How are you preparing for your fibroid treatment?

Your preparation can be spiritual, or funny, or just ways you are pampering yourself. Name your treatment option and tell what you are doing to prepare.

How are you preparing for your fibroid treatment?

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Related Posts:
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Did you see Oprah trying acupuncture?

Watched Oprah today. It was another medical show with Dr. Mehmet Oz. Yeah, I’m a geek and love the medical stuff.

Anyway, there on the TV was a licensed acupuncturist (Dr. Daniel Hsu) treating Oprah. I thought… Wow!

Oprah discusses the coolest things on her show. Now, acupuncture. Even cooler was what Dr. Oz said afterwards about alternative medicine. He mentioned “energy medicine” and globalization. I became animated. I know some woman who visit the alternative therapy forum I created think EclecticGeek is against it but you have no clue how far that is from the truth.

Can I change my diet to help with fibroids?

A number of people are searching for information on “diet and fibroids” so the topic deserves a post of its own. The discussion started through visitor comments from another thread.

From the original fibroid diet comment:

Nikki: I wondered if anyone else tried altering their diet ….and had any relief, if anything?

Quotes from the thread: (click the links to see the whole comment)

Nikki: The diet change I did helped alleviate a lot of those symptoms. I make every effort to avoid processed foods and eat less meat, particularly red meats.

Nikki: These days, I focus on eating whole foods (non-processed, whole grains). I now can’t stand the taste of white bread/pasta/rice, etc. But the fiber is important in our diet, so I am sure to get it from whole foods. Additionally, I try to eat plenty of raw foods for the enzymes (fruits, veggies). I eat meat, but I try to eat more fish and very occassionally some red meat. Chicken every now and then (I’m just not crazy about it so much). But I shop at Harry’s or Whole Foods when I can so I can get the hormone-free meats and organic foods. When most of my diet is based on these foods, I feel great.

From my response:

EclecticGeek: I will comment on the issue of food. I do believe that there are too many added hormones and antibiotics in the meat supply. Can’t believe these factors wouldn’t affect people over time. The good news: Once again, I am making changes. Paying more attention to what goes in but taking into consideration my dietary needs. Less meat, more soy. Trying to eat more organically. Definitely, fresh over processed. Too much junk out there in stores. I know it’s taking a toll. How can it not? I think there is a connection between meat (esp. meat not organically raised) and fibroid growth.

Did find an interesting paper that discusses risk factors associated with uterine fibroid tumors. Scroll down to the “Diet” section. It talks about red meat consumption and compares vegetarian and nonvegetarian premenopausal women. There is information about how changing your diet can alter estrogen metabolism. Studies show that a high fiber/low fat diet reduces estrogen levels. Also, relates digestion to this whole process.

[Edited to add: I uploaded the PDF file of this paper. If the link listed above does not work for you, try here: Etiology and Pathogenesis of Uterine Leiomyomas: A Review (.pdf). Also, here’s a link to download the free Adobe Reader software to view PDF files.]

Here’s a WebMD link on what to eat if you have fibroids (scroll near the bottom). Talks about a low-estrogen diet and has vitamin information.

Please post what dietary changes you have made, any information gathered, or questions about fibroids and diet.

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Related Posts:
Is there a natural alternative therapy or treatment for uterine fibroids?
If soy contributes to fibroid growth, I’m in trouble…

Is there a natural alternative therapy or treatment for uterine fibroids?

This question comes up frequently. From a recent comment:

Charlotte: Has anybody but ANYBODY managed to heal themselves of fibroids naturally?

Let me first leave some general information to assist you in evaluating products. The National Institutes of Health has a center that deals with alternative medicine:

National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NCCAM)

Here are two pages I find particularly helpful:

• Are You Considering Using Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM)?
• 10 Things To Know About Evaluating Medical Resources on the Web

How do I evaluate alternative treatments?
If I see this (or anything similar) associated with the product:

These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.

and a search on Google Scholar or PubMed produces NO studies conducted using the product, I cross it off my list.

So, you haven’t found any information on natural therapies?

I did find something on WebMD while looking for general fibroid stuff. There’s an article that discusses vitamins, herbs, stress reduction and the role of your liver in conjunction with fibroids. If you scroll to the bottom of page 3, you’ll see a section called “What to Eat” with the vitamin information. Herbs are on page 4. Cannot recommend the supplements per se but I will pass along the information.

My advice:

Read through the WebMD info. Check out the supplements using sites like Medline Plus or NCCAM. Search on PubMed, PubMed Central, or Google Scholar if you want to find research papers on these supplements and their effects on fibroid growth. (Finding papers in this area would be exciting indeed.)

Diet and Fibroids (WebMD)
Herbs and Fibroids (WebMD)
Drugs, Supplements, and Herbal Information (Medline Plus)
Dietary and Herbal Supplements (NCCAM)
PubMed
PubMed Central
Google Scholar

For those interested in herbal supplements, remember to do your research and talk to a health care professional before making any changes. I also suggest finding licensed practitioners of alternative medicine.

Here is a link to search for certified practitioners as well as the mission of NCCAOM:

National Certification Commission for Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine (NCCAOM)

The mission of the National Certification Commission for Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine (NCCAOM) is to establish, assess, and promote recognized standards of competence and safety in acupuncture and Oriental medicine for the protection and benefit of the public.

Let me also mention that alternative treatments are treatments. Be careful of herb/drug interactions:

The Interactions of Herbs and Drugs
Interesting because there’s also a little history in this article.

Checking for Possible Herb-Drug Interactions

Use of Complementary/Integrative Nutritional Therapies During Cancer Treatment: Implications in Clinical Practice
Don’t be alarmed by me sticking in this reference to cancer treatment. It has good tables that group supplements according to their various properties (coagulants, anticoagulants, laxatives, etc.) so I wanted to include it. Scroll down about halfway.

In general, I do believe in alternative medicine but I hold it up to the same standard as traditional medicine. Prove that it works (safely and effectively) and I’ll use it.

Now, let’s hear about your experiences with alternative therapies. I welcome all comments.

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Related Posts:
Can I change my diet to help with fibroids?
If soy contributes to fibroid growth, I’m in trouble…