Drugs

[Nikki84]

Hi ladies,

Was wondering if you could help me out by listing which drugs you have been given and if they worked or not including a list of side effects that you had on it, so I have something to research when I go back and see my surgeon next week and he suggests any of them, I want to know what I am dealing with, medication wise.

Thank you

Nikki

[Hidden]

Problem is you have different levels of endo and no two people are the same so what one person is given in meds might not work for another, you gp, doctor or specialist will work with you to give you the best medication that works for you

[Nikki84 in reply to Hidden]

Yes but everything I have been reading on here most of the drugs have really bad side affects and make things worse, I am stage 4

Thanks

[Hidden in reply to Nikki84]

Most drugs these days do have bad side effects and effect people in different ways, some people may get bad side effects and others may not experience many, I'm on hormone therapy and HRT at the moment to shut off my system which has put me into menopause and symptoms of pregnancy, But if your consultant sits you down and explains the pro's and cons then you should get something to help, it's been years of trial and error for me, You could have mild endo and be in the worst possible pain and you could be covered in endo and experience no pain, that's how complex it is x

[Starry]

Everyone is unique and stage doesn't work in finding someone with a similar physiology plus there are different subtypes of endo. Read up on the most common side effects and be aware of the risks of each then it's more a decision about life stage, family plans.

Bear in mind hormone treatment takes at least 2 or 3 months to work properly so be prepared to tough it out at least for a few months before rejecting something after starting.

The usual order and treatment pathway is to work your way up in strength from pill or mini pill to mirena to GnrH agonists like zoladex. If you go with this last category get a baseline bone density scan done before you start as they are known to reduce it and can't be used for more than six months.

A good overview of them all is endometriosis.org/treatments/

FWIW None have worked for me and I am about to have round two of surgery. (Some of the more severe endo subtypes can be hormone treatment resistant and generate their own hormone supply)

The Mirena was the closest thing to succeeding as I stopped menstrating but it sat uncomfortably (I'm petite and had just had ovary cyst removal) and probably contributed to low mood so I had to remove it. Zoladex was violently unsuccessful for me but for some people it's the only thing that helps.

You will find advocates and detractors for them all. Ignore both hype and halos and horns and scaremongering reports. Suck it and see for yourself really is the only way.