Perceived effectiveness of endometriosis therapies on fatigue: an international survey

Endometriosis is a common chronic pain condition affecting 180 million women worldwide. Many women with endometriosis also report that fatigue significantly impacts their quality of life. Despite this, fatigue management has been largely neglected, and there are limited studies that have evaluated the benefit of current endometriosis treatments on fatigue. This international survey aimed to evaluate the perceived effectiveness of various therapies for endometriosis on fatigue, including pain medication, hormonal medication, surgery and behavioural changes. Pain medication and most hormonal therapies provided limited relief. However, gonadotrophin-releasing hormone (GnRH) agonists worsened fatigue in more than half of the users. These results suggest that existing endometriosis treatments are largely ineffective in addressing fatigue, highlighting the need for improved strategies to address this symptom to enhance quality of life for women with endometriosis.