|  | Family Health | Womens Health

Medication to Shrink Fibroid Tumors

Fibroids are noncancerous tumors that grow on the uterus. Hormone therapy can be used to help shrink fibroids, but it is only part of the overall treatment for the condition for most women.

  1. Identification

    • Hormone therapy with gonadotropin releasing hormone (GnRH) agonists or Depo Leuprolide injections may shrink fibroids, according to Medline Plus. Both of these treatments lower the level of estrogen; the presence of estrogen contributes to the growth of fibroids.

    Effects

    • Fibroid treatment with hormone therapy lowers the level of estrogen; the presence of estrogen contributes to the growth of fibroids, according to the American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG).

    Features

    • Fibroid therapy is used in the short-term, and only to help shrink fibroids before surgery or in women who will soon be menopausal (fibroids tend to shrink or go away at this point), according to Medline Plus.

    Side Effects

    • Another reason that the time frame for hormone therapy for fibroids is limited is the risk of side effects, which may include bone loss and osteoporosis, dryness of the vagina and and night sweats, according to ACOG.

    Considerations

    • The benefit of hormone therapy in shrinking fibroids goes away, according to ACOG, when the treatment is stopped.

Womens Health - Related Articles