To go to GP about abdominal mass, probably fibroid?

[RaarRaar]

I hate hate hate wasting NHS time. I am so on the fence with this one I cannot decide 🙈 Normally decisive!

I'm 37. Abdominal mass size of a fist, around top of pelvis, which seems a bit high up for a fibroid. I do have a medium fibroid on that side, but when last measured 9 months ago it was lower down in pelvis and more tennis ball than fist. I'm breastfeeding so low oestrogen, so surely it shouldn't grow that much.
Totally painless. It sticks out when I lie down and when I poke it it disappears somewhere deeper.

I guess 99% it is the fibroid. But I am considering another pregnancy soon and don't want to get pregnant if it is in fact something that needs treatment.

YABU - it is obviously just the fibroid. Anything else would hurt when you poke it or cause other symptoms. You're going to feel really stupid going to the GP about this.

YANBU - it seems a bit high up to be the fibroid / it's growing a bit quick / since you're planning a baby you should check it out.

You are being ridiculous in NOT seeing the GP about a palpable mass in your abdomen of unknown cause. They would much rather see 100 cases where it’s nothing if it means they can catch one that is something before it’s too late.

Consider ovarian cyst. Would be painless unless it gets twisted. Get a scan.

^absolutely this.
Please get it checked out, you cannot ‘just assume’ it’s a fibroid. You need a proper diagnosis, even more so if you are wishing to try for another pregnancy.

This sounds like exactly the kind of problem you should see your GP for. There would absolutely be no expectation for you to wait and see if it goes on its own, or to self diagnose.

I'm not a doctor but sometimes run an urgent care clinic in the surgery, 10-15 of the 25 patients I see in the shift come in to be checked out with a 1-5 day hx of mild cough with sore throat not tried any self care just looking to be checked out. These absolutely could have been perfectly well served by the advice on the nhs website which is pretty much all I refer them to. Your complaint I'd be making sure you were examined by one of the Drs to be more sure of a diagnosis/correct referral was organised.

Why would you feel stupid going to the GP if it was a fibroid? Weird lumps need to be checked out, no medical professional worth their salt is going to grudge you their time on this one. Please go asap.

Come on, OP. You know that you absolutely must get this checked out.

My fibroid was right up under my boobs, defo get checked. They might say to leave it until you're done having kids and then whip your womb out. Best thing I ever did

I had multiple large ovarian cysts. Some the size of a grapefruit. This isn't something you can see/feel from the outside.

OP, if you have such a big mass you can feel from the outside, you must get seen. I doubt it is a fibroid.

I'm a GP.
Please go to get this checked out ASAP and hold off getting pregnant until you know what it is. Hopefully nothing serious, but if it needs treatment that will be much simpler if you're not pregnant. Don't try to self diagnose, a mass like that requires a scan.

My fibroids move up and down depending on how full my bladder is and whether I’m lying down or not.
Do go and see your GP.
It could also be abdominal muscle separation post partum, ovarian cyst, hernia or any number of problems. GPS job is to decide whether it needs further investigation.
Fibroids, unless causing lots of problems are usually not treated. If they are hysterectomy is not the first line of treatment.

YABU but not for your reasons suggested. Just got to the bloody Dr. Being a martyr doesn't achieve anything

Thank you everyone. Should have put in my OP, I am pretty skinny and have been able to feel a different fibroid externally before (this one has now gone). So in itself that's not alarming for me. It's more that it's higher up than the top of where my uterus should be (from googling!) and the growth over a few months given I have low oestrogen right now.

However the votes seem a bit unanimous! I will go and book an appointment (if I can get one).

Yikes! Mine is not that high. That must have been really uncomfortable.

I've known two ladies with large cysts, could see them when lying on their backs, is what made me think of it.

Anyway, OP should get checked out.

@RaarRaar It was, it was the size of an 8 month baby apparently! My point is, which I forgot to mention 😆 is that it got huge very quickly.

Another vote for GP! I had a palpable mass - to me it felt about the size of a mango between my bellybutton and pelvis. Totally painless. Turned out to be an 18cm dermoid cyst on what had been one of my ovaries. Had it removed in 2019 and the surgeon commented after that it was good timing as it had started to twist so I would have very much known about it and been in trouble further down the line.

GP. It's essential to get this checked out. Even if getting an appointment is difficult, just do it.

I have a fibroid I can see - particularly when I lie down. If you’re thin this can happen. Mine also seems to vary wildly in size / where I can feel it depending on hormones etc and can be really high up.
go to the gp OP - if you still want more children there’s lots of options out there now.

@Hidinginbed that's exactly what I imagine is going on with me too. But I will still get it checked out just in case.

@RaarRaar I have this now and I'm freaking out. I know j have fibroids but they were only small when I had a scan in 2019. Now I can feel a mass when I'm lying down. I'm very slim. What was the outcome of your appointment?

@KellyMarieTunstall2 I actually had the ultrasound a couple of days ago! Just a fibroid, as suspected. Just in quite an unusual place. It had grown slightly so perhaps it got too big for its former lair 😁

Sure it's most likely the same for you, but you should probably make a GP appointment if you can feel something which you aren't certain is the fibroid.

@RaarRaar thanks for replying, I appreciate it. I'm going to make an appointment with the Dr tomorrow. I'm glad everything is ok for you and it's just a fibroid.

Good luck! - hope it's just your fibroid too.