Former glamour model Alicia Douvall has revealed she suffered a debilitating, crippling womb condition that left her exhausted, depressed and robbed her of her sex life.
The TV personality has spoken out about her five-year battle with endometriosis which caused her periods to become so heavy and painful she woke up one day ‘in a pool of blood’.
After an operation brought no relief, the 38-year-old was devastated to be told her only option was a hysterectomy – which would force her into an early menopause.
In a desperate bid to avoid this, Alicia, from London, sought out natural therapies and says a combination of acupuncture, diet and Chinese herbs have virtually ‘cured’ her of her symptoms.
The mother-of-two, who was also found to have fibroids and an ovarian cyst, said: ‘My periods used to be fairly regular but then they started going haywire – they went really heavy and I was bleeding in between periods.
‘Then one day I woke up in a pool of blood. It was absolutely terrifying.
Alicia Douvall has spoken out about her battle with endometriosis and the natural therapies she has found to help
‘You expect the worst and I spent a lot of time worrying that I had cancer.
‘I suffered for three years before I was diagnosed with endometriosis. I was exhausted all the time and sex was extremely painful.’
Endometriosis – where lining of the womb is found elsewhere outside the uterus – can also lead to infertility, fatigue and bowel and bladder problems.
It has been described as a ‘silent epidemic’, given that it affects up to one in ten women.
‘I couldn’t go on the way I was’
Alicia’s problems began in around 2009 and she spent the following few years having a barrage of tests and seeing different specialists.
‘I went on the NHS at first but I just kept getting fobbed off and wasn’t getting a firm diagnosis so then I went private,’ she said.
Alicia is not alone in her struggle. On average it takes 7.5 years from the onset of symptoms to get a diagnosis, according to Endometriosis UK.
After it was finally confirmed, doctors firstly tried putting her on the Pill in a bid to ease her symptoms but it had no effect.
And painkillers such as ibuprofen did little to subside the pain.
‘My medicine cabinet made me look like a junkie,’ said Alicia. ‘But nothing worked and I knew I couldn’t go on the way I was.’
So Alicia then had an operation to cut away patches of endometriosis tissue and also had her fibroids and cyst removed.
The former Celebrity Big Brother refused to have a hysterectomy because it would force her into early menopause
Thankfully, the condition hadn’t destroyed her fertility then and a month after the surgery she fell pregnant with her second child, Papaya Coco, who is now five.
‘After the operation my symptoms got so much better and I thought I was cured,’ she said.
‘But around two to three years later they flared up again and the excruciating pain in my abdomen area came back.
‘I was devastated. It was really disrupting my life and getting me down.’
No to a hysterectomy
The NHS says the cause of endometriosis is unknown and there is no definite cure, and that treatments can help ease the symptoms.
But the former Celebrity Big Brother contestant, who has undergone 350 cosmetic procedures and spent over £1.5 million to enhance her appearance, had tried everything.
After waking up in a pool of heavy bleeding she was told her next move should be a hysterectomy, in order to cause her hormones to plummet since oestrogen encourages endometriosis tissue to grow.
However, she was warned this could cause symptoms such as hot flushes, depression, vaginal dryness, insomnia and night sweats.
‘I thought no way, I’m too young to go through the menopause and it made me look into alternative therapies,’ said Alicia.
The model, pictured with her daughter Georgia, 21, says her miserable symptoms were really getting her down
Natural therapies
After advice from fertility specialist Dr Xiao-Ping Zhai, founder of The Zhai Clinic in London, Alicia started a diet designed to control the symptoms.
While there is a lack of research into the impact nutrition has on the condition, it is believed that eating a balanced, nutritious diet consisting of anti-inflammatory foods is beneficial.
Alicia was instructed to have white meant but no red meat – she is vegetarian anyway – and to eat lots of fish. Cows’ milk is to be avoided and dairy products should be kept to a minimum.
She was strict on cutting out processed and sugary foods such as cakes and bread as well as ditching spicy foods.
Alicia now feels well enough to focus on her skincare range business Douvall’s she runs with Georgia
Instead she fills up on fruit, vegetables and eggs which are allowed. Shellfish, soya products, rice, potatoes, beans and nuts are permitted on the plan but in moderation.
She combined this with acupuncture, which is said to activate the body’s own self-healing mechanisms, and a selection of Chinese herbs prescribed bespokely.
Alicia said: ‘Within a few months of making these changes I felt so much better. I rarely suffer at all with it now.
‘The dietary plan takes some discipline but it’s a small price to pay to get my life back.
‘There are a lot of quacks about promising cures for this, so you have to make sure you do your research and find someone reputable.’
CAN ALTERNATIVE MEDICINE HELP ENDOMETRIOSIS?
The research on the effectiveness of acupuncture for endometriosis is divided
Acupuncture
The stimulation of certain acupuncture points is said to affect areas of the brain that are known to reduce sensitivity to pain and stress.
Swedish researchers, writing in the Journal of Pain Research last year, found ‘there are grounds to believe that acupuncture can relieve pain in some patients’ based on an analysis of five studies involving endometriosis patients.
They note, however, that it is not possible to carry out placebo controlled research.
But a study by University of Western Sydney in 2011 found that the evidence to support the effectiveness of acupuncture for pain in is ‘limited’.
The British Acupuncture Council says that there is ‘preliminary evidence’ to suggest the therapy helps ease endometriosis but further research is needed.
Diet
In 2004, researchers from the University of Milan found that increased intake of fruits and vegetables can lower the risk of endometriosis and that red meat, beef and ham raised it.
Another study in the US in 2010 discovered women who eat lots of tuna, salmon and other foods rich in essential omega-3 oils might be less likely to develop the condition than those whose diets are loaded with trans fats.
Nutritionist and lecturer Dian Shepperson Mills, who is director of the Endometriosis and Fertility Clinic in London, has co-written a book on the subject called Endometriosis: A Key to Healing And Fertility Through Nutrition.
Omega-3 rich foods such as oily fish have been recommended to help sufferers
She urges sufferers to cook from fresh rather than buying ready made meals and says sugar-rich foods interfere with the way in which blood cells clean up cell debris in the body.
Women should aim to reduce their saturated and trans fatty acid intake by half, she advises, which will bring their oestrogen levels around 20 per cent lower.
Foods high in omega-3 fatty acids include salmon, extra virgin olive, flaxseeds, and walnuts.
Seek expert advice before trying Chinese herbs
Chinese herbs
In China, treatment of endometriosis using herbal medicine is routine. It is suggested they work by having an anti-inflammatory effect on endometrial cells.
A systematic review by researchers at the University of Southampton in 2009 found some evidence that women had comparable benefits following keyhole surgery.
They said they suffered fewer adverse effects if they were given Chinese herbs compared with conventional drug treatments.
It’s important to seek medical advice when trying Chinese herbs because many interact with medications.