MYTH!
endometriosis.org writes:
“Synthetic hormonal drugs like the pill, Provera, Danazol and Zoladex have been used for many years to ‘treat’ endometriosis. However, recently, it has become increasingly apparent that these hormonal treatments do not have any long-term effect on the disease itself. They do suppress (quieten) the symptoms, but only while the drugs are being taken. Once use of the drugs ceases, symptoms return.
“This means that hormonal treatments do not have a role in treating (eradicating) endometriosis. If eradication of the disease is desired, surgery performed by a gynaecologist with extensive knowledge and experience of the specialised techniques used for endometriosis is the only effective medical treatment.
“It also means that hormonal treatments should not be used to improve women’s chances of conceiving. Not only do they have no effect on the disease itself, but they also reduce the time available to conceive, because conception is not possible while on the drugs. If treatment is needed, surgery by a specialist gynaecologist is imperative”.
EndoAlert.org writes:
“It is now in debate whether hormonal suppression therapies like Depo Lupron provide any benefit past the duration of the treatment. The rate of growth is different for every woman and has too many factors to be covered by such a blanket statement. Some women do see long-term relief from treatment but everyone responds differently and therefore it cannot be assumed as a matter of fact that endometriosis cannot grow or spread due to the adminstration of a treatment. Denying the return of endometriosis is counter productive to treatment and can damage doctor/patient relationships”.
Women’s Surgery Group writes:
“Medical therapy (birth control pills, progesterone, lupron, etc.) all treat the sypmtoms of endometriosis, but none have been shown to eliminate endometrial implants. Some implants become smaller, less visible, and less hormonally active with medical therapy, but they do not disappear. Once medical therapy is stopped, symptoms usually reappear.”
The Center For Endometriosis Care (CEC) writes:
“[Medical Suppression] can bring about an improvement in symptoms for many women. It clearly does not make the disease go away. Drugs can be used to affect the amount of estrogen stimulation the endometriosis implants receive. Theoretically, the less stimulation the tissue receives, the less cell activity occurs in the implants. This, in turn, slows the rate of progression and the amount of local injury. The price you pay is in side effects from the medicine, the cost of the drugs, and the fact that the endometriosis is still there.”
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