Fibroid Tumors: Alternative Medicine to Avoid Hysterectomies

Standard medicine in this country has few answers for fibroid tumors other than hysterectomies, surgical procedures and some hormonal drugs that have serious side effects. There are alternative therapies to try first.

I wrote this article because I suffered from large fibroids a few years ago that caused several emergency visits because of abnormal bleeding. Both military and private doctors gave me one choice at the time, which was a hysterectomy. I refused and choose the path of alternative medicine.

Talking to women, I have found that most women either felt the operation really helped them, or they felt it was just as bad as the problem of the fibroid. In the later case, they suffered from hormonal problems that could not be corrected by the physicians after the operation. Their ability to enjoy sexual intercourse was also compromised in many cases. I have talked to a number of husbands who complain that after the surgery, their wife did not want sex anymore and ended intimacy. This article is to give women direction when seeking alternative therapies for their fibroid tumors.

What is a Fibroid tumor and what causes it?

A fibroid tumor is a benign tumor that forms in the wall of the uterus. It increases in size within the uterus as a baby would. As the fibroid grows it can cause some unpleasant symptoms including pain, cramping, pressure on the bladder, and severe heavy, bleeding. That bleeding is some cases is severe enough to require a D and C to stop it.

In most cases, fibroids exist and increase in size because of the over-production of estrogen. Most women who have fibroid tumors are estrogen dominant. Estrogen dominant means they produce too much estrogen and their hormonal system becomes imbalanced. The over-production of estrogen is caused from a number of factors including improper diet with too much caffeine and dairy products; lack of exercise; obesity; stress; liver function problems; uterine congestion; and emotions and pain that are suppressed. Yes, suppressed emotions are a factor in many diseases and imbalances.

How do alternative therapies work?

Diet and Lifestyle Therapy;

Drink more water: Water helps the kidneys and bladder to disperse excess estrogen. Water does not mean sodas, ice tea, coffee, and juices. A minimum of 4-8 ounce glasses should be consumed daily.

Eliminate dairy products and red meat containing growth hormones including estrogen. Hormones are given to cows to promote weight gain. Eat organic red meat and chicken.

Eliminate caffeine (sodas, coffee, caffeine drinks such as Red Bull) which stimulate the production of estrogen.

Elimination fast foods, junk food, high carb foods, alcohol, and all refined foods. The fast food American diet stimulates excess estrogen production

Eat Whole grain foods and beans for better nutritional balance and to keep a healthy hormonal balance.

Eat Vitamin C rich foods which help to keep estrogen in balance.

Add Fiber: Fiber helps to eliminate excess estrogen from the body which helps to prevent and decrease the growth of fibroid tumors.

Reduce your stress level: Meditation, music, gardening, counseling, religious support or hobbies are indicated to lower stress and lower the production of excess estrogen.

Maintain Normal Weight: Studies show that obesity stimulates estrogen production.

Start and maintain an exercise program; Exercise lowers Estrogen levels, thereby preventing and lowering the growth of the fibroids.

A word of caution, when fibroids are large, exercise equipment in gyms that put pressure on the uterus can cause a fibroid to bleed. One of my emergency trips was due to this. The attending physician advised me not to use gym equipment that puts pressure on the uterus. An intense walking program was advised instead. If you have large fibroids and are experiencing severe bleeding problems, seek the advice of a physician before starting an exercise program. Even sexual intercourse, can stimulate bleeding with large fibroids.

Hatha Yoga helps to reduce congestion in the uterus, improve blood circulation, and relax uterine muscles.

Herbs that help control severe uterine bleeding: It is advised to use these alternative methods under the supervision of a holistic doctor.

Shepherd's Purse: 15 drops taken 3 times a day helps some women in controlling uterine bleeding.

False Unicorn root: Mix 15 drops in water and drink hourly until bleeding is controlled.

Cayenne Pepper: This is the method I used personally. Take 1 capsule of cayenne pepper orally by mouth every two hours until bleeding normalizes. Take cayenne with food and there are some cayenne capsule formulations that are combined with other herbs that are easier on the stomach if you are sensitive. I never needed to go into the emergency room once I began using this method.

Herbs that help reduce fibroid growth:

Herbal Formulations that aid in fibroid control: It is advised to seek a holistic doctor to help you make sure you are taking the proper formulation correctly. If the formulation is not taken properly, you will not get the fibroid tumor reduction results you need. Herbs in these formulations include red raspberry, ladies' mantle, yarrow, white dead nettle, goldenseal, motherwort, stone root and ginger. Again, I do advice working with a holistic doctor on this problem.

Liver Support and detoxification herbs: The liver is responsible for helping the body to eliminate excess estrogen. If your liver is not working well, it contributes to excess estrogen production. A liver herbal formula will include herbs such as milk thistle, dandelion and yellow dock.

Essiac: The herbs in essiac help to detoxify the body and especially the liver and kidneys. The herbs assist the liver in getting rid of the excess estrogen. Essiac was the therapy I used very successfully along with diet to reduce my fibroids and avoid a hysterectomy. I took it twice daily, 2 ounces added to cranberry juice. I tried several brands of Essiac, which did not seem to work. The brand that did work included Cats Claw, which is a detoxifier and was not one of the original herbs in the Canadian formula that is famous. I took it daily for half a year and did see my fibroids shrink month by month. I later had an ultrasound to confirm that. I also had biopsies performed to make sure that my very large fibroids had not become cancerous. Most fibroids are benign and do not result in cancer but it is wise to keep a medical eye on them. By getting an ultrasound, it allows you to evaluate the success of your alternative therapy.

Chinese Acupuncture:

The Chinese protocol attributes uterine fibroids to blood flow that is being obstructed. Acupuncture is used close to the site of the fibroid tumor. Acupuncture also works to correct the balance between the hypothalamus, pituitary, and ovaries. This balance is important to the proper balance between progesterone and estrogen.

Chinese Herbs:

Chinese physicians use the herbs to restore normal blood flow in the pelvic area and reduce the production of abnormal cells. Their treatment seeks to restore hormonal balance, boost immunity, and restore blood deficiencies such as iron deficiency anemia caused from the abnormal bleeding. I would suggest you visit this site to review these Chinese therapies in depth here.

Reproductive organ massage: Specialized massage to unblock pelvic congestion and improve blood flow. It is explained here in this site.

References:

http://www.nurtureacupuncture.com/info_uterine_fibroid_tumors.php

Alternative Medicine, the Definitive Guide, 2^nd Edition, Ten Speed Press, authored by Deepak Chopra, M.D., pages 968-969

The Complete Encyclopedia of Natural Healing by Gary Null, PHD, published by Bottom Line Books, revised 2008, ISBN 0-88723-492-5pages 254-260

http://www.fubaohealthstore.com/NaturesUnique.html