they stop the production of ALL prostaglandins—including the good ones. This is why you might experience a sore tummy if you take them on an empty stomach.
What can we do naturally to reduce the PAIN signal we get from Endometriosis?
  1. Cut out the source of bad prostaglandins in the body. The antagonistic prostaglandins are found in animal products like milk, dairy, animal-farmed meat and refined oils.
  2. Good prostaglandins are found in fish oils like salmon oils, krill oil and omega 3 oils. Chia seeds contain massive amounts of omega 3!
  3. Increase your intake of olive oil (organic and in a dark bottle). It contains oleic oil which inhibits the bad prostaglandins.
  4. Include more coconut oil in your diet. Coconut oil will supply you with heaps of the right oils to help reduce inflammation and is also naturally anti-bacterial for the body.
Now, the problem with prostaglandins is that they are short-lived in the body. So, my theory on this is that when we are about to experience pain or there is potential pain coming, usually around ovulation and menstruation, we should increase the dosage of omega 3 in our diet. I’ve tested this and it definitely seems to help.
Our diet plays a massive role in our pain and inflammatory responses in the body. It is amazing how when we change our diet and alter what we eat, we feel so much better.
What are your pain levels like? Have you noticed foods which trigger pain and inflammation? Have you discovered ways to work with those prostaglandins?
Hugs, Melissa x
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This Post Has 13 Comments

  1. Melissa

    Hi Jaime,
    I wouldn’t recommend Lupron at all! Nasty stuff!
    Treating Endometriosis holistically has allowed me to avoid surgery for over 10years now. You can check out my program for more information on it: http://www.endowellnessretreat.com. Launching soon!

  2. Jaime

    Hi Melissa
    Thank you for the helpful tips about the different foods. I had my first surgery last September and was completely pain free for two months then in December it came back with a vengeance abd has progressively gotten worse over the last few months. My Ob/gyn suggested I take Lupron but out has a lot of side effects. Have you ever been on it before? He gave me that option or having another surgery again.
    Thanks.

  3. Melissa

    Hi Ammie,
    Having your ovaries removed is such a drastic step and really not your only choice! The body responds when we give it all the tools it needs to become balanced again. I hope we still have time 😉 Hugs.

  4. Ammie

    Melissa,

    I have been recently diagnosed with Endometriosis (Jan 2015) but have been living with the increasing pain for over a year now. I can definitely relate to the feeling like l am living on pain killers. My pain come almost in a daily basis and at times unrelenting even with medication (probably as you said becoming ineffective). I do try to limit it and do not listen to the advice of “staying ahead of the pain” (not sure if it’s good or bad but I just can’t stand taking the medicine and will wait it out as long as I can.) At any rate because I feel so terrible much of the time and am concerned for my overall health I am looking to “help” my body to get healthy. I do take Provera (progesterone) right now that I’ve been on just over a week as I have to have some form of alternate treatment before my insurance will pay for a full hysterectomy (that is doc and I have decided to take both ovaries as well due to severity as I have a lesion on my liver—-which inadvertently brought me to your site

  5. Melissa

    It sounds to me like an Oestrogen imbalance Rebecca, which normally creates that feeling of bloating and tiredness in the morning. We can stimulate natural progesterone within our bodies with certain foods and Yoga really helps.

  6. Rebecca

    This is very interesting, I have notice that changing my diet has help me a bit. But sometimes my moods change and I feel fat and so on. How can I stop that feeling? With the pains I better just when I sleep I feel uncomfortable and go to the wash 3 times before I wake up. Will love to know what I can do to change that naturally

  7. Rachel

    Hi, really hope you can help me.

    I was diagnosed with endometriosis when I was 19 and ever since I have been on a number of different treatments such as different birthing pills, the coil and now I’m on the depo. I have not had a period since I was 19 due to the number of treatments. I am 26 now and even with all these different treatments I’m still getting pain. I was told that by not having periods the pain should be suppressed. .

    Recently I started with severe pelvic and vaginal pain for 4 weeks. The GP initially thought it was an infection and put me on two sets of anti biotics. The pain didn’t improve and the gp then treated me with a suspected uti and I was put on a further 3 sets of anti biotics and given morphine for the pain.

    I was then admitted to hospital for 4 days and they put me on a further set of anti biotics. They told me they ‘thought’ it was a uti and endometriosis pain. The specialist told me there is nothing they can do for me and if I was to have an operation later down the line they will not operate till the pain stops.

    Due to the excessive anti biotics I have severe thrush. Could this be causing the pain or flaring up my endometriosis?

    I feel so isolated and the pain isn’t improving. I’m still on morphine and I’m constantly in bed.

    If you could give me any advise I would really appreciate it.

    Thanks

    Rachel

  8. Sunshine

    Hello I’ve been with this pain for a while now. I work for six years on my job and had to quite because of this pain cause by endo. It have really had bad impact on my job husband child it stated to make me feel as if there no hope for it. On last years i decided to go to college when the pain came again while in my frist year of semter i had to finish in the operation room. After all that lost job no time with the husband or child because in bed all the time, and had removed all endo at least i though they did.Started to feel good for a while take the birthcontrol pills they gave me.Now it’s 2013 and GUESS WHAT? I AM IN PAIN AGAIN can someone please tell me so good news.

  9. Melissa

    Hi Laura,
    That doesn’t sound good. Not sure what “hit” means. Was it a child or a car? If it was a child, then it is probably not as serious but I would apply some castor oil onto it anyways and take a good inflammatory like turmeric. Definitely get it checked out – not something I know too much about sorry sweets.

  10. Laura

    Hi Melissa,

    I wasn’t quite sure what thread was to best to reach you on to ask your advice. I work as a SEN teacher and was hit in the abdomen (accident) quite hard today – about 12 hrs ago. It now seems to be hurting a lot more than before but can’t work out if that’s stress and worry or real internal damage. Don’t worry I am seeking medical advice but would be grateful for your opinion.

    thanks

    Laura xxx

  11. Melissa

    Thanks Mimi! It is my pleasure. Try the Castor Oil packs – they do wonders and fairly quickly too 🙂

  12. Mimi

    I just love your blog!! I am so thankful for it. My endo has been pretty painful lately…..I’ve learned so much from your blog. Thank you so much for taking the time to teach us!!

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