Do you need hormonal treatment post lap to stop endo from returning?

[FlashbackIVF]

Hi all. I was offered a Mirena coil when I had my excision laparoscopy in May but turned it down. I was also advised to take hormonal contraception etc but I’d really rather not take anything.

Will the endo regrow if you don’t take anything???

[luthien]

I've not been advised either way by my specialist. I don't take any hormones and try to manage my remaining endo symptoms naturally. I've had a life of hormones and painkillers, I think I'd just like to be normal!

My specialist says there's pros and cons for hormones vs no hormones. He says hormones can slow endo regrowth but they come with their side effects which could be worse than the remaining endo symptoms. All surgery aims to reduce symptoms by 50%, so you can ideally manage the rest, and it's easier to have a relatively normal life. No hormones may mean endo grows back. It's worthwhile remembering that no one knows when / how it regrows, the rate of regrowth, where it regrows, and what symptoms it'll come back with.

The best lap to remove endo is excision as this cuts out the whole endo and a bit of healthy tissue, this therefore reduces regrowth possibilities. Other options are laser (heat / diathermy) and sanding (ablation); these remove the top layers of endo thus regrowth can occur faster. It's usually the last ones that are commonly done as it doesn't always require an endo specialised surgeon and recovery post lap is quicker. So you had the best treatment

My private specialist has "signed" me off for about 5 years, he says he sees women come back with worthwhile recurrent endo symptoms in about two to three years and requiring surgery about one to two years after that (about 3 to 5 years from first lap). So unfortunately this is one of those things which never goes away and will always come back. I guess hormones / natural is a personal choice, if you like me hated them then personally, it's not worth it for the few years of normal life you'll have. We can never see the other path we take so we won't know what would happen "if" so all you can do is go with how you feel, just keep an eye on how your symptoms settle after about 5 months post lap.

I'm about 11 months post lap, no hormones, and getting to know the new me, I feel amazing, my endo symptoms are just the 7 days around my period with bloating, cramps, irritability and a 3 day period, sooo much better than before! I'm having aromatherapy and massage monthly just before my period, and looking into acupuncture as something I could do for the cramps. I'm doing lots of exercise specifically focussing on getting to know my core muscles and just more confident which helps the positive vibes I'd like to reduce my paracetamol from 2 days during my period to none at all.

Hope that's some help, apologies for it being rather long xx

[StefaniaJW]

If you get endometriosis EXCISED by a knowledgeable endo excision specialist, endo will not come back for 5-10 years after excision laparoscopy. Hormones can "silent" it and you won't have symptoms but it will continue to grow anyway and the side effects are pretty bad. The best hormonal treatments for endo are Visanne, Primolut-n or the Mirena coil (if you have have already had children).

It's up to you but getting excision with a true Nancy Nook specialist is pivotal.

If you didn't get it done well the chances of it coming back are higher