Every woman has a distinctive health journey with endometriosis – but functional medicine from our Toronto clinic could help lessen the related symptoms. 

Endometriosis involves the formation of scar tissue and inflammation in the pelvic area. There isn’t a cure, nor are there preventative measures to take. But symptoms may be managed to improve your quality of life. 

There are a wide variety of chronic symptoms that can arise, so it’s common for health care providers to misdiagnose endometriosis. Some women notice symptoms, others may not, and these may include: 

• Heavy bleeding during the menstrual cycle or periods
• Chronic pain around the pelvis
• Mental health concerns (i.e. anxiety, depression)
• Low energy levels
• Infertility
• Digestive issues (i.e. bloating)
• Pain during intercourse

The effects can be a daily health challenge for some women, thereby restraining optimal health. Sometimes women find symptom relief after menopause, but this depends on the patient’s unique biology. 

At the Toronto Functional Medicine Centre (TFMC), we help reduce clinical symptoms by building a functional medicine wellness program for your health needs only. If you were to visit us for managing endometriosis with the help of functional medicine, we may discuss altering lifestyle factors, such as adding supplements to your comprehensive treatment plan. Below, we highlight some nutrients to supplement with, which may help lighten the load on cramping, mood swings, chronic pain, and more.  

Supplements to consider for endometriosis symptoms

When it comes to tackling this condition, we provide a personalized approach to health care. We may request functional medicine testing to scrutinize your vitamin levels, hormones, etc., which can guide us on how to cater to your needs. 

Once individual components have been collected (i.e. your medical history/family histories, current lifestyle and environmental settings, etc.), we tailor a health plan to target your endometriosis indicators. Depending on your lab tests and biology, supplementation may be recommended. These may include those in the table below: 

Type of supplement	How it may provide symptom relief
Ashwagandha	This herb is revered for its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory health benefits. High cortisol levels tend to be present in women with endometriosis. Ashwagandha could help reduce stress, thereby lowering cortisol amounts.
NAC (N-acetylcysteine)	“NAC may represent a good therapeutic option for symptomatic women with endometriosis and pregnancy desire,” explains a piece from the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health. This is because studies have shown that N-acetylcysteine could be a tool for reducing pain and improving fertility outcomes.
Curcumin	Extracted from turmeric, this ingredient has been discussed in numerous articles to have beneficial effects. It could help reduce tissue migration in the uterus. It may also decrease the production of estradiol, which is a form of estrogen that can progress endometrial adhesions.
Selenium	Did you know that you can be deficient in selenium? This mineral level tends to be low in patients with endometriosis. In fact, deficiency symptoms include cramping and fatigue, so supplementing with selenium could lessen those effects.
Essential fatty acids	Omega-3 and vitamin E supplements taken together could offer pain relief. In one study, participants took omega-3s (EPA: DHA) and vitamin E daily. Participants noticed less cramping while taking the supplements, in comparison to the placebo.
Magnesium	Magnesium tends to be deficient in women with PMS. An article from the American Journal of Epidemiology explains that additional magnesium intake has “… been shown to relax smooth muscles and as a result may influence endometriosis through its effect on retrograde menstruation.”
Vitamin C	Vitamin C can lower oxidative stress, which can help reduce related pain. In one study, “The intake of vitamin C and vitamin E supplements effectively reduced dysmenorrhea severity and improved dyspareunia and severity of pelvic pain,” confirmed a study from Pain Research and Management.

Keep in mind that we customize therapies for your unique biology – these treatments may or may not apply to your health concerns. This is why it’s necessary to consult with a health provider for objective feedback. 

Oral vs. IV therapy supplementation

Now that you’re aware of some supplements, should you take them orally and as IV therapy, too? Please consult with our IV Lounge to see which ingredients we offer for intravenous therapy.  

Oral administration may cause side effects, which may include nausea or diarrhea, and may be unsuitable for patients with malabsorption. Therefore, adjunct IV therapy is also an option for those with Celiac disease, Crohn’s disease, colitis, etc. We suggest speaking to one of our functional medicine practitioners to determine which treatment and supplements are suitable for your endometriosis symptoms. 

Tailoring your functional and integrative medicine therapies

Making healthy lifestyle decisions can be a conundrum – but our health care providers can offer assistance, with a touch of inspiration!

Our functional medicine practitioners tailor treatment plans for an array of health issues, including chronic disease conditions, body aches, inflammatory conditions, nutritional deficiencies, infertility, heart disease, and menopausal symptoms. Our custom health strategies, including drips from our IV Lounge, are tailored with the integrative functional medicine model. We follow a “whole body” approach to wellness, which means we focus on the patient’s symptoms and root cause of their current health issues. 

Using a compassionate approach to health, the TFMC takes pride in creating personalized integrative medicine services. What brings relief to one patient may not necessarily work for another patient’s needs – we get this, which is why patients are encouraged to “mix and match” modalities for their individual symptoms. With that, a distinctive health care plan may include allopathic/Western medicine, naturopathic medicine, acupuncture, Traditional Chinese Medicine, herbal medicine, bio-identical thyroid hormone therapy, intravenous drips, and/or other therapies. 

If you need help managing endometriosis, our functional medicine Toronto clinicians can build a customized, proactive, long-term health plan. Let’s rejuvenate your body towards optimal wellness – send us a note here to request your consultation. 

Disclaimer: The information in this article is designed for educational purposes only and is not intended to be a substitute for informed medical advice or care. This information should not be used to diagnose or treat any health problems or illnesses without consulting a doctor. Consult with a health care practitioner before relying on any information in this article or on this website.

 

References

Agarwal SK, Chapron C, Giudice LC, Laufer MR, Leyland N, Missmer SA, Singh SS, Taylor HS. Clinical diagnosis of endometriosis: a call to action. Am J Obstet Gynecol. 2019 Apr;220(4):354.e1-354.e12. doi: 10.1016/j.ajog.2018.12.039. Epub 2019 Jan 6. PMID: 30625295.

Amini L, Chekini R, Nateghi MR, Haghani H, Jamialahmadi T, Sathyapalan T, Sahebkar A. The Effect of Combined Vitamin C and Vitamin E Supplementation on Oxidative Stress Markers in Women with Endometriosis: A Randomized, Triple-Blind Placebo-Controlled Clinical Trial. Pain Res Manag. 2021 May 26;2021:5529741. doi: 10.1155/2021/5529741. PMID: 34122682; PMCID: PMC8172324.

Anastasi E, Scaramuzzino S, Viscardi MF, Viggiani V, Piccioni MG, Cacciamani L, Merlino L, Angeloni A, Muzii L, Porpora MG. Efficacy of N-Acetylcysteine on Endometriosis-Related Pain, Size Reduction of Ovarian Endometriomas, and Fertility Outcomes. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2023 Mar 7;20(6):4686. doi: 10.3390/ijerph20064686. PMID: 36981595; PMCID: PMC10048621.

“Endometriosis” from the World Health Organization, posted March 24, 2023, viewed on July 9, 2023. 

Harris HR, Chavarro JE, Malspeis S, Willett WC, Missmer SA. Dairy-food, calcium, magnesium, and vitamin D intake and endometriosis: a prospective cohort study. Am J Epidemiol. 2013 Mar 1;177(5):420-30. doi: 10.1093/aje/kws247. Epub 2013 Feb 3. PMID: 23380045; PMCID: PMC3626048.

Hunsche E, Gauthier M, Witherspoon B, Rakov V, Agarwal SK. Endometriosis Symptoms and Their Impacts on the Daily Lives of US Women: Results from an Interview Study. Int J Womens Health. 2023;15:893-904
https://doi.org/10.2147/IJWH.S409733

Pratte MA, Nanavati KB, Young V, Morley CP. An alternative treatment for anxiety: a systematic review of human trial results reported for the Ayurvedic herb ashwagandha (Withania somnifera). J Altern Complement Med. 2014 Dec;20(12):901-8. doi: 10.1089/acm.2014.0177. PMID: 25405876; PMCID: PMC4270108.

Sadeghi N, Paknezhad F, Rashidi Nooshabadi M, Kavianpour M, Jafari Rad S, Khadem Haghighian H. Vitamin E and fish oil, separately or in combination, on treatment of primary dysmenorrhea: a double-blind, randomized clinical trial. Gynecol Endocrinol. 2018 Sep;34(9):804-808. doi: 10.1080/09513590.2018.1450377. Epub 2018 Mar 15. PMID: 29542390.

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“The Endometriosis Natural Treatment Program: A Complete Self-Help Plan for Improving Health and Well-Being,” by Valerie Ann Worwood and Julia Stonehouse, New World Library, pages 198-199. 

Warzecha D, Szymusik I, Wielgos M, Pietrzak B. The Impact of Endometriosis on the Quality of Life and the Incidence of Depression-A Cohort Study. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2020 May 21;17(10):3641. doi: 10.3390/ijerph17103641. PMID: 32455821; PMCID: PMC7277332.

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