By Riva Preil
Endometriosis is a painful gynecological disorder whose symptoms include pain with intercourse, severely painful periods, and/or pain with defecation (refer to previous blogs for further details). Current medical treatment includes injections to help decrease estrogen levels in attempt to alleviate the symptoms. However, the downside of this treatment are the potential disturbing side effects which include altered mood, hot flashes, and decreased bone density (which puts one at risk for fractures, similar to osteoporosis). An ideal medication would achieve the benefit of decreased estrogen without the nasty side effects.
That’s where you might be able to help! Currently, Dr. Sanjay Agarwal is working with researchers at the Department of Reproductive Medicine at UC San Diego School of Medicine in The Violet Petal Study. This is a two year clinical trial (medical research study) investigating the benefits of a new oral medication, Elagofix, which is believed to lower estrogen without the aforementioned risks. In this clinical trial, subjects are given either an active dose of the medication or a placebo treatment (a “fake†medication, no drug actually administered). The participants will then be assessed post treatment (or pseudo-treatment), and the results of the two groups will be compared to determine the effectiveness of Elagofix. Researchers are actively searching for individuals with whom to participate. To learn more about the clinical trial and see if you are eligible for the study, please refer to the link below. If you believe you may be an appropriate candidate, please discuss with your medical care provider prior to joining the study (as with any experimental medication).
https://www.violetpetalstudy.com/HomePage.aspx
