What treatments are available for fibroids?
For women with small fibroids, some doctors may recommend treating the symptoms, such as discomfort or increased monthly blood loss, rather than treating the fibroids. To control growth of fibroids, the doctor may suggest stopping any medication that contains estrogen and may suggest alternatives. For women after menopause, fibroids usually shrink because the level of estrogens decrease, and the symptoms may decrease or disappear. Until recently, doctors often recommended hysterectomy for women with fibroids that caused excessive bleeding. Fibroids are the reason given for an estimated one-third of the 60,000 hysterectomies performed in Canada each year. Hysterectomy means removing the womb and sometimes the ovaries as well. Now there are options for treating fibroids other than hysterectomy, such as: • Hormone therapy, such as Lupron or “GnRH agonist”, mimics menopause to shrink fibroids temporarily. This method could help women near menopause who can follow the treatment until their
