Re: Any experiences anywhere of shrinkage?

[Guest guest]

:

I am one of the people who has been using alternative medical practices for

my fibroid and other medical problems. I too have searched for any woman who has

experienced shrinkage of a fibroid while using alternative practices such as

progesterone cream, herbs, castor oil packs, dietary changes. It seems that the

symptoms of bleeding and cramping improve for some but the fibroid does not

shrink. I've been thinking a lot about it and I have a theory that these things

work much better as prevention than cure. Once the fibroid establishes its own

blood supply, how could these practices interfere with that? At that point it is

being fed by the vascular network instead of or in addition to excess estrogen.

I think I saw something in the archives to this list about the beneficial effect

of menopause on fibroids being due to the shutting down of blood flow to the

uterus that occurs at that time, so once again perhaps blood supply is the key,

not estrogen level. And UAE cuts off the blood supply.

I've got an appt. in mid June for an IR consult in Columbus and an ultrasound.

Hoping to get the UAE soon afterwards. I've got one question about the use of

caster oil packs AFTER the procedure. Has anyone tried that? The instructions

say not to do them during your period. The rationale is that castor oil helps

dissolve tumors so I am wondering if it might not help in the breakdown of the

dead fibroid after the UAE. Since it is an alternative Edgar Cayce type therapy

and UAE is relatively new, there might not be any information on these two

therapies used in conjunction with each other.

By the way, they asked me who my referring physician was for the UAE and I said

the Internet! Hopefully the new gyn I am going to see next week will cooperate

with the program. It would be nice to have someone here in town in my corner.

Helen

" Bell, B " wrote:

> I've read several books by alternative medicine practitioners, and most

> claim to have had success, at least occasionally, with shrinking fibroids.

> Most of them admit it's a minority, and they can't attribute it to any one

> thing, but they make it sound like it's possible. Dr. Lee almost

> guarantees shrinkage. However, from what I can tell, a huge number of us on

> this list have tried dietary changes as well as dietary supplements (herbs,

> vitamins, progesterone cream, homeopathic remedies) in an attempt to address

> the fibroid problem, but I haven't really seen any posts about success in

> this area.

>

> Have ANY of you ever experienced shrinkage, or have you heard of any real

> person who has (not just a report of someone from a physician)?

>

> Just curious as to whether there's any hope. Trying all the stuff I've

> tried takes a lot of effort. I'm wondering if it's worth it, as opposed to

> " just living. " It seems to me the experience of people here is if you have

> them, they're going to continue to grow until menopause.

> B.

> " When I was in school, I cheated on my metaphysics exam:

> I looked into the soul of the boy sitting next to me. " - Woody

>

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

> Find out your allergy risks online!

> Get a $10 discount at eNutrition just for trying it.

> And a chance to win a desert Spa Getaway.

> Click Here:

> http://click./1/4575/7/_/4009/_/959343142/

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

[Guest guest]

I've been trying diet and progesterone cream. It's early days yet and I

don't expect shrinkage but I'm encouraged by the fact that there is no

growth. With diet I have found the extra effort is becoming a genuine

preference and an attunement to what my body actually wants. And there is

the point that the beneficial effects are not limited to fibroid and

periods. Cancer, heart disease and all manner of nasty maladies are a

greater risk as one gets older and a healthy diet is a defence against most

of them. Also I reckon consumption of environmental pollutants via diet -

eg xeno-oestrogens in fertilisers and pesticides and water supply or, if

you are in the US, growth hormones in animal feed - are top suspects for

causing pre-menopausal disorders such as fibroids.

Re: Any experiences anywhere of shrinkage?

>:

> I am one of the people who has been using alternative medical practices

for

>my fibroid and other medical problems. I too have searched for any woman

who has

>experienced shrinkage of a fibroid while using alternative practices such

as

>progesterone cream, herbs, castor oil packs, dietary changes. It seems that

the

>symptoms of bleeding and cramping improve for some but the fibroid does not

>shrink. I've been thinking a lot about it and I have a theory that these

things

>work much better as prevention than cure. Once the fibroid establishes its

own

>blood supply, how could these practices interfere with that? At that point

it is

>being fed by the vascular network instead of or in addition to excess

estrogen.

>I think I saw something in the archives to this list about the beneficial

effect

>of menopause on fibroids being due to the shutting down of blood flow to

the

>uterus that occurs at that time, so once again perhaps blood supply is the

key,

>not estrogen level. And UAE cuts off the blood supply.

>

>I've got an appt. in mid June for an IR consult in Columbus and an

ultrasound.

>Hoping to get the UAE soon afterwards. I've got one question about the use

of

>caster oil packs AFTER the procedure. Has anyone tried that? The

instructions

>say not to do them during your period. The rationale is that castor oil

helps

>dissolve tumors so I am wondering if it might not help in the breakdown of

the

>dead fibroid after the UAE. Since it is an alternative Edgar Cayce type

therapy

>and UAE is relatively new, there might not be any information on these two

>therapies used in conjunction with each other.

>

>By the way, they asked me who my referring physician was for the UAE and I

said

>the Internet! Hopefully the new gyn I am going to see next week will

cooperate

>with the program. It would be nice to have someone here in town in my

corner.

>

>Helen

>

> " Bell, B " wrote:

>

>> I've read several books by alternative medicine practitioners, and most

>> claim to have had success, at least occasionally, with shrinking

fibroids.

>> Most of them admit it's a minority, and they can't attribute it to any

one

>> thing, but they make it sound like it's possible. Dr. Lee almost

>> guarantees shrinkage. However, from what I can tell, a huge number of us

on

>> this list have tried dietary changes as well as dietary supplements

(herbs,

>> vitamins, progesterone cream, homeopathic remedies) in an attempt to

address

>> the fibroid problem, but I haven't really seen any posts about success in

>> this area.

>>

>> Have ANY of you ever experienced shrinkage, or have you heard of any real

>> person who has (not just a report of someone from a physician)?

>>

>> Just curious as to whether there's any hope. Trying all the stuff I've

>> tried takes a lot of effort. I'm wondering if it's worth it, as opposed

to

>> " just living. " It seems to me the experience of people here is if you

have

>> them, they're going to continue to grow until menopause.

>> B.

>> " When I was in school, I cheated on my metaphysics exam:

>> I looked into the soul of the boy sitting next to me. " - Woody

>>

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

>> Find out your allergy risks online!

>> Get a $10 discount at eNutrition just for trying it.

>> And a chance to win a desert Spa Getaway.

>> Click Here:

>> http://click./1/4575/7/_/4009/_/959343142/

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

>

>

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

>Old school buds here:

>http://click./1/4057/7/_/4009/_/959358543/

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

>

>

[Guest guest]

I've been trying diet and progesterone cream. It's early days yet and I

don't expect shrinkage but I'm encouraged by the fact that there is no

growth. With diet I have found the extra effort is becoming a genuine

preference and an attunement to what my body actually wants. And there is

the point that the beneficial effects are not limited to fibroid and

periods. Cancer, heart disease and all manner of nasty maladies are a

greater risk as one gets older and a healthy diet is a defence against most

of them. Also I reckon consumption of environmental pollutants via diet -

eg xeno-oestrogens in fertilisers and pesticides and water supply or, if

you are in the US, growth hormones in animal feed - are top suspects for

causing pre-menopausal disorders such as fibroids.

Re: Any experiences anywhere of shrinkage?

>:

> I am one of the people who has been using alternative medical practices

for

>my fibroid and other medical problems. I too have searched for any woman

who has

>experienced shrinkage of a fibroid while using alternative practices such

as

>progesterone cream, herbs, castor oil packs, dietary changes. It seems that

the

>symptoms of bleeding and cramping improve for some but the fibroid does not

>shrink. I've been thinking a lot about it and I have a theory that these

things

>work much better as prevention than cure. Once the fibroid establishes its

own

>blood supply, how could these practices interfere with that? At that point

it is

>being fed by the vascular network instead of or in addition to excess

estrogen.

>I think I saw something in the archives to this list about the beneficial

effect

>of menopause on fibroids being due to the shutting down of blood flow to

the

>uterus that occurs at that time, so once again perhaps blood supply is the

key,

>not estrogen level. And UAE cuts off the blood supply.

>

>I've got an appt. in mid June for an IR consult in Columbus and an

ultrasound.

>Hoping to get the UAE soon afterwards. I've got one question about the use

of

>caster oil packs AFTER the procedure. Has anyone tried that? The

instructions

>say not to do them during your period. The rationale is that castor oil

helps

>dissolve tumors so I am wondering if it might not help in the breakdown of

the

>dead fibroid after the UAE. Since it is an alternative Edgar Cayce type

therapy

>and UAE is relatively new, there might not be any information on these two

>therapies used in conjunction with each other.

>

>By the way, they asked me who my referring physician was for the UAE and I

said

>the Internet! Hopefully the new gyn I am going to see next week will

cooperate

>with the program. It would be nice to have someone here in town in my

corner.

>

>Helen

>

> " Bell, B " wrote:

>

>> I've read several books by alternative medicine practitioners, and most

>> claim to have had success, at least occasionally, with shrinking

fibroids.

>> Most of them admit it's a minority, and they can't attribute it to any

one

>> thing, but they make it sound like it's possible. Dr. Lee almost

>> guarantees shrinkage. However, from what I can tell, a huge number of us

on

>> this list have tried dietary changes as well as dietary supplements

(herbs,

>> vitamins, progesterone cream, homeopathic remedies) in an attempt to

address

>> the fibroid problem, but I haven't really seen any posts about success in

>> this area.

>>

>> Have ANY of you ever experienced shrinkage, or have you heard of any real

>> person who has (not just a report of someone from a physician)?

>>

>> Just curious as to whether there's any hope. Trying all the stuff I've

>> tried takes a lot of effort. I'm wondering if it's worth it, as opposed

to

>> " just living. " It seems to me the experience of people here is if you

have

>> them, they're going to continue to grow until menopause.

>> B.

>> " When I was in school, I cheated on my metaphysics exam:

>> I looked into the soul of the boy sitting next to me. " - Woody

>>

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

>> Find out your allergy risks online!

>> Get a $10 discount at eNutrition just for trying it.

>> And a chance to win a desert Spa Getaway.

>> Click Here:

>> http://click./1/4575/7/_/4009/_/959343142/

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

>

>

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

>Old school buds here:

>http://click./1/4057/7/_/4009/_/959358543/

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

>

>

[Guest guest]

I would never argue with the importance of dietary improvements and

avoidance of toxins, but in my experience in doing so has not shrunk

my fibroid. That is my point. I've been on an organic plant-based

diet for years, have been using progesterone cream for nine months,

plus using herbs and castor oil packs on my fibroid. My subjective

sense is that it has grown despite these measures. I'm getting

another

ultrasound on June 14th as a preliminary step toward UAE, so then

I'll know for sure.

Last fall after I learned I had a moderate-sized fibroid I bought Dr.

Lee's 1999 book What Your Doctor May Not Tell You About Pre-Menopause

and studied it as if it were holy scripture. Dr. Lee leads one to

believe that alternative measures can cause a fibroid to shrink but

that has not been my experience and he supplies no hard data to back

up his claim. The case history in the fibroid/enlarged uterus section

is of a woman with a huge fibroid and penchant for subsisting on

dairy products who is given a shot of Lupron because it is an

emergency situation and counseled to change her diet and use

progesterone cream. In the following weeks she felt her uterus

softening and the fibroid going down. I would like to know what

happened to her after the Lupron wore off but we are not told this.

As for me, I hope to get a UAE. I suspect that once a fibroid

establishes a foothold the natural therapies are not enough to turn

the tide. I will continue with my diet regardless for all the reasons

of good health that Liz lists and hope that she has some success with

her fibroid, and if so, reports back to us. If the ultrasound reveals

that my fibroid has shrunk, contrary to my subjective impression that

it has grown, well, then I don't have to go through with the UAE and

I can then say that the natural remedies are helpful with my specific

goal of shrinking the tumor. But at 44, menopause could be a long way

off and I don't want the damn thing rupturing my bladder in the

meantime, as it appears to be bent on doing.

Helen

> >

> >> I've read several books by alternative medicine practitioners,

and most

> >> claim to have had success, at least occasionally, with shrinking

> fibroids.

> >> Most of them admit it's a minority, and they can't attribute it

to any

> one

> >> thing, but they make it sound like it's possible. Dr. Lee

almost

> >> guarantees shrinkage. However, from what I can tell, a huge

number of us

> on

> >> this list have tried dietary changes as well as dietary

supplements

> (herbs,

> >> vitamins, progesterone cream, homeopathic remedies) in an

attempt

to

> address

> >> the fibroid problem, but I haven't really seen any posts about

success in

> >> this area.

> >>

> >> Have ANY of you ever experienced shrinkage, or have you heard of

any real

> >> person who has (not just a report of someone from a physician)?

> >>

> >> Just curious as to whether there's any hope. Trying all the

stuff I've

> >> tried takes a lot of effort. I'm wondering if it's worth it, as

opposed

> to

> >> " just living. " It seems to me the experience of people here is

if you

> have

> >> them, they're going to continue to grow until menopause.

> >> B.

> >> " When I was in school, I cheated on my metaphysics exam:

> >> I looked into the soul of the boy sitting next to me. " - Woody

> >>

> >>

----------------------------------------------------------------------

--

> >> Find out your allergy risks online!

> >> Get a $10 discount at eNutrition just for trying it.

> >> And a chance to win a desert Spa Getaway.

> >> Click Here:

> >> http://click./1/4575/7/_/4009/_/959343142/

> >>

----------------------------------------------------------------------

--

> >

> >

>

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

---

> >Old school buds here:

> >http://click./1/4057/7/_/4009/_/959358543/

>

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

---

> >

> >

[Guest guest]

I would never argue with the importance of dietary improvements and

avoidance of toxins, but in my experience in doing so has not shrunk

my fibroid. That is my point. I've been on an organic plant-based

diet for years, have been using progesterone cream for nine months,

plus using herbs and castor oil packs on my fibroid. My subjective

sense is that it has grown despite these measures. I'm getting

another

ultrasound on June 14th as a preliminary step toward UAE, so then

I'll know for sure.

Last fall after I learned I had a moderate-sized fibroid I bought Dr.

Lee's 1999 book What Your Doctor May Not Tell You About Pre-Menopause

and studied it as if it were holy scripture. Dr. Lee leads one to

believe that alternative measures can cause a fibroid to shrink but

that has not been my experience and he supplies no hard data to back

up his claim. The case history in the fibroid/enlarged uterus section

is of a woman with a huge fibroid and penchant for subsisting on

dairy products who is given a shot of Lupron because it is an

emergency situation and counseled to change her diet and use

progesterone cream. In the following weeks she felt her uterus

softening and the fibroid going down. I would like to know what

happened to her after the Lupron wore off but we are not told this.

As for me, I hope to get a UAE. I suspect that once a fibroid

establishes a foothold the natural therapies are not enough to turn

the tide. I will continue with my diet regardless for all the reasons

of good health that Liz lists and hope that she has some success with

her fibroid, and if so, reports back to us. If the ultrasound reveals

that my fibroid has shrunk, contrary to my subjective impression that

it has grown, well, then I don't have to go through with the UAE and

I can then say that the natural remedies are helpful with my specific

goal of shrinking the tumor. But at 44, menopause could be a long way

off and I don't want the damn thing rupturing my bladder in the

meantime, as it appears to be bent on doing.

Helen

> >

> >> I've read several books by alternative medicine practitioners,

and most

> >> claim to have had success, at least occasionally, with shrinking

> fibroids.

> >> Most of them admit it's a minority, and they can't attribute it

to any

> one

> >> thing, but they make it sound like it's possible. Dr. Lee

almost

> >> guarantees shrinkage. However, from what I can tell, a huge

number of us

> on

> >> this list have tried dietary changes as well as dietary

supplements

> (herbs,

> >> vitamins, progesterone cream, homeopathic remedies) in an

attempt

to

> address

> >> the fibroid problem, but I haven't really seen any posts about

success in

> >> this area.

> >>

> >> Have ANY of you ever experienced shrinkage, or have you heard of

any real

> >> person who has (not just a report of someone from a physician)?

> >>

> >> Just curious as to whether there's any hope. Trying all the

stuff I've

> >> tried takes a lot of effort. I'm wondering if it's worth it, as

opposed

> to

> >> " just living. " It seems to me the experience of people here is

if you

> have

> >> them, they're going to continue to grow until menopause.

> >> B.

> >> " When I was in school, I cheated on my metaphysics exam:

> >> I looked into the soul of the boy sitting next to me. " - Woody

> >>

> >>

----------------------------------------------------------------------

--

> >> Find out your allergy risks online!

> >> Get a $10 discount at eNutrition just for trying it.

> >> And a chance to win a desert Spa Getaway.

> >> Click Here:

> >> http://click./1/4575/7/_/4009/_/959343142/

> >>

----------------------------------------------------------------------

--

> >

> >

>

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

---

> >Old school buds here:

> >http://click./1/4057/7/_/4009/_/959358543/

>

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

---

> >

> >

[Guest guest]

I agree diet, natural progesterone and herbs probably don't shrink fibroids.

As you say, once the thing is established with its blood supply it is

unlikely to just go away.

But if they can stop them growing that would be a big plus in my opinion.

I agree Dr Lee could be a bit carried away with himself. We need more

research in this area.

In the meantime, there's only anecdote and shared experience to go on. I am

currently tossing up between more natural progesterone - which I tried for

three months and seemed helpful but also gave me severe cramps I have never

had before - and trying out herbs - Dong Quai, Vitex etc. Restoring hormonal

balance seems to be the key to preventing growth but I need more

information.

How long should one take progesterone for? how much to take?

Can you encourage your body to start producing progesterone again with a

concoction of herbs, or once the pattern of oestrogen dominance is

established is the only way to counter it by supplementing progesterone?

Doing nothing may also be an option. Isn't it about a fifth of all women

aged 30 to 40 who have fibroids? My aunt had one and was nearly given a

hysterectomy in her 40s, but the hospital relented at the last minute. She

did nothing and never had any trouble with it again. So in many cases they

presumably don't grow much or at all once they are established at a certain

size.

I regard surgery as strictly for extreme life-threatening conditions or

broken limbs. So perhaps I need to accept that I am not going to get a

perfect solution - such as the fibroid withering away altogether. There is

going to be an element of living with it - gnarled and

hormonally-challenged, my aging uterus is not the springy, responsive

pear-shaped organ it once was. Difficult and inconvenient it may be, but it

is still a vital, living sexual part of me. And so I shall put up with it

and care for it.

I'd be interested to know the outcome of your ultrasound.

Re: Any experiences anywhere of shrinkage?

>I would never argue with the importance of dietary improvements and

>avoidance of toxins, but in my experience in doing so has not shrunk

>my fibroid. That is my point. I've been on an organic plant-based

>diet for years, have been using progesterone cream for nine months,

>plus using herbs and castor oil packs on my fibroid. My subjective

>sense is that it has grown despite these measures. I'm getting

>another

>ultrasound on June 14th as a preliminary step toward UAE, so then

>I'll know for sure.

>

>Last fall after I learned I had a moderate-sized fibroid I bought Dr.

>Lee's 1999 book What Your Doctor May Not Tell You About Pre-Menopause

>and studied it as if it were holy scripture. Dr. Lee leads one to

>believe that alternative measures can cause a fibroid to shrink but

>that has not been my experience and he supplies no hard data to back

>up his claim. The case history in the fibroid/enlarged uterus section

>is of a woman with a huge fibroid and penchant for subsisting on

>dairy products who is given a shot of Lupron because it is an

>emergency situation and counseled to change her diet and use

>progesterone cream. In the following weeks she felt her uterus

>softening and the fibroid going down. I would like to know what

>happened to her after the Lupron wore off but we are not told this.

>

>As for me, I hope to get a UAE. I suspect that once a fibroid

>establishes a foothold the natural therapies are not enough to turn

>the tide. I will continue with my diet regardless for all the reasons

>of good health that Liz lists and hope that she has some success with

>her fibroid, and if so, reports back to us. If the ultrasound reveals

>that my fibroid has shrunk, contrary to my subjective impression that

>it has grown, well, then I don't have to go through with the UAE and

>I can then say that the natural remedies are helpful with my specific

>goal of shrinking the tumor. But at 44, menopause could be a long way

>off and I don't want the damn thing rupturing my bladder in the

>meantime, as it appears to be bent on doing.

>

>Helen

>

>

>

>> >

>> >> I've read several books by alternative medicine practitioners,

>and most

>> >> claim to have had success, at least occasionally, with shrinking

>> fibroids.

>> >> Most of them admit it's a minority, and they can't attribute it

>to any

>> one

>> >> thing, but they make it sound like it's possible. Dr. Lee

>almost

>> >> guarantees shrinkage. However, from what I can tell, a huge

>number of us

>> on

>> >> this list have tried dietary changes as well as dietary

>supplements

>> (herbs,

>> >> vitamins, progesterone cream, homeopathic remedies) in an

>attempt

>to

>> address

>> >> the fibroid problem, but I haven't really seen any posts about

>success in

>> >> this area.

>> >>

>> >> Have ANY of you ever experienced shrinkage, or have you heard of

>any real

>> >> person who has (not just a report of someone from a physician)?

>> >>

>> >> Just curious as to whether there's any hope. Trying all the

>stuff I've

>> >> tried takes a lot of effort. I'm wondering if it's worth it, as

>opposed

>> to

>> >> " just living. " It seems to me the experience of people here is

>if you

>> have

>> >> them, they're going to continue to grow until menopause.

>> >> B.

>> >> " When I was in school, I cheated on my metaphysics exam:

>> >> I looked into the soul of the boy sitting next to me. " - Woody

>

>> >>

>> >>

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

>--

>> >> Find out your allergy risks online!

>> >> Get a $10 discount at eNutrition just for trying it.

>> >> And a chance to win a desert Spa Getaway.

>> >> Click Here:

>> >> http://click./1/4575/7/_/4009/_/959343142/

>> >>

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

>--

>> >

>> >

>>

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

>---

>> >Old school buds here:

>> >http://click./1/4057/7/_/4009/_/959358543/

>>

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

>---

>> >

>> >

>

>

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

>Find out your allergy risks online!

>Get a $10 discount at eNutrition just for trying it.

>And a chance to win a desert Spa Getaway.

>Click Here:

>http://click./1/4575/7/_/4009/_/959376827/

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

>

>

[Guest guest]

I agree diet, natural progesterone and herbs probably don't shrink fibroids.

As you say, once the thing is established with its blood supply it is

unlikely to just go away.

But if they can stop them growing that would be a big plus in my opinion.

I agree Dr Lee could be a bit carried away with himself. We need more

research in this area.

In the meantime, there's only anecdote and shared experience to go on. I am

currently tossing up between more natural progesterone - which I tried for

three months and seemed helpful but also gave me severe cramps I have never

had before - and trying out herbs - Dong Quai, Vitex etc. Restoring hormonal

balance seems to be the key to preventing growth but I need more

information.

How long should one take progesterone for? how much to take?

Can you encourage your body to start producing progesterone again with a

concoction of herbs, or once the pattern of oestrogen dominance is

established is the only way to counter it by supplementing progesterone?

Doing nothing may also be an option. Isn't it about a fifth of all women

aged 30 to 40 who have fibroids? My aunt had one and was nearly given a

hysterectomy in her 40s, but the hospital relented at the last minute. She

did nothing and never had any trouble with it again. So in many cases they

presumably don't grow much or at all once they are established at a certain

size.

I regard surgery as strictly for extreme life-threatening conditions or

broken limbs. So perhaps I need to accept that I am not going to get a

perfect solution - such as the fibroid withering away altogether. There is

going to be an element of living with it - gnarled and

hormonally-challenged, my aging uterus is not the springy, responsive

pear-shaped organ it once was. Difficult and inconvenient it may be, but it

is still a vital, living sexual part of me. And so I shall put up with it

and care for it.

I'd be interested to know the outcome of your ultrasound.

Re: Any experiences anywhere of shrinkage?

>I would never argue with the importance of dietary improvements and

>avoidance of toxins, but in my experience in doing so has not shrunk

>my fibroid. That is my point. I've been on an organic plant-based

>diet for years, have been using progesterone cream for nine months,

>plus using herbs and castor oil packs on my fibroid. My subjective

>sense is that it has grown despite these measures. I'm getting

>another

>ultrasound on June 14th as a preliminary step toward UAE, so then

>I'll know for sure.

>

>Last fall after I learned I had a moderate-sized fibroid I bought Dr.

>Lee's 1999 book What Your Doctor May Not Tell You About Pre-Menopause

>and studied it as if it were holy scripture. Dr. Lee leads one to

>believe that alternative measures can cause a fibroid to shrink but

>that has not been my experience and he supplies no hard data to back

>up his claim. The case history in the fibroid/enlarged uterus section

>is of a woman with a huge fibroid and penchant for subsisting on

>dairy products who is given a shot of Lupron because it is an

>emergency situation and counseled to change her diet and use

>progesterone cream. In the following weeks she felt her uterus

>softening and the fibroid going down. I would like to know what

>happened to her after the Lupron wore off but we are not told this.

>

>As for me, I hope to get a UAE. I suspect that once a fibroid

>establishes a foothold the natural therapies are not enough to turn

>the tide. I will continue with my diet regardless for all the reasons

>of good health that Liz lists and hope that she has some success with

>her fibroid, and if so, reports back to us. If the ultrasound reveals

>that my fibroid has shrunk, contrary to my subjective impression that

>it has grown, well, then I don't have to go through with the UAE and

>I can then say that the natural remedies are helpful with my specific

>goal of shrinking the tumor. But at 44, menopause could be a long way

>off and I don't want the damn thing rupturing my bladder in the

>meantime, as it appears to be bent on doing.

>

>Helen

>

>

>

>> >

>> >> I've read several books by alternative medicine practitioners,

>and most

>> >> claim to have had success, at least occasionally, with shrinking

>> fibroids.

>> >> Most of them admit it's a minority, and they can't attribute it

>to any

>> one

>> >> thing, but they make it sound like it's possible. Dr. Lee

>almost

>> >> guarantees shrinkage. However, from what I can tell, a huge

>number of us

>> on

>> >> this list have tried dietary changes as well as dietary

>supplements

>> (herbs,

>> >> vitamins, progesterone cream, homeopathic remedies) in an

>attempt

>to

>> address

>> >> the fibroid problem, but I haven't really seen any posts about

>success in

>> >> this area.

>> >>

>> >> Have ANY of you ever experienced shrinkage, or have you heard of

>any real

>> >> person who has (not just a report of someone from a physician)?

>> >>

>> >> Just curious as to whether there's any hope. Trying all the

>stuff I've

>> >> tried takes a lot of effort. I'm wondering if it's worth it, as

>opposed

>> to

>> >> " just living. " It seems to me the experience of people here is

>if you

>> have

>> >> them, they're going to continue to grow until menopause.

>> >> B.

>> >> " When I was in school, I cheated on my metaphysics exam:

>> >> I looked into the soul of the boy sitting next to me. " - Woody

>

>> >>

>> >>

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

>--

>> >> Find out your allergy risks online!

>> >> Get a $10 discount at eNutrition just for trying it.

>> >> And a chance to win a desert Spa Getaway.

>> >> Click Here:

>> >> http://click./1/4575/7/_/4009/_/959343142/

>> >>

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

>--

>> >

>> >

>>

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

>---

>> >Old school buds here:

>> >http://click./1/4057/7/_/4009/_/959358543/

>>

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

>---

>> >

>> >

>

>

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

>Find out your allergy risks online!

>Get a $10 discount at eNutrition just for trying it.

>And a chance to win a desert Spa Getaway.

>Click Here:

>http://click./1/4575/7/_/4009/_/959376827/

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

>

>

[Guest guest]

Liz:

I will post once I hear about my ultrasound. The thought of the UAE is

creepy but having a tumor pressing on my bladder is a problem for me. Recently I

asked an acupuncurist to order some Chinese herbs that are supposed to help with

fibroids that I found on the internet. The formula is called Bupleurum Entangled

Qi Formula produced by Health Concerns. Phone number is for medical

practitioners only which means you can't get them yourself. I had to wait over

two weeks to get them. Started Monday 3 pills 3 times a day on an empty stomach.

I've got a month's supply which will take me up to about the time I'll probably

get the UAE. Now if the thing magically shrinks by the time of the ultrasound,

I'll blow the UAE off and contrinue the natural therapies, but I don't think

Santa is gonna come down the chimney for me on this one.

As for the natural progesterone cream, Dr. Lee advocated a conservative

application, replicating what your body ought to be producing if it were

functioning properly, about a quarter teaspoon a day from day 10 to 12 to day

26. He said to combat a fibroid you could start on day 8. So I've been hitting

it early, and after a friend loaned my a pamphlet by a Dr. Shealy which said use

up to a whole teaspoon a day for a fibroid, I've been hitting it hard. Shealy

says do that for 4 to 6 months and if the fibroid doesn't shrink, then have your

surgery if you need it. He also neglects to include any hard data about actual

women whose fibroids shrunk on this program.

Dr. Lee says the body's production of progesterone starts to fall in your

mid-thirties. I don't know if herbs would restore it. Some of these herbs occupy

your estrogen receptors and prevent your own estrogen from getting on the

receptor, which is supposed to be helpful in the case of excess estrogen. Soy

and licorice do that, I believe. But if you check Dr. Weil's website he thinks

maybe this mildly estrogenic substances might make the fibroid worse. It's a

confusing thing to know what to believe.

Vitex is one that is supposed to help you regain fertility, I think. I am no

herbalist, just writing what I'm trying to remember from I've seen on the net

recently. I got some Vitex too. Also known as chasteberry. Now it might help

your body produce progesterone if it helps restore ovulation. Dr. Lee's

contention is that if you don't ovulate, you make no progesterone for the month,

and are estrogen dominant, especially considering the many pollutants in the

environment that have estrogenic effects. You still have periods so a lot of us

have been thinking we were ovulating but apparently that is not necessary to

have a period. If you use progesterone cream before you would normally ovulate,

that will suppress your own ovulation, if I read him correctly. I am no doctor

either. If one ovary senses progesterone production from the other, it doesn't

drop an egg. So if you take progesterone on day 8, you are interfering with your

own progesterone production, assuming you even have any at this point. In my

case I'm 44 and not interested in getting pregnant, my sole interest is

shrinking the fibroid, so I've been going on day 8 with the cream to lessen the

days estrogen is dominant in my system. Plus I figured I was very progesterone

deficient due to being very thin. He mentions that too. I've heard that taking

too much progesterone can make a person lethargic and depressed so it isn't a

good long term measure at a high dose.

By the way if you get the Bupleurum formula, don't take any other herbs while

you are taking it. The acupuncturist cautioned me about that. I was taking

silymarin (milk thistle) to help my liver offload excess estrogen but I stopped

for the time being. Apparently your body can absorb estrogen back from your

bowels or something if you are a bit slow in that department, so high fiber, low

meat diet is supposed to be helpful in keeping your bowel transit rapid.

I'm going to be interested to see if I at least stopped the fibroid's growth. It

must have been growing rapidly because I had yearly checkups with my former gyn

and the year before he said nothing about it being there. I think he would have

felt it because I tend to run to emaciation due to digestive problems stemming

from CFS. What I think happened to me was I got 3 epidural steroid injections

for pain last summer and then the thing was discovered. I think I had some very

small fibroids and the damn steroids made it grow. No one warned me about this

of course. No one believes me either that that could be the cause but the timing

is highly suspicious. So add steroids to list of things to avoid.

Good luck. It would be nice if natural remedies at least hold the thing at bay.

Helen

Liz Heron wrote:

> I agree diet, natural progesterone and herbs probably don't shrink fibroids.

> As you say, once the thing is established with its blood supply it is

> unlikely to just go away.

>

> But if they can stop them growing that would be a big plus in my opinion.

>

> I agree Dr Lee could be a bit carried away with himself. We need more

> research in this area.

>

> In the meantime, there's only anecdote and shared experience to go on. I am

> currently tossing up between more natural progesterone - which I tried for

> three months and seemed helpful but also gave me severe cramps I have never

> had before - and trying out herbs - Dong Quai, Vitex etc. Restoring hormonal

> balance seems to be the key to preventing growth but I need more

> information.

>

> How long should one take progesterone for? how much to take?

> Can you encourage your body to start producing progesterone again with a

> concoction of herbs, or once the pattern of oestrogen dominance is

> established is the only way to counter it by supplementing progesterone?

>

> Doing nothing may also be an option. Isn't it about a fifth of all women

> aged 30 to 40 who have fibroids? My aunt had one and was nearly given a

> hysterectomy in her 40s, but the hospital relented at the last minute. She

> did nothing and never had any trouble with it again. So in many cases they

> presumably don't grow much or at all once they are established at a certain

> size.

>

> I regard surgery as strictly for extreme life-threatening conditions or

> broken limbs. So perhaps I need to accept that I am not going to get a

> perfect solution - such as the fibroid withering away altogether. There is

> going to be an element of living with it - gnarled and

> hormonally-challenged, my aging uterus is not the springy, responsive

> pear-shaped organ it once was. Difficult and inconvenient it may be, but it

> is still a vital, living sexual part of me. And so I shall put up with it

> and care for it.

>

> I'd be interested to know the outcome of your ultrasound.

>

> Re: Any experiences anywhere of shrinkage?

>

> >I would never argue with the importance of dietary improvements and

> >avoidance of toxins, but in my experience in doing so has not shrunk

> >my fibroid. That is my point. I've been on an organic plant-based

> >diet for years, have been using progesterone cream for nine months,

> >plus using herbs and castor oil packs on my fibroid. My subjective

> >sense is that it has grown despite these measures. I'm getting

> >another

> >ultrasound on June 14th as a preliminary step toward UAE, so then

> >I'll know for sure.

> >

> >Last fall after I learned I had a moderate-sized fibroid I bought Dr.

> >Lee's 1999 book What Your Doctor May Not Tell You About Pre-Menopause

> >and studied it as if it were holy scripture. Dr. Lee leads one to

> >believe that alternative measures can cause a fibroid to shrink but

> >that has not been my experience and he supplies no hard data to back

> >up his claim. The case history in the fibroid/enlarged uterus section

> >is of a woman with a huge fibroid and penchant for subsisting on

> >dairy products who is given a shot of Lupron because it is an

> >emergency situation and counseled to change her diet and use

> >progesterone cream. In the following weeks she felt her uterus

> >softening and the fibroid going down. I would like to know what

> >happened to her after the Lupron wore off but we are not told this.

> >

> >As for me, I hope to get a UAE. I suspect that once a fibroid

> >establishes a foothold the natural therapies are not enough to turn

> >the tide. I will continue with my diet regardless for all the reasons

> >of good health that Liz lists and hope that she has some success with

> >her fibroid, and if so, reports back to us. If the ultrasound reveals

> >that my fibroid has shrunk, contrary to my subjective impression that

> >it has grown, well, then I don't have to go through with the UAE and

> >I can then say that the natural remedies are helpful with my specific

> >goal of shrinking the tumor. But at 44, menopause could be a long way

> >off and I don't want the damn thing rupturing my bladder in the

> >meantime, as it appears to be bent on doing.

> >

> >Helen

> >

> >

> >

> >> >

> >> >> I've read several books by alternative medicine practitioners,

> >and most

> >> >> claim to have had success, at least occasionally, with shrinking

> >> fibroids.

> >> >> Most of them admit it's a minority, and they can't attribute it

> >to any

> >> one

> >> >> thing, but they make it sound like it's possible. Dr. Lee

> >almost

> >> >> guarantees shrinkage. However, from what I can tell, a huge

> >number of us

> >> on

> >> >> this list have tried dietary changes as well as dietary

> >supplements

> >> (herbs,

> >> >> vitamins, progesterone cream, homeopathic remedies) in an

> >attempt

> >to

> >> address

> >> >> the fibroid problem, but I haven't really seen any posts about

> >success in

> >> >> this area.

> >> >>

> >> >> Have ANY of you ever experienced shrinkage, or have you heard of

> >any real

> >> >> person who has (not just a report of someone from a physician)?

> >> >>

> >> >> Just curious as to whether there's any hope. Trying all the

> >stuff I've

> >> >> tried takes a lot of effort. I'm wondering if it's worth it, as

> >opposed

> >> to

> >> >> " just living. " It seems to me the experience of people here is

> >if you

> >> have

> >> >> them, they're going to continue to grow until menopause.

> >> >> B.

> >> >> " When I was in school, I cheated on my metaphysics exam:

> >> >> I looked into the soul of the boy sitting next to me. " - Woody

> >

> >> >>

> >> >>

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

> >--

> >> >> Find out your allergy risks online!

> >> >> Get a $10 discount at eNutrition just for trying it.

> >> >> And a chance to win a desert Spa Getaway.

> >> >> Click Here:

> >> >> http://click./1/4575/7/_/4009/_/959343142/

> >> >>

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

> >--

> >> >

> >> >

> >>

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

> >---

> >> >Old school buds here:

> >> >http://click./1/4057/7/_/4009/_/959358543/

> >>

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

> >---

> >> >

> >> >

> >

> >

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

> >Find out your allergy risks online!

> >Get a $10 discount at eNutrition just for trying it.

> >And a chance to win a desert Spa Getaway.

> >Click Here:

> >http://click./1/4575/7/_/4009/_/959376827/

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

> >

> >

>

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

> Find out your allergy risks online!

> Get a $10 discount at eNutrition just for trying it.

> And a chance to win a desert Spa Getaway.

> Click Here:

> http://click./1/4575/7/_/4009/_/959431903/

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

[Guest guest]

Liz:

I will post once I hear about my ultrasound. The thought of the UAE is

creepy but having a tumor pressing on my bladder is a problem for me. Recently I

asked an acupuncurist to order some Chinese herbs that are supposed to help with

fibroids that I found on the internet. The formula is called Bupleurum Entangled

Qi Formula produced by Health Concerns. Phone number is for medical

practitioners only which means you can't get them yourself. I had to wait over

two weeks to get them. Started Monday 3 pills 3 times a day on an empty stomach.

I've got a month's supply which will take me up to about the time I'll probably

get the UAE. Now if the thing magically shrinks by the time of the ultrasound,

I'll blow the UAE off and contrinue the natural therapies, but I don't think

Santa is gonna come down the chimney for me on this one.

As for the natural progesterone cream, Dr. Lee advocated a conservative

application, replicating what your body ought to be producing if it were

functioning properly, about a quarter teaspoon a day from day 10 to 12 to day

26. He said to combat a fibroid you could start on day 8. So I've been hitting

it early, and after a friend loaned my a pamphlet by a Dr. Shealy which said use

up to a whole teaspoon a day for a fibroid, I've been hitting it hard. Shealy

says do that for 4 to 6 months and if the fibroid doesn't shrink, then have your

surgery if you need it. He also neglects to include any hard data about actual

women whose fibroids shrunk on this program.

Dr. Lee says the body's production of progesterone starts to fall in your

mid-thirties. I don't know if herbs would restore it. Some of these herbs occupy

your estrogen receptors and prevent your own estrogen from getting on the

receptor, which is supposed to be helpful in the case of excess estrogen. Soy

and licorice do that, I believe. But if you check Dr. Weil's website he thinks

maybe this mildly estrogenic substances might make the fibroid worse. It's a

confusing thing to know what to believe.

Vitex is one that is supposed to help you regain fertility, I think. I am no

herbalist, just writing what I'm trying to remember from I've seen on the net

recently. I got some Vitex too. Also known as chasteberry. Now it might help

your body produce progesterone if it helps restore ovulation. Dr. Lee's

contention is that if you don't ovulate, you make no progesterone for the month,

and are estrogen dominant, especially considering the many pollutants in the

environment that have estrogenic effects. You still have periods so a lot of us

have been thinking we were ovulating but apparently that is not necessary to

have a period. If you use progesterone cream before you would normally ovulate,

that will suppress your own ovulation, if I read him correctly. I am no doctor

either. If one ovary senses progesterone production from the other, it doesn't

drop an egg. So if you take progesterone on day 8, you are interfering with your

own progesterone production, assuming you even have any at this point. In my

case I'm 44 and not interested in getting pregnant, my sole interest is

shrinking the fibroid, so I've been going on day 8 with the cream to lessen the

days estrogen is dominant in my system. Plus I figured I was very progesterone

deficient due to being very thin. He mentions that too. I've heard that taking

too much progesterone can make a person lethargic and depressed so it isn't a

good long term measure at a high dose.

By the way if you get the Bupleurum formula, don't take any other herbs while

you are taking it. The acupuncturist cautioned me about that. I was taking

silymarin (milk thistle) to help my liver offload excess estrogen but I stopped

for the time being. Apparently your body can absorb estrogen back from your

bowels or something if you are a bit slow in that department, so high fiber, low

meat diet is supposed to be helpful in keeping your bowel transit rapid.

I'm going to be interested to see if I at least stopped the fibroid's growth. It

must have been growing rapidly because I had yearly checkups with my former gyn

and the year before he said nothing about it being there. I think he would have

felt it because I tend to run to emaciation due to digestive problems stemming

from CFS. What I think happened to me was I got 3 epidural steroid injections

for pain last summer and then the thing was discovered. I think I had some very

small fibroids and the damn steroids made it grow. No one warned me about this

of course. No one believes me either that that could be the cause but the timing

is highly suspicious. So add steroids to list of things to avoid.

Good luck. It would be nice if natural remedies at least hold the thing at bay.

Helen

Liz Heron wrote:

> I agree diet, natural progesterone and herbs probably don't shrink fibroids.

> As you say, once the thing is established with its blood supply it is

> unlikely to just go away.

>

> But if they can stop them growing that would be a big plus in my opinion.

>

> I agree Dr Lee could be a bit carried away with himself. We need more

> research in this area.

>

> In the meantime, there's only anecdote and shared experience to go on. I am

> currently tossing up between more natural progesterone - which I tried for

> three months and seemed helpful but also gave me severe cramps I have never

> had before - and trying out herbs - Dong Quai, Vitex etc. Restoring hormonal

> balance seems to be the key to preventing growth but I need more

> information.

>

> How long should one take progesterone for? how much to take?

> Can you encourage your body to start producing progesterone again with a

> concoction of herbs, or once the pattern of oestrogen dominance is

> established is the only way to counter it by supplementing progesterone?

>

> Doing nothing may also be an option. Isn't it about a fifth of all women

> aged 30 to 40 who have fibroids? My aunt had one and was nearly given a

> hysterectomy in her 40s, but the hospital relented at the last minute. She

> did nothing and never had any trouble with it again. So in many cases they

> presumably don't grow much or at all once they are established at a certain

> size.

>

> I regard surgery as strictly for extreme life-threatening conditions or

> broken limbs. So perhaps I need to accept that I am not going to get a

> perfect solution - such as the fibroid withering away altogether. There is

> going to be an element of living with it - gnarled and

> hormonally-challenged, my aging uterus is not the springy, responsive

> pear-shaped organ it once was. Difficult and inconvenient it may be, but it

> is still a vital, living sexual part of me. And so I shall put up with it

> and care for it.

>

> I'd be interested to know the outcome of your ultrasound.

>

> Re: Any experiences anywhere of shrinkage?

>

> >I would never argue with the importance of dietary improvements and

> >avoidance of toxins, but in my experience in doing so has not shrunk

> >my fibroid. That is my point. I've been on an organic plant-based

> >diet for years, have been using progesterone cream for nine months,

> >plus using herbs and castor oil packs on my fibroid. My subjective

> >sense is that it has grown despite these measures. I'm getting

> >another

> >ultrasound on June 14th as a preliminary step toward UAE, so then

> >I'll know for sure.

> >

> >Last fall after I learned I had a moderate-sized fibroid I bought Dr.

> >Lee's 1999 book What Your Doctor May Not Tell You About Pre-Menopause

> >and studied it as if it were holy scripture. Dr. Lee leads one to

> >believe that alternative measures can cause a fibroid to shrink but

> >that has not been my experience and he supplies no hard data to back

> >up his claim. The case history in the fibroid/enlarged uterus section

> >is of a woman with a huge fibroid and penchant for subsisting on

> >dairy products who is given a shot of Lupron because it is an

> >emergency situation and counseled to change her diet and use

> >progesterone cream. In the following weeks she felt her uterus

> >softening and the fibroid going down. I would like to know what

> >happened to her after the Lupron wore off but we are not told this.

> >

> >As for me, I hope to get a UAE. I suspect that once a fibroid

> >establishes a foothold the natural therapies are not enough to turn

> >the tide. I will continue with my diet regardless for all the reasons

> >of good health that Liz lists and hope that she has some success with

> >her fibroid, and if so, reports back to us. If the ultrasound reveals

> >that my fibroid has shrunk, contrary to my subjective impression that

> >it has grown, well, then I don't have to go through with the UAE and

> >I can then say that the natural remedies are helpful with my specific

> >goal of shrinking the tumor. But at 44, menopause could be a long way

> >off and I don't want the damn thing rupturing my bladder in the

> >meantime, as it appears to be bent on doing.

> >

> >Helen

> >

> >

> >

> >> >

> >> >> I've read several books by alternative medicine practitioners,

> >and most

> >> >> claim to have had success, at least occasionally, with shrinking

> >> fibroids.

> >> >> Most of them admit it's a minority, and they can't attribute it

> >to any

> >> one

> >> >> thing, but they make it sound like it's possible. Dr. Lee

> >almost

> >> >> guarantees shrinkage. However, from what I can tell, a huge

> >number of us

> >> on

> >> >> this list have tried dietary changes as well as dietary

> >supplements

> >> (herbs,

> >> >> vitamins, progesterone cream, homeopathic remedies) in an

> >attempt

> >to

> >> address

> >> >> the fibroid problem, but I haven't really seen any posts about

> >success in

> >> >> this area.

> >> >>

> >> >> Have ANY of you ever experienced shrinkage, or have you heard of

> >any real

> >> >> person who has (not just a report of someone from a physician)?

> >> >>

> >> >> Just curious as to whether there's any hope. Trying all the

> >stuff I've

> >> >> tried takes a lot of effort. I'm wondering if it's worth it, as

> >opposed

> >> to

> >> >> " just living. " It seems to me the experience of people here is

> >if you

> >> have

> >> >> them, they're going to continue to grow until menopause.

> >> >> B.

> >> >> " When I was in school, I cheated on my metaphysics exam:

> >> >> I looked into the soul of the boy sitting next to me. " - Woody

> >

> >> >>

> >> >>

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

> >--

> >> >> Find out your allergy risks online!

> >> >> Get a $10 discount at eNutrition just for trying it.

> >> >> And a chance to win a desert Spa Getaway.

> >> >> Click Here:

> >> >> http://click./1/4575/7/_/4009/_/959343142/

> >> >>

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

> >--

> >> >

> >> >

> >>

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

> >---

> >> >Old school buds here:

> >> >http://click./1/4057/7/_/4009/_/959358543/

> >>

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

> >---

> >> >

> >> >

> >

> >

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

> >Find out your allergy risks online!

> >Get a $10 discount at eNutrition just for trying it.

> >And a chance to win a desert Spa Getaway.

> >Click Here:

> >http://click./1/4575/7/_/4009/_/959376827/

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

> >

> >

>

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

> Find out your allergy risks online!

> Get a $10 discount at eNutrition just for trying it.

> And a chance to win a desert Spa Getaway.

> Click Here:

> http://click./1/4575/7/_/4009/_/959431903/

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

[Guest guest]

To Patty and Group,

I also tried natural remedies before I opt for the UAE.

Janet

[Guest guest]

To Patty and Group,

I also tried natural remedies before I opt for the UAE.

Janet