I was just wondering if anybody hre had seen their fibroids worsten on Low Carb. After six weeks of low carbing I ended yup in the ER due to pain from an existing fibroid. They also could not find a cyst that I know I had on my right ovary and I am pretty sure that it burst - even if the ER people were not listening to me on that - but they did not have my previous scans, showing a one inch cycst on my right ovary.

I know that on low carb estrogen is released from the fat cells, where it is sometimes stored. But can this release actually be dangerous to someone with fibroids? Seen that there seems to be a connection between fibroid growth and excess estrogen.

Anyway, my experience might have nothing to do with LC. But just curious, as I am also having some other symptoms that I had years ago when I attempted to take the pill i.e. pre-flebitis symptoms in the veins in my legs. Both times I tried to take the pill in my twenties I ened up in hospital with flebitis- hence I cannot take hormonal contraceptives. So just wonedring here if this estrogen relaese might be dangerous for people like me.

Also wondering: does this not get released in other forms of diet? Why would a low cal diet not produce a release of stored estrogen from cells.

If any of you have any comments on all this or have experienced something similar, I will be very interested to hear about it. In the meantime I have upped my carbs to 40/50 a day- I am actually loosing better this way than on induction level carbs and I think higher carbs is a bit gentler on my body.

Hi,
I had a fiberoid removed this past summer. but I don't think that it was due to low carb diet. Their very slow growing tumors & mine was about golf ball sized & bleed like crazy. I was showing signs for a while but didn't realize it.

Josie

The cyst could have just evaporated, they do that and this could be why it was no longer seen. That's also why drs. usually take a wait and see approach to ovarian cysts.

I can't imagine that it could make the fibroids worse, but what the low carb could be doing is making you notice the pain more because of a lack of serotonin production.

Hope you feel better soon.

Fat cells "produce" estrogen. Low carb doesn't do anything else with estrogen so far as I'm aware of. That's why being overwieght can increase your chances of having blood clots, since its increased with estrogen.

Not sure about how all the estrogen works except that I've heard again and again that high body fat messes with it.

Bodies are burning more fat on LC so it's not surprising there are different fat-release effects than low cal.

Thanks for your replies :-)! The pain has fortunately now gone...touch wood it will stay gone. It was the worst pain I have ever experienced in my life- worst that passing a kidney stone...

Nancy LC...I thought that as fat cells shrink they released that excess estrogen that they produce, hence the many people with irregular TOM when low carbing - at least at the beginning. I was wondering if that release of estrogen into the system due to fat cells letting go of it as the fat is burned during ketosis, might cause a worstening of fibroids. Most likely it doesn't, since otherwise it would not just be me with this problem! Thanks for your raply :-) I am going to look into this estrogen /fat connection to understand exactly how it works :-)

Josiemk

when you had your fibroid removed, how did they do it? And , if you do not mind sharing, how big was your fibroid? I might have to have mine removed to and the word hysterctomy has been floating around. I really do not want to have a hysterectomy at 37 years old if I can avoid it. Curious to know what procedure they used to remove yours and how that worked for you...only if you do not mind sharing. I know these things are rather intimate stuff :-) and probably off topic with low carbing...

Carblight,
My fiberoid was in my uterus. It was about the size of a golf ball. It looked like it took up most of my uterus. I thought I was going to have a hysterectomy but they were able to go up the vaginal & cut it out. They put me to sleep & it was a 20 minute procedure & I went home latter that day. Some people are able back to work a couple of days latter. The procedure is an easy one from what I heard but it took me a while to recover because a month before the surgery I had lost alot of blood from the bleeding & became very anemic.
BTW I was 35 when I had it removed & they said I developed this tumor cause of my age & cause I never been pregnant before.
I hope this wasn't to graphic to you all.

Thans Josiemk

mine is 2.5 inches across- like a tangerine and also in my uterus. Good to know there are alternatives to a hysterectomy. And thank you so much for sharing the details, it is really helpful :-)

I got mine scraped and cauterized..myomectomy. I had about 6, the largest was grapefruit size. My sister had the same, she had the same procedure. We both had heavy bleeding and I had sometimes unbearable pain.

There is no need to get a hysterectomy in these days!!!

Blacks used to have the overwhelming majority of fibroids, now fibroids are increasing among white women.

During my research I found that fibroids are a sign of vitamin D insufficiency.

Thanks for all the responses, they are much appreciated. I think my biggest concern is that right now I don't have any big problems stemming from it. I think the decision would be easy if I were in pain.

Same here.

For me.....that's at the top of my list of reasons to have it done. That and the bladder problem.

Well, I hope you'll come back here and let us know what you do decide. I know for me, I'm driving myself crazy trying to decide.

Nancy LC



all good information there and food for thought :-) Thank you for taking the time to reply :-) This estrogen/hormone dynamics are very interesting - thanks for the article snippet. So much to learn :-)

And yes, the 40/50 carbs is working wonders for me. I was not loosing and feeling very lousy with terrible constipation at 20 carbs. I felt my whole body was straining. When I got sick with the fibroid fever/pain I upped my carbs to 40/50 and have been loosing steadily and effortlessly since - I have added the extra carbs only as veggies and berries- and BM has become regular too. It is working very well for me :-)

CARBLIGHT...there are many other alternatives to the hysterectomy for the fibroids... They can insert a tube and cut off the blood flow to it which kills it...reduce it by reducing a particular hormone (can't remember name), and several other options... Do a search on the internet "alternatives to hysterectomy for fibroids." I used Progesterone Cream and it helped mine... HAVING THE HYSTERECTOMY WILL THROW U INTO MENOPAUSE... REMEMBER...SURGEONS DO SURGERY, THEY ARE NOT GOING TO RECOMMEND A NONSURGICAL APPROACH... YOU HAVE TO RESEARCH THE METHODS YOURSELF AND DECIDE WHAT IS BEST FOR YOU...I DID!

Thanks Skeeweeaka

that is exactly what i plan to do. A hysterectomy at 37 years old sounds rather extreme and I will explore all other avenues before having it done. Interesting to see more than one person dealing with these issues in other ways. It is encouraging :-)!

Removal of the uterus will not cause menopause although it will stop your periods; it's removal of the ovaries which will bring on a surgical menopause.