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Fibroid Options
I am suffering from uterine fibroids what are my options?
I am seeing a gynocolgist and he is not sure wheather I am going through menopause for they might shrink?I don't really want surgery(no insurance)but one fibroid is poking into my bladder!Need 2nd opinion???Thanks
Treatment of Fibroids
The most important question to ask is do the fibroids need to be treated at all. The vast majority of fibroids grow as a woman gets older, and tend to shrink after menopause. Obviously fibroids that are causing significant symptoms need treatment. While it is often easier to treat smaller fibroids than larger ones, most of the small ones never will need to be treated. So just because we can treat fibroids while they are small, it doesn't follow that we should treat them. And many women have successful pregnancies without removing the fibroids as long as they are not inside the uterine cavity. The location of the fibroids plays a strong influence on how to approach them.
Treatment with medicines:
There are not any currently available medicines that will permanently shrink fibroids. Often heavy bleeding can be decreased with birth control pills. There are a number of medications in the family of GnRH agonists, which induce a temporary chemical menopause. In the absence of estrogen myomas usually decrease in size. Unfortunately, the effect is temporary, and the fibroids rapidly go back to their pre-treatment size when the medication is discontinued. Mifepristone, better know as the 'French abortion pill, or RU-486, also may cause a decrease in size of myomas, and often stops abnormal uterine bleeding. It also has undesireable side effects. It's use is promising, but it is not currently available in the United States.
Surgical treatment of Fibroids:
There have been a number of procedures recently promoted for treatment of fibroids. Some are truly new. Others are being marketed as new in order to promote the sale of expensive instruments, without offering any real advantages. Many new procedures prove over time to be major advances; we may look back on others as not so wonderful. With any new procedure, it is important to look at studies published in peer-reviewed medical journals as well as promotional materials by a physician, clinic, or instrument manufacturer. Ask questions: how many of these procedures have been done in published studies; what is the outcome; how long have these patients been followed? In deciding whether any procedure is for you, you should look at advantages and disadvantages of all available options.
Intracavitary Fibroids
When a fibroid is inside the uterine cavity, it will almost always cause abnormal bleeding and cramping. If it is not currently causing problems, the odds are very high that it will. For this reason, I usually recommend that they be removed. These can usually be removed by using a special kind of hysteroscope, or resectoscope. The resectoscope is a telescope with a built-in loop that can cut through tissue. It has been used for years to treat enlargement of the male prostate gland, and has more recently been used inside the uterus. This is called hysteroscopic resection of myomas. In skilled hands most myomas inside the uterus can be removed in an outpatient setting. Click here to learn more about hysteroscopic resection of myomas.
Submucous Fibroids
Unlike intracavitary myomas, some of the fibroid is also in the wall of the uterus. Submucous myomas often cause abnormal bleeding. Many of these can also be treated by hysteroscopic resection. During the process of removing submucous myomas by this method the uterus contracts, and tends to push the portion of the myoma that is in the wall into the cavity of the uterus. The decision on which myomas should be treated by this method should be made by an experienced hysteroscopic surgeon. If heavy bleeding is the main reason for desiring treatment, and fertility is no longer desired, an endometrial ablation may also be done at the same time.
Intramural and Pedunculated Fibroids
Myomas that are in the wall of the uterus or on the outside of the uterus are not accessible to treatment through the cervix. If these need to be treated, there are essentially three types of procedures: remove the fibroid(s), destroy the fibroid(s), or remove the uterus. All of the surgical options available are variations on one of these themes. Some have been available for years. Others are very new and have had very little or no long term testing.
Hysterectomy:
Hysterectomy is the only procedure that comes with a guarantee: no more bleeding and no regrowth of fibroids. Like any alternative, there are advantages and disadvantages of having a hysterectomy. Click here to learn more about hysterectomy.
Removal of the fibroid(s):
This is also called myomectomy. Myomectomy, with one exception, means making an incision into the uterus and removing one or more fibroids. If the fibroid is on a stalk (pedunculated) it is not necessary to cut into the uterus to cut the stalk. Unless the fibroid is on the outside surface of the uterus, the uterus is repaired, usually with sutures. One of
Treatment Options For Fibroids
You may have been diagnosed and wondering what your treatment options are for fibroids. Very often, you will hear the term "watchful waiting" uttered by doctors, which basically means doing nothing. This is because fibroids naturally shrink during the menopause. However, for many women, there comes a time when their fibroids are causing severe problems which are affecting their quality of life and quite rightly, they deserve some relief!
"Watchful waiting" is all very well if your symptoms are very mild or if you are close to the menopause. If neither of these apply though, you simply cannot be expected to live a life which is marred by fibroid symptoms.
Treatment options for fibroids can broadly be broken down into two categories-Conventional and Natural.
There is a school of thought which feels that conventional treatments focus much more on treating the symptoms of many conditions rather than getting to the root cause and eliminating them altogether. As far as fibroids are concerned, this certainly seems to apply, with an emphasis on treating all bodily organs individually. On the other hand, natural treatments tend to focus on the body as a total unified "whole", and recognises that the body must be restored into a state of balance for healing to take place.
<b>Conventional Treatment</b>
This can include surgery and/or drug treatment. Drug treatment can often take the form of birth control pills or anti-androgen pills. Metformin is sometimes prescribed, which improves the performance of insulin. Anti-inflammatory drugs are also sometimes prescribed to help with cramping pains. There is also a group of drugs called GnRH (Gonadotrophin Releasing Hormones). These will help to shrink fibroids dramatically, but are only suitable for short term use, due to their side effects and are normally only used prior to surgery. Another of the treatment options for fibroids is the IUD, or Coil. This will help to reduce heavy bleeding.
Of course, most drugs have some side effects, and this is very true of those which can be prescribed for fibroids.
Surgery is another of the treatment options for fibroids available.
A Myectomy will remove individual fibroids or groups of fibroids. Depending on the size and location of your fibroids, this will be done either through an abdominal incision or vaginally. Another method is to block the blood supply to the fibroids by injecting the vessels with plastic "beads", the theory being that the fibroids will shrivel and dry up. A procedure called "Endometrial Ablation" can also be used whereby heat is introduced into the womb. This effectively removes the womb lining and is unsuitable for women who may wish to have children.
Finally, in extreme cases, a hysterectomy may be recommended. This is major surgery and the loss of the womb can have both deep physical and mental side effects. It should therefore be avoided if at all possible.
The main drawback with conventional treatment options for fibroids that it focuses on treating the symptoms of fibroids and not the root causes. This means that although you might feel relief in the short term, the root causes are still there, meaning that your fibroids will regrow even after surgical removal.
<b>Natural Treatment</b>
This focuses on the fact that disease and illness cannot exists in a healthy, balanced body and so the emphasis is on looking at holistic methods. By building a strong immune system, cleansing the body of all unwanted toxins and pollutants, taking proper exercise and eating a healthy, balanced diet, the internal balance can be quickly restored and certain diseases reversed, providing no permanent damage has been done. One of the most crucial things to remember though is that for natural treatment to work effectively, you must be prepared to make significant lifestyle and dietary changes.
If you would like to see further information on how a natural treatment could be your best option, please visit How To Get Rid Of Fibroids.
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About the Author
Gail advocates using natural treatments for fibroids rather than using conventional medication or surgery as this is a workable long term solution. Conventional medication only treats the symptoms and fibroids are likely to regrow, whereas natural treatments, when used properly can eliminate the root cause by rebalancing the body and restoring overall health.
