I was recently diagnosed with PCS. Its very painful, almost all the time. My doctor put me on birth control for treatment. Is this an effective treatment? And would the surgical procedure work for the veins in my legs if they just embolize the stomach veins?
Birth control pills can help some women with pelvic congestion syndrome.
Published on Jul 11, 2012
There is no scientific evidence that I am aware of with results from oral contraceptive pills for pelvic congestion syndrome. If you have painful pelvic congestion and leg varicose vein, the leg veins may improve after treatment of the pelvic veins, but they frequently require additional treatment.
Published on Jul 11, 2012
BC is only a possible symptom reliever not a treatment. Since much of the time the pain is worse in women during menstruation, the bc would curb the menstruation, therefore controlling symptoms. Treatment is done at a hospital with embolization. Treating those pelvic varices will possibly relieve pain in the legs and treat some veins as well, especially if they tie in to the pelvic area. A full ultrasound of the pelvic area and the legs is necessary in order to facilitate treatment.
Published on Jul 11, 2012
Pelvic congestion syndrome is basically varicose veins of the pelvis. Very much like varicose veins of the legs, PCS can cause a lot of pain and discomfort due to the amount of inflammation caused by all of the varicose veins in a particular location, in this case the pelvic region. The OCP may help you a little by helping to control the level of female hormonal surges that normally occur during a woman's cycle. Female hormones traditionally allow veins to dilate, which in those suffering form PCS, can result in more pain and discomfort in and around their periods. A better treatment option may be actually having your pelvic veins treated. This can actually help eliminate some of the veins in your pelvic region that are actually causing the discomfort. You may find that this may help more than the OCP.
Published on Jul 11, 2012
If one has true pelvic congestion syndrome, oral hormone therapy rarely helps much. It is not unreasonable to try a course of hormone therapy (birth control) if your gynecologist wishes to do so. Pelvic congestion syndrome may be caused by varicose veins in the pelvis, but sometimes the problem is obstruction of the iliac vein in the pelvis. Careful work up with ultrasound and CT or MR venography often helps to determine therapy. Refluxing varicose veins in the pelvis may be the cause of varicose veins extending into the labia and veins of the inner thighs. An obstrution of an iliac vein may cause lower extremity pain, swelling, or varicose veins in the lower extremity. The best advice is to see a physician who is experienced in evaluation and treatment of the multiple disorders which may cause pelvic congestion syndrome.
Published on Jul 11, 2012