Dr. McLucas shares the treatments for uterine fibroids.
Dr. McLucas:
There are several treatments for fibroids. Let’s start with probably the least invasive which would be a drug. There are drugs that will temporarily shrink fibroids. There are estrogens, what we call ‘agonists.' There are drugs that will slow down the growth of fibroids. We know that since estrogen supports the growth of a fibroid that the opposite of estrogens effects in the menstrual cycle is progesterone, and people have treated fibroids with progesterone - eluting IUDs inside the uterus, with oral progesterone, with injectable progesterone. All of these methods of treatment are short-lived. Once the medicines stop, the fibroids get big again.
Now for some women, they can put up with the side effects of taking the medicine. For others, the side effects of the medicine is almost as bad as the problem itself.