Q I hear endometriosis patients often have irritable bowel symptoms too - is there a connection?
A Yes. When endometriosis tissue adheres around the bowel, it causes painful bowel movements, diarrhea, constipation, and other symptoms resembling irritable bowel syndrome. We manage them together through gut-uterus linked treatment.
Detailed Answer
When endometriosis lesions infiltrate around the rectum, sigmoid colon, and small intestine, bleeding and inflammation occur around the bowel with each period, causing painful bowel movements, premenstrual diarrhea or constipation, and bloody stools. These overlap with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) and can be misdiagnosed. In fact, studies show that more than 50% of endometriosis patients have IBS-like symptoms.
Korean Medicine Clinic Perspective
At Dongjedang, we view the gut-uterus link as a combined state of declined spleen-stomach (biwi) function and blood stasis. We use prescriptions in the Ijung-tang and Sagunja-tang families that strengthen the spleen and stomach together with blood-invigorating, stasis-resolving prescriptions to manage the gut and uterine symptoms together. As more patients in Dong-gu, Incheon visit us for endometriosis combined with digestive symptoms, we are running tailored combination prescriptions.
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