Question:
Should women who have endometriosis
use fertility drugs?
Answer:
Fertility drugs can make endometriosis
symptoms worse. Because endometriosis
and fertility drugs are not a happy
combination, insist on a thorough
evaluation, and don't settle for
trying a little of this, a little
of that.
At the conclusion
of the infertility evaluation, when
all problems can be addressed simultaneously,
it may make good sense to use fertility
drugs, even though the fertility
drugs may create extra endometriosis
pain.
Some doctors
urge their endometriosis patients
to move directly to IVF (in vitro
fertilization), saying, "don't
waste time." However, IVF is
extremely expensive, does not eliminate
the need for fertility drugs, and
for all the trouble and expense
the success rates are not admirable
-- around 20% for a single cycle.
