Danazol

Women who suffer from endometriosis, a painful condition in which they have severe pain during the premenstrual and menstrual portions of their cycle, may take Danazol. Both men and women may take this medication in order to prevent angioedema attacks. Patients take this medication orally twice a day; women usually start while they are menstruating.

Warnings/Side Effects

This medication can cause birth defects, so women should not take it if they are pregnant. Women should not use oral contraceptives to prevent pregnancy while taking this medication, however, because doing so increases the risk of stroke.

This drug can also cause high blood pressure in the blood vessels of the brain, which increases the risk of stroke. High blood pressure in the brain is characterized by headaches, nausea and vision problems.

In addition to increased stroke risk, this medication increases the patient’s risk of serious liver disease. Patients should take regular blood tests to monitor their liver function and should inform their doctors immediately if they experience severe stomach pain, brown urine or jaundice.