QuestionHi,
I had hysterectomy- ut & cvx, 5/01. for suspected Adenomyosis, which was
confirmed at pathology and endo was dx'd. Now have been having pain with
my right ovary for the last year and have seen gyn who prescribed six month
course of Lupron w/ addback therapy. Am now on daily OCP to control pain.
Gyn would like to remove ovaries, do six months of menopause and then go
back on OCP due to age. I am only 35. I thought estrogen made endo grow?
What would the chances of another recurrence be if they do not get all of the
endo tissue this time? Is there any other way to control growth of tissue, and
manage symptoms?
AnswerHi Fran,
You are correct with the assumption that estrogen does in a way keep your female ovaries active and it could be with endo. When I was diagnosed with endo, I lacked estrogen, so I took the BC pill for 15 years adding estrogen to my body to help balance all the functions and pain. The BC pill helped immensely. I later got off the pill due to migraines and/or a shift in my hormones. But taking estrogen reduced the growth of endo tissue for me.
By removing the ovaries, the majority of your symptoms should be gone, but I have had women tell me that they will still experience some sort of pain for years after...until formal menopause takes place. Endo is a strange animal. it never seems to go away, depending on your severity.
How does the Lupron work for you? There are so many new drugs out there to support endo and manage all stages of endo. If you do have your ovaries removed, I'd see how you felt after that, before you jump on anything new.
Remember, the normal cycle of a womans body includes hormones, so its hard to say how one might react.
I also know of someone very much like you, and she felt marvelous after her ovaries were removed. She did not require any hormone management afterwards either.
For my sporadic pain I take a med called Anaprox. It is an anti inflammatory that reduces all the tissue thus relieving discomfort, bloating, aches associated with endo. It works extremely well for me.
I sure hope you find comfort with your next surgery. Your recurrence of endo should be minimal once that is done. Good luck to you! Take care of yourself.
Martha
