Homeopathy for uterine fibroids

Townsend Letter for Doctors and Patients, Nov, 2004 by Judyth Reichenberg-Ullman, Robert Ullman

As a side note, if surgery is chosen, homeopathy and nutritional supplements can be used quite successfully to prevent the formation of adhesions (scar tissue), a frequent sequela of myomectomies and hysterectomies. I include my pre- and post-surgical protocol, which I have found to be consistently effective, in Whole Woman Homeopathy.

Janis

Janis, a vivacious, 40 year-old, attired comfortably, yet attractively, in blue jeans, first consulted me 7-1/2 years ago. Diagnosed a year earlier with a fibroid tumor, she had been under the care of another naturopathic doctor for six months. The previous regimen of acupuncture and Chinese herbs had resulted in Janis feeling weak rather than rejuvenated, which was undoubtedly not the intention. Her gynecologist insisted that Janis needed an immediate hysterectomy. Intimidated and confused, Janet at first agreed to the surgery, then walked out of the hospital against medical advice 15 minutes before the procedure. A month before I first met Janis, the fibroid was measured, on physical examination, to be the size of a ten-week-old fetus.

"The fibroid took me by surprise," explained Janis. "My periods were every 28 days to the day. I know exactly how they'll behave. I do not want surgery and I am not big on medications. I urinate a lot, but I attribute it to drinking a large quantity of herb tea. My menstrual flow is quite heavy the first day. Four days before my last period, I woke up in gut-wrenching, cramping pain. It hurt so much that I couldn't stand up straight. I went to the hospital and was told my fibroid was degenerating. Then, the next day I was fine."

Janis told me more about her nature and temperament. "My husband calls me 'Mrs. Stress Case.' You would not call me a calm person. Everything upsets me. I had an ulcer and a spastic colon when I was younger. The littlest thing sends me into a tizzy when it comes to work-related issues. I can break into tears in an instant. If I get a phone call that someone needs something at work, I become very hyper. I can feel my pulse racing and blood pressure going up. People don't like to be around me when I'm like that.

"I guess you would call me high-strung. I do everything fast. My patience is zero. If someone says, 'Let's go,' I have my coat on already. That's how I've always operated. In the evening, a lot of people sit down with a newspaper in front of the T.V. to calm down. I consciously have to work on relaxing. You won't find me reading until I'm too exhausted to do anything else. Even then, I feel guilty about what I'm not accomplishing.

"My sister died of breast cancer at 35. I don't know why I'm crying telling you about it, but it was awful. Our family is really close. I began to have anxiety attacks after she died. The feeling of being closed in, clammy palms, a racing heart. I thought I was dying. It still happens every now and then."

As for her work, Janis had extensive managerial experience in the biomedical and computer industries. "I get so stressed out at all of those jobs. I'm one of those people who can get a lot of work done in a short amount of time, so my plate is always overfull. I know that I can do more and better than anyone else on my staff. Delegating is not my strong suit. My style is to work 12-hour days at a fast pace. I hit the ground running and go all day.