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Endometriosis is a disease that is often diagnosed in women of both reproductive age and menopause. Combined oral contraceptives are the drugs of choice for the treatment of this pathology. The COC group includes a drug called Qlaira, which is a unique combination of estrogen and dienogest.
Treatment of endometriosis with Qlaira: main effects
Qlaira is recommended for women who have been diagnosed with endometriosis at an early stage. The therapeutic effect is based on the interaction of several factors. The leading role in the treatment of the disease is given to the fact that a woman suppresses ovulation.
In addition, taking the drug allows you to achieve the following results:
Reduce the intensity of menstrual bleeding, make them less prolonged.
The volume of menstrual blood lost during the next cycle is reduced. This helps prevent the development of anemia.
Pain, which are frequent companions of women with endometriosis, pass.
Reduces the risk of malignancy of endometriosis foci, reduces the likelihood of ovarian cancer.
Features of treatment
The basis for prescribing Klaira for endometriosis is the presence in it of such a component as dienogest. This progesterone has proven to be a powerful tool in the fight against endometriotic ectopia.
However, it should be borne in mind that Qlaira contains estrogen. On the contrary, it leads to an increase in endometriosis. Therefore, you should not make a decision about self-prescribing this drug for yourself. Only a doctor can give a woman a recommendation for course treatment with Qlaira against the background of endometriosis.
It has been established that the drug shows a positive trend with minor growths of endometrial tissues. Therefore, it cannot be called a panacea for the disease. The maximum course duration should not exceed six months. If there is no effect, then the treatment regimen should be reviewed.
Differences between Qlaira and other COCs
Qlaira contains in its composition a natural component – estradiol valerate. This substance has a minimal negative effect on the liver and practically does not affect the quality of blood clotting. Unlike other combined oral contraceptives, Qlaira rarely leads to the development of thromboembolic complications.
In addition, Qlaira is the first estrogen-containing contraceptive that has a flexible dosing regimen.
Its advantages in this regard are obvious and proven in clinical trials, namely:
The drug is well tolerated;
The drug relieves heavy menstruation and improves the quality of life of a woman;
Estradiol valerate is as close as possible to the hormone produced by the female body, which provides a minimal set of side effects;
In combination with estradiol dienogest, valerate can increase the level of “good” cholesterol (HDL) in the blood and slightly reduce the level of low-density lipoproteins.
The drug can be used to treat both young women and women who have entered the menopause.
Positive effects
It should be understood that the drug was developed as a safe means to protect against unwanted pregnancy. He does a great job with this feature. If you take the drug correctly and do not violate the prescribed regimen, then the probability of conception is minimal (less than one according to the Pearl index).
Women who have been treated for endometriosis with this drug note that their skin condition has improved.
Qlaira has an excellent ability to control the menstrual cycle, and the woman will be insured against unexpected bleeding.
After completion of the course of treatment and discontinuation of the drug, it will be possible to start planning pregnancy. The average duration of menstrual bleeding is 3-4 days, and the discharge is weak.
Positive feedback from women about taking Qlaira is not just words. They are confirmed by the European Efficacy Study. The interviewed patients noted that both their physical (89,7% of respondents) and emotional well-being (86,4% of respondents) improved during the course of treatment.
How to take Qlaira?
The gynecologist will inform the woman about the features of the treatment of endometriosis with Qlaira preparations and the method of taking it.
However, there are the following general recommendations:
You need to take the pills every day, without gaps, and exactly in the order indicated on the package.
The dose can be taken with or without food.
If necessary, the drug can be taken with water.
It is advisable to take the drug at about the same time of day.
The continuous course of taking the drug is 28 days.
Expect menstrual bleeding while taking the last pills. It may not end before the next calendar pack is opened.
The manufacturer of Qlaira made sure that it was convenient for a woman to take the drug, so each pack contains stickers indicating the days of the week. You need to choose the sticker that corresponds to the first day of admission. If 1 tablet was drunk on Thursday, then you need to paste this particular day of the week over the top of the Qlaira package. Thus, under the inscription “Thursday” there will be a pill number 1. This will allow the woman not to be tormented by doubts whether she drank the drug today or not, if any.
The white tablets do not contain any active ingredients and are placebo. Therefore, it turns out that it will be necessary to take the drug continuously. That is, after taking the last two white pills, a woman must open a new package. If Qlaira is used as indicated in the instructions, then reliable protection against unwanted pregnancy will be provided.
It should be understood that taking the drug does not affect the risk of contracting STDs, so if necessary, you need to use condoms.
When a woman missed the next dose of the drug (except for the white pill), the effect of contraception lasts for 12 hours. You need to drink a pill immediately after the woman remembers about it. You can not drink 2 tablets at a time in order to increase the effect after a pass.
If a woman has had a miscarriage, then before starting to take the drug, it is imperative to consult a doctor.
Side effects
Like any hormonal drug, Qlaira has some side effects. Among them are:
Frequent: headaches, flatulence, bloating, acne, lack of menstruation, pain in the chest and nipples. An increase in body weight is possible.
Rare: thrush, herpes, increased appetite, constipation, dyspepsia, allergic reactions, back pain, muscle spasms, etc.
In general, the drug is well tolerated by women, but if the described side effects occur or if unusual sensations appear, you should definitely consult a doctor.
It should be borne in mind that smoking increases the risk of thrombosis, so this bad habit should be abandoned. Obesity, hypertension, advanced age, frequent headaches, a tendency to depression, arrhythmia can also be called indirect factors for an increased risk of side effects.
An important note: if a woman is infected with the human papillomavirus, which is associated with cervical cancer, then the risk of developing this pathology increases during long-term treatment, although only slightly.
Contraindications for use
The drug is not prescribed for thrombosis of veins and arteries, even if they were identified in history.
Other contraindications to taking Qlaira:
Tendency to develop migraine.
Epilepsy.
Diabetes mellitus, characterized by vascular disorders.
Pancreatitis.
Serious liver pathologies, as well as tumors and organ failure.
Cancer neoplasms in the body and suspicion of them.
The presence of bleeding from the vagina, which do not have a clear cause of origin.
Pregnancy or suspected conception.
Allergic reactions to the components that make up the drug.
These contraindications are absolute, so if a woman has at least one of them, then it is necessary to stop taking Klaira.
What happens after drug withdrawal?
When a woman stops taking the drug, then menstruation will be abundant, although their delay is not ruled out. It is worth tuning in to the fact that after 2-3 months the ovaries will adapt to work without “hormonal support” and menstruation will stabilize. Doctors strongly recommend to refrain from planning pregnancy until the stabilization of the hormonal background (this period does not take more than 12 weeks).
So, Qlaira can be used to treat mild endometriosis. If the disease is diagnosed in an advanced form, then other COCs or surgery should be considered to get rid of it.