Effectiveness of an antioxidant preparation with N-acetyl cysteine, alpha lipoic acid and bromelain in the treatment of endometriosis-associated pelvic pain: LEAP study

• Published in: European journal of obstetrics & gynecology and reproductive biology Vol. 228; pp. 221 - 224
• Main Authors: Lete, Iñaki, Mendoza, Nicolás, de la Viuda, Esther, Carmona, Francisco
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Ireland Elsevier B.V 01.09.2018
• Subjects: Acetylcysteine - therapeutic use; Adult; Alpha lipoic acid; Antioxidants; Antioxidants - therapeutic use; Bromelain; Bromelains - therapeutic use; Drug Combinations; Endometriosis - complications; Endometriosis-associated pelvic pain; Female; Humans; N-Acetyl cysteine; Pelvic Pain - drug therapy; Pelvic Pain - etiology; Pregnancy; Thioctic Acid - therapeutic use; Antioxidants; Bromelain; Endometriosis-associated pelvic pain; Alpha lipoic acid; N-Acetyl cysteine
• ISSN: 0301-2115; 1872-7654
• DOI: 10.1016/j.ejogrb.2018.07.002

To assess the impact of an antioxidant preparation with N-acetyl cysteine, alpha lipoic acid and bromelain on endometriosis-associated pelvic pain. Multicenter, open-label, non-comparative clinical trial in a representative sample of women with endometriosis-associated pelvic pain. In total, 398 patients with a mean age of 34.6 ± 7.2 years were treated with a combination of N-acetyl cysteine, alpha lipoic acid and bromelain for 6 months. At baseline, 92.7% of the patients had pain intensity > 4 on the visual analogue scale (VAS); at 3 months of treatment, this percentage decreased to 87.2% (p = 0.074) and at 6 months the percentage was 82.7% (p < 0.05). Women with endometriosis who wish to become pregnant and are treated with a preparation containing N-acetyl cysteine, alpha lipoic acid and bromelain experienced a significant improvement in endometriosis-associated pelvic pain and required lower intake of rescue analgesics.