Articles: treatment.
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Changes in estrogen levels at menarche, menstruation, pregnancy, and menopause may trigger or change the prevalence of migraine. The fall in estrogen that occurs with menstruation is the trigger for menstrual migraine, whereas the sustained high estrogen levels during pregnancy frequently result in headache relief. Estrogen produces changes in prostaglandins, hypothalmic opioids, and prolactin secretion, which may in part account for genesis of headache. The treatment of menstrual migraine and migraine associated with menopause and the use of oral contraceptives is discussed, focusing on standard headache treatment and hormonal manipulation.
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The incidence, pathogenesis, staging, and treatment of endometriosis are reviewed, with an emphasis on pharmacologic management of this condition. Endometriosis--the presence of ectopic endometrial tissue--can be found in 15-25% of infertile women and may be found in 1-5% of all women between menarche and menopause. Although the pathogenesis of endometriosis is uncertain, the most tenable etiologic theory is a combination of celomic metaplasia and retrograde menstruation. ⋯ The most common adverse effect associated with nafarelin therapy is hot flashes. The GnRH agonist nafarelin is as effective as danazol or oral contraceptives for the treatment of endometriosis and causes fewer adverse reactions. GnRH agonists may replace danazol as the treatment of choice in patients with endometriosis.
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Oral contraceptive steroids are used by an estimated 60 to 70 million women world-wide. Over the past 20 years there have been both case reports and clinical studies on the topic of drug interactions with these agents. Some of the interactions are of definite therapeutic relevance, whereas others can be discounted as being of no clinical significance. ⋯ Although on theoretical grounds adsorbents (e.g. magnesium trisilicate, aLuminium hydroxide, activated charcoal and kaolin) could be expected to interfere with oral contraceptive efficacy, there is no firm evidence that this is the case. Similarly, there is no evidence that smoking alters the pharmacokinetics of oral contraceptive steroids. These agents are now well documented as being able to alter the pharmacokinetics of other concomitantly administered drugs.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)