Fibroids - A Closer Look

     As I continue with my weekly Acupuncture regimen, I am intrigued with delving into this 'Menopausal stage' through which I have been riding. I did some more research that I'd like to share  in this post. If nothing else, you will KNOW something that you didn't before:

Fibroid tumors are sensitive to changes in a woman's monthly hormone cycle. As estrogen levels tend to increase before menopause starts, many uterine fibroids start to grow. This may make the symptoms worse. After menopause, estrogen falls dramatically. This causes the fibroids to shrink (although they probably won't totally disappear) and the symptoms to diminish. If a woman is taking hormone replacement therapy (HRT), however, she will probably not experience a shrinking of the fibroids or a lessening of the symptoms.
http://www.cedars-sinai.edu/Patients/Health-Conditions/Fibroids-Uterine.aspx


Recommended advice from 'Dr. McLucas' of http://www.fibroids.com/news-blog/2010/06/fibroids-menopause/:

"..... the best time to treat fibroids that are causing painful symptoms like heavy bleeding, frequent urination, back ache or leg pains, is right now. “If you’re in your late 40s, you are also in what amounts to an ‘estrogen bath,’ ” Dr. McLucas said. He added that right before menopause, when estrogen is removed from the body as the ovaries stop , women will experience several months or years of estrogen dominated menstrual cycles. Since fibroids are estrogen sensitive, there is almost always a growth spurt for fibroids."  This influx of estrogen caused a  growth spurt with the fibroids, resulting beyond 16cm (at least the biggest one of the cluster). After reading about the hysterectomy procedure, I felt there was time to seek out  another way to address shrinking my fibroids.  My fibroids were huge! But I couldn't fathom going under the knife.  Settling for  my 'Frankenstein' pose (see below) is sufficient....and it works.

This is an example of what goes on during my Acupuncture session....with the low dosages of electricity that I feel through the needles, I really DO feel a bit Frankenstein-ish and experimental! Needless to say, I chuckle to myself throughout my session, as I let my imagination wander, and think back to the old black and white version of
 Frankenstein with Boris Karloff - classic!
 

    

Does Acupuncture Cause Premature Menopause?

          My curiosity in exploring some connections (if any) as to why I would even be dealing with Menopause as I'm working on shrinking my fibroids was revved. I began entering some keywords in the browser, and set back and read....  Was there a connection? More specifically, was the Acupuncture causing me to go into (what I believed at the time) a premature Menopausal state? (I found being 45yrs. old put me right in the ballpark age range as to when Menopause starts....now when it stops, is a another blog.


Does Acupuncture cause Menopause?                 

      
        With a back track in memory, approximately 2 years ago, I went through a stage of night sweats for about 2-3 weeks. I don't re-call any hot flashes, or unusually flushed episodes during this time. I was working a lot and going through final exams. I also remember money was a bit stressed, and my job was causing me utter depression (toxic environment). The night sweats  went away, and I hadn't thought twice about them....until March (2013) when the heat flashes began to set in at work. I  thought I still had a way to go before reaching the Menopause door - it just came up abruptly in my face!

   
 Brief Aside:

       As you may have read in the prior post, I stumbled upon using a supplement to essentially give some support with my fibroids, and it turned out it also cured my hot flashes and night sweats. Killing two birds with one stone is always a good way to go.

       I must stress that it is important to educate yourself about your health - the human body, and how it works. Researching an affliction or problem in addition to seeing a trained Medical Professional can allow a more pro-active, safer, and/or alternative means to be treated, and heal because you KNOW.  If I didn't pay the attention I do to my body, how it works, didn't read, etc.,  I would not have probably been using the supplement in the first place.


      Deduction:

     The night sweats I experienced two years ago were probably related to the stress I was dealing with at the time, as opposed to an onset of early menopause.

      Facts:

   - I had no disruptions with my cycle until I began Acupuncture (May, 2012). This was caused by the frequency at which I was taking the herbal compliment prescribed by my Acupuncturist. Once I decreased dosage, my cycle jumped a regular schedule, but became lighter each month.

   - I increased my daily intake of water to  2 to 2 1/2 33.8oz btls. It's been making feel wonderful.

   - Work level decreased from insane to tolerable, so stress level at work was lower, and I were to the point of being able to laugh more at the blunders of what was going on at the circus we called 'the Job'.

   - The Acupuncture was steadily shrinking my fibroids, but was also putting balance into other areas: my body was detoxing a lot of toxins in the form of shrinking the fibroids, my liver and kidneys were getting a nice flushing, and I ate/eat a more vegetable based diet. The fibroids were disappearing. So I couldn't make a connection that the Acupunture could induce menopause, whether prematurely, or otherwise.  With some additional research, I found (not surprisingly) that Acupuncture has been used to assist with the effects of hot flashes and night sweats during Menopause, as well as vaginal dryness. It is highly possible that my Menopausal symptoms/effects were as moderate as they were (compared to some I've seen, and those  to whom I've spoken) due to the Acupuncture. However, it is speculated based on the positive aspects that Acupuncture has provided for Menopausal women.  And, I can give personal testament to no negative effects suffered after my sessions.


Conclusion: 

          I guess my body was ready to do its thing, and CHANGE.  I'm glad to have found a way to get relief from the flashes and sweats, as I was shrinking my fibroids and dealing with Menopause at the same time.  What are the odds of that?  Needless to say, a pretty interesting mental/emotional/physical ride, all at once. Thus far, the Menopause symptoms have ceased, and the last cluster of fibroids remaining is getting softer.

Cure For Hot Flashes

     Within the last 4 months, my body has been gradually going into a menopausal state - that is, I've been getting the dreaded hot flashes by day and miserable sweats at night. As I am still undergoing Acupuncture treatments to shrink my fibroids, I wondered if there was a connection:

Could the Acupuncture treatments be 'forcing' my body into menopause? Or, was this just the time for it to happen?

        I'm  45 yrs. old, and when looking at my Mother and Grandmother's time of 'life change', it was too soon. As I am still trying to research if there is a connection, I had to find an immediate remedy to the hot flashes. They were making me feel as though I was losing my mind! They would just come over me in a swell. At work, everyone knew I when I had one because I announced it like an alarm. The men I worked with just looked at me in wonder as I would burst out into a sweat during a conversation. The ladies basically said 'Welcome to the Club'. At night, I would get up three or four times to change sheets and night shirts.  I wouldn't be able to go back to sleep, stay up for hours and read or look at a movie, then try to get a nap in before it was actually time for me to wake up. For several weeks I went through this, talking to various women about their experiences with the hot flashes, and how they found relief.  I began eating ice whenever I felt a flash come on. That helped, but it took a few minutes for my body temperature to even out. I also took a few seconds to stand in the walk-in freezer in the kitchen at work, but was always afraid that I would cause myself a cold due to the extreme cold and my intensely hot, sweating body - not a good mix. So, I stopped doing that and just resorted to the ice therapy.

       My Mother (and Father) suggested that I do Hormone Replacement Therapy,
as it had worked successfully for both of them. I had a bit of fear with using a patch, and I wanted to explore some other, more natural alternatives for relief. Looking at the root cause of hot flashes, I found that there is an imbalance in the hypothalamus caused when there is a decrease in the production of estrogen. As the hypothalamus is what regulates body temperature, the imbalance causes blood vessels to constrict and expand at such a rate that one feels a 'flush' or 'flash'. I also did some research with regards to the thyroid gland, because I was experiencing chills sporadically. With more research into these two body parts, I came upon an interesting video by Dr. David Brownstein who spoke extensively about the thyroid gland, how he cured his own Father by helping him correct his thyroid function, and his integrative approach to healing.  From my own research and practice, I used Iodine along with my herbal teas and molasses 'routine' in an effort to shrink my fibroids before beginning Acupuncture
to support my uterus. Although it had been some time since I had taken any Iodine (Liquid Kelp), after seeing the video I didn't think it could hurt. I plucked about 5 drops of the Liquid Kelp under my tongue, and resumed life.  That night, I slept without having a night sweat, but was so tired when I did go to bed, I hadn't noticed until a few days later. Also, at work I wasn't making my intermittent announcements of 'hot flash coming on!' I was feeling fine. A co-worker asked me how were my flashes coming along, as she had suggested a product she used that seemed to help. My response was that I was feeling good, not  noticeably sweating as I had been, and the "eureka!" moment when I told her...."I've been able to sleep through the night". When I said this, I realized something I must have done differently had caused this reversion to normalcy. But, what was it? What did I do? I just figured it out right before making this post:


The Iodine (liquid kelp) is what cured my hot flashes!


I just finished some pre-lim surfing on the Internet regarding the effects of Iodine on hot flashes. Based on studies that have been done, what has been offered as testimonials by other women, and what I've experienced, I can say with confidence that after taking Iodine one time, my hot flashes and night sweats have disappeared! I take 5 sub-lingual drop every two three days, and have not had a re-occurrence of hot flashes since - its been three weeks.

I'll post a follow-up of continued or changed effects at the end of June. Stay tuned, and see what happens. In the mean time, if you decide to employ Iodine (Liquid Kelp) as a nutritional supplement,
to help you with hot flashes, check with your physician first. You may not need Iodine, but an over-abundance can cause a serious problem, just as a deficiency.


Update: (7/14)  Read follow-up here

Shrinking Fibroids with Acupuncture: My Diet Plan

    When  I first began to research  Uterine fibroids after my diagnoses, I tried to determine how I may have developed them. I wanted to pinpoint the problem and get rid of it. However, there no ONE thing that caused uterine fibroids to grow - and I was all over the map as far as many of the factors were concerned!
.
Causes
     Uterine fibroids occur when a single uterine muscle cell spontaneously begins to reproduce itself over and over again until it creates a firm mass of tissue. While the cause of fibroid development has not been conclusively identified, research has determined that many fibroid tumors have gene alterations that are not present in normal uterine muscle cells. Scientists speculate that those alterations may be the cause of fibroid development, triggering the abnormal cell replication that is at the root of the process.+

       While the cause of fibroid tumors is not clear, a number of factors may increase a woman's risk of developing them. Women most likely to be affected by fibroids include those who have never been pregnant, individuals with a family history of fibroids, and women of African-American heritage. Some research has suggested that obesity may increase risk, while other studies have show no association between body weight and fibroids.+

Here are some additional factors that may lead to uterine fibroids:

Hormones. Estrogen and progesterone, two hormones that stimulate development of the uterine lining during each menstrual cycle in preparation for pregnancy, appear to promote the growth of fibroids. Fibroids contain more estrogen and progesterone receptors than do normal uterine muscle cells.^

Heredity - You may have a genetic predisposition for fibroid growths. I found out both my Mother and Grandmother had a bout with fibroids.

Poor Diet - Eating a lot of processed, fried and high-caloric foods isn't good. Eating red meat regularly was not good (I live in Texas!), and not eating consistently was not good. My problem was bittersweet as I ate well and balanced meals when I did eat, but I did not eat as often as I should have. I would run my body off of a large meal for eight hours, then maybe eat a snack before I got ready for bed. I was burning more calories than I was taking in. The key was to find 'balance' with my eating habits. On the flip side, I ate plenty of vegetables and grains, used evoo as much as possible when cooking, had more of a tendency for fish and chicken than red meat (which I ate/eat sparingly), and I was able to expand into organic foods with the hopes of increasing nutritional value and intake. After seeing several documentaries on Netflix during my time of research, my attitude altered a bit in considering the ssource of the food I was putting in my body. I've begun to look at health from the approach of GIGO - garbage in (the body) yields garbage out. Simple.


Stress. This factor can lead to imbalances in the body that produce toxins. I've read in some literature that uterine fibroids is a reaction to a build-up of toxins that may not only come from the uterus and/or ovaries, but from the liver, thyroid, heart, and kidneys. I definitely knew that my body was in a toxic state because it didn't feel good, I drank frequently prior to noticing the increased abdominal growth, and I had one of the most stressful jobs I've ever had at that time, proving myself as a restaurant manager for a local owner. It almost killed me.....but it didn't. That's when the heavy periods started....and didn't stop!

Cigarettes, Alcohol, Sugar. These three factors are self-evident in the harmful effects they cause. I was guilty of the cigarettes and alcohol part.

Genetic alterations. Many fibroids contain alterations in genes that are different from those in normal uterine muscle cells.^

Other chemicals. Substances that help the body maintain tissues, such as insulin-like growth factor, may affect fibroid growth.^

   (Please keep in mind that the factors I've cited above usually work in combination with eatch other as certain predispositions. Hence there is no ONE factor that causes fibroids).

Acupuncture and Diet

 

If you are considering Acupuncture to assist in shrinking your fibroids (of for any other medical problem), I would suggest you come to understand what is going on with your body during and after a session. Essentially, I would describe an Acupuncture procedure as one that is non-invasive, and that helps to restore internal balance in the body from the stimulation of points which can be identified by way of the skin (outer body).

 

 

 Eating - called the first line of defense in healing.

 

 

     Coupled with Acupuncture, the way you eat while undergoing the procedure can add in getting you in balance.  After adding more vegetables and grains to my diet, I reduced my alcohol intake (still grappling with the smoking, but making steady progress), and ate more frequently. As these fibroids have shrunk over the last year, I have been feeling more uncongested in my lower abdomen. The pressure from the over sized growth isn't pressing on my bladder (and probably a couple of other organs). My waistline is here! I see some former abs appearing in my upper torso. There's definite been a release of stuff physically, as well as otherwise. Also, I have been scant with taking vitamins, as I do my best to eat foods high in nutrition - lots of protein, all vegetables (those in season), fresh fruits, grains, beans, nuts...believe it or not. I have been blessed to work in a restaurant with a kitchen that gets in the fresh produce. I watch how certain cooks prepare the foods, and I get access to the excess AND the good stuff (periodically).

 

 

Water is the other component I've added more of to my diet. For quite some time, I found that I was constantly dehydrated. My lips would peel incessantly, no matter what I put on them to assuage the dryness. As I have been undergoing Acupuncture, I have increased my intake of water dramatically. Its as if I have been obeying my body and drinking water versus any other liquid. I've had to have water in my life - to the point that when I may go out and have a drink, I consciously drink a full glass of water along with my shot or glass of wine. My skin has been looking more buoyant, and my lips aren't peeling anymore. That has been awesome for me. To ensure I get adequate amounts of water (without thinking about it) I drink 2 -2 1/2 33.8oz bottles of water per day. I carry my bottle with to work, and drink throughout the day, and after my lunch break. As the Acupuncture procedure is setting you into balance, your body is expelling toxins (in my case, the fibroids). The high intake of water helps the body to flush your system.

 

Before going to my Acupuncture session, I usually go to mass. I've also been doing a spiritual fast, and by the time I'd get to the Doctor's office, my stomach is growling loudly. I do not suggest this. The body is trying to get energy, and is working in overdrive to sustain itself until the next meal (feasting). Instead, I have read and found that it is better to maintain and support the stomach by eating between 1 1/2 - 2 hours before acupuncture. Digestion has a chance to run its course comfortably, and fuels the body as the energies are redirected and/or put into harmony during a session. Keep in mind that eating slowly is better for your digestion, and you get full faster.

 

After my session I will usually eat chicken or seafood. If I treat myself to lunch out, I'll get Thai or Indian food, or sushi or shrimp, etc. I'm not particular about the sides, but I don't do many carbs. Lots vegetables, and lots of sauces! I have come across info that suggests certain foods that reflect certain energies and can support the balance that the Acupuncture is addressing. However, my Practitioner never made any suggestions about the foods I should eat. I did some research to see what was generally accepted or suggested. I can only presume that I have put myself on the right track with what and how I eat, as it probably contributed to the success I've had with Acupuncture in shrinking my fibroids.  

 

^ http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/uterine-fibroids/DS00078/DSECTION=causes


+ http://www.haltmedical.com/causes-of-fibroids