Effect of Elagolix in comparison to Dienogest in the treatment of symptomatic adenomyosis

In: International Journal of Reproduction, Contraception, Obstetrics and Gynecology · 2025 · vol. 14(7) , pp. 2267–2273 · doi:10.18203/2320-1770.ijrcog20251977 · W4411679926
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AI-generated summary by claude@2026-06, 2026-06-08

Elagolix significantly reduced pain, heavy menstrual bleeding, and uterine volume in women with symptomatic adenomyosis compared to dienogest over a three-month treatment period.

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AI-generated deep summary by claude@2026-06, 2026-06-16 · read from full text

This randomized controlled trial compared elagolix versus dienogest in 58 women with symptomatic adenomyosis, assigning 29 participants to each arm and treating them for 3 months (elagolix 200 mg daily vs dienogest 2 mg daily) in a reproductive endocrinology/infertility department. The study found that post-treatment changes in VAS dysmenorrhea score, hemoglobin, uterine volume (median uterine volume reduction), and heavy menstrual bleeding reduction were significantly greater with elagolix than with dienogest after 3 months. The paper’s stated limitation is that the intervention and outcomes were assessed over this short 3-month period. This paper is centrally about adenomyosis — it compares elagolix and dienogest for symptomatic adenomyosis outcomes (pain, heavy menstrual bleeding, and uterine volume).

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Abstract

Background: Adenomyosis, a benign gynecological disorder, is diagnosed with increasing frequency in infertile patients since women delay their first pregnancy. Common symptoms of adenomyosis are dysmenorrhea and heavy menstrual bleeding (HMB), resulting in poor quality of life. Elagolix, the oral GnRH antagonist, acts by reducing the occurrence of ectopic endometrial implants in the myometrium. It diminishes uterine volume, reduces dysmenorrhea and heavy bleeding, and improves fertility outcomes. Dienogest, a synthetic oral progestin highly selective for progesterone receptors, reduces the painful symptoms in women with adenomyosis. The aim or this study was to compare the effect of Elagolix with Dienogest in the treatment of symptomatic adenomyosis. Methods: This randomized controlled trial was conducted in the department of reproductive endocrinology and infertility, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib medical university (BSMMU), Dhaka, from January 2024 to December 2024. A total of 58 participants with symptomatic adenomyosis were randomly assigned to 2 groups (n=29). Each group received either Elagolix (200 mg) or Dienogest (2 mg) once daily for 3 months. Results: Compared between the two groups, post-treatment mean changes of VAS score (6.25±1.83 vs 4.84±1.56), hemoglobin (-1.21±0.97 vs-0.20±0.56), and median uterine volume (5.1 vs 1.2) were significantly higher in the Elagolix group than the Dienogest group. HMB was also significantly reduced (3.7% vs 23.1%) in the Elagolix than the Dienogest group after 3 months of treatment. Conclusion: Elagolix significantly reduced VAS score, HMB, and uterine volume in symptomatic adenomyosis compared to Dienogest.
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Background

Adenomyosis, a benign gynecological disorder, is diagnosed with increasing frequency in infertile patients since women delay their first pregnancy. Common symptoms of adenomyosis are dysmenorrhea and heavy menstrual bleeding (HMB), resulting in poor quality of life. Elagolix, the oral GnRH antagonist, acts by reducing the occurrence of ectopic endometrial implants in the myometrium. It diminishes uterine volume, reduces dysmenorrhea and heavy bleeding, and improves fertility outcomes. Dienogest, a synthetic oral progestin highly selective for progesterone receptors, reduces the painful symptoms in women with adenomyosis. The aim or this study was to compare the effect of Elagolix with Dienogest in the treatment of symptomatic adenomyosis.

Methods

This randomized controlled trial was conducted in the department of reproductive endocrinology and infertility, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib medical university (BSMMU), Dhaka, from January 2024 to December 2024. A total of 58 participants with symptomatic adenomyosis were randomly assigned to 2 groups (n=29). Each group received either Elagolix (200 mg) or Dienogest (2 mg) once daily for 3 months.

Results

Compared between the two groups, post-treatment mean changes of VAS score (6.25±1.83 vs 4.84±1.56), hemoglobin (-1.21±0.97 vs-0.20±0.56), and median uterine volume (5.1 vs 1.2) were significantly higher in the Elagolix group than the Dienogest group. HMB was also significantly reduced (3.7% vs 23.1%) in the Elagolix than the Dienogest group after 3 months of treatment.

Conclusion

Elagolix significantly reduced VAS score, HMB, and uterine volume in symptomatic adenomyosis compared to Dienogest. Metrics

References

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Outcome instruments

VAS-pain MUSA

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adenomyosisdysmenorrheainfertility

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