Naturopathic Medicine Reverses Uterine Fibroids
Dr. Holly Lucille, ND
Dr. Holly Lucille

Uterine fibroids are actually a bulging of the uterine tissue—either inside or outside of the uterus. A woman can experience nothing, or she might have issues with infertility, pelvic pain, or abnormal bleeding. They’re very common, and often benign. The conventional treatment for uterine fibroids is surgery in order to remove them. The problem with that is that it’s not identifying and treating the cause of why the fibroids were there in the first place, and they often come back.

Typically, uterine fibroids are caused by too much estrogen with corresponding lower levels of progesterone. This is known as “estrogen dominance,” and can come about by a woman’s exposure to too much estrogens outside of her body—whether it be from taking the birth control pill, maybe hormone replacement therapy, or from exposure to environmental toxins. Poor estrogen metabolism can also contribute to estrogen dominance.

When someone comes to me with uterine fibroids, it’s really important for me to understand the influencing factors causing those fibroids. I’m going to want to know what their diet and lifestyle is like, I want to know if they’re on any medications or supplements, if they have any significant health history, and I’m also going to want to do some testing: some saliva testing to test adrenal function, urine tests for estrogen metabolism, and I’ll also draw some blood in order to test other hormone levels.

When treating a woman with uterine fibroids, the first thing I want to do is decrease her exposure to environmental estrogens. I recommend she eats a diet of whole, organic foods, and minimizes the intake of processed foods. The second thing I want to do is make sure that the liver is properly metabolizing estrogen. I do this by prescribing a comprehensive liver detoxification using an herbal preparation and an ingredient called DIM—or diindolylmethane —which is a component of cruciferous vegetables. I also recommend using castor oil packs to decrease any pelvic congestion.

The natural treatment for uterine fibroids doesn’t necessarily get rid of the fibroids, but it does treat the cause so it stops them from growing, and therefore eliminates the symptoms. I actually have a really good success rate. When the women I’m working with follow my protocol, about 90% of them have a decrease in symptoms within the first two months, and are symptom-free within four. If somebody wants to reduce the symptoms of their uterine fibroids, I recommend that they adopt a natural living lifestyle. This includes reducing exposure to environmental estrogens, by eating whole organic foods, buying healthy and natural health and beauty aids—and cleaning supplies—drinking plenty of filtered water, and I also recommend seeing a naturopathic doctor.