The exact cause of endometriosis has not been determined, but researchers have found that excess estrogen is generally present in women who have endometriosis. Endometriosis is also hereditary.
Symptoms of endometriosis include extremely painful menstrual cramps, abdominal pain, painful bowel movements and urination, spotting between periods and infertility. However, some women don’t experience these symptoms and don’t even know that they have the condition until they have difficulty getting pregnant.
Because the pain associated with endometriosis is often related to the menstrual cycle and menstrual flow, some areas of study are looking into ways to reduce the number of periods a woman has. One school of thought is to have the patient undergo a complete hysterectomy but studies have shown that this is not always a cure because endometriosis can come back in other areas of the body.
Other schools of thought focus on medical treatment to alleviate endometreosis and it’s symptoms. NSAID’s reduce pain and menstrual flow. Gonadotropin Releasing Hormone Agonists increase the levels of GnRH and then decrease estrogen and progesterone levels in the body. Hormone suppression therapy generally works towards reducing or eliminating menstrual flow, but it often takes months or years to take full effect. Additionally, some patients try a continuous birth control pill (meaning skipping the placebos and moving right on to the next pill cycle) to eliminate a monthly period.
Danazol, an anabolic steroid derivative of testosterone, inhibits the growth of the tissues common to endometriosis but the side effects (hirsutism, deepening of the voice, acne and oily skin) make them not as desirable as other methods. How it works is it decreases FSH and LH, which can eventually lead to a cessation of menstrual bleeding. Because of the side effects, however, many patients and physicians prefer GnRH over the use of Danazol.
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