Big Fibroids! Help!
forum post
Hi - I have been getting acupuncture for a few months now once or twice a week. I originally went to get help with fibroids and bloating. I have noticed improvement in mental clarity, energy, post traumatic stress disorder, and mood but I have noticed no difference with the bloating and the fibroids. I have two large fibroids, one is 10 centimeters and the other is 11 centimeters and 1 ovarian cyst. The bloating gets worse as the day goes on and at night right before I go to bed, I look as though I’m 7 months pregnant. I have changed my diet: No processed foods, sugar, and I don’t eat any dairy or wheat. It’s all whole organic foods. I am also taking 2 supplements: One is Wu gi bai feng (White Phoenix) for female problems. The other I don’t know the Chinese name for but it’s called Stomach Fortify, Plum Flower brand. I’ve been doing all of this for a few months and I don’t notice any improvement in the pelvic area. We tried electricity on the pelvic area on Friday. I felt very relaxed right after the treatment, but the following day I felt horrible despite a full night’s sleep. The next day I was so fatigued, lightheaded, and dizzy. Sunday the next day I felt a little better, but my sore throat is back! The acupuncturist didn’t treat the cold becsuse she said my lung meridian was okay, but I’m still sick. I have spent a lot of money on the treatment. I don’t know what to do. Anybody have any suggestions? I appreciate your expertise and I love acupuncture, but I don’t know why the treatment is is working well on some things but not others. Thank you
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Formulas: bao he wan, bao ji wan, jia wei xiao yao wan
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Comments / Discussions:
comment by "ChadD" (acupuncturist)
on Sep 2013
Before I try to answer, how long have you had the bloating issues and were they possibly even worse after starting treatment? or just the same/mildly improved? Do you have any menstrual issues besides fibroids (i.e. irregular, light, pms, pain, etc.) - could you describe your last three cycles in some detail. And can you tell me generally what your tongue looks like - is it pale or red, thick coating or no coating?
My initial feeling which would have to be confirmed with answers to some of the above questions is that those formulas are not quite right for you. They are quite strengthening and if your bloating is coming more from stagnation (a tcm diagnosis) than deficiency (what they appear to think) they might be not as helpful or even counter productive. For time frames it can take awhile to fully resolve menstrual issues so it's hard to generalize, but in our practice 3 months would be a significant enough time where things should be well on track except for the most extreme of cases.
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comment by "Slfugit"
on Sep 2013
Hi - Thank you for answering my query. The bloating has been going on for a few years now, and it is worse! When I eat, my stomach starts bloating. There was a little bloating, but now there is a lot. I have had painful cramps all of my adult life. Also dark red clots. However, they are regular and every 28 days, even at 46 years. I don' t really get PMS per se, although I feel more tired at that time and sometimes sad. I might get a small pimple, and my hair gets oily. The fibroids were diagnosed in 2010. They were like a plum or a golf ball then. Now they are grapefruits! My uterus is enlarged. I also have a left ovarian cyst. The last period was not ad heavy. There was a little brown at first then it was bright red. It lasted 5 days, and I had the usual cramps, which were bad for only 1 day, bloating, fatigue, headache and nausea. The clots were not as solid in the beginning, but there were still a lot of them, and they got bigger snd more solid as the bleeding went on. The one before that lasted 5 days, but the cramps were worse a nd lasted longer. No brown, just bright red. Same symptoms: cramps, bloating, nausea, fatigue, and headache. The one before that was even a little heavier, and the cramps were about the same. It was bright red with lots of big clots. Same symptoms: nausea, cramps, headache, backache, bloating.
My tongue is light red all around the edges and at the tip. There is a light coating that does not reach sides or edges of the tongue. It's as light white/yellow color with maybe alittle orange. In the middle of the coating, there is a roundish red spot.
Thank you
comment by "ChadD" (acupuncturist)
on Sep 2013
It's always hard to diagnose people in a forum, but with the yellow coating on the tongue (heat), I would say those formulas are probably a little too tonifying for your condition. While in our western minds with our collective "more is better" idea, tonifying always sounds like a good idea, it can overheat the body causing more problems. I can't say those formulas are entirely wrong for you and I, of course, have no way of knowing what points they are using within your acupuncture treatments, but I would suggest the formulas get modified. Sometimes working in a mild digestive aid like Bao He Wan can help with other strong formulas to even them out, but in your case I think a more significant adjustment needs to be made. My feeling would be to be on something that moves more stagnation (fibroids) - like Jia Wei Xiao Yao Wan - with a more mild digestive tonic like Bao He Wan or Bao Ji Wan. But ultimately this would have to be decided by your practitioner.
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comment by "Slfugit"
on Oct 2013
Hi - I am seeing a new practitioner, and I am feeling better. The bloating is going down, and I am not exhausted after the treatments now. She changed the herbs to Huo Luo Xiao Ling Wan and Mu Xiang Shun Qi Wan. She also has a heat lamp that she puts over my lower abdomen and pelvic area that really feels good. She also advised me to stay away from nuts for a while. It has been a good experience, and I hope to continue improving. Thank you for your help and giving me the courage to act on my feelings!
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