Synarel

Cassiella Bond knew something was up when she started bleeding during sexual intercourse -- not profusely, but enough to send the then-27-year-old off to her gynecologist. The diagnosis? Fibroids. Her reaction? Fear. "I had heard of fibroids, but I didn't know anyone who had them," says the Baltimore native. "Nobody I knew talked about them."

Nobody except her doctor, who was talking surgery, which only increased Bond's anxiety. "I was worried that I wouldn't be able to have children. Above all, I wanted to preserve my fertility," she says.

So Cassiella told her doctor she'd return in three months and then shifted her focus to self-healing. At home she pulled out books and articles she'd studied while working as a macrobiotic cook five years earlier. Convinced the fibroids were caused by her fat-laden diet, Bond began replacing foods such as fried chicken and potato chips with healthier items like brown rice and soybeans. She also traded in her coffee for herbal tea and placed hot ginger compresses on her lower abdomen while visualizing the fibroid melting.

Three months later, when Cassiella returned to her doctor, the fibroids had shrunk so small they were virtually undetectable.

Though Bond didn't know it initially, she belonged to a sisterhood of Black women plagued with fibroids. Research shows that African-American women are more than twice as likely as White women to develop these noncancerous tumors of the uterus and are more likely, to be treated through hysterectomy.

But Bond's story and new research into alternative healing methods show that the outlook for women with fibroids is changing. Holistic remedies, including nutritional therapies and herbs, are emerging as safe, effective ways for sisters to restore ourselves to health -- and preserve our fertility.

Fibroid Facts

One of every five American women over 35 has fibroids, but sisters bear the brunt of the condition. Not only are Black women more frequently, diagnosed with tumors than White women, but according to a 1996 University of Maryland School of Medicine study, we are also more prone to have numerous growths and the severe pain and the anemia associated with them.

Though fibroids are estimated to occur in 50 to 75 percent of us, very little information is available about what causes this high incidence. Heredity is linked to fibroids, as is being overweight, a problem affecting 49 percent of African-American women. Fibroids may not always have symptoms, but warning signs include painful intercourse, heavy or prolonged menstrual periods, constipation, anemia, backache, pelvic pain, bloating and frequent urination. Fibroids can also contribute to infertility.

Once a woman has been diagnosed through a pelvic exam or ultrasound, treatment usually consists of hormone therapy or surgery or both, but these options leave a lot to be desired. Hormonal medications such as Lupron and Synarel temporarily shrink fibroids by causing estrogen levels to drop. However, these hormones induce menopausal symptoms and can have side effects.

Hysterectomies are the most common-and controversial -- treatment. Research shows that this major surgery is more likely to be done on African-Americans than on Whites, with greater complications and risk of death. And though the less invasive myomectomy -- a surgical procedure to remove the tumors alone -- preserves a woman's fertility, new fibroids appear in about 10 to 20 percent of cases. A nonsurgical technique known as embolization shrinks the tumors by blocking their blood supply, but is new and not yet widely available.

New Research, Alternative Cures

The desire to avoid conventional medical techniques led Monica Bullard, 30, to search for an alternative solution to her fibroid problem. "I was having heavy bleeding, lower abdominal bulging and pain throughout the month," says Monica, who was diagnosed two and a half years ago. "I felt as if my body had been invaded, but my doctor made it sound like no big deal, saying, `If they start bothering you, we can just cut them out.'" Wary, of both surgery and hormones, Monica turned to traditional Chinese medicine, or TCM. Her TCM practitioner administered acupuncture treatments and prescribed a combination of herbs (tao ren and hong hua) to drink as tea. Within just six months, her symptoms dissipated.

Bullard's story is not unusual. Dr. Patricia Aikins Murphy, of the Columbia University School of Nursing, says, "We know women seek out traditional Chinese medicine because they're interested in treatments beyond what Western medicine offers." Murphy is the principal investigator for a federally funded study on the effectiveness of TCM in treating fibroids. The research was prompted in part by three Chinese studies that showed a significant reduction in -- and in some cases, complete remission of -- tumors in women treated with herbs such as xiao liu pian (also called Tumor Reducing Tablet). It's important to note that fibroids are more likely to respond to herbal treatment if they are caught early. Also, women should take herbs under the supervision of a trained TCM practitioner and/or a physician.

Prevention and Resources

Bond's success with a macrobiotic diet and Bullard's healing through TCM raise the question of whether fibroids can be prevented. Yes, says California naturopath Kathy Williamson. "Ninety percent of my practice is made up of Black females, so I see a lot of fibroids," she says. "Almost all the women have diets high in meat." Her solution includes eliminating meat and dairy products, thereby avoiding the hormones -- such as estrogen -- that are used to stimulate growth in farm animals and may contribute to fibroids. Chicken, beef and dairy products can be replaced by beans, nuts and leafy green vegetables.

Williamson also suggests that women isolate and release the anger and anxiety in their lives. "Research has shown that people who hold on to hostility and are stressed out can be predisposed to getting tumors," she explains. Deep-breathing exercises, meditation, yoga or a hobby can help. She also advises her patients to "throw out the tight girdles and get some exercise."

To learn more about preventing and healing fibroids, check out the following resources: * The Hundredth Woman (Corona Press, $12) by Cassiella Bond includes research about alternative treatments. Send a check or money order to Corona Press, P.O. Box 905, Brooklandville MD 21022. * The Hysterectomy Educational Resources and Services (HERS) Foundation provides advice and referrals. Write to HERS, 422 Bryn Mawr Ave., Bala Cynwyd PA 19004, or call (610) 667-7757. * The National Women's Health Network offers additional information. Contact the network at 514 Tenth St., N.W., Washington DC 20004, (202) 629-7814.

COPYRIGHT 1997 Essence Communications, Inc.
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