Combined pill

[Kimbad1990]

I have recently been diagnosed with endometriosis and have been told to try the combined pill for 3 months. Has anyone else done this and if so when will I feel some relief? Does it take a while to kick in or?

Thank you

[luthien]

How were you diagnosed? Sorry if this sounds like a silly question! Formal diagnosis is by a laparoscopy where an endo specialist can also excise any endo they see if discussed.

What treatment have you had so far? Hormones work differently for different people so it's hard to say whether it will help with your specific symptoms. If you could give us more detail like a bit of history, and treatment, including what pill you've been suggested to start.

It's worth bearing in mind that most hormones can take a few months to adjust to, so there can be up to 6 months of "trying it out and seeing".

I've not been on hormones recently. I was on the combined pill (microgynon) for about 10 years, stopped about 5 years ago. I wasn't diagnosed with endo when I started the pill but I did have all the symptoms (I thought it was normal). The pill did help but I needed to take 4 packs back to back for it to work well. I stopped because the symptoms were getting worse near about the 9th year (basically it stopped working) when I thought the side effects of the pill were too much anyway (skin problems, headaches, nausea, mood swings, weight gain) and I wanted to work out what the other symptoms were. I've had laparoscopies with excision of endo, and I wouldn't go back on the pill considering how much healthier I feel. I'm looking into alternative therapies such as accupuncture, I already have aromatherapy massage and physio, both really help.

I understand a lot of women do still need hormones as it'll help their symptoms, I guess it's just a case of trial and error to find the right one that suits your body and helps your symptoms.

I found the best way to manage my expectations for post laparoscopy, it may work for your hormone treatment: be realistic with your symptom reduction expectations as nothing will ever eliminate all of the symptoms, so work out what symptoms you could do with out and what you could manage with but perhaps less intense. For me I needed the lighter periods, and really reduce the back / stomach cramping, in addition rather than having this all the time, even if I could have 3 weeks of almost pain free and a week of pain around my period I'd be more able to cope and to have a relatively normal life

I hope some of this helps xx

[gabbiefawn]

I was told to take the combined for three months, but then I just continually bled. I find the mini pill helped me more. I still get pain all the time but no bleeding x

[Fiona23]

I’ve been taking the combined pill since my laparoscopy in Dec 2017 and it has definitely helped. I take it continuously but have to take a week break every 5months or so when I start spotting and experiencing the pain I’d usually get before my period. I still have occasional shoulder tip pain and when I do have a break the first few days are pretty bad. The combined pill works differently for different women but I’d definitely give it a try, just remember to limit expectations. X

[budgeroo]

I was on combined pill (Ovranette) for about 8 years with no trouble at all. Came off the pill because of my skin, and then started with mentrual symptoms ~6 months after. A year in, a different combined pill prescribed (Gedarel) to help ended up making my symptoms worse and bad side effects. Got taken off it early and now on mini pill (Noriday) which is better but still not great.

From what I know, different pills have different ingredients which work in ever so slightly different ways - i.e. you could react well to one combined pill, and badly to another.

[StefaniaJW]

It's always better to try with a mini pill first because adding estrogen is never advisable unless the woman in question cannot stand progesterone-only pills.

Also the pill doesn't always stop endometriosis from growing, but does silence the symptoms. If you have just received a diagnosis and not full excision of the disease, I'm sorry to inform you are going to need another surgery in the near future

[Liberty37]

Hi, I am the same, it helped a little bit but still got bloating and a bit of pain but no where near as bad or heavy as it usually is xx

[Kimbad1990 in reply to Liberty37]

Have you only unofficially diagnosed like me? Like without having a lap? It’s really not something I want

What is your combined pill called? I’ve literally been on it 3 weeks but I think I expected a miracle lol x

[Liberty37 in reply to Kimbad1990]

Yes un officially diagnosed, like you don’t fancy the lap, got a follow up spot in dec so will see what consultant say. Pill I’m on starts with R 🙈

[Hidden]

I started off on microgynon when it was only suspected endo I ended up having the depo injection instead and have also tried the mini pill with endo it’s trial and error unfortunately one size doesn’t fit all. It helped relieve some symptoms but not fully and it lightened my periods too, also don’t rule out the lap it can be beneficial and it’s usually day surgery with a quick recovery I was the same as you however I had no choice after getting rushed into hospital then into surgery 3hours after being admitted as I had a chocolate cyst which had ruptured so had no choice but to have the surgery.