Re: Femera question
From: andrea (anonymous@obgyn.net)
Wed Sep 12 18:03:39 2007
Like D said, Femara caused all of the women in that Femara study to get
ovarian cysts. Could it be that your "endometrioma" is a cyst that was
caused by the Femara? If all of the women dropped out of that study, I
don't know how doctors can give that to patients.....hmmm. If you get
off of that and avoid estrogens, your endo should stay under control if
you have it removed.
I think wayyyy more studies need to be done on drugs like that and
Lupron. I think there are side effects or possible complications that
can arise later in life because of those drugs that doctors don't even
know about yet. They were invented for cancer, not endo and doctors use
them for "off label" purposes.
At Wed, 12 Sep 2007, Mary wrote:
>
>My doctor was excellent. He is a Reproductive Endocrinologist, and he
>has been doing laps for 20 years - even before they were considered
>commonplace. He did several biopsies and they all came back benign -
>Thank God!!
>
>However, I do not think he is considered an "excision" specialist. He
>told me he used the laser to vaporize the endo that he found, but he
>removed it from my ovary [along with my ovary and tube]. He took
>pictures too. They are nasty. The problem is, I now have another
>endometrioma - it grew back in 1 1/2 months!! Is it silly to expect to
>feel better after excision surgery? Won't it just grow back again?? I am
>beginning to lose hope? Thanks for the support.
>
>--
>Mary
>
>At Wed, 12 Sep 2007, D wrote:
>>
>>I had a lap with a local obgyn who did excision a year ago - but she
>>couldn't find anything she identified as endo. She didn't know what she
>>was looking at, so all the excision skills in the world wouldn't have
>>mattered. Of course that surgery did nothing for me - she didn't even
>>do any biopsies.
>>
>>--
>>Dr. Cook, however, did my lap at the end of July, and found and removed
>>endo from all over my lower pelvis. I'm about 7 weeks post op and
>>feeling much, much, MUCH better. The pain is gone! Now I just have to
>>figure out how to get my life back! ;-)
>>
>>I've heard a lot of women have had good experiences with Dr. Orbuch so
>>I think you've made a good choice. I was really nervous about that, too
>>- even with insurance it was expensive, but every day that passes I'm
>>more and more certain that I made the right decision.
>>
>>I'm glad to hear you are going to a specialist!
>>
>>At Tue, 11 Sep 2007, Mary wrote:
>>>
>>>I saw the same article. It is scary to read the stats. Ironically, I
>>>had just stopped the pills I was taking when I read it.
>>>
>>>Did you have surgery before the excision? I had surgery in June, and it
>>>did nothing. I still feel like crap. I am very cautious to pin all my
>>>hopes on an excision specialist. Is it wrong that I am so skeptical?? I
>>>am going to see Dr. Orbuch in NYC. She is supposed to be good. I am
>>>nervous about it though. I hope it isn't just another marketing scam to
>>>get your money [been through this too many times].
>>>
>>>Thanks for the hopeful words.
>>>
>>>--
>>>Mary
>>>
>>>At Tue, 11 Sep 2007, D wrote:
>>>>
>>>>You are very welcome! I'm glad I could help - I really do think that
>>>>surgery with the right doctor is a much better solution. It's been
>>>>almost 7 weeks since my excision surgery with Dr. Cook, and I am
>>>>feeling SO much better. I actually get weepy if I think about it too
>>>>much - I'm still not all done feeling sorry for myself for how sick I
>>>>was before!
>>>>
>>>>I wish every woman with endo could go directly to a specialist and get
>>>>the treatment that helps - excision! You shouldn't have to stand this
>>>>anymore, no one should.
>>>>
>>>>It's interesting, I saw a report that deaths and severe complications
>>>>from medications have nearly tripled since 1998 - to me it says that as
>>>>patients we have to be very careful about what we allow our doctors to
>>>>prescribe! and also shows how important it is to make sure our doctors
>>>>know when we do have bad reactions and ask them if they are reporting
>>>>it! I have to wonder how many doctors never bothered to report their
>>>>patients complaints about Lupron... But I'm getting way off topic!
>>>>anyway, if you're interested:
>>>>
>>>>http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2007/09/11/earlyshow/contributors/emilysenay/main3249365.shtml
>>>>
>>>>Good luck! :D
>>>>
>>>>At Tue, 11 Sep 2007, Mary wrote:
>>>>>
>>>>>Thank you so very much for your reply!!! I feel like there are a ton of
>>>>>MD's on this website :))
>>>>>
>>>>>I didn't know that it could cause functional cysts - but my doc did say
>>>>>something about overstimulating the ovaries sometimes occurs. I am
>>>>>going to quit it and go for more surgery. It is the harder road, but I
>>>>>can't stand this anymore. Thanks a lot - seriously. You have helped me
>>>>>so much with this reply.
>>>>>
>>>>>M
>>>>>
>>>>>At Tue, 11 Sep 2007, D wrote:
>>>>>>
>>>>>>Femara does not shut down the ovaries, it prevents the body from making
>>>>>>estrogen out of other chemicals (androgens). It's usually only used for
>>>>>>breast cancer in postmenopausal women, but some doctors have been trying
>>>>>>it with endo patients. The results I found weren't very promising - in
>>>>>>one study all of the women dropped out because they all developed
>>>>>>functional ovarian cysts:
>>>>>>
>>>>>>http://www.endometriosis.org/ESHRE2005-abbamonte.html
>>>>>>
>>>>>>"This pilot study enrolled 12 women with endometriosis related pain that
>>>>>>was refractory to previous treatment or recurred after such treatment...
>>>>>>
>>>>>>The treatment protocol included the oral administration of letrozole
>>>>>>2.5mg (Femara®, Novartis Farma, Varese, Italy), desogestrel-only
>>>>>>contraceptive pill (Cerazette®, Organon, Rome, Italy), elemental calcium
>>>>>>1000mg and vitamin D 880 IU (Calcit Vitamina D3®, Procter & Gamble,
>>>>>>Rome, Italy) daily for 6 months.
>>>>>>
>>>>>>--
>>>>>>During treatment patients underwent monthly transvaginal ultrasound in
>>>>>>order to monitor for ovarian hyperstimulation as a side effect of
>>>>>>aromatase inhibitor therapy...
>>>>>>
>>>>>>Results
>>>>>>..None of the patients included in the study completed the 6 months
>>>>>>treatment, because all the subjects developed functional ovarian cysts."
>>>>>>
>>>>>>Like Lupron and BCPs, if it does help your endo, it will only help as
>>>>>>long as you keep taking it and there's a limit on that (sorry I'm not
>>>>>>sure what that limit is!). That's about all I know, I'm not even sure
>>>>>>why they give it to endo patients who are premenopausal, but if you
>>>>>>search through old posts here I know there have been women who tried it
>>>>>>and wrote about it here.
>>>>>>
>>>>>>I hope this helps!
>>>>>>
>>>>>>At Tue, 11 Sep 2007, Mary wrote:
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>Anyone here ever take Femera to shut off your ovaries? It is a newer
>>>>>>>treatment, and I was curious if there is anyone else who has tried this?
>>>>>>>I can't seem to find any studies on this except for links to the
>>>>>>>treatment of breast cancer. Anyone have any info??
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>Thanks,
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>--
>>>>>>>Mary
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>--
>>>>>>Find an endo specialist in the ERC's EndoDocs group:
>>>>>>http://groups.yahoo.com/group/EndoDocs/
>>>>>>
>>>>>>Try an excellent endo support group:
>>>>>>http://groups.yahoo.com/group/erc/
>>>>>>
>>>>>>Info on pain management:
>>>>>>http://www.painfoundation.org/
>>>>>>
>>>>--
>>>>Find an endo specialist in the ERC's EndoDocs group:
>>>>http://groups.yahoo.com/group/EndoDocs/
>>>>
>>>>Try an excellent endo support group:
>>>>http://groups.yahoo.com/group/erc/
>>>>
>>>>Info on pain management:
>>>>http://www.painfoundation.org/
>>>>
>>--
>>Find an endo specialist in the ERC's EndoDocs group:
>>http://groups.yahoo.com/group/EndoDocs/
>>
>>Try an excellent endo support group:
>>http://groups.yahoo.com/group/erc/
>>
>>Info on pain management:
>>http://www.painfoundation.org/
>>
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