Medical Therapy

Hormonal treatments offer suppression of endometriosis with few side effects. Sometimes these hormones are used in conjunction with laser laparoscopy. Drugs known as gonadotropin releasing hormone analogues (GnRHa) can be administered on a monthly basis to treat endometriosis. The drugs create an artificial menopause, which is temporary and reversible once the patient stops taking the drug. This "menopause" significantly decreases estrogen levels. Estrogen is known to stimulate the growth of endometriosis. These prescription medications are Lupron, Zoladex, and Synarel. Excellent results come from three to six months of treatment with these drugs.

An older, but also effective drug is Danocrine. It is a weakened relative of testosterone, a potent male hormone. This medication produces excellent results when taken by mouth. It does, however, have some side effects relating to its male hormone effect, such as acne, oily skin and additional growth of bodily hair. For this reason, it is less commonly used.