Treatment Options

How can endometriosis be treated?

There is no known cure for Endometriosis. But, there are treatments which can help relieve your symptoms and improve your quality of life.

Medical Advisor: Dr Patricia Lim Su-Lyn

(A) Painkillers
Painkillers help purely with the pain and certain ones reduce period flow. It can be either be oral tablets or monthly injections. Women with Endometriosis are sometimes prescribes non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) for managing pain. These drugs can be effective in alleviating pain and inflammation, but they must be used correctly.

(B) Hormone treatment
There are also oral contraceptive pills (a combination of estrogens and progestin hormones) that help with reducing pain during periods and controlling the flow.

Progestin cut down monthly periods and do not allow the endometrial lining to build up to bring about a period thus reducing the pain. Progestin can either be given orally, through implants, injections or even through intrauterine systems (a device that goes into the uterus). Besides that, there are also GnRh injections that shut down periods for a specific amount of time.

Hormonal therapies have varying degrees of side effects. Pain relief is most often obtain while staying on treatment.
Surgery
Surgery maybe recommended in women who are suffering from severe Endometriosis in hopes of removing as much of the visible Endometriosis tissues that have grown very large around the ovaries or around the uterine cavity. If your fertility is being affected by your condition, surgery can remove the tissues as well as repair the blocked fallopian tubes.

However, repeated surgeries may affect your fertility or decrease your egg supply which makes it harder for you to conceive.

The success of surgery is dependent on the surgeon, so finding someone who is experienced in the surgical removal of Endometriosis is recommended.

https://www.hus.fi/en/medical-care/medical-services/Gynecology/Endometriosis/Pages/default.aspx

Treating Endometriosis

Must be individualized
Highly dependent on the wishes of the patient – pain-relief or fertility
Related to symptoms and severity of the disease
Location of the disease

Managing Endometriosis holistically

Some women with endometriosis have found that alternative medical therapies have been helpful for them in dealing with their symptoms such as physical therapy, nutrition/diet, acupuncture, homeopathy, and other potential ways in which to improve the symptoms of Endometriosis. However, it should be noted that there are lack of concrete scientific evidence to support this.

References

Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs for heavy menstrual bleeding. Cochrane Database Syst Rev 2000;(2):CD000400, ISSN: 1469-493X, Lethaby A; Augood C; Duckitt K; Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
Medical management of dysfunctional uterine bleeding, Baillieres Best Pract Res Clin Obstet Gynaecol 1999 Jun;13(2):189-202, ISSN: 1521-6934, Irvine GA; Cameron IT Ayshire Central Hospital, Irvine, UK