ENDOMETRIOSIS: TREATMENT

List of some more commonly prescribed drugs, and the main potential side-effects.

The combined oral contraceptive pill – Given continuously, without a break for periods, for nine months, the pill has been used to treat endometriosis by preventing menstruation. It seems to be used less commonly now, as other treatments have become available.

Progesterone tablets—Examples of these are norethisterone (trade name Primolut N) and dydrogesterone (trade name Duphaston). These are generally well tolerated, although reported side-effects of Duphaston include dizziness and breast pain. Other potential but less common problems with these drugs include menstrual irregularities, abdominal discomfort, headache, fluid retention, pain in the legs, chest or groin, depression, rashes, nausea, hair growth on the face or body and acne.

Other progesterone treatments—Medroxyprogesterone can be given orally (trade name Provera) or injected (trade name Depo-Provera). Provera is like Primolut N, and the side-effect profile is similar.

Danocrine (trade name Danazoic)—This is related to the male sex hormone, testosterone. This is the most effective drug, and commonly prescribed. The fact that it is related to male hormone should not cause alarm; it does not generally have permanent effects. For the time it is taken it reverses the endometriotic process. Women are warned of the possible side-effects, including fluid retention, weight gain, increased hair growth, especially on the face, acne and oily skin, rashes, nausea, increased sweating or flushing, change in breast size, increase in the size of the clitoris, vaginal irritation, and a change (usually deepening or huskiness) of the voice. The voice change, although uncommon, is the only side-effect that may not revert when the drug is ceased. All these things sound pretty horrible, but in fact most women tolerate the treatment fairly well, and significant problems seem rare. Although it should be unlikely that a women would become pregnant while taking danocrine, because of its hormonal effect, it is advisable to take precautions against conceiving while taking it, as it is not recommended during pregnancy. Therefore, it would be advisable to use condoms or a diaphragm during the time of treatment. Setter treatments—Some of the newer treatments being tried use the hormonal pathways with the aim of altering the messages sent to the brain and the ovaries. These are synthetic forms of naturally occurring stimulating hormones which affect release of the sex hormones which in turn stimulate the endometriotic tissue.

Non-Western medicine treatments—Other practitioners, such as Chinese medicine practitioners, natural therapists, acupuncture therapists, and others have specific treatments for endometriosis. The mechanisms of action and rates of success vary, but anecdotal evidence suggests that ‘alternative’ or ‘complementary’ methods of treatment may be very helpful to some women. Specific information should be available from practitioners.

Pregnancy—This is also a treatment for endometriosis. It acts in the same way as the drug treatments in that it changes the hormonal signals to the endometrium for nine months, and the extra scattered bits remain unstimulated and, with luck, disappear. There is, however, a significant recurrence rate after pregnancy.

*189\52\4*

Share and Enjoy: