Many diseases don?t require a surgery for diagnosis. Endometriosis is the exception to the rule. If you?ve been diagnosed with this disease, you probably went through a long process of elimination as your doctor struggled to find the reason for your medical problems. Whether you were experiencing pain and discomfort or having problems conceiving a child, your quest for answers no doubt ultimately ended in a laparoscopy.
So what happens next? You know you have endometriosis. Your doctor has probably already suggested a course of action or is closely monitoring you. Aside from serious issues related to the disease such as infertility, there is the matter of pain and discomfort. For some women, it?s minimal. For others, it is debilitating. How can you find relief from the pain?
The type of pain treatment you need depends on the severity of your symptoms. If you are only suffering minimal pelvic pain, you may be able to take an anti-inflammatory drug to sate the pain. Doctors often recommend analgesics, or oral contraceptives.
GnRh analogs help relieve the pain related to endometriosis. These drugs come in the form of nasal spray or injections. They provide pain relief, but it?s important to keep in mind, like many of the pain relievers, it does not increase a woman?s chances of getting pregnant. These types of drugs simply keep the pituitary gland from producing gonadotropin. This means that your ovary won?t produce estrogen. Most patients who take these drugs experience relief of pain for about five years. After that point, the majority of women experience a recurrence of symptoms and pain.
Oral contraceptives, otherwise referred to as birth control pills can also help a woman suffering from endometriosis find relief from pain. These pills can help limit growth of problematic tissue from growing, but GnRH agonists and Danazol have been found to work better in treating more serious forms of endometriosis when pain is more pronounced. For mild pain, oral contraceptives are often the best option since they carry very few side effects.
Another effective pain treatment for endometriosis is via progestins. Studies have shown that progestin treatment which stops endometrial tissue from growing has been effective in relieving pain in the majority of women. In fact, most studies find it to be 80% effective. Some side effects to this drug include bleeding between menstrual cycles, retention of fluid, nausea, and depression. Another drug called Danazol has similar benefits. It can cause weight gain, cramps, hot flashes, or depression.
Studies show that medicinal treatments can be quite effective in treating the pain related to endometriosis. About 90% of women feel an improvement after beginning to take medicine for their pain. It is important to keep in mind, however, that many of these medications carry side effects. Talking with your doctor about the benefits and risks of different medications will enable you to make the most informed decision for your particular situation. If medication does not help alleviate your symptoms, your doctor may want to discuss surgical intervention.
