Visanne for Endometriosis: All Your Questions Answered
women’s health
At least 11% of women in the USA have a condition called “endometriosis” — and the number of afflicted patients in reality is likely much higher. This means at least 6.5 million women in the US alone are dealing with the pain and suffering accompanying this common gynecological disease.
It’s a significant amount of pain.
As Dr. Brynna Connor, M.D., a board-certified family medicine physician who specializes in regenerative medicine, put it: “About 3 out of 4 women with endometriosis experience pain in the pelvis, lower abdomen, or lower back. Endometriosis can also lead to infertility, heavy or irregular periods, digestive problems, and feelings of tiredness or weakness.”
Unfortunately, in the past, these millions of women may have dealt with a healthcare industry downplaying their symptoms and dismissing their pain. Luckily, this is changing. Today, people with endometriosis often have many options to help alleviate their suffering and keep their symptoms under control.
While this is an improvement, people with endometriosis are often left with many, many options to pursue without clear information about their benefits—and many, many questions that tend to get left unanswered.
Let’s fix that.
If you or a loved one is struggling with endometriosis, here’s your resource.
In this article, we’ll answer the most common questions about one popular medication, Visanne for endometriosis.
Visanne 101: What Is Visanne and How Does It Work?
Visanne – or its active ingredient, dienogest – is a progestin-only medication that treats endometriosis.
That label, progestin-only, refers to its class of medications. Some medications used to treat hormonal or reproductive disorders use a combination of estrogen and progesterone to regulate a person’s system and help reduce symptoms.
That combination can work for a lot of people, but for others (perhaps those who already have too much estrogen, or don’t react well to it), combination drugs can be a problem.
Progestin-only drugs may be the answer. Visanne, one such option, works by reducing the growth of endometrial tissue outside of the uterus.
Usually, this type of tissue only grows inside the uterus. When it grows outside of that environment, it can cause a lot of pain and subsequent health problems.
Visanne can help people suffering with endometriosis sidestep these issues by:
- Reducing estrogen levels or reducing the effect of estrogen, which often contributes to the growth of endometrial tissue;
- Inhibiting the growth of new endometrial lesions; and
- Shrinking existing endometrial lesions.
By doing these things, Visanne can help improve the lives of many women dealing with chronic, severe endometriosis pain.
It can also help these women avoid other methods of managing endometriosis, like surgery.
You can buy brand-name Visanne through NorthWestPharmacy.com for about $3.40 per pill and the generic for far less.
However, every person’s experiences with endometriosis and common endometriosis medications can and will be a little different.
While Visanne is becoming more popular because it’s an effective option, your mileage may vary. It’s a good idea to discuss Visanne with your doctor, first, before making any decisions about your care.
Is Visanne a Birth Control Pill?
No, Visanne isn’t a birth control pill.
This confusion can arise because there is some overlap between the ingredients found in endometriosis drugs like Visanne and traditional birth control pills. Dienogest, the active ingredient in Visanne, is also in some birth control pills.
This does not make Visanne a birth control pill.
If nothing else, taking Visanne doesn’t (reliably) prevent ovulation or pregnancy — so it should never be taken as a primary family planning method.
While Visanne may leverage some of the same base ingredients as those found in birth control pills, Visanne is approved for managing endometriosis symptoms.
It may have a resultant impact on your hormones or reproductive system, but it should not regulate or suppress your cycle like birth control pills may.
Does Visanne Prevent Pregnancy?
Taking Visanne can alter your menstrual cycle and, therefore, cause differences in the way that you may be able to achieve pregnancy.
This does not make it a reliable way to prevent pregnancy. If doing so is your goal, you will need to invest in birth control beyond Visanne (which, as a reminder, is not birth control).
If you’d rather steer clear from birth control pills or want to avoid taking Visanne in addition to other oral hormonal medications, consider non-hormonal methods of birth control, like condoms or a diaphragm.
What Are the Most Common Visanne Side Effects?
Visanne, like any other medication, does come with the risk of side effects. Again, your mileage may vary: For some people, side effects may be inevitable and very frustrating.
For others, there may be nary a single problem.
In any case, the side effects you experience with Visanne should be mild and easy to mitigate. Here’s what to keep an eye out for:
- Headaches
- Nausea
- Weight gain
- Mood changes
- Irregular menstrual bleeding
If any of these effects become significant or do not go away even after your body has reasonably gotten used to the drug, talk to your doctor.
They may be able to help you determine the best way forward for you and your health goals while reducing side effects as much as possible.
Does Visanne Stop Your Period?
Since Visanne influences your hormones, you may notice some changes in your menstrual cycle after you start taking Visanne.
While it may or may not stop your period outright, it is common for periods to become irregular after patients start taking Visanne.
For example, many women notice that their periods become lighter while taking Visanne. Others experience spotting or breakthrough bleeding at unexpected times throughout their cycle.
If you experience bleeding (or a lack of it) that worries you as you take Visanne, talk to your doctor.
They will be able to help you monitor your symptoms, track your hormone levels, or even help you select another treatment if you need to re-evaluate your options.
How Long Can You Take Visanne?
The length of time that you, personally, will take Visanne will depend strongly on your individual needs and the way the medication suits you.
Visanne is considered safe for long-term use.
That said, your healthcare team will almost certainly want to monitor your symptoms and hormone levels over the long term to make sure the drug is helping you as much as possible—and to allow a natural check-in to adjust the medication as needed.
Most women do start treatment by using Visanne for 6-12 months.
After this initial period, your doctor can help you assess how well the medication is working for you, and whether continuing to use it would be a good idea.
(Pro tip: As you start taking this medication, keep a written log of your symptoms and experiences. This might seem mundane in the moment, but having something concrete to look back over can make it much easier to see what’s changed for you!)
As long as Visanne is serving you, your needs, and your goals, your doctor may recommend your taking it longer than that initial year.
How Long Does Visanne Take to Work?
Endometriosis is (to put it mildly) painful.
People with endometriosis will be looking for a pain-reducing option that works relatively quickly.
Visanne is more of a longer play. It will not offer immediate symptom relief, but, as it begins working in your body, it can reduce pain in the future.
Here’s a general timeline of what you can expect:
For the first few months of taking Visanne, you’ll need to continue to rely on your existing toolkit of pain-relieving medications.
Most women start noticing that their endometriosis pain is lessening after 2-3 months of treatment.
After about six months of taking Visanne, you should realize the full effects of Visanne.
This may seem like a long time. (It is.)
The months of onset may be frustrating, but that’s just because of the way Visanne works. It reduces inflammation over time and shrinks endometrial lesions, which isn’t a fix that can be completed in hours or days.
If, after taking Visanne for about three months, you do not see any improvements, it may be time to talk with your doctor about an adjusted treatment plan.
Are There Alternatives to Visanne?
Yes, there are alternatives to Visanne. If this medication isn’t working well for you or you’d simply like to know about your options, check out these common alternatives.
Orilissa (elagolix)
Orilissa, like Visanne, helps lower body estrogen levels to help manage the various symptoms of endometriosis.
The main difference between these two medications comes down to time: Orilissa works a bit faster, which can make it a great fit for those seeking aggressive symptom control.
You can buy brand-name Orilissa through NorthWestPharmacy.com for about $8.00 per tablet.
Provera (Medroxyprogesterone Acetate)
Provera is a type of synthetic (or man-made) progestin medication. It’s used to treat a range of reproductive and menstrual conditions—including endometriosis.
Provera works in much the same way as Visanne. It reduces the growth of unwanted endometrial tissue by blunting the effect of estrogen on the uterus.
You can buy brand-name Provera through NorthWestPharmacy.com for about $1.00 per pill and spend even less on the generic we offer.
Norlutate (norethindrone)
Nortulate is another medication in the class of progestins that can treat endometriosis effectively. By suppressing estrogen and reducing endometrial tissue growth, it can help reduce both pelvic pain and menstrual bleeding.
Cyproterone Acetate
Cyproterone acetate, also known under its brand name Androcur, combines both progestin and anti-androgenic properties.
Androgens are, largely speaking, male hormones. This medication can help people reduce some of the effects of having a male hormone imbalance (e.g., excessive hair growth or acne) in addition to managing endometriosis.
You can buy cyproterone acetate or brand Androcur through NorthWestPharmacy.com for about $1.80 per pill.
Dydrogesterone
Dydrogesterone (or brand Duphaston) is a medication that works by mimicking the way natural progesterone works in the body.
This medication is used relatively often in HRT, or hormone replacement therapy, as well as for treating menstrual disorders like endometriosis.
You can buy brand-name Duphaston through NorthWestPharmacy.com for about $2.50 per pill.
Gestrinone
Gestrinone is a type of synthetic steroid that, when taken properly, has both anti-estrogenic and anti-progestogenic effects.
If your endometriosis symptoms can be traced to an excess of both these hormones, Gestrinone can be a strong option to consider.
Lynestrenol
Lynestrenol is often compared to norethindrone, which makes sense: They’re both synthetic progestogens.
Lynestrenol is usually used to treat menstrual disorders. It helps treat endometriosis by preventing the thickening of endometrial tissue.
Megestrol Acetate
Megestrol acetate (or brand Megace) is a very powerful progestin.
Typically, it’s used in cancer treatment, but it can also be very helpful for managing endometriosis (since it’s so good at inhibiting estrogen’s effects).
You can buy megestrol acetate or brand Megace through NorthWestPharmacy.com for about $4.60 per pill or save even more on the generic from us.
Visanne: Here’s Exactly How to Buy It Online
Ready to buy your Visanne?
As long as your doctor has given you a valid, updated prescription for your medication, you can buy your Visanne online and easily through NorthWestPharmacy.com. All it takes is a few clicks:
- First, go to our Visanne page, and review the information if you’d like a quick refresher on Visanne.
- Then, select your preferred version of the medication (brand or generic).
- Pick your required dosage from the drop-down menu. Make sure this matches the dose on your prescription.
- Click “add to cart.”
- Follow the on-screen instructions to provide a copy of your prescription.
- Check out through our secure, simple online payment process.
- Wait for your medication to arrive! You won’t have to wait long; before you know it, your Visanne will be at your front door.
If it sounds simple, that’s because it is. We’re here to make finding the medications you need to manage your endometriosis as simple as possible for you!
Have any questions at all? Our team of customer service representatives is ready to talk through any questions you may have about our Canada pharmacy and international drugs offering.
When you’re ready, you can place an order online or over the phone.
The team at NorthWestPharmacy.com looks forward to serving you!
