Tag: endometriosis

Women’s health update-relieving migraine and other pain

In this post I review some new drugs that treat conditions exclusive to or common in women.

I illustrated this post with links to posts I’ve written about women. Please note these usually include affiliate links, so if you do happen to use them for a purchase you will help me fund this blog.

This information is current as of the date of original publication or update. It may have changed by the time you read this. I invite you to fact-check what you read here.

This information is not intended for diagnosis or treatment. Before making health decisions, discuss with your physician or other qualified healthcare provider to decide what is right for you.

Photo by rawpixel.com on Pexels.com

Relieving the pain of endometriosis

Women with endometriosis can suffer infertility, heavy menstrual bleeding, painful periods, and pelvic pain unrelated to their periods. In endometriosis, uterine tissue grows outside the uterus; laparoscopy, an invasive procedure used to diagnose it. Treatment depends on the goal, whether pregnancy, pain relief, or both. Short of surgery, hormonal therapy has been the mainstay of treatment.

A new hormonal drug released in 2018, elagolix, brand name Orilissa, is the first of its kind specifically developed and approved to treat “moderate to severe” endometriosis pain, but not infertility. AbbVie, the pharmaceutical company which developed the drug,priced it at $844 per month, or about $10000 per year, retail. ( per Reuters report) Patients may pay less depending on insurance.

A Natural Woman- Carole King shares a lifetime of music, a season of pain

Carole King’s memoir, “A Natural Woman,” delves into her remarkable life as a Grammy Award-winning singer/songwriter. Despite her musical success, she faced profound personal challenges, including turbulent marriages and traumatic experiences. King’s resilience and candid account offer a powerful reminder of the complexities behind public personas and the importance of seeking help in times of…

Easing dyspareunia

After menopause many women develop atrophy of the vagina, making it thin, dry, and easily irritated, leading to painful sex, or dyspareunia. A new intravaginal medication, prasterone,brand name Intrarosa, can help relieve the discomfort. Studies show it may also help improve sexual desire and arousal, but it is not labeled for this.

Manufactured by AMAG Pharmaceuticals, it is for “moderate to severe” symptoms. Also known as DHEA, a steroid, it transforms into estrogen in the vagina; administered as a once daily vaginal insert at bedtime, applied with an applicator. According to goodrx.com, a 30 day supply costs about $213.

DHEA can be purchased as an over-the-counter, non-regulated product, whose effectiveness and safety are unknown. A one-month supply of 50 mg tablets may cost $5.

Other options for treating vaginal atrophy symptoms are oral or vaginal estrogen and/or vaginal lubricants.

Working Stiff -a book review to remember 9/11

When she applied for a position in New York City at the NYC Office of the Chief Medical Examiner (OCME), Dr. Judy Melinek never imagined that decision would plunge her into the nightmare of September 11, 2001. She was at the ME office that day when the Twin Towers were attacked and fell, killing thousands…

Keep reading

Prevention of migraine pain and disability

Migraine, although not exclusive to women,occurs more frequently in them than men. For infrequent headaches,doctors recommend non-prescription pain relievers since they are effective, safe, and have few side effects. For more severe and disabling headaches, prescription meds designed specifically for migraine are tried next, usually those in the triptan class of drugs.

But when headaches are severe, frequent, or persistent, patients should also consider preventive medication to improve quality of life. In addition to several effective oral meds there are two injectable drugs which work differently

The Food and Drug Administration has approved several new drugs in the past two years.

a new use for Botox

Yes the same drug used to treat wrinkles,Botox, can prevent migraine

Botox, onabotulinumtoxin A, treats chronic migraine, meaning patients with frequent headaches and other migraine symptoms for at least 3 months.

Manufactured by Allergan, a vial containing 200 units costs $1452, per goodrx.com. For migraine, the drug is injected in the upper facial muscles by a physician specifically trained in its use.

It’s in the genes

Another novel therapy uses the immune system to fight migraine.

Monoclonal antibodies bind to a calcitonin gene-related peptide receptor which transmits migraine pain. The antibodies are produced in a laboratory but work like antibodies naturally produced by the body. They are used to treat cancers and some forms of arthritis. They are called calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) receptor antagonists.

These drugs are used to prevent migraine . (generic name-brand name)

  • Erenumab-Aimovig
  • Fremanezumab-Ajoovy
  • Galcanezumab-Emgality
  • Eptinezumab-Vyepti

 

Administered as subcutaneous injections (under the skin) monthly, according to Medscape, the average cost is $600 per month.

Two similar drugs, rimegepant (Nurtec ODT)and ubrogepant (Ubrelvy) treat migraine pain and are taken by mouth (orally).

You may want to review my previous post about non-drug ways to manage migraine.

Simple and effective ways to manage chronic pain

The Helpers-a book review

“The Helpers” by Kathy Gilsinan focuses on the untold stories of pandemic heroes. It sheds light on ordinary people who demonstrated extraordinary courage and selflessness during the chaotic times of the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic. The book also highlights the government’s flawed response, emphasizing the resilience and unity of the people despite political divisions.

Keep reading

exploring the HEART of health through books

Thanks for joining me to review new steps in women’s health and review some fine women authors. I hope you will follow the links to my reviews and read some or all of these books. When you do, I would love to know your reaction. I might use your comments in an update.

Dr. Aletha

Find these and other books and help fund Watercress Words at

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We believe bookstores are essential to a healthy culture and they are dedicated to the common good.

Bookshop.org donates a portion of every sale to independent bookstores.

Women’s health – meds to control pain and prevent disease

This post reviews drugs for women’s health issues. Elagolix treats endometriosis pain but not infertility. Elagolix and ulipristal may help with uterine fibroids. Prasterone relieves dyspareunia and improves sexual desire. Botox and monoclonal antibodies prevent migraine pain. HPV vaccine prevents cervical cancer, and Shingrix prevents shingles more effectively.

updated May 2, 2024

In this post, I review drugs that treat conditions exclusive to or common in women. These are broad topics so I have linked to several authoritative sources.

This information is current as of the date of original publication or update. It may have changed by the time you read this. I invite you to fact-check what you read here.

This information is not intended for diagnosis or treatment. Before making health decisions, discuss with your physician or other qualified healthcare provider to decide what is right for you.

Photo by rawpixel.com on Pexels.com

Relieving the pain of endometriosis

Women with endometriosis suffer infertility, excessive bleeding, painful periods, and pelvic pain unrelated to periods. In endometriosis, uterine tissue grows outside the uterus.

Endometriosis can be difficult to diagnose, requiring invasive procedures to discover. Treatment depends on the goal, whether pregnancy, pain relief, or both. Short of surgery, hormonal therapy has been the mainstay of treatment.

A hormonal drug, elagolix, brand name Orilissa, is the first of its kind specifically developed and approved to treat “moderate to severe” endometriosis pain. It does not help with infertility.

 

Stop bleeding fibroids

Researchers are studying elagolix and another hormonal drug ulipristal for treating uterine fibroids. Fibroids are growths within the uterine that can cause pain and excessive bleeding. Initial trials show both of these drugs can significantly decrease bleeding and pain. However, neither is currently FDA-approved for treating fibroid.

Easing dyspareunia

After menopause many women develop atrophy of the vagina, making it thin, dry, and easily irritated, leading to painful sex, or dyspareunia. An intravaginal medication, prasterone, brand name Intrarosa, can help relieve the discomfort. Studies show it may also help improve sexual desire and arousal, but it is not labeled for this.

Manufactured by AMAG Pharmaceuticals, it is for “moderate to severe” symptoms. Also known as DHEA, it is a steroid that transforms into estrogen in the vagina, administered as a once-daily vaginal insert at bedtime, applied with an applicator.

Other options for treating vaginal atrophy symptoms are oral or vaginal estrogen and/or vaginal lubricants.

Prevention of migraine pain and disability

Migraine, although not exclusive to women, occurs more frequently in them than in men. For infrequent headaches, non-prescription pain relievers are effective and recommended. But for severe, frequent, or persistent symptoms prevention is recommended to improve quality of life.

Botox, onabotulinumtoxin A, has been FDA-approved for treating chronic migraine, meaning patients with frequent headaches and other migraine symptoms for at least 3 months.

Yes the same drug used to treat wrinkles, Botox, can prevent migraine. For migraine, the drug is injected into the upper facial muscles by a physician specifically trained in its use.

A calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) receptor is responsible for transmitting migraine pain. Monoclonal antibodies bind to the receptor, blocking the pain.

The antibodies are produced in a laboratory but work like antibodies naturally produced by the body. These drugs are given by injection.

  • Erenumab-Aimovig
  • Galcanezumab-Emgality
  • Fremanezumab-Ajoovy

Gepant drugs also block the CGRP receptors, both preventing and relieving migraine. These are in pill form so are taken by mouth.

  • Rimegepant-Nurtec ODT
  • Ubrogepant-Ubrelvy 

I also discuss migraine in this post.

Preventing cervical cancer with the HPV vaccine

Infection with the HPV, human papillomavirus, causes genital warts and changes in the cervix called CIN which can lead to cervical cancer.

According to a review of clinical trials by Cochran, vaccination against this virus effectively prevents infection and thus fewer cases of CIN. Since a significant percentage of CIN progresses to cancer, we can expect fewer women will develop invasive cervical cancer, the 4th most common cancer in women worldwide.

The vaccine, Gardasail 9, originally approved for use in females ages 9 to 26 years, received FDA approval for use up to age 45 years.

Stopping shingles with the zoster vaccine

And speaking of vaccines, a new zoster (shingles) vaccine, Shingrix, prevents the painful rash much more effectively than the original vaccine Zostavax. It ranges in effectiveness from 91% to 97% at preventing shingles, depending on age. The first vaccine was 51% effective.

Zoster is a reactivation of the varicella virus that causes chickenpox. It causes a painful rash known as shingles; the pain may continue after the rash is gone. It can happen at any age, but symptoms tend to be worse in older persons.

exploring the HEART of women’s health

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Dr. Aletha