A:
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No. But it can be treated, and for many women it is possible to manage their symptoms
through a combination of treatments.
Treatments for Endometriosis
Since the cause of endometriosis remains unknown, a treatment which fully cures
endometriosis has yet to be developed, and there is no overwhelming medical evidence
to support one specific type of endometriosis treatment over another.
Choosing a treatment therefore comes down to the individual woman's needs, depending
on her symptoms, her age, and her fertility wishes. She should discuss these with her
physician so that they, together, can determine, which long term, holistic, treatment plan
is best for her individual needs. For many women, this can be a combination of more than
one treatment over longer periods of time.
Pain killers
Pain is the most common symptom for many women with endometriosis. Pain killers vary
from simple analgesics (such as aspirin and paracetamol), through compound analgesics
(which are a combination of either aspirin or paracetamol and a mild narcotic such as
codeine) and narcotic analgesics (similar to morphine), through to non-steroidal
anti-inflammatory drugs (such as nurofen, ponstan, voltaren, etc).
Hormonal Treatments
Most researchers agree that endometriosis is exacerbated by oestrogen. Subsequently,
hormonal treatments for endometriosis attempt to temper oestrogen production in a
woman's body and thereby relieve her of symptoms.
Hormonal therapy may include birth control pills, progestins, a class of drugs known as
GnRH-agonists, and danazol (though this is seldom used any more).
The drug treatments for endometriosis that put women into “artificial menopause” (such as
Lupron®, Synarel®, Prostap®, Enantone®, and Zoladex®) often have the unpleasant
side effects of hot flashes and night sweats. Of course, these are not the only side effects
associated with these drug treatments nor are they the most serious. But in some women, hot
flashes can be extremely disturbing, inferring with daily activities, sleep, and work.
Surgery
Most doctors agree that laparoscopic surgery is the only definitive way to diagnose endometriosis.
In many cases, the disease can be diagnosed and treated in the same procedure.
The success of surgery depends greatly on the skill of the surgeon and the thoroughness of the
surgery. The aim is to remove all endometriosis lesions, cysts, and adhesions.
Today, most endometriosis surgery is being done through the laparoscope, although a full
abdominal incision called a laparotomy may still be required in rare cases for extensive disease
or bowel resections.
Although women with endometriosis are often told that hysterectomy is the “definitive” solution
for endometriosis, the disease can recur even after a hysterectomy.
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Pain Treatment l