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Hoi Wendy,
Toen ik de pil kreeg, was het omdat ik onregelmatig ongesteld was. Ze dachten nog niet aan PCO. Omdat ik het toen nog niet durfde tegen de huisarts te zeggen dat ik overbeharing had.
Zelf had ik nog nooit van PCO gehoord. Ik dacht gewoon ik heb teveel mannelijke hormonen.
Ik ben me het laatste jaar op internet aan het verdiepen in PCO.
Nu las ik vanochtend op PCO support over Vaniga cream. Het is helaas in het Engels, maar het grootste gedeelte begrijp ik gelukkig. Heb jij er al van gehoord?? Ik kan er niet uit opmaken of dit stuk van dit jaar is of vorig jaar. Het gaat erover dat het mid september geïntroduceerd wordt op Amerikaanse Markt. Het is geschreven door een arts, ik vraag me dan weer af, het klinkt weer als zo'n smeerseltje. Maar het is alleen op doktersrecept te verkrijgen dus dan zou je toch denken ....
Hierbij het artikel:
Vaniqa™ (Eflornithine HCl Cream, 13.9%) is an entirely new approach to helping women with increased facial hair because it does not work through hormonal pathways. The manufacturers were somewhat brave to invest in developing Vaniqa™, considering that for years most of the medical profession refused to acknowledge that increased hair growth in women was a problem at all. As a result, women embarrassed by visible facial hair have felt quite isolated. In my own practice I usually see five or ten new patients a week for help with excess hair growth and many still ask on their first visit, "Doctor, have you ever seen anyone else like me?" Yet, in America, there are ten million adult women who remove facial hair at least twice a week and more than twice as many who remove weekly. Several medical treatments such as spironolactone (Aldactone™) have been used with some degree of success but these require a physician with special expertise in their use. And none are FDA (Food and Drug Administration) approved for treatment of increased female hair growth.
Vaniqa™ is indicated specifically for the reduction of unwanted facial hair in women and has just been approved by the FDA. Vaniqa™ is unique in that it works directly to slow hair growth by inhibiting an enzyme called ornithine decarboxylase (ODC). When this enzyme is blocked by the medication, metabolic activity in the hair follicle decreases, and hairs grow in more slowly. Vaniqa™ does not itself remove hair so it needs to be used in combination with a removal method.
I was involved in the studies for Vaniqa™ and can report that many of the women who used it in the study were quite happy with the result and have been eagerly waiting for it to become available. Vaniqa™ works relatively quickly; hair growth is noticeably slower within about eight weeks and slows further after that. The cream does need to be continued, however; the studies showed that eight weeks after stopping use the hair was beginning to grow faster again.
The studies concerned facial and neck hair only so Vaniqa™ is not indicated for use elsewhere on the body.
Vaniqa™ seems to have many advantages for women with increased facial hair: It is applied to the skin twice a day instead of having to be taken internally; it works reasonably quickly, and side effects if they occur at all, seem to be quite mild. When applied right after hair has been removed with a razor, mild stinging can occur; but this was not very bothersome. Although a prescription is required, it is likely that many dermatologists and family physicians will be willing to prescribe it. The price is expected to be about $50 for a tube which should last for about two months. As with other prescription medications, it pays to shop around for the best price. The manufacturer expects it to be in pharmacies in mid-September.
Many women will be wondering how Vaniqa™ compares with other treatments such as spironolactone (Aldactone™), electrolysis or laser. I think it is too early to tell. My expectation is that most women whose primary concern is facial hair will be happy with the result. Those who have acne or alopecia or who wish reduction in body hair will still need to use other treatments for these.
We do not yet know how Vaniqa™ will compare with other treatments for unwanted hair. For women already on another medical treatment who start Vaniqa™, I recommend continuing that until Vaniqa™ has started to work. Of course many women with PCOS are on treatments such as insulin sensitizers which are needed for other aspects of the condition. You should discuss any change in your medications with your physician.
The release of Vaniqa™ is an important event for women with PCOS - for the first time, those troubled by unwanted facial hair will have an effective medication designed just for them.
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