<p>Effects of long-term treatment with Dienogest on the quality of life and sexual function of women affected by endometriosis-associated pelvic pain</p>

Abstract

Purpose The aim of this prospective study was to evaluate quality of life (QoL) and sexual function of women affected by endometriosis pain treated with Dienogest (DNG) for 24 months. Patients and methods Fifty-four women constituted the study group and were given DNG 2 mg/daily; 38 women were given non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) and constituted the control group. To define endometriosis-associated pelvic pain, dysmenorrhea and dyspareunia the Visual Analogic Scale (VAS) was used. The Short Form-36 (SF-36), the Female Sexual Function Index (FSFI) and the Female Sexual Distress Scale (FSDS) were used to assess the QoL, sexual function and the sexual distress, respectively. The study included five follow-ups at 3, 6, 12, 18 and 24 months. Results Slight improvements in chronic pelvic pain, dysmenorrhea and dyspareunia were observed in the study group at 3 months ( p <0.05) and improved more from 6 to 24 months of DNG treatment ( p <0.001). QoL improved with a similar trend: at 3 months the improvement was significant in several categories ( p <0.05), and from 6 to 24 months in all categories ( p <0.001). The FSFI score did not change at the 3 month follow-up ( p =not significant [NS]) but it improved from 6 to 24 months ( p <0.001). A similar trend was observed for the FSDS score ( p <0.001). No change was observed in the control group ( p =NS). Conclusion Long-term treatment with DNG 2 mg once-daily in women with endometriosis-associated pelvic pain may have positive effects on the QoL and sexual life, confirming the observations of the previous study on the first 6 months of treatment.

Use of dienogest in endometriosis: a narrative literature review and expert commentary

“…Additionally, treatment with dienogest 2 mg/day in 54 women for up to 24 months was associated with significant improvements in physical, mental, social, emotional, and general health parameters, compared with baseline values 37 . Similarly, significant improvements in quality-of-life categories were reported in women receiving a continuous Search criteria: Visanne or contraceptives to prevent recurrence of lesions following surgery Search terms: (visanne OR dienogest) AND (endometriosis) AND (surgery OR surgical OR laparoscopy OR laparoscopic) Search results: 93…”

“…regimen of a combined oral contraceptive (COC) containing dienogest 2 mg/30 lg ethinyl estradiol (n ¼ 63), for up to 6 months 40 . Significant improvements in sexual functioning and monthly frequency of sexual intercourse were also seen after treatment with dienogest 2 mg/day, with improvements in functioning seen as early as 6 months after beginning treatment 37 .…”

“…Although there have been few interventional studies since to investigate treatment durations beyond 15 months, supportive evidence for long-term dienogest treatment is available from a number of studies (Table 1) [1][2][3][4][5][6][7][8][9][10][11][12][13] . These studies show that administration of dienogest for up to 5 years is effective in preventing recurrence of disease and/or symptoms following surgery, and reducing endometriosis-associated pain 19,[29][30][31][32][33][34][35][36][37] .…”

Does Nomegestrol Acetate Plus 17β-Estradiol Oral Contraceptive Improve Endometriosis-Associated Chronic Pelvic Pain in Women?

“…1 Women frequently experience dysmenorrhea, dyspareunia, dyschezia, fatigue, and infertility together with chronic pelvic pain. [2][3][4] Progestins taken orally [5][6][7] or by subdermal implant, 8 intrauterine device 9,10 administration, or estrogen-progestin combined hormonal contraceptives (CHCs) 3 are normally used to counteract, but not to cure, chronic pelvic pain symptoms due to the effects of ovarian estrogenic secretion on the endometrium-like tissue developing outside the uterus. In fact, when women discontinue their usage, pelvic pain usually reappears.…”

Quality of Life in Liver Transplant Recipients: A Retrospective Study

“…It is a broad ranging concept affected in a complex way by the person's physical health, psychological state, level of independence, social relationships, personal beliefs, and their relationship to salient features of their life environment. Today the goal in all the fields of medicine is to guarantee an adequate QOL for the patient: physical and mental health are considered indicators of individual general wellbeing [11][12][13][14][15][16].…”