I’ve been trying to figure this one out too. I have 4 large ones, and they make my period a nightmare. I’m determined not to take any nasty drugs or have surgery, though. Simply removing the fibroids is only a temporary solution, since they almost always grow back. And I won’t let anyone take my uterus–not because I’m using it (I’m not going to have kids) but because by removing it I’d be removing one of my body’s check engine lights. Without the monthly reminder that something’s wrong with my body, it would be easy to just forget about until I end up with cancer or something in another 15 years.
I don’t have any clear solutions yet, but I’ll at least list some of the things I’ve found that may help (many of which I’m trying right now):
1. Deal with estrogen dominance.
There seems to be a strong link between estrogen dominance and fibroids, so the more you can do to bring your estrogen/progesterone into balance, the better. I’m sure you already know things like avoiding xenoestrogens in your environment and food, but here are a couple supplement options:
– calcium d-glucarate (check out this article: http://www.bulletproofexec.com/calcium-d-glucarate/)
– progesterone – I assume you’re familiar with Ray Peat if you’re a Matt Stone follower. Have you read any of Peat’s articles on progesterone? Very interesting stuff. He came up with a product that is pure progesterone in Vitamin E called Progest-E, and many women have done very well with it. Unfortunately, I’m afraid to try it because I also have a large substernal goiter, and Peat says that large doses of Progest-E (he recommends large doses for combating estrogen dominance) can cause the goiter to start unloading and send you into a thyroid storm. But if I can get the goiter to shrink a bit first, I’ll definitely add the Progest-E to my arsenal.
– Chaste tree – This is something I just started about 2 weeks ago, but it has a long history of use in menstrual complaints and is said to act like progesterone in the body. So something to look into.
2. Other stuff to look into:
– systemic enzymes – If nothing else, these enzymes (which I take between meals) will really help your digestion, which will allow your system to deal with excess estrogen. It’s possible they will help to dissolve the fibroids too (I’ve read this claim), but I have no idea if that’s true.
– Blackstrap molasses – This isn’t something I’m doing regularly, mostly because of the taste, but it’s supposed to be helpful, and also has quite a bit of iron, if you’re anemic like I am.
– Iodine – I started looking into this a month ago (there’s a ton of controversy about it) and bought some, but taking even one drop made my thyroid swell uncomfortably, so I’ve tabled it for now. But I’ve read many reports of fibroids responding well to it, so it’s certainly worth a try.
– emotional stuff – I’m a firm believer in the mind/body connection, and so I think it’s worth exploring whether there are emotional events, especially ones related to trust, intimacy, your worth as a woman, etc., that are still stuck in your body and that you need to let go of. I use EFT, and I’ve also been meditating more, with the idea that a healthier mind will necessarily lead to a healthier body (and even if it doesn’t “cure” anything, I’ll at least have more peace about it!).
– Myomin – another supplement I took for a while but dropped because of expense (I may not have taken it long enough [3 mo.] to see the effects, or maybe it just wasn’t right for me).
– Acupuncture – I just started doing this (I found a community clinic where I can pay by donation, which will make it affordable) and plan to do it once a week for a couple months to see what happens. When I went a few days ago, she burned moxa over some of the needles, which is supposed to help with bleeding conditions. Very strange, but what the hell!
– Magnesium – make sure you’re getting plenty.
I suspect that continuing to focus on getting the metabolism up will help all on its own (I sure hope so!), since all body systems work better that way. But we shouldn’t expect overnight miracles just because we get our temps up to normal for a few weeks. (Just fyi, my temps are almost perfect now but I still have insomnia, joint/muscle aches and no energy, in addition to the bloating and other menstrual madness.) Those fibroids (and this goiter) didn’t grow overnight. They’re not going to go away overnight. I have to remind myself of this (and of the need to show love to my body, even when it’s in pain and practically hemorrhaging), sometimes on a daily basis.
Well, hang in there! I know just how you feel, and it’s not fun, but I absolutely believe we can come back into balance and let our bodies heal themselves, without the need for drugs or -ectomies. Good luck, and I hope you find what works for you.