Endometriosis after the menopause

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by Guest Posts on Tue Mar 03, 2020 11:50 am

Endometriosis after the menopause

Can endometriosis remain active after the menopause?
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Mr Peter Greenhouse
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by Mr Peter Greenhouse on Fri Mar 06, 2020 8:55 pm

Re: Endometriosis after the menopause

Endometriosis symptoms gradually diminish when menstrual cycles are abolished (after menopause, on treatment with the Depoprovera injection or the Mirena hormone coil and during pregnancy or prolonged breast-feeding). However, the cells don't disappear unless they have been completely surgically removed - (see answer to previous question) - so they can be made to grow again & cause symptoms when estrogen treatment is given as part of HRT. For this reason it's important to be sure to take a progestogen to keep the endo suppressed, even if the woman has had a hysterectomy.
It's exceptionally rare for endometriosis to appear clinically for the first time after menopause - but not impossible - and for some women, symptoms can persist (usually much reduced) due to small amounts of estrogen being produced by the adrenal glands and by peripheral body fat. For further discussion, see: https://www.health.harvard.edu/newslett ... and_beyond
Mr Peter Greenhouse
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tulip
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by tulip on Sat Mar 07, 2020 12:45 am

Re: Endometriosis after the menopause

Thanks very much for this information. I have been told by different GPs that I can't still have endometriosis after the menopause. This confirms my feeling that it is still there, especially when reading the other answer re after hysterectomy. Instead of continuing painkillers I will ask to go back on the progesterone pill which controlled my endometriosis for the last five years.

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