Treatments
The earliest medication approved to treat endometriosis was Danocrine (danazol), a synthetic steroid related to the hormone testosterone. Taken orally, in pill form, Danocrine changes endometrial tissue, shrinking and eliminating implants in some cases. Side effects include fluid retention, weight gain, and masculinizing effects such as voice change, hairiness, and reduction of breast size. Other side effects include menstrual irregularities, hot flashes, and vaginal dryness.Other medications, related to gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH), act in a different way to decrease the hormones that make abnormal implants grow. One version is a nasal spray called Synarel (nafarelin acetate). In clinical studies, Synarel, at 400 or 800 micrograms a day (within the prescribed dosage range), was comparable to Danocrine at 800 milligrams a day (the recommended dosage) in relieving the clinical symptoms of endometriosis (such as pain) and in reducing the size of implants. Side effects include non-menstrual vaginal bleeding or ovarian cysts during the first two months of use, cessation of menstruation, hot flashes, headaches, decreased sex drive, vaginal dryness, acne, reduction in breast size, and a small loss in bone density. In clinical trials, about 10 percent of the patients experience nasal irritation from the spray.
The other medications approved for treatment of endometriosis that are chemically related to Synarel include Lupron Depot (leuprolide acetate), a drug injected monthly into muscle, and Zoladex (goserelin acetate implant), which is injected under the skin of the upper abdomen. These drugs don't cause nasal irritation, but otherwise their side effects are similar to those of Synarel, and their effectiveness is also similar.
Women taking endometriosis medications need to watch for problems such as difficulty breathing or chest or leg pain, which may indicate a blood clot and should be reported to the doctor immediately. Other possible severe side effects include irregular heart rhythms. Frequent checkups are needed to monitor effects such as possible thinning of the bones. A patient should immediately report any new or worsened symptoms to the doctor. However, it's normal for endometriosis symptoms to temporarily worsen when a woman begins taking medicine.
If all medications fail to help a patient then surgery is a possible answer to remove diseased tissue or to correct misaligned organs. One method to remove diseased tissue combines laparoscopy with laser surgery. The laser is connected to the laparoscope and positioned so that its intense light beam is directed through the laparoscope onto the tissue to destroy it. The procedure is usually done without an overnight hospital stay and requires only about a week's recovery time at home.
The monthly pain and heavy menstrual periods of chronic endometriosis can be frustrating and painful, and can lead to conceiving and infertility problems. But today, with prompt diagnosis and treatment, a young woman's life can often return to normal.
Another Possible Treatment:
Helica is a Scottish company who have invented and developed the Helica Thermal Coagulator which is a plasma electro-surgical device that can be used to treat endometriosis laparoscopically.
(published with permission in writing from:http://www.b-p-s-a.org.uk)
