Safety of current strategies to manage moderate to severe pain in patients with endometriosis

Abstract

Introduction: Medical therapy is crucial in the long-term management of endometriosis, and its clinical efficacy must be balanced with a favorable safety profile.

Areas covered: This review aims to provide a comprehensive overview of available drugs for the treatment of endometriosis, with an emphasis on their safety. A literature search was conducted using MEDLINE. EMBASE. and the Cochrane Library. Reference lists of relevant articles and recent book chapters were also examined.

Expert opinion: First-line therapies include combined contraceptives and progestins, both effective in reducing pain. Combined contraceptives commonly cause breakthrough bleeding, nausea, headaches, breast tenderness, and libido changes. Progestins may lead to depression, decreased libido, weight gain, breast tenderness, and lipid alterations. Gonadotropin-releasing hormone agonists are second-line options but are limited by hypoestrogenic side effects, including vasomotor symptoms, urogenital atrophy, and bone mineral density (BMD) loss. Add-back therapy with norethindrone acetate or low-dose combined contraceptives mitigates these effects. GnRH antagonists provide immediate suppression without flare-up and may improve adherence; however, hot flushes and BMD loss remain concerns. While all hormonal therapies are suppressive rather than curative, optimizing safety and tolerability is essential for sustained use and symptom control.

Keywords: Endometriosis; combined oral contraceptives; gonadotropin-releasing hormone agonist; gonadotropin-releasing hormone antagonist; nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs; progestins.