Fibroids

[finch]

Thank-you all for this info. about fibroids. My daughter is in a similar situation like you Pluchi, so I really appreciate your questioning here. I will send her the DrHomeo link and talk to her about these other suggestions if she is willing . Thanks again .

 

[Tøm]

Hello Pluchi, I hereby forward my wife's experience report with her fibroid.

"I live in Vienna and I am 45 - in 2016 during pregnancy with my 2nd child, a myoma with a diameter of about 7 cm was discovered for the first time. 2 years after birth it had shrunk to about 4 cm. According to the gynecologist, the fibroid grows during pregnancy due to hormones.
In between I had surgery for a rectus diastasis - it was my first surgery and I wanted to be well prepared. I did many blood tests before the surgery and the result was that I had an absolute iron deficiency (Absolute iron deficiency: when the body's iron reserves are depleted). My supervising doctor - recommended me to look into the matter and not just take iron supplements.
So then it came to a more detailed hormone study. A hormone doctor told me that I had a progesterone deficiency and the symptoms included iron deficiency and fibroid formation. I started to use a yam cream at a certain stage of my cycle (yam products can help to compensate for the loss of progesterone). Scientifically, however, it is not clear whether the body can produce its own progesterone from diosgenin). I did this dutifully for half a year. Then I got lazy and no longer saw the need. Surgery went well and due to the preparation I was very soon fit again.
When I had lost a few kilos in the summer of 2022, I felt my myoma through the abdominal wall one morning while lying on my back. I was symptom free but this bullet was physically scary. I went to an ultrasound diagnostician (he is also a gynecologist), and he told me that the fibroid was about 7-8 cm in diameter. And recommended me to look at the following therapy: HIFU (High Intensity Focused Ultrasound) > Hochintensiver fokussierter Ultraschall – Wikipedia
In Austria, the standard therapy is surgery where the fibroid is removed or, as is unfortunately often the case, a hysterectomy (surgical removal of the uterus).
This HIFU therapy is performed by radiologists who "tick" differently than gynecologists or surgeons - interventions only when there are symptoms.
I had a detailed conversation with the HIFU expert after an MRI (magnetic resonance imaging). He was quite surprised that I had no complaints. He defined me as a medical miracle and asked me now to forget all MRI images and if I should have complaints I would know an alternative therapy to surgery.
He explained me the HIFU therapy very detailed and I personally would prefer it to surgery. Since I try to avoid surgical procedures as much as possible. However, I do not know anyone who has undergone HIFU therapy.
Maybe it is also an alternative to surgery for you. The fibroid does not disappear completely, but it shrinks and stops growing. Here is the link to the explanation of HIFU from the hospital where I had the conversation: Barmherzige Brüder.
HIFU is fully financed by the health insurance in Vienna.
I am still symptom-free and in about 7 years, when menopause begins, the fibroid will begin to shrink on its own - according to the gynecologist and radiologist. At the moment it is 8-9 cm in size.
I can also recommend a good gynecological massage. It works very well for "young" small fibroids.
If I get bored in the near future, I will look for a good hormone doctor who will work with me to find a solution for my progesterone deficiency. In Austria they are often psychologists. The yam cream was too tedious for me, because I should not touch any human being when I was creamed. And that was 9 days per cycle. That simply does not work for me.
Maybe I was able to suggest some alternative solutions.
I will definitely also visit my homeopath and address the fibroid - thank you for this idea in this forum.
Good luck!
T."

 

[Potatoes and Tomatoes]

Hi Pluchi...I really feel for you! My experience of uterine fibroids lasted for many years, causing pain, continued bleeding and ultimately I was passing clots that could be held in two cupped hands...and so low in iron I felt tired constantly. Eventually, I opted for the uterine artery embolisation proceedure, also known as uterine fibroid embolisation. This was 6 years ago and now having just turned 50 and peri menopausal, I don't expect they will return. For me, it was a complete success and even though I suffered an infection a few days post proceedure, it changed my life.
I had never read about the link between nursing past hurts, but it makes much sense to me...had I been in the first stages of the fibroid development, I would have explored that.

I see my fibroids as a gift, communicating with me something isn't right, that I am out of balance and learning to live in harmony, using therapies and lifestyle as a lifelong commitment is what worked for me. I decided that I had 2 choices - to be a person who looked for someone to fix me or to fix myself and commit to fixing myself every single day no matter what. I chose the second option which is also the hardest with a long term commitment but I've never met anyone who had one surgery and was sorted. I do work with many women who have had multiple surgeries and suffer ongoing pain from excessive scar tissue and yet they continue to go back for more, looking for someone to fix them. It's a cycle of surgeries and regrowth, feeding the system that keeps them stuck. Makes no sense to me but its what the system trains us to do.

Very inspiring KTC...

 

[Maya]

Dear Pluchi can you please check out this videos

 

[Pluchi]

Hi Lyndi Lama, thank you for sharing your struggle with fibroids. My wife had the same and they caused quite a scare when she was pregnant many years ago. Later she had them removed and, thankfully, they did not recur. From what you have written I would guess you have thrown everything you can including some strange and exotic treatments at the condition

Just a thought, but have you tried to look at possible energetic causes? I looked up Fibroids in Louise Hays “ You can heal your life”, and she says that Fibroids can manifest from “Nursing hurt from a partner. A blow to the feminine ego.”
Our human psyche is very complex and sometimes we store a lot of stuff internally that can manifest in different ways. Certainly you should look at the physical side of things and possible causes in your diet, but I also suggest you do a deep dive into your feelings. I would also suggest EE in conjunction with doing some objective retrospection. A good therapist can be a great help.
You have lived with this issue for a long time and I empathize with your journey. What lessons have you learnt from your condition? Having the courage to share here is a great start at getting a solution. I wish you much love and success in your journey here on the forum.

Hello, kinyash!
I have Louise Hay's book and read about it. I think the emotional part is due to an abortion I never forgave myself for. I didn't want to do it and swore that if it wasn't THAT baby, I didn't want any-- EVER. My husband says that's the culprit and that I have to let go, I tried talking to a therapist, planting a tree and talking to that soul, Dan Yoga (meditation), writing a letter... However, my cousin and my aunt went through the same, and I think it might then be genetics. I find that healing emotionally is very difficult.
Thank you for your kind words and encouragement!

 

[Pluchi]

Hello Pluchi,
I immediately thought of a book in which I have already found a lot that fits. It is "Illness as a Symbol" by Rüdiger Dahlke. I don't know if the book is also available in English. But here is the part about myoma. You might find a clue here as to why they still appear.

Myoma
(Myoma uteri)
Body level: uterus (fertility, security).

Symptom level: unfulfilled or unconscious desire for offspring: the child-sized myoma at the site of childbearing; outgrowths at the fertility level ("it's to grow out of"); the unconscious desire for fertility exceeds the number of children; often arise from the discrepancy between social pressures of modernity and the old tradition of having lots of children; sometimes grow when the woman's old-age security threatens to fail, because in evolution children were the old answer to the problem: giving old, outdated answers to the challenges of modern life; misguided but benign growth: having slipped to a regressive level of the body, because usually outdated by life time.

Processing: raising fertility and growth to spiritual-mental level; having spiritual children; creating redeemed outlets for one's own fertility, e.g. intellectual, artistic creativity and proliferating ideas; providing for reliable old-age security as early as possible.

Redemption: realise the archetype of the Great Mother: become a mother to new life - depending on the age at the appropriate level.
Primordial reference: Moon-Jupiter.

Hello, Mililea!
This is so spot on! I definitely need to look at my life and raise my growth to a spiritual-mental level. I have tried outlets such as dancing, joined a belly-dancing group for a while, and love discussing ideas with others about a variety of topics. Recently, I went back to school and started a Ph.D. because I truly enjoy learning and "bouncing ideas" with other people. This forum is a great place too! I wonder what "having spiritual children" means.

I appreciate this information so much!

 

[Pluchi]

Hello Pluchi, I hereby forward my wife's experience report with her fibroid.

"I live in Vienna and I am 45 - in 2016 during pregnancy with my 2nd child, a myoma with a diameter of about 7 cm was discovered for the first time. 2 years after birth it had shrunk to about 4 cm. According to the gynecologist, the fibroid grows during pregnancy due to hormones.
In between I had surgery for a rectus diastasis - it was my first surgery and I wanted to be well prepared. I did many blood tests before the surgery and the result was that I had an absolute iron deficiency (Absolute iron deficiency: when the body's iron reserves are depleted). My supervising doctor - recommended me to look into the matter and not just take iron supplements.
So then it came to a more detailed hormone study. A hormone doctor told me that I had a progesterone deficiency and the symptoms included iron deficiency and fibroid formation. I started to use a yam cream at a certain stage of my cycle (yam products can help to compensate for the loss of progesterone). Scientifically, however, it is not clear whether the body can produce its own progesterone from diosgenin). I did this dutifully for half a year. Then I got lazy and no longer saw the need. Surgery went well and due to the preparation I was very soon fit again.
When I had lost a few kilos in the summer of 2022, I felt my myoma through the abdominal wall one morning while lying on my back. I was symptom free but this bullet was physically scary. I went to an ultrasound diagnostician (he is also a gynecologist), and he told me that the fibroid was about 7-8 cm in diameter. And recommended me to look at the following therapy: HIFU (High Intensity Focused Ultrasound) > Hochintensiver fokussierter Ultraschall – Wikipedia
In Austria, the standard therapy is surgery where the fibroid is removed or, as is unfortunately often the case, a hysterectomy (surgical removal of the uterus).
This HIFU therapy is performed by radiologists who "tick" differently than gynecologists or surgeons - interventions only when there are symptoms.
I had a detailed conversation with the HIFU expert after an MRI (magnetic resonance imaging). He was quite surprised that I had no complaints. He defined me as a medical miracle and asked me now to forget all MRI images and if I should have complaints I would know an alternative therapy to surgery.
He explained me the HIFU therapy very detailed and I personally would prefer it to surgery. Since I try to avoid surgical procedures as much as possible. However, I do not know anyone who has undergone HIFU therapy.
Maybe it is also an alternative to surgery for you. The fibroid does not disappear completely, but it shrinks and stops growing. Here is the link to the explanation of HIFU from the hospital where I had the conversation: Barmherzige Brüder.
HIFU is fully financed by the health insurance in Vienna.
I am still symptom-free and in about 7 years, when menopause begins, the fibroid will begin to shrink on its own - according to the gynecologist and radiologist. At the moment it is 8-9 cm in size.
I can also recommend a good gynecological massage. It works very well for "young" small fibroids.
If I get bored in the near future, I will look for a good hormone doctor who will work with me to find a solution for my progesterone deficiency. In Austria they are often psychologists. The yam cream was too tedious for me, because I should not touch any human being when I was creamed. And that was 9 days per cycle. That simply does not work for me.
Maybe I was able to suggest some alternative solutions.
I will definitely also visit my homeopath and address the fibroid - thank you for this idea in this forum.
Good luck!
T."

I so much appreciate you taking the time to write about your experience!
My husband has been reading and he says that HIFU is the way to go. He thinks we should make an appointment, and a radiologist who saw me three years ago said I should go on that route. There is one fibroid that is poking out of my belly when I lie down, it's like having a ball sticking out of my right side--mostly. The only thing is that I have many fibroids of different sizes, my last surgery was to remove 25 fibroids, the doctor said he got tired and tried his best but one at 1cm stayed and some tiny ones, now they are big. My hormone tests are normal for my age, but this doctor does not do the proper tests that doctors such as Dr. Berg recommend. I do not know how many fibroids I have at the moment, the doctor did not want to share my last MRI because I get depressed every time I see the results. He thinks that there is a possibility that they will decrease with menopause, but he also says that it happens 85% of the time, but sometimes they just continue to grow.

 

[Pluchi]

I live with fibroids. I manage with a healthy lifestyle. I wouldn't have surgery despite the Dr telling me it was 'the only way'. I wouldn't go on the chopping board again unless my life depended on it. I had a forced C-section under the pressure of hospital staff but I wouldn't surgically remove fibroids unless it was a life threatening situation.
For me, understanding hormones has changed my life and my relationship with fibroids. Fibroids are associated with excess estrogen so this needs to be dealt with. An operation gets rid of the end result of excess estrogen which is fibroids but it doesnt change the hormonal imbalance which needs to be number one priority.
When the body is out of balance it will communicate with signs and symptoms and a fibroid (IMO) is a sign of imbalance. It is not however the issue which is why they keep coming back if the issue is not dealt with.

This is what I do:
Intermittent fast and eat in sync with my cycle. Are you still menstruating or not and I'll explain my choices and how to eat/fast for the cycle vs for menopause and why this is important for hormone balancing.
Weekly bone broths
Infrared sauna 2 - 3 times weekly
HBOT 2 times weekly (I started with 30 sessions in quick succession)
red light therapy pad when needed (if I'm uncomfortable)
avoid alcohol
test for ketones & know your insulin levels - I started with a blood test monitor but now I am intuitive with it.
ph test urine to make sure I am alkaline. I have noticed that if I have a flare up my ph will be acidic so then I do all the above super power plus avoid all acidic food/drink
digestive enzymes if I eat something that is not good for me
A clean liver is key when it comes to estrogen dominance so you need a healthy gut and a clean liver to be able to rid the body of excess hormones.

Hello KTC!
Yes, I have been doing intermittent fasting for about two years, I still menstruate so I make sure I eat twice between day 21 and the last day of my cycle. I have not tried an infrared sauna, but do infrared light (I have it at home). I avoid alcohol, I read and write often so I need a sharp mind. I have the strips to check for ketones, I have used ph tests but haven't bought them again. I cannot take digestive enzymes, I bleed for almost two weeks if I do because they thin my blood. What is HBOY (is it hyperbaric Oxygen therapy?). It must be something with hormones, but when I have them checked they come out as normal for my age. I do this every time I go to see the gynecologist (yearly).
Thank you so much for taking the time to write!

 

[Pluchi]

When you say you have 'tried' therapies what does that mean? To me you say you 'gave it a go' but it didn't fix you so you gave it up.
If that is the case, nothing is going to change for you I'm afraid. Coming from someone who lives with fibroids, I had one that was as big as a rockmelon so I understand size. It tends to go from an orange to a grapefruit in size. The issue is really only if its painful and when it is I know I'm not doing what I need to be doing for my health.

I see my fibroids as a gift, communicating with me something isn't right, that I am out of balance and learning to live in harmony, using therapies and lifestyle as a lifelong commitment is what worked for me. I decided that I had 2 choices - to be a person who looked for someone to fix me or to fix myself and commit to fixing myself every single day no matter what. I chose the second option which is also the hardest with a long term commitment but I've never met anyone who had one surgery and was sorted. I do work with many women who have had multiple surgeries and suffer ongoing pain from excessive scar tissue and yet they continue to go back for more, looking for someone to fix them. It's a cycle of surgeries and regrowth, feeding the system that keeps them stuck. Makes no sense to me but its what the system trains us to do.

On top of lifestyle choices and ongoing alternative therapies, synthetic estrogen is everywhere. Plastics, paints, perfumes, toys, furniture, body products, foods, pesticides, make-up, fashion - if it's manufactured it has endocrine disruptors in it. What is your environment like? Where can you reduce the toxic load in a World of toxicity? All of this counts and all of this has to be intentional to work. There is no quick fix.

Menopause may help ease some of the issue but sex hormones keep producing even post menopause and if your liver is not recycling the excess estrogen it will still build up. I'm happy to discuss the process further. Some good resources are: Dr Mindy Pelz and Dr Stephanie Estima if you look them both up. I teach the Estima Certification as part of a hormonal health program for women and I've gotten a lot of great info from Dr Pelz too. Both have been part of my healing process and its taken years of self education to get my head around it all.

Agreed w @Mililea that emotions play a part. My go to book is The Secret Language of the Body by Inna Segal. For fibroids she says:
holding on to regrets of the past, secretly wanting revenge, feeling disempowered and victimised, feeling forced into things you don't want to do, nursing hurts and disappointments from the past.

Hello!
Well, more than 'giving it a go" I have tried therapies. When I see that things are getting worse, I do quit, there is no point in continuing to do something that is not working. For instance, having bigger clots, urinary incontinence due to pressure of the bladder, and bleeding through my clothes despite being in therapy means that after months of trying it is not working for me. I get disheartened and go back to the doctor for immediate help--medicine, surgery. It is painful and traumatic!

I follow Dr. Peltz, Dr. Berg, and Jason Fung. I had not heard of Dr. Estima, I will look her up (thank you for this tip!). I am aware of the phytoestrogens, so I am careful with my exposure to plastics, and no edamame for me or tofu, no sodas (haven't had a coke since 2012), my diet is as clean as possible, I eat lots of meat and buy grass-fed and organic produce if available. I think that the emotional part is truly something I need to work on. I was going to see Aurelio Mejia for hypnotherapy, but he has not come back to my area.

 

[KTC]

Hello!
Well, more than 'giving it a go" I have tried therapies. When I see that things are getting worse, I do quit, there is no point in continuing to do something that is not working. For instance, having bigger clots, urinary incontinence due to pressure of the bladder, and bleeding through my clothes despite being in therapy means that after months of trying it is not working for me. I get disheartened and go back to the doctor for immediate help--medicine, surgery. It is painful and traumatic!

I follow Dr. Peltz, Dr. Berg, and Jason Fung. I had not heard of Dr. Estima, I will look her up (thank you for this tip!). I am aware of the phytoestrogens, so I am careful with my exposure to plastics, and no edamame for me or tofu, no sodas (haven't had a coke since 2012), my diet is as clean as possible, I eat lots of meat and buy grass-fed and organic produce if available. I think that the emotional part is truly something I need to work on. I was going to see Aurelio Mejia for hypnotherapy, but he has not come back to my area.

Oh how frustrating. I really do empathise with you. Honestly I’m not sure what else then, I could only share my improvements from what I’ve done. Yes HBOT is Hyperbaric therapy. I have the 1.3ATA soft chamber. I read a study that it helps with fibroids.