Health Envoy's Blog
Traditionally, a woman with problem fibroids underwent a hysterectomy to remove them. Today, certain medications and less invasive procedures could offer better alternatives.
Medically reviewed by Pat F. Bass III, MD, MPH
Conventional medical guidelines often suggest that a woman wanting to treat difficult fibroids
have a hysterectomy, the surgical removal of the uterus. But many women
would rather not undergo an invasive surgical procedure, one that
diminishes the chance of pregnancy.
It’s no wonder that a number of women with fibroids look for alternative ways to treat them — whether it’s a less radical procedure or a natural treatment. And there are other methods out there that work. Just bear in mind: Creams and potions hawked on the Internet to shrink fibroids have not been scientifically proven to work, and a lack of results from these products will only add to your frustration.
bAre There Natural Alternatives to Prescription Medications for Fibroids?
Prescription drugs used to treat fibroids, like birth control pills and other hormone-based medications, don’t eliminate the fibroids. These medications cut off the hormones that feed the fibroids, and at best reduce blood flow during your period and ease pain from cramping and pressure.
Drugs that actually shrink fibroids — called gonadotropin-releasing hormone agonists, or GnRHas — have such a strong hormonal effect that they trick the body into thinking you’re going through menopause, when fibroids naturally shrink as estrogen level declines. However, these drugs can have serious side effects, like bone thinning, so they’re used primarily as a short-term treatment before surgery to make fibroids easier to remove. They can be prescribed to give you a respite from fibroids symptoms, but only for about six months. When you stop taking GnRHas, the fibroids grow back to the size they were before.
Researchers are investigating newer drugs that may be able shrink fibroids without the osteoporosis risk that GnRHas carry, but these potential new treatments are a few years away.
What about natural treatment for fibroids? Most research of complementary and alternative medicine treatments for fibroids have found no benefits. However, one recent review of the literature on Chinese herbs — which are often mentioned anecdotally for their ability to shrink fibroids — was published in the well-respected Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews.
The review, which included Chinese studies, reported on two randomized clinical trials of 150 women. The review authors found that two herbal treatments showed results comparable to those of prescription drugs in shrinking fibroids, but they also pointed out that the two studies were small and the quality of the trials wasn’t high. Also, the results, which measured fibroid shrinkage, were not really what the reviewers set out to find: symptom relief and a reduced need for surgery. It’s also important to note that herbs are not regulated by FDA and that natural doesn’t necessarily mean safe.
Are There Alternatives to Fibroid Surgery?
Statistics show that about 25 percent of women have fibroids, but only a quarter of these women have symptoms serious enough to need treatment. Yet up to half of the 600,000 hysterectomies performed in the United States each year are for this condition. There are less radical treatments, like uterine artery embolism, designed to destroy the fibroid by cutting off its blood supply, but these treatments may negatively affect fertility.
A newer procedure is an alternative to invasive and even minimally invasive surgery, and it may get rid of fibroids and preserve the ability to conceive: magnetic resonanance (MR)-guided focused ultrasound, which received FDA approval in 2004. Using the same type of scanner used to do MRIs, doctors are able to locate the fibroids and then destroy them with ultrasound waves. The name of the medical device is the ExAblate 2000 System, and it is available in many facilities across the country.
Early results show that focused ultrasound may actually improve fertility. A clinical trial is underway to further test those results.
Can Diet Help Fibroids?
According to the National Women’s Health Information Center, being overweight increases your risk of fibroids; if you’re obese, that risk can be two to three times greater than for a woman of average weight. What you eat may influence fibroid formation, too. Red meat, including beef, lamb, and ham, increases your risk, while green vegetables may provide a protective effect.
Fibroids don’t have to be treated unless they are causing symptoms such as pain or infertility. If you have such symptoms, review all your options with your ob-gyn. Carefully weighing the risks and rewards of safe and effective procedures will help you make the treatment decision that’s right for you.
Learn more in the Everyday Health Women's Health Center.
It’s no wonder that a number of women with fibroids look for alternative ways to treat them — whether it’s a less radical procedure or a natural treatment. And there are other methods out there that work. Just bear in mind: Creams and potions hawked on the Internet to shrink fibroids have not been scientifically proven to work, and a lack of results from these products will only add to your frustration.
bAre There Natural Alternatives to Prescription Medications for Fibroids?
Prescription drugs used to treat fibroids, like birth control pills and other hormone-based medications, don’t eliminate the fibroids. These medications cut off the hormones that feed the fibroids, and at best reduce blood flow during your period and ease pain from cramping and pressure.
Drugs that actually shrink fibroids — called gonadotropin-releasing hormone agonists, or GnRHas — have such a strong hormonal effect that they trick the body into thinking you’re going through menopause, when fibroids naturally shrink as estrogen level declines. However, these drugs can have serious side effects, like bone thinning, so they’re used primarily as a short-term treatment before surgery to make fibroids easier to remove. They can be prescribed to give you a respite from fibroids symptoms, but only for about six months. When you stop taking GnRHas, the fibroids grow back to the size they were before.
Researchers are investigating newer drugs that may be able shrink fibroids without the osteoporosis risk that GnRHas carry, but these potential new treatments are a few years away.
What about natural treatment for fibroids? Most research of complementary and alternative medicine treatments for fibroids have found no benefits. However, one recent review of the literature on Chinese herbs — which are often mentioned anecdotally for their ability to shrink fibroids — was published in the well-respected Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews.
The review, which included Chinese studies, reported on two randomized clinical trials of 150 women. The review authors found that two herbal treatments showed results comparable to those of prescription drugs in shrinking fibroids, but they also pointed out that the two studies were small and the quality of the trials wasn’t high. Also, the results, which measured fibroid shrinkage, were not really what the reviewers set out to find: symptom relief and a reduced need for surgery. It’s also important to note that herbs are not regulated by FDA and that natural doesn’t necessarily mean safe.
Are There Alternatives to Fibroid Surgery?
Statistics show that about 25 percent of women have fibroids, but only a quarter of these women have symptoms serious enough to need treatment. Yet up to half of the 600,000 hysterectomies performed in the United States each year are for this condition. There are less radical treatments, like uterine artery embolism, designed to destroy the fibroid by cutting off its blood supply, but these treatments may negatively affect fertility.
A newer procedure is an alternative to invasive and even minimally invasive surgery, and it may get rid of fibroids and preserve the ability to conceive: magnetic resonanance (MR)-guided focused ultrasound, which received FDA approval in 2004. Using the same type of scanner used to do MRIs, doctors are able to locate the fibroids and then destroy them with ultrasound waves. The name of the medical device is the ExAblate 2000 System, and it is available in many facilities across the country.
Early results show that focused ultrasound may actually improve fertility. A clinical trial is underway to further test those results.
Can Diet Help Fibroids?
According to the National Women’s Health Information Center, being overweight increases your risk of fibroids; if you’re obese, that risk can be two to three times greater than for a woman of average weight. What you eat may influence fibroid formation, too. Red meat, including beef, lamb, and ham, increases your risk, while green vegetables may provide a protective effect.
Fibroids don’t have to be treated unless they are causing symptoms such as pain or infertility. If you have such symptoms, review all your options with your ob-gyn. Carefully weighing the risks and rewards of safe and effective procedures will help you make the treatment decision that’s right for you.
Learn more in the Everyday Health Women's Health Center.
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