Wednesday, June 11, 2008

what I'm taking

My acupuncturist just rejiggered my supplements today, here is what I am taking:

  • HERBS/SUPPLEMENTS

    Chinese herbs homeopathics mix (E Zhu, Dan Shen, Dang Gui Wei, Nattokinase (not really a Chinese herb but she included it in the formula), San Leng, Gui Zhi Fu Ling Tang (this is the Japanese keishi bukuro gan which I mentioned in past posts there are clinical results showing efficacy on fibroids)
    Vital Nutriends Liver Support II (Picrorhiza, Milk Thistle, Artichoke Leaf, Curcumin, Dandelion Root)
    Nattokinase
    Chrlorophyll
    Teramedix DGX (digestive enzymes)
    Protease
    DHEA
    Acidophilous
    Iron aspartate
    Chia seeds


    VITAMINS

    Megafoods Iron Free One Daily
    Vitamin E
    Megafoods B complex
    Ultimate Omega fish oil
    Standard Process Folic Acid
    Standard Process Catalyn
    Standard Process Trace Minerals
    Standard Process Calcium Lactate
    Standard Process Magnesium Lactate

15 comments:

Anonymous said...

Hi there. Very informative blog. I was just diagnosed last week with a large fibroid (10 cm). I don't know yet what my treatment will be but myomectomy will likely be recommended once I get to see a specialist. I don't relish the thought of surgery so I am going to do all I can in the meantime to try to shrink it naturally.

I had a complete examination on January 31st and my doctor did not detect the fibroid. Despite the apparent rapid growth they are quite sure it is benign. I found out in 2005 that I had fibroids but were told they were very small and nothing to worry about.

Since January I began taking a new supplement that contains Dang Gui (Dong Quai). I have since researched this and found several websites that say that this herb can "easily" cause fibroids to grow and should not be taken by anyone with fibroids. I can't say for sure if that is what caused mine to grow but it seems likely to me. I just wanted to mention that since you listed that as one of the herbs you're taking.

Right now I am avoiding everything I possibly can that may be any sort of xenoestrogen or phytoestrogen. I'm shocked how many things there are to avoid but I'm just going to do the best I can.

Fibroid Shrinker said...

Wow, having a fibroid grow that quickly is indeed scary. From what I have heard, 10 cm is on the cusp of what can be shrunk with natural means. I heard once (on the National Uterine Fibroid Foundaion listserv) of someone with an 11 cm one who was able to shrink with natural means similar to what are described in this blog. But generally it's said that natural methods only work if the fibroids are less than 10 cm.
It sounds like the first thing for you though is to stop it growing. It is indeed possible that the Dang Gui could be the culprit, or some other aspect of the supplement. Thanks for alerting me and the readers. I have seen the same warnings you have, but I think it works differently if it's in a mixture -- evidently the whole art of Chinese herbs is in how they are combined. And this particular formula I am taking that contains Dang Gui has 1) a variant form Dang Gui Wei and 2) is a formula clinically proven to shrink fibroids. Are you seeing an acupuncturist you can discuss this with?
Indeed avoiding xenoestrogens and phytoestrogens is a lot of work. Good luck and please keep us posted!

Anonymous said...

I have a naturopath and she's not the one that I originally got that supplement from. When I showed it to her she recommended not taking it anymore but I did continue to take it for another month or two. The supplement I was taking is called IMM-C by Nature's Sunshine and it is a mix of things.

Another thing I should mention is that I was also taking "a lot" of Oregano Oil between my exam in January and finding out about my fibroid. I was doing quite a bit of travelling and my naturopath recommended that to prevent getting sick while in foreign countries. I was taking two drops twice a day for up to a few weeks at a time. I have since read that oregano is also a phytoestrogen.

I just had my follow-up appointment with my doctor today and I got the full report which said that there are actually three fibroids but two of them are 4cm or smaller. One is almost 10cm. He has referred me to a gynecologist.

Being as I had been hoping to begin trying to get pregnant as early as the end of this year, I'm just hoping for whatever method will get rid of them as soon as possible.

Fibroid Shrinker said...

I didn't realize that about Oregano Oil. I have used it in the past when traveling in Asia. That could be a culprit too.
Good you are going to a gynecologist. If you can also find an acupuncturist, that could be very helpful too as Chinese herbs and acupuncture have been clinically proven to help shrink fibroids.
Good luck!

Anonymous said...

Thanks for writing this blog. I am much like you, same age, fibroids, etc. I had hoped to get pregnant one day but unfortnately that hasn't happened. One of my fibroids is pedunculated and rather large. I'd like to believe I could shrink it naturally without having to resort to anything drastic. I was looking into guided focused ultrasound but have read that pedunculated fibroids can not usually be treated this way which is very depressing. The only treatment suggestion I got from my gynocologist today was "hysterectomy" that's the only thing that will help. Some advice that is! Luckily I don't suffer from any major symptoms of these fibroids just slight pain after my period which I can control with Tylenol. The worst is that I can feel a hard lump in my abdomen.
I do see an acupuncturist/naturopath and also take some of the same suppliments you have listed. I am going to print your list for her to review when I see her this week.
I am so glad I found your blog. Thank you so much.

Anonymous said...

I have a fibroid that was measured on ultrasound to be 10.6 x 8.7 x 9.1 cm when it was discovered in August 2006 and was down to 6.0 x 6.1 x 6.8 cm on my first ultrasound since then, which was done earlier this month.

I wish I knew what I could accurately attribute the shrinkage to! It could be partly because I'm getting closer to menopause, and my estrogen levels are dropping; I have started having occasional hot flashes recently. I cut back very dramatically on ingesting phytoestrogens and xenoestrogens. I increased my consumption of tomatoes and tomato sauce (from glass jars), based on the findings of a study with quails that is reported here. I had read about it before my recent discovery of this excellent blog. I moved to a different state, and I suspect there might be more estrogen contamination in the water where I used to live. Several measures that I thought I probably should have taken I ended up not taking, in some part because my husband disagreed with them. I’m still thinking about acupuncture, especially since I recently discovered an acupuncturist who specializes in this type of thing.

I’m very grateful for this blog!

Subversive Me said...

How funny is it that i stumbled on this blog on a hooping site. i'm about to be 45 in august and i too have fibroids as well as complex cysts on my ovaries.

i've had fibroids for years. had them removed during a myomectomy (thank you dr. auld) they've grown back as we thought they might. this time i have mother nature and approaching menopause on my side.

one is 6.5cm (anterior) and the other is 5.9 (posterior) i have copies of my transvaginal sonogram here with me. i too am opting to shrink them naturally over yet another surgical procedure. i'm not interested in a hysterectomy (this is prescribed way more than it should be) and a myometomy is just as grueling (lost a fallopian tube in my first one) so what's the point.

Susun Weed's book Wise Women Menopausal Years is my constant companion as i work on shrinking the fibroids as well as dealing with hotflashes, vaginal dryness, decreasing libido, heart palpitations etc...lol

its good to know i'm not alone on this journey. good luck to you!

Fibroid Shrinker said...

Thanks Lisa. Yes knowing one is not alone helps a lot. Thanks for the book tip and good luck with the fibroid shrinking!

Fibroid Shrinker said...

A belated thank you to Anonymous. I'm so glad you're finding this blog helpful. Hope the supplement work is going well -- please keep us posted!

Fibroid Shrinker said...

Also a belated note to another Anonymous, who posted on June 20th. Thanks for sharing your fibroid shrinking success, that's great! I had heard it was nearly impossible to shrink fibroids that large, so good for you -- whatever it is that's working!
Glad you're enjoying the blog, and please let us know your how things continue to progress!

Anonymous said...

Hello,

Thanks for a very informative blog and to the others who have shared their ecperience.

I just discovered that I have a Fibroid and an ovarian cyst and I'm currently search for information on ways to shrink it naturally. I'm hoping to get more information about foods to eat and the ones to avoid.

Thanks for sharing!

Fibroid Shrinker said...

So glad you're finding this helpful and good luck to you in your fibroid shrinking efforts!

Jamie said...

I have found I have a fibroid. I'm 44. It scares me! I have been taking oregano oil the past two weeks to keep away UTIs, but now I read it's a phytoestrogen??! Ugh! So, what have you guys tried that has actually shrunk or disintegrated a fibroid?

Fibroid Shrinker said...

Hi Jamie,
Thanks for commenting. Sorry to hear about the fibroid and indeed they are scary. I do recommend staying away from the oregano oil, at the time mine were growing I was taking it, and others have mentioned problems with it. Check out this post http://shrinkingfibroids.blogspot.com/2014/02/progress-report-20-shrinkage-over-past.html and this post http://shrinkingfibroids.blogspot.com/2011/06/top-ten-must-do-natural-remedies-for.html for ideas. Also if you page through this blog, many stories posted of people who were able to shrink their fibroids. Wishing you the best and let us know how it goes for you.

Unknown said...

Thank you, Fibroid Shrinker. I am currently taking hemp oil 3 times a day, as I saw a YouTube video of a woman that it helped two people she knew. I got rid of all my canned goods. I stopped eating all soy, including lecithin as well. I'm drinking raspberry tea, and eating raspberry jam. I'm drinking green tea, and doing castor oil packs the times a week. A bit of ACV a few times a day, and more vitamin D. Also, cold pressed cod liver oil once a day. This combined has eased the pain some. This stuff is a result of doing hours of reading on multiple places. I take Zoloft for panic disorder, so I have to watch herbs, etc, that I take. In fact, I've had to up my dose of it, to compensate for the tannins in the teas, which metabolize in the liver, and therefore, there will be less of the med in the system. I found out the hard way...started getting worse panic attacks. This has happened twice, from too many tannins. Good luck to us all!