Laparoscopy Alternatives for Endometriosis: An Overview
There are many ways to try to improve endometriosis symptoms. You and your healthcare provider can pick the option that is best for you. The different treatment options depend on:
- How old you are
- How much trouble the endometriosis is
- How much endometriosis you have
- Whether you want to have children.
For your particular situation, some alternatives to laparoscopy may include certain medicines and/or other surgeries.
Medicines Used to Treat Endometriosis
For many women, medicine by itself can help treat endometriosis.
One medicine to try is
birth control pills. The pills can decrease pain, because they make your periods more normal. Birth control pills can help with the problems from endometriosis, but they cannot cure it.
Progesterone hormones are similar to birth control pills in that they can help the symptoms of endometriosis but cannot cure it. Some women, while taking these pills, might have some bleeding between their periods, gain weight, or feel depressed.
Another type of medicine used as a treatment for endometriosis makes your ovaries stop working. This situation is sort of like
menopause. These medicines are called GnRH agonists. They are like the other medicines -- they help the symptoms, rather than making the endometriosis go away.
