“The disease remains unrecognized, first of all because it is anchored in the mentalities that it is normal to have pain during your periods, explains Dr Isabella Chanavaz-Lacheray, gynecologist-obstetrician at the CHU de Rouen (reference center second, neither ultrasound nor MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) are completely reliable, especially at the onset of the disease; the lesions are so small that they are not necessarily seen. painful periods to the point of taking medication and / or staying in bed, missing work or school should encourage consultation with a specialist. “
Remove the rules against pain
“Once the diagnosis is made, a treatment is prescribed in order to suppress the rules, specifies Dr. Isabella Chanavaz-Lacheray. If the pain persists, we can add analgesics, neuroleptics, or even anti-epileptics. If this is not enough. , we can put the woman in artificial menopause thanks to drugs which stop the production of estrogen by the ovaries. menopause (hot flashes, weight gain …). Surgery removes the lesions, but it must be followed by continuous pill intake to create amenorrhea (menstruation suppression), otherwise the disease will recur. “
Since she takes the pill continuously, Véronique, 41, is no longer in pain. “I always had a painful period, but it was considered normal. The pill relieved me, but when I stopped it to have a child, the pains came back, unbearable. After three years, and no baby in sight, this is the first time I heard of endometriosis The MRI showed deep endometriosis and adhesions that made it difficult for the egg to implant in the uterus. The surgeon managed to remove everything. No more pain! Three months later, I was spontaneously pregnant. Since the birth of our son, we have tried to have a second child, in vain. I made three in vitro fertilization (IVF), but the hormones caused me further pain and recurrence of endometriosis in the bladder. I dropped.”
A risk of infertility, but not in all cases
“Only a third of women who consult for infertility have endometriosis, specifies Dr. Isabella Chanavaz-Lacheray. But this inflammatory disease is not very conducive to the meeting between the egg and the sperm. It can also damage the device. genital area by causing damage to the ovaries, fallopian tubes and uterus, which sometimes requires surgery or IVF ”.
“To have my little girl, I resorted to medically assisted procreation (MAP), says Alexandra, 36 years old. This pregnancy has been a blessed time, during which I no longer felt any pain. Since Sara’s birth, I have been taking progestin continuously to stop having periods and thus not worsening my endometriosis. But the disease is still there. My last MRI confirmed it. “
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