The Alternative Health Gazette

Endometriosis: Dangers of Common Treatment

Being a woman with endometriosis is frustrating at best, and painfully puzzling in many ways.

For it appears that endometriosis remains a mystery for conventional medicine. Treatment options are applied through a trial and error method at best and no option seems to be very effective for any length of time.

If that weren’t bad enough, there are also inherent dangers in the hormonal treatment as well. In fact, it almost appears that treating endometriosis is an instance where the cure may be worse than the disease.

Women suffering with this disease have often been prescribed Lupron, a synthetic hormone that temporarily suppresses estrogen production through the ovaries. But there are now some women have reported severe side effects from this drug. They include a variety of serious cardiovascular disturbances including: arrhythmia, chest pain, and high blood pressure. Other reported side effects include: dizziness, depression and general confusion, bone pain, debilitating fatigue, loss of vision and nausea. Whats worse, some patients claim the side effects dont clear up completely even after the treatment has stopped.

Lupron, though, is not the only drug administered for endometriosis with a long list of potentially harsh side effects. If your health care practitioner prescribes Zoladex, be aware that some of the side effects you may encounter affect your emotional, psychological and mental well being. They include: uncontrollable crying, as well as mood swings that are beyond your control. You may also feel depressed for no reason and experience panic attacks (even without a history of this problem). Some women who take Zoladex also say that they lose the ability to make decisions. Some claim they actually lose their ability to feel emotions. Another adverse effect of this drug is the potential of memory loss.

Synthetic steroids, which are often prescribed for this disorder, fare little better in this area. Danazol is the brand name of the steroid most commonly prescribed. Its aim is to eliminate the hormones FSH and LH association with the midcycle surge. This, in effect, shuts down ovulation. Administration of this steroid creates a high androgen and a low estrogen state. While credited with triggering significant improvement in painful menstruation, and the pain associated with intercourse, the side effects seem to be more than what most women can bear.

Danazols list of harsh side effects include fatigue, decreased breast size, the presence of extreme body hair, as well as weight gain, hot flashes and fatigue. Some women may also experience acne and vaginal dryness. And for all its harsh side effects, the steroid doesnt cure the endometriosis, it merely alleviates the symptoms. Within six months of stopping the treatment, most women say their pain comes back.

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