Glamour Article for ERC

Please click the following to Download glamour_endo_article.pdf 

Just to clarify my views on this article. I do not agree with their approach to the treatment of endo. I don't care for how they made it out as laparoscopy is the last resort. The only way to diagnosis this horrible disease is by a lap. And as to their comment that Danazonal has more horrific side effects than Lupron, it might be more severe but Lupron is one of the most evil drugs I have ever had to be placed on. Sorry but if anyone thinks that dealing with hot flashes, 20 pound weight gain that piles up in a few months and takes 2 years to take off, depression, panic attackes, insomnia, general malaise, acne, loss of libido, joint pain and bone desnity loss are just a walk in the park for the little to NO relief that you might get while on this drug (which is what I got) then go for it. But in my experience to this day 5 years later, I still have a lot of these side effects. And what most doctors fail to do when prescribing this drug are: don't test to see what your hormone levels are in the first place, do not perform a bone density test before starting the treatment, ply you with anti-depressants and HRT to counteract all of the side effects which seems ludicrous because since this disease is an estrogen based problem how could giving a patient more estrogen make any sense. And finally the fact that these GnRH drugs only work while you are on them! As soon as you stop taking them, they stop doing their job and I would love to find a doctor who actually reads the label to see that a person is only supposed to take a single 6 month regime of this drug during your lifetime!!!! I have had countless doctors say that's not true until I show them what the maufacturer says (you know the one who rewards the prescribing doctors with golf trips and plasma tvs for each new victim they bring in who shells out the $500 a shot per month for the pleasure of all of those side effects). Funny I am sure the poor men who have to take Lupron for its initial purpose as chemotherapy for prostate cancer are told of this limit to the drug and all of the side effects.

Sorry for the rant but I am preparing to write my letter to Glamour.

Comments

[Marj]

Thanks for the Glamour endo article! I am passing it on to our endo support group members here in Chicago!! Keep up the good work with your blog!

[Joi]

Hi - I read your posts on the endo group today and look forward to meeting you. Feels so good to finally hear from other women who have been going through what I am.

Not thrilled by the Glamour article, though. I'm more of a Dr. Redwine devotee, believing that meticulous excision of the implants will help more than hormone manipulation. I'm glad the women in the article was helped by Lupron Depot; my experience with that medication was a pure nightmare, even with the add-back estrogen therapy. That's probably in part my prejudice showing: I'm not a fan of the American Pharmaceutical Industry in general. Happy knitting. Remember, Knitting is Cosmic Thinking!