Medications

NSAIDS

• Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory agents such as Motrin, Alleve, Advil, Naprosyn, etc. may be prescribed for menstrual pain relief.
  
  
  

Birth control pills

• Birth control pills may be prescribed as a means of controlling excessive menstrual bleeding caused by fibroids.
  

• There are several potential side effects of the use of birth control pills, including risk of high blood pressure, development of blood clots, increased risk of heart disease and stroke and liver disease.
  
  

GnRH Agonists, eg., Lupron

• GnRH agonists are used to decrease the production of estrogen from the ovaries, which may reduce the size of fibroids and help manage the associated symptoms.
  

• Decreased estrogen production in essence produces a menopausal state.  Thus symptoms and conditions found in menopausal women may occur while taking these drugs:
  
  -Women may experience vaginal dryness, hot flashes, sweating, mood swings and even osteoporosis
  
  -Therefore, these drugs are rarely used for more than 4-6 months
  
  -Fibroids re-grow after this treatment is discontinued
  

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Uterine Fibroids

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