Natural Endometriosis Pain Relief; MSM

I had an interesting experience just before my surgery.  I was instructed to go off of all of my supplements one week before my surgery (and let's just say that I take more than a few).  After about 5 days without my supplements I was in pain. The worst of it was a deep aching sensation from my urethra to my rectum and then on deeper inside of my pelvis, but the perineum area was definitely the worst.  Even after my surgery this pain was worse than the pain from the surgery itself.  I don't think it's something I could stand to live with on a daily basis.  When I asked my doctor about it at my follow-up appointment she said that it was possible that without the supplements this is how I would feel on a daily basis.  I told her that if that was the case I'd be begging for a hysterectomy!


I suspect that the supplement that helps me the most with this particular pelvic pain is MSM or Methyl Sulphonyl Methane.  If you follow this link to Endo Resolved and scroll down on this web page to the "Alternative Treatments For Pain" section you can read about MSM and other considerations for pain relief.  I've taken the liberty to quote from the Endo Resolved website information on MSM here:

MSM for pain relief

MSM supplement for pain relief and aid healing - Methyl Sulphonyl Methane is the full name of this natural compound. The common name for this compound is Sulphur. 

MSM can help relieve pain in a variety of ways. It blocks pain messages that travel to the brain along nonmyelinated nerve fiber called C fibers. This results in relief of the deep aching pain that is characteristic of chronic conditions like Endometriosis. 

But MSM alleviates pain in other ways as well. It reduces the swelling and heat associated with inflammation, which in turn, relieves pressure on surrounding nerves and other tissues. It also relieves muscle spasm. 

MSM goes beyond mere pain relief to actually support healing of injured tissues by increasing blood flow. It also alters the cross-linkages of collagen, reducing scar tissue to promote range of motion and flexibility.

I've taken MSM for years for "bladder pain."  This was before I knew that I had endometriosis.  If I ran out of MSM I was in pain and I related it to my previous diagnosis of interstitial cystitis.  That diagnosis is likely very accurate as I do have a very sensitive bladder.  In other words the Greyhound (vodka and grapefruit juice), no matter how delicious, is just not my drink.  One sip and my bladder quickly screams at me, "Hello...we have a condition here...a little help please!"  I really don't tolerate citrus at all.  My bladder reminds me of the story of The Princess and the Pea, with my bladder being the princess herself.  With the help of MSM I can actually drink coffee!  Ask any IC patient and you'll know that is a miracle in and of itself.  I do best with a low acid organic coffee (my favorite is Dazbog) made in an AeroPress coffee maker to further reduce the amount of acid in the perfectly smooth cup of finished product.   Heavenly. 


Every once in awhile I will test a supplement by going off of it for a week or two to see if I can really tell a difference or not.  Well whoa, Nelly!  MSM is not one I need to test anymore.  I generally only take a single 1000 mg. dose per day with my morning supplements, but since my surgery I've had some lingering aching occasionally so I sometimes add another dose to my afternoon.   It would probably be reasonable to do this every day at this point in my endometriosis journey, or perhaps the week before and during my menstrual cycle.  Oh yeah...that might not work since I'm in perimenopause and never know exactly when or if I will actually have a period.


I have read that MSM is a powerful detoxifier and to increase it gradually to avoid the symptoms of detoxification including diarrhea, fatigue, and headache.   I've also read that it is most helpful when combined with Vitamin C.  I personally take a time released version of a buffered Vitamin C per my bladder's request.  Ascorbic acid + my bladder = not happy.


MSM appears to be safe as a supplement.   I am not personally recommending that you try it, but I know I'm not giving it up anytime soon.