Uterine Fibroid tumors. Thank you for your post on menopause today. That is exactly my issue these days. I finally went to see a doctor because my symptoms were interfering with my life and he found a fairly large uterine fibroid tumor. He put me on prometrium, which has helped me feel so much better, and has suggested some traditional treatments for the fibroid including hysterectomy as a last resort. Do you have any suggestions on the best way to shrink a uterine fibroid tumor?? Thanks for your time.

Fibroid tumors in the uterus are caused by estrogen dominance; that is, excessive estrogen compared to progesterone in the body. It is easier to add progesterone to change the ratio than to reduce the estrogen.

Prometrium is bio-identical progesterone, so it is safe and is my recommended treatment for fibroids.  If the symptoms continue after months of treatment with progesterone, you may need surgical fibroid removal or hysterectomy.  If the symptoms improve enough, then you can take progesterone indefinitely.

Dr Gardner, I recently purchased your green tea extract formula. However, today after visiting with my endocrinologist she determined that my blood pressure is pretty high. She gave me another diuretic to treat it. My question is will the green tea tablet exacerbate my high blood pressure? Thank you for your time.

Green tea extract will lower blood pressure, not elevate it.  The anti-oxidant effect will squelch free radicals in the blood stream.  Free radicals cause inflammation which causes constricted blood vessels and higher blood pressure.  EGCG, the most active ingredient in green tea, has a tendency to dilate blood vessel walls, and also acts as an ACE inhibitor, which will also reduce blood pressure.  To order Green Tea Extract (my formula contains no caffeine), go to this site and order the Primivia GTE.  We’ll ship it out to you right away.

Have you ever treated someone who had adverse reactions from taking a fluoroquinolone antibiotic? I was prescribed Avelox almost 2 years ago for a stubborn sinus infection. Since that time I’ve had surgery for a rotator cuff tear and a shredded biceps tendon. I have developed plantar fasciitis in my left foot. I have tendinitis in both my hips, and sore tendons in my wrists, fingers, thumbs, neck, and back. Any suggestions for treatment?

As you probably know, tendon break down is a typical side effect of Avelox, or any of the fluoroquinolones.  Glucosamine and chondroitin are some of the building blocks of tendon and cartilage tissue.

Take 1500 mg of glucosamine daily.  You will want to see a therapeutic massage therapist to see if tight muscles are contributing to the tendonitis.  If the muscle is tight, the tendon will get inflamed because of the constant strain on it.  Stretching exercises may also help stretch tight muscles.

The least expensive natural anti-inflammatory is MSM.  You will need to take 2,000 to 4,000 mg each day to take some of the inflammation out of the tendons and joints.  There are many other herbal anti-inflammatories:

• curcumin,
• boswellia,
• quercetin.
• I carry a very effective herbal anti-inflammatory called Primivia Relief on my website, stangardnermd.com under healthy products.

My husband’s ankles, feet and lower legs swell often. He has been tested for gout and was negative. Is there any supplement, herbs, etc. that could aide in reducing or eliminating swelling? Any specific exercises? Thank you.

Swelling in the lower extremities is common and is often due to a number of causes.  Those causes include:

1. Poor venous return.  Ninety percent of the blood that leaves the blood vessels at the capillary level is returned to the blood vessel at the other end of the capillary.  If there is back pressure (like in varicose veins or poor one-way valves in the vein), less than 90% of the blood is resorbed and it stays in the local tissue as swelling.

2. The 10% of the blood not taken back to the heart through the veins is taken back through the lymphatic vessels.  If the lymphatics are sluggish or blocked, or the lymph nodes are swollen or removed (as in cancer treatment), they don’t conduct the fluid back to the heart efficiently and it stays in the tissue as swelling and edema.

3. If metabolism is dysfunctional, then there can also be a build-up of fluid in the tissue.

4. Inflammation causes local swelling.

This does not need to be infection.  Other causes of inflammation include sugar, aspartame, trans-fatty acids or hydrogenation oils, caffeine ingestion.  High blood sugar levels with high insulin levels are inflammatory.  High homocysteine (because of lack of B vitamins) is also inflammatory.

Treatment includes addressing each of the items above–clean up the diet, if necessary; supplement with B vitamins; walking (exercise) will assist the movement of lymph (there is no other way to get the lymphatic flow to move toward the heart); pressure stockings are safe and helpful.

I have a friend who has been suffering from vertigo for about a year. She recently had a bad bout, problem with eyesight, dizziness, nausea. She was put in the psychiatric ward of the hospital and told that her problem appears to be mental. I take serious issue with that. What would you suggest she do?

Vertigo is a most debilitating symptom, and it is often difficult to find causes.  However, the three most likely modalities to try are:

1. chiropractor that does upper cervical work.  It is usually the first and possibly also the 2nd cervical vertebrae that is twisted and needs to be fixed.  The regular chiropractor does not do this specialized work.

2. energy work: Jin Shin Jyutsu, craniosacral or acupuncture has had some success.

3. benign paroxysmal positional vertigo is relieved with specific head and neck movements.  This is quite simple, and could be done at home by reading about it on the internet.  If it doesn’t help, you may want to try the other two.  Eye sight problems, dizziness and nausea may all be a part of the vertigo picture in your friend.

I started progesterone four months ago to obtain relief from menopausal symptoms, with great results. I was told to expect to have a period, but I haven’t had one. Should I be concerned?

You need two hormones to have a period.

First, the estrogen component thickens the endometrial lining (the inside of the uterus), and it is this material that is sloughed off with each period.  In the second half of the cycle, progesterone is produced by the ovary to mature the endometrial lining in preparation for egg implantation.  The sudden drop in estrogen and progesterone levels seem to be the trigger for the period to start.  Then the cycle starts over again.

If there is no estrogen, there cannot be a period because there is nothing to slough off, whether you are on progesterone or not.  If you are taking your progesterone daily and not cycling it, it is also less likely you will have a period.

Short answer–there is nothing to be concerned about if you are on progesterone and not having a period.

What is normal Menopause? When is it not normal that I would have to seek medical attention from a doctor who is not traditional but holistic alternative.

Menopause, by definition, is going without a period for 12 months.  The period stops because the hormones that cycle in order to have periods have diminished, and all of this is normal.

Some women have annoying or devastating symptoms associated with these changes, and others have no symptoms.  When the symptoms interfere with the quality of your life, it is time to try some things or see a physician who uses bio-identical hormones.

Conventional medicine continues to use ‘fake’ estrogen and ‘fake’ progesterone to treat these symptoms, even in the face of significant side effects shown in their studies.  Over-the-counter products like Vitex, Dong Quai and Black Cohosh have helped many people, and others have found low-dose progesterone from yam sources helpful.  If these are insufficient to get your life back, it is time to see someone with experience with bio-identical hormones in the alternative/holistic medicine field.

I heard that taking Evening Primrose Oil would help with my ecsema/psoriasis. If this is true how much should I take and can I take it long term. It would be great to have some kind of relief.

There is no omega-3 oil in the skin, but omega-6 oil is plentiful, healthy and protective for the skin.  With the over-emphasis on omega-3 oils, many people are omega-6 deficient.

Evening Primrose Oil is an omega-6 oil, as are borage oil, sesame seed oil, and corn oil (if you can get organic, non GMO corn oil).  You should take 1 to 3 teaspoons daily.  One teaspoon is the same as 5 grams.  The gel-caps dosages are given in grams, so you would take 4 or 5 of the gel-caps to get a teaspoon.  Eczema is often triggered by allergies, so you may want to find a practitioner who treats with NAET in order to take care of that possible piece of the puzzle.

I can also share some other options with you, but they must be done in person.  Please email me with your name and telephone number at support@stangardnermd.com.  I will get back with you as soon as I can, or arrange for you to be contacted.  All the best, Dr. Stan

Fibromyalgia:

Fears, Facts, and Feeling Better

Stan Gardner, M.D., CNS

In my office practice, I frequently offer complementary lectures on various topics.  But many people live out of state and would like to learn more about these topics from an alternative/ integrative medicine point of view.  So, for all you Meridian readers that live outside of Utah:  Here’s my take on fibromyalgia.

Fibromyalgia is not only a pain in the neck [pun intended] and shoulders; it may also be located on specific points on the arms, legs and buttocks.  The associated symptoms may be worse than the pain, which include (but may not be limited to):

• non-restorative sleep,
• chronic fatigue,
• restless legs,
• mood disorders and
• brain fog.

It’s Not “All in Your Head”

Many of my patients come to me after having been told that fibromyalgia symptoms are “all in their head,” or that “they are depressed and need to be on an antidepressant.”  However well meaning physicians are, the solution can come only once we have identified the cause(s).  I feel it is important to really listen to what my patients tell me.  They know their bodies better than anyone else, and if they’ve experienced a dramatic change in their health, I had better listen!

What Causes Fibromyalgia?

The potential causes are legion, which is why fibromyalgia is so hard to treat.  It’s even a huge challenge to identify the trigger(s).  To make matters more complicated, the trigger (the final cause that manifested the symptoms) may not be the true cause, which is the underlying condition(s) that permitted the trigger to make it manifest (I hope you can follow that sentence and understand it).

So, here is a list of possibilities:

• Toxicity exposure-chemicals and toxic metals (mercury)
• Immunologic breakdown-virus, vaccinations, allergies/sensitivities
• Genetic predisposition
• Cervical (neck) trauma
• Stress-mental, emotional, physical
• Hormonal disruption-perimenopausal, thyroid, growth hormone
• Structural breakdown-hypermobility (of joints), overuse, postural, short leg
• Vertebral or disc problems (back pain)

There are treatments you can do at home, but many of the most effective treatments require the supervision of a trained integrative medicine practitioner.

What You Eat Affects How You Feel

If you suffer from the pain of fibromyalgia, you can take some proactive steps.

1.    First and foremost, your diet must be real food.  The junk food, sugars, pop, processed foods have got to go.

2.    Even with the best of food, you will need to be using potent multivitamins and good essential fatty acids.

3.    Vitamin D levels need to be in the 50 to 70 range. All too often, I find that my patients who are suffering are low in vitamin D.

How an Integrative Medicine Practitioner Can Help

A trained integrative medicine practitioner has the ability to diagnose and treat with considerably more options than most conventional medical doctors have at their disposal.

• Toxic metals can be diagnosed and treated with any number of chelating agents
• Medications that put a stress on the body may be withdrawn
• Laboratory levels of various hormones can be obtained, and bioidentical hormones can be prescribed
• Mitochondrial support may help the fatigue, perhaps by using CoQ10, L-carnitine, ribose, magnesium
• Use of Frequency Specific Microcurrent can be helpful if cervical trauma is suspected
• Energy work, such as acupuncture, Jin Shin Jyutsu, or massage therapy, can be effective
• Intravenous therapies may also alleviate symptoms: nutritional high dose vitamin C, Chelation therapy
• Allergy desensitization, utilizing a technique called NAET or a hybrid technique I call Alldesen, which I offer in my office.

As a medical doctor who has spent over 30 years helping people get better, I have some additional, significantly effective tricks up my sleeve, but they necessitate a personal phone call.  I will be happy to visit with you personally.  Contact me via this email address, and I’ll send you some compelling information to help you: support@stangardnermd.com

In the subject box or body of your email, let me know you want information.  Make sure you include your name and email address, and if you’d like a personal phone call, include your phone number and best times to contact you.

Fibromyalgia can be improved, and in some cases patients can experience total relief.  But it does take time, patience, and effort to identify the probable causes and treat each one.

To your dynamic health and energy!

Dr. Stan

I would love to attend your lecture on Fibromyalgia tonight [this was received several weeks ago], but I live in Michigan.   Is there anyway I can receive this information?

I have some mysterious muscle-connective tissue problem ( shoulders, tendons, that damage with simple use) that I have been trying everything I can that is suppose to help fibromyalgia.   I have tried many! supplements( natures sunshine and others), ultra sound, cold laser (pen laser), beating the muscles with a rod(this did work!), exercise, sleep aids(valerian, melatonin, GABA), changing my diet to an anti-candida diet, energy therapy, and now I have been told to not eat meat or dairy because I do not digest it well.   I am also going to use enzymes to help digest what is there.

Is there anything else I should consider?????

If you can send any helpful info I will be so so grateful!

Fibromyalgia has so many possible causes and triggers, you will probably need to see an Integrative/Alternative medicine practitioner in order to get help, based on all the good things you have already tried.  Michigan is a long way from Utah, but I have patients fly from as far away as Ohio and Ecuador to see me.

Other potential organizations that have practitioner lists include:

• ACAM (American College for Advancement in Medicine),
• ICIM (International College for Integrative Medicine),
• AAEM (American Academy for Environmental Medicine), and
• American Holistic Medical Association.

I have a number of other options we can discuss in person or over the phone.  My office number is 801-302-5397 (KEYS).  An article I wrote for Meridian Magazine on Fibromyalgia will appear on Thursday, October 13, 2011.  That should give you some additional help.  I care.  Please let me know.

Dr. Stan