Medical Treatment Options
Below are some of the medical treatment options used for endometriosis
Medications
Birth Control Pill
The Birth Control Pill is used often for women to try to balance or adjust their hormone levels. There are many different brands of the Birth Control Pill, and they all have different levels of estrogen (oestrogen) and progestin (progestogen). For endometriosis, sometimes it is prescribed to take the pill continuously which tricks the body into thinking it is pregnant and you will not have a period. There is also a Birth Control Injection that can be used by the name of Depo-Provera. Some side effects are increased appetite, weight gain, fluid retention, headaches, and breast tenderness.
Progestogens
Also known as progestins, gestogens or progestagens, progestogens are drugs that behave like the female hormone progesterone. It is belived that progestogens supress the growth of the endometrial implants and that they reduce inflammation from endometriosis. Some side effects are acne, headaches, moodiness, nausea, bloating, fliud retention, weight gain, spotting and prolonged bleeding.
Danazol
Danazol is a modified testosterone hormone that reduces the amount of estrogen produced by the ovaries. Although it can be effective for endometriosis, it does have masculinizing side effects. Some side effects include unwanted hair growth, acne and oily skin, weight gain, fluid retention, possible deepening of the voice, risk of ovarian cancer, and liver tumors
GnRH Agonists (Lupron Depot)
Gonadotropin Releasing Hormone stops the menstrual cycle and estrogen production, putting the body into a menopausal state while taking this treatment. Some side effects are menopausal symptoms such as hot flashes, headaches, night sweats, lowering of bone density, vaginal dryness, short term memory loss, moodiness, depression and weight gain.
Below are some of the medical treatment options used for endometriosis
Medications
Birth Control Pill
The Birth Control Pill is used often for women to try to balance or adjust their hormone levels. There are many different brands of the Birth Control Pill, and they all have different levels of estrogen (oestrogen) and progestin (progestogen). For endometriosis, sometimes it is prescribed to take the pill continuously which tricks the body into thinking it is pregnant and you will not have a period. There is also a Birth Control Injection that can be used by the name of Depo-Provera. Some side effects are increased appetite, weight gain, fluid retention, headaches, and breast tenderness.
Progestogens
Also known as progestins, gestogens or progestagens, progestogens are drugs that behave like the female hormone progesterone. It is belived that progestogens supress the growth of the endometrial implants and that they reduce inflammation from endometriosis. Some side effects are acne, headaches, moodiness, nausea, bloating, fliud retention, weight gain, spotting and prolonged bleeding.
Danazol
Danazol is a modified testosterone hormone that reduces the amount of estrogen produced by the ovaries. Although it can be effective for endometriosis, it does have masculinizing side effects. Some side effects include unwanted hair growth, acne and oily skin, weight gain, fluid retention, possible deepening of the voice, risk of ovarian cancer, and liver tumors
GnRH Agonists (Lupron Depot)
Gonadotropin Releasing Hormone stops the menstrual cycle and estrogen production, putting the body into a menopausal state while taking this treatment. Some side effects are menopausal symptoms such as hot flashes, headaches, night sweats, lowering of bone density, vaginal dryness, short term memory loss, moodiness, depression and weight gain.
Surgery
Laparoscopy (used for diagnosis of for treatment - excision or coagulation)
Done using small insisions, the main being just below the belly button. The abdomen is inflated with gas (usually carbon dioxide) to create a better view of the pelvic cavity. The endometrial tissue and implants are removed using one of two techniques.
Excision removes the implants by cutting them away from the surrounding tissue. This technique ensures the entire implant is removed and no endometrial tissue is left behind. The removed tissue can be sent for analysis since it is not destroyed.
Coagulation destroys the implants using a laser. The surgeon must ensure that the entire implant is destroyed so that is does not grow back. Extra care must be taken around the other organs such as the bowel, bladder and uterers.
Google Laproscopic Surgery images
Hysterectomy (radical, total or subtotal hysterectomy - however this may not remove all the endometrial implants)
A hysterectomy (total or partial) can be reccomended to stop endometriosis. It is thought that if the organs causing the problem are removed, that the disease is removed, but this is not always the case. If some of the implants are left behind, they can still grow and cause the same symtoms as before the hysterectomy took place. Endometriosis is an estrogen based disease, and as long as the body is getting or producing estrogen, the implants can still grow. Hormone replacement therapy is done after a hysterectomy, which is continuing the estrogen in the body.
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