A couple of years ago, I went on a quest to find information on shrinking fibroids naturally. I'd had enough. I'd reached the point where the only solution being offered to me by my doctor was to have a hysterectomy. I'd had fibroids for a few years, although I'd only been diagnosed with them fairly recently. I'd suffered from bloating, incontinence, very heavy periods accompanied by anemia, discomfort and bowel problems. Looking back now I guess it seems laughable that I didn't realize what was wrong. I thought I might have cancer. One of the doctors I'd seen a year or so previously even claimed it was "abdominal fat"! In actual fact, I had fibroids. Large fibroids.

Indeed a scan showed that my abdomen resembled a "7 month pregnancy". It was no wonder I had all these symptoms. One of my fibroids was as big as a small melon and I had several which were the size of apples and groups of small fibroids. I was heartened to learn that at least they weren't dangerous, but in a way I always got the impression that doctors felt this gave them a license to almost not take my fibroids seriously. It was a bit like "well, they're not going to <i>kill</i> you, so get on with it!

I couldn't get on with it though. My quality of life was severely compromised. I used to like running, but I got completely out of breath and I leaked urine every time I dared do any exercise. My periods were awful. I would soak several sanitary towels in a matter of hours and had to sleep on towels. As for sex, well this had stopped because it was just so uncomfortable and I later found out that the position of one of my fibroids meant that it was pressing down on the top end of my vagina.

I asked my doctor about methods of shrinking fibroids naturally, but was met with a blank stare. He said the only thing that would "sort the problem" was a hysterectomy. There were other surgical methods which are sometimes used to remove individual or groups of fibroids but in his words, I was "too far gone". I really didn't want a hysterectomy. I was only in my mid thirties and I knew people who had had one and gone through the menopause. Also, I was busy. I had 3 children and a husband who worked away a lot and I could not afford the time to spend months recovering from major surgery. Finally, I was scared to death of the hormonal treatment I would have to take before the operation. I was told I would need to take drugs to artificially shrink the fibroids before surgery to make it "less risky" but that these drugs caused dreadful side effects, such as osteoporosis, menopausal symptoms like night sweats and memory loss, drying, thinning vaginal tissues and facial wrinkling.

I needed time to think about this, so I scheduled an appointment for a month or so later. During that time I absorbed every bit of information I could about shrinking fibroids naturally. I learned that there is very often no "one" cause of fibroids but that there are certain conditions which can predispose a woman to suffering from fibroids. For example, an excess of estrogen is thought to contribute to fibroids in some women, so looking at ways to reduce this naturally can be helpful. Estrogen is carried by and produced in fat cells, so maintaining a healthy weight can reduce fibroids a little. In addition, it is known that certain pollutants and pesticides in the environment can mimic the action of estrogen and that these can be stored in the liver. Eliminating these by liver detoxing may help. Other women have found that using preparations of Chinese herbs helpful, although you would need to ensure you were taking a safe combination, specifically for fibroids if this was an avenue you wished to try.

There are a few alternative practitioners who specialize in women's health problems, including shrinking fibroids naturally. However, they are difficult to find and can work out to be very expensive. The very fact that fibroids can have many causes is why you will not find too much specific information about how you can shrink them naturally, online. I found this very frustrating. Indeed I felt that people were holding back lots of information-I'd seen much anecdotal evidence that shrinking fibroids naturally could be done. I'd even read real-life stories in reputable publications. However, I could not find out how to do it.

Eventually, I decided to go ahead and purchase what looked like a very comprehensive system. I admit to having doubts but felt it was a last resort. As soon as I read through the masses of information I suddenly realized why I could not find the information online.

The very fact that fibroids can have multiple causes and very often the solution required is very much tailored to the individual. It would be pretty irresponsible to publish a haphazard array of advice which will certainly not be appropriate in every case and would not necessarily be helpful in shrinking fibroids naturally. Indeed what works for one person may not work for another and it itabsolutely vitalthat you have a comprehensive understanding before beginning treatment. The system I chose is written by Shola Oslo, who is an alternative practitioner specializing in women's issues. I found that some of my symptoms had subsided within a few days and I would say that within a couple of months, my fibroids had started to shrink noticeably. A couple of months after that, a scan revealed that the largest fibroids had shrunk considerably and some of the smallest ones had shrunk altogether. Needless to say, I did not go ahead with surgery! By way of an update, I still have fibroids, but they are so small that they cause me no symptoms at all. The bonus has been that I feel the healthiest I have in years! If you would like to see the exact system which worked for me, please visit Stop Fibroids To see general information about fibroids and for links to information about the different types of fibroids, their diagnosis and symptoms, please see Shrinking Fibroids Naturally