Re: Can self-care shrink fibroids?

December 12, 1999

,

I have recently started a regime that I hope also will stabilize an 8 week

size uterus containing multiple fibroids. I drink green tea (decaf), use

vitex twice a day, take sharks cartilage, omitted completely all red meat and

dairy (I take calcium supplements to offset that) and have tried to eliminate

a lot of fat from my diet. If the least I do is keep them from getting any

bigger until menopause (I am 46), then I will be thrilled. I also use

progesterone cream (natural) for 14 days out of the month, which by the way

in itself has helped me so much with other PMS type issues. I stopped taking

soy because I got scared when I heard that it contains (or is a precursor??)

to estrogen. I was taking Genistein tablets every day because I heard that

soy was very good for us, but stopped about a month ago. I am not clear on

the soy/estrogen situation so if anyone would like to tell me different I

would like to hear about it.

If all else fails and they continue to grow then my next move will be for

sure to have a UAE with Dr. Niedzweicki in Clearwater, FL where I live.

Good luck to all!

Beth

December 12, 1999

In a message dated 99-12-12 14:55:50 EST, you write:

<< I stopped taking soy because I got scared when I heard that it contains

(or is a precursor??) to estrogen. I was taking Genistein tablets every day

because I heard that soy was very good for us, but stopped about a month

ago. I am not clear on

the soy/estrogen situation so if anyone would like to tell me different I

would like to hear about it. >>

I think I can answer that. Soy contains phytoestrogens, but despite the scary

name, they don't increase the estrogen in your system. According to a book I

have on vitamins & minerals, flavonoids (such as soy), " encourage a better

balance of " good " to " bad " estrogen by binding to sites for bad estrogen and

helping our bodies metabolize the bad estrogen. " (This " bad estrogen " is

called estradiol.) " An excess of [estradiol] is implicated in breast cancer,

prostate cancer, menopausal symptoms, premenstrual symptoms, endometriosis,

fibrocystic breast disease and possibly other hormonally related disorders.

Flavonoids help the body to convert estradiol to estriol, the safe and

protective form of estrogen. In fact, estriol is the preferred form of

estrogen in hormone replacement therapy....Rich sources of the phytoestrogens

are found in soybean products, and may be one reason for the lower incidence

of estrogen-dependent disorders found in Easter countries whose cuisines

include soybean foods. " -- source: The Real Vitamin & Mineral Book (2nd

ed.) by Shari Lieberman and Bruning.

I've read about soy in a number of other places and they've all been very

reassuring that phytoestrogens do not contribute to estrogen dominance in the

body, and in fact may help to offset it.

I hope this helps,

December 12, 1999

In a message dated 99-12-12 15:14:51 EST, you write:

<< found in Easter countries >>

err...make that " Eastern countries " .

, picturing countries with the Easter bunny on their flags

December 12, 1999

L38230@... wrote:

> In my ongoing quest for information, I just got hold of Dr. Stringer's

> book " Uterine fibroids: what every woman needs to know " (published in 1996.)

> Has anyone else read this one? There is a lot of good basic information in

> it, especially about the anatomy involved in fibroid growth, but the author

> seems very surgery-centered to me (mostly myomectomy).

Surgery-centered is an understatement of what dear Dr. Stringer is all

about......

He owns over 110 website URLs and is incorporated as a mega franchiser of

uterine

fibroid treatment centers...

As a woman, for $45 you can be a member of his fibroid org and be guaranteed of

receiving a referral to a gyn who will offer you something other than

hysterectomy...

Carla Dionne

mailto:cdionne@...

http://www.uterinefibroids.com

/list/uterinefibroids

December 12, 1999

Beth,

According to my sources, you can start taking your soy again. Soy products

do create a kind of estrogen, but one that is good for our bodies, unlike

the one that is " bad " and causes our fibroids. According to the book

" Living with Herbal Wisdom " , often fibroids are " due to too much of a

potentially carcinogenic form of estrogen " . Soy does not create this type

of estrogen, but instead benefits the body by providing us with protective

" phytoestrogens " that actually help to relieve some of the symptoms uterine

fibroids cause. Soy products " contain a group of chemicals called

phytoestrogens that may offer significant protection against prostate cancer

in men and estrogenically driven diseases in women, including breast cancer,

endometriosis, fibrocystic breast disease, and uterine fibroids, as well as

the discomforts of menopause. Two of the best known soy phytoestrogens -

genistein and daidzein - are being explored for their ability to moderate

human hormonal imbalances " .

This book also goes on to explain about treatments that we've been

discussing on this list. The book says as follows:

" Vitex slows the growth of fibroids and even helps dissolve them by

normalizing hormonal imbalances. As fibroids are dissolved, herbs such as

prickly ash bark, ginger, cleavers, mullein and burdock assist the lymph and

blood systems in eliminating the fibroids tissue. Regular use of castor oil

packs and sitz baths also help to eliminate fibroids, probably by improving

circulation. Castor oil packs should be used at least three times a week,

30 to 60 minutes per session; sitz baths should be taken as often as

possible, every day if you can manage it. While you are working on getting

rid of your fibroids, you can also take herbs to relieve the symptoms. It

is important to keep excessive bleeding, menstrual cramps and anemia

controlled with the appropriate herbs because these problems will slow the

healing process. Herbs that reduce bleeding and strengthen the uterus

include red raspberry and motherwort. It is best to avoid herbs that

stimulate menstrual bleeding, such as don quai, unless a knowledgeable

herbalist includes them in a formula designed for you.

Uterine Fibroid Tea

1 teaspoon each burdock root, cramp bark, motherwort leaves and wild yam

rhizome

1/2 teaspoon each prickly ash bark, cleavers leaves, mullein leaves and

ginger rhizome

1 quart water

Combine herbs and water in a pot and bring to a boil. Lower heat and simmer

for a few minutes. Turn off heat and let sit for about 20 minutes. Strain

and drink at least 2 cups a day. This formula can also be taken as a

tincture or pills, which can be more practical, since you may need to take

it for several months. "

I hope this helps everyone. This book has offered quite a few good

suggestions for me that have worked. I haven't made the tea yet but plan to

when I can get to a good store where they have all of these herbs. If

anyone knows more in depth about the soy issue, it would be great to hear

more about phytoestrogens.

Thanks,

Glenys

December 12, 1999

No offense, but I went this route over 3 years ago -- right down to the castor

oil packs. Sorry, it did nothing at all for my fibroids. Going vegetarian was

the ONLY thing that had any impact -- and that was only on the bleeding symptoms

-- not on the growth of the fibroids themselves. Excessive bleeding did resume,

however, over time. It may have been controlled and restricted to my period

each month -- but it still resumed to excessive clotting levels. I did the

castor oil packs for MONTHS with no positive impact whatsoever on my fibroids.

My perspective was that they had more to do with reducing your stress levels and

creating a " calming effect " by ensuring you were resting daily for at least an

hour in a state of total relaxation than any real medicinal benefit. I've yet

to read of actual connections to purported medicinal benefits with this

particular treatment and am trying to rationalize (right now) how they could

possibly increase circulation and thereby eliminate fibroids.

Many of these herbal remedies do having calming effects on the nervous system

and may well reduce cortisol levels which in turn may help to keep hormones in

balance. But I've yet to meet any woman who truly had fibroids " dissolve " or

" disappear " with any of these remedies. They do seem to help the symptoms

(bleeding, cramping, etc.) and can often buy women time in slowing the growth.

But make them disappear? I don't know. Since there's no research going on in

this area it's just about impossible to say one way or the other.

Oh, I have had 1 report from a physician who took RU-486 combined with another

drug and had a cantaloupe size fibroid disappear. That was a pretty amazing

story. But haven't heard of stories of fibroids totally disappearing from use

of herbs, castor oil packs, or sitz baths. If any one tries this and has

success, don't forget to report back to us!!!!

Carla Dionne

Glenys wrote:

> Beth,

>

> According to my sources, you can start taking your soy again. Soy products

> do create a kind of estrogen, but one that is good for our bodies, unlike

> the one that is " bad " and causes our fibroids. According to the book

> " Living with Herbal Wisdom " , often fibroids are " due to too much of a

> potentially carcinogenic form of estrogen " . Soy does not create this type

> of estrogen, but instead benefits the body by providing us with protective

> " phytoestrogens " that actually help to relieve some of the symptoms uterine

> fibroids cause. Soy products " contain a group of chemicals called

> phytoestrogens that may offer significant protection against prostate cancer

> in men and estrogenically driven diseases in women, including breast cancer,

> endometriosis, fibrocystic breast disease, and uterine fibroids, as well as

> the discomforts of menopause. Two of the best known soy phytoestrogens -

> genistein and daidzein - are being explored for their ability to moderate

> human hormonal imbalances " .

>

> This book also goes on to explain about treatments that we've been

> discussing on this list. The book says as follows:

>

> " Vitex slows the growth of fibroids and even helps dissolve them by

> normalizing hormonal imbalances. As fibroids are dissolved, herbs such as

> prickly ash bark, ginger, cleavers, mullein and burdock assist the lymph and

> blood systems in eliminating the fibroids tissue. Regular use of castor oil

> packs and sitz baths also help to eliminate fibroids, probably by improving

> circulation. Castor oil packs should be used at least three times a week,

> 30 to 60 minutes per session; sitz baths should be taken as often as

> possible, every day if you can manage it. While you are working on getting

> rid of your fibroids, you can also take herbs to relieve the symptoms. It

> is important to keep excessive bleeding, menstrual cramps and anemia

> controlled with the appropriate herbs because these problems will slow the

> healing process. Herbs that reduce bleeding and strengthen the uterus

> include red raspberry and motherwort. It is best to avoid herbs that

> stimulate menstrual bleeding, such as don quai, unless a knowledgeable

> herbalist includes them in a formula designed for you.

>

> Uterine Fibroid Tea

> 1 teaspoon each burdock root, cramp bark, motherwort leaves and wild yam

> rhizome

> 1/2 teaspoon each prickly ash bark, cleavers leaves, mullein leaves and

> ginger rhizome

> 1 quart water

>

> Combine herbs and water in a pot and bring to a boil. Lower heat and simmer

> for a few minutes. Turn off heat and let sit for about 20 minutes. Strain

> and drink at least 2 cups a day. This formula can also be taken as a

> tincture or pills, which can be more practical, since you may need to take

> it for several months. "

>

> I hope this helps everyone. This book has offered quite a few good

> suggestions for me that have worked. I haven't made the tea yet but plan to

> when I can get to a good store where they have all of these herbs. If

> anyone knows more in depth about the soy issue, it would be great to hear

> more about phytoestrogens.

>

> Thanks,

> Glenys

December 12, 1999

,

I think you've hit on a key question here plus also can self-help

prevent further fibroid growth. Clearly not all fibroids continue growing.

Some 40 per cent of women aged 50 have them and many have no or little

trouble from them.

They surely are a response to pathogens and life-style disorders and so

should respond to removal of the pathogen and changes of lifestyle.

Whether, once there, they can be regressed is another matter.

Top candidates for causing fibroids:

Estrogen dominance due to premature cessation of ovulation resulting in loss

of body's progesterone production.

Xeno-estrogens from birth pill and from organochlorines used as fertilisers.

Over-eating.

Unhealthy eating.

Lack of exercise.

Stress.

(US only) Growth hormones used in rearing livestock

Once diagnosed with a fibroid, positive action to address its causes seems

a must to me.

Since stress is very difficult to limit in modern societies, for me the

key areas of self-help are diet, exercise and rebalancing one 's hormones

with natural supplements.

IN with a vegetable-based diet and lots of soya, OUT with red meat.

I have just started trying out natural progesterone and aim to keep a

diary of how I get on. I am unsure about the relative merits of taking

natural progesterone and using more traditional methods such as

chaste-berry, which perhaps encourage the body to regain production of its

own progesterone? Does anyone know what it is meant to do?

It would be good if women trying both these methods could share experiences

on effectiveness in preventing fibroid growth. Perhaps annual ultrasounds

would be needed to monitor whether these techniques are being effective in

preventing fibroid growth/ regressing fibroids.

Can self-care shrink fibroids?

>In my ongoing quest for information, I just got hold of Dr.

Stringer's

>book " Uterine fibroids: what every woman needs to know " (published in

1996.)

>Has anyone else read this one? There is a lot of good basic information in

>it, especially about the anatomy involved in fibroid growth, but the author

>seems very surgery-centered to me (mostly myomectomy).

>

>As I've posted before, I've started adding more soy to my diet in an effort

>to counteract the estrogen dominance in my system that has probably led up

to

>my current situation. I'm also taking vitamins: B complex, C, E, as well as

a

>multi-vitamin. I'm also taking Evening Primrose Oil. Today I added in

chaste

>tree berry (vitex), based on what I've read in books and posts on this

>discussion group. My hope is, at the very least, to stabilize my system so

>that my current fibroids won't grow, and at best, to shrink the fibroids.

>

>However, this doctor says in his book " Many unqualified individuals and

>organizations sell diets and herbs as treatments to shrink fibroids. Avoid

>these treatments. To my knowledge, no specific dietary change or herbal

>extract will cause fibroids to shrink. "

>

>I'm still going to go ahead with my various vitamins and supplements. None

of

>them should cause me any harm. But is there anyone on this list who has

used

>any or all of what I'm using and had success in shrinking her fibroids? I'm

>particularly interested in knowing if vitex really works.

>

>Thanks,

>

>------------------------------------------------------------------------

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>http://clickhere./click/1709

>

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>

December 13, 1999

What is a sitz bath?

Glenys on 12/12/99 03:26:00 PM

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