More than one out of 10 women of reproductive age suffer from endometriosis, a disease that can be debilitating. (1) This is a personal issue for me because my wife suffered with endo. Not only can it lead to infertility but also cancer. Have you seen the Speak Endo commercial on television? That commercial reminds me how messed up the thinking on hormones is. It reminds me how messed up the thinking on health and genetics is. It irritates me and it should irritate you too because endometriosis is NOT genetic, and a drug CAN’T save you!
I know a lot of women are suffering because they come into my office and they are desperate. Whether it is desperate to feel better or desperate to have a baby. One woman would go get her uterus scraped and the doctors would send her home to have sex with her husband in hopes that they would get pregnant. Imagine how she felt and what her body was going through. Women should not have to suffer.
I see it too often and that is why it is heartbreaking to see some of the ideas in the commercial. The condition highlighted in the commercial is common but it’s not normal. You can see the commercial on the Dr. Patrick Flynn Show if you haven’t seen it.
The Medical Stats Are True but the Reasoning is False
What I like about the commercial is that it encourages women to speak about their symptoms. Common is not normal and just because lots of women are experiencing this doesn’t mean you should have to live with it. The commercial is right about all the stats. They talk about how endo can evolve into cancer. I agree with the fact that it can lead to higher results of breast cancer. Totally agree 1 out of 10, that’s spot on. And even more have it and don’t know -yes! I believe the reason why the stats are true is because the current thinking on hormones. We think our hormonal health, and the results of it, are out of our control. That they are genetic. That’s where I disagree.
Endometriosis is a developed condition, it’s not genetic. Its developed and that’s why it can be undeveloped. We do find some commonalities among women who have endo even though every woman is different. Hormones get out of control. We know the estrogens (yes, there are multiple) can get out of control and the progesterone can get out of control. We know the DHT, the testosterone, can get out of control. So, step one is to get tested to find out what is going on with your hormones. I have been operating on these principles for 20 years to help women undevelop their endometriosis. What I’ve seen is, endometriosis is NOT genetic.
You Are NOT Genetically Programmed for Disease
So, at the end of the commercial they are asking women to get genetically tested to see if they are at risk for endometriosis. Let me ask you a few questions before you go out and get tested.
- Is your uterus genetically programmed to function normally or abnormally?
- Do you think your heart is genetically programmed to function normally or abnormally?
- Is your breast tissue genetically programmed to function normally or abnormally?
Did you answer abnormal to those questions? No, of course not! The idea that anyone is genetically programmed for disease is the biggest fallacy. Your body is genetically programmed to function normally. It makes it a lot easier to sell you drugs though if you believe that your health is out of your control. That it’s genetic so that’s why you have to take a pill for the rest of your life. Seems a lot easier than making changes too.
You aren’t programmed for disease. Your body is responding to its environment. That means your genes can respond to a stressor in ways that seem like it’s unhealthy if you don’t know the body is operating for survival.
Your Body is Programmed for Survival
Your body needs to adapt to survive a stressor, so it doesn’t die. Let’s say you go outside in shorts and its 30 below. What is your body going to do to survive? Your body is going to pool all the blood to your core, so you might lose a finger or some toes, but your body will survive. Your body will even let your fingers and toes die. Was that dumb or smart of the body? Smart! Your body adapted to survive. It’s about survival.
The idea that the body makes mistakes is one of the biggest fallacies of modern medicine. The body doesn’t make mistakes. Its responding to stressors. That’s what my wife’s body was doing, and I got to the bottom of it to find out what was causing the stress. If its surviving by developing endometriosis, it’s better than dying and I know that’s a concept that’s hard for people to get. But if my finger and toes go, your heart gets to live. Your genes are programmed for response. If you give it a bad environment it is going to respond the way it is supposed to. The body also adapts to other stressors you introduce and that means your body develops conditions like endometriosis.
Getting to the Bottom of Endo
Does your mom or sister have endo too? You do have the same genes, but that doesn’t mean it’s genetic. If you have endometriosis, we know your hormones are out of control and so are the hormones of anyone else who has it. How did those hormones get out of control? If you have relatives who have endometriosis like you, it might be because you have the same habits and environment. Through testing we can find out how, and why, your body is responding to its environment so that you can diminish those stressors and return the body to homeostasis, or balance.
You’re in more control than the drug companies want you to think. Remember that commercial advocating for you to speak up about your symptoms? Encouraging you to find out if you have endometriosis and were genetically predisposed to it? Speakendo.org and that commercial, was put out by AbbVie that has one injectable endometriosis treatment, Lupron Depot, that has common side effects like nausea, headaches, hot flashes and a dozen others. Sound like fun? AbbVie was just approved by the FDA for a pill treatment, Elagolix, that is projected to make $934 million annually by 2022. (2) They will make millions by convincing women that it’s out of their hands and perpetuating the wrong thinking about hormones.
Are you irritated yet? You don’t have to suffer with symptoms of endometriosis and you don’t have to accept the common medical thinking. Endometriosis is NOT Genetic.
Written by Dr. Patrick Flynn
Learn about Krista’s Wellness Way Story of how a different way of thinking changed her debilitating experience of endometriosis. Check out the Dr. Patrick Flynn Show where the dynamic duo discusses the commercial and endometriosis.
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Hi! My daughter, 25 yrs, just had her first endo surgery on July 18, 2018. She got her official diagnosis of having endo. Since the surgery she has been just as miserable as she was before the surgery. She has not been able to go back to work yet. She is unable to sit, stand or walk for very long. Her gyn changed her diagnosis from endo to complex endo, because she has not responded to any of the treatments. She is scheduled to get her IUD removed and receive her first Lupron Depot shot on Oct. 2nd. She does not want to take these shots. She has read a ton of stuff about the side effects of the shot and is scared. She has decided after these 6 mos. of shots she wants a hysterectomy!!
Where do we go to get treatment like you are talking about?? She also will be starting to go to a pain management clinic. We are all stressed like crazy and don’t know how to help her. I would appreciate any suggestions or ideas.
Thank you,
Debbie Bradley
Hi Debbie,
So sorry to hear how your daughter is suffering. The first step is to get tested by a proficient professional. Do you know if there is a Wellness Way by you? We have clinics all over the U.S. Check out our locations https://www.thewellnessway.com/clinics/
If there isn’t a clinic near you, any of our doctors would be happy to help your daughter with a phone consult.
Debbie, please don’t let her get a hysterectomy! It does not solve the issue. And I would avoid Lupron like the plague! The side effects are permanent. I’m not sure where you’re located, but if you need a surgical solution, there are only a few surgeons in the US who actually sufficiently remove the endometriosis and the recurrence is rare. Of course you should also address underlying issues but i would also join the group called Nancy’s Nook on Facebook. It is an evidence based research group on endometriosis that agrees that drugs are not the solution and they have awesome resources available. Wish you the best of luck!
What are the permanent side effects of lupron?
Hi Patricia, Thank you for your question and we will try to do our best as hormones vary with the individual. Everybody has a different side effect response to lupron. It is difficult to say what somebody will have to deal with permanently. The best advice is to measure the hormonal response in relation to lupron to determine what may or may not be necessary to overcome the side effects.