I've been diagnosed with fibroids, anyone else dealing with them, got rid of them and want to chat?

[Owllady]

I had another thread on here 're my heavy periods (they have always been heavy)
But I'd been having mid cycle bleeding, dragging pain, a bit of a swelling on the one side, bloating, tiredness
First gp said stress but I had full bloods and smear, all fine
6 months later no change so I was sent for a us and transv scan and I have a fibroid
It explains alot tbh. So it's a bit of a relief! But I wondered if there other to chat to 're this?
Have you had treatment etc?
I have been on mefanamic acid and tranexmic (sp)acid and gp has suggested mirena coil
I see her next week, I don't know whether to push for an ablation?
I'm 38 and my older children are teens and my little one is almost double figures, so fertility isn't an issue

I'm waiting for a myomectomy. I had a mirena fitted a year ago and I've bled everyday since.

I look 5-6m pregnant. I'm 34 and unsure if I want more kids. I'm desperate to get this done before December so I can make a proper decision about extending our family next year.

I had one removed last year. It was found when I was a few weeks pregnant. It grew during pregnancy and always had to tell mw the large lump was fibrode not baby's head.
Couldn't have keyhole Surgry as too big.

Didn't know I had it until I was scanned but after birth periods where horrible and heavy. Still seem to be heavier than they were in the past and I'm not sure if they are coming back.

Iamnot - shit ! Is that coil actually helping / or would you bleed regardless - bad times

I've been on Yasmin for years, 27 now and have probably been on it since 19/20. I have PCOS. Yasmin has been excellent for me, clear skin, stable mood, light periods which are sometimes very painful.
Over a year ago I started getting pinky brown discharge in the last week of my pack of pills. It's got worse and worse and a few months ago it became dark brown blood and I'd wake up with actual bleeding. Was also bleeding during sex.
Was sent for an internal scan which showed the cysts and also a 'small' fibroid. Was told that that fibroid is nothing to worry about. I've had my pill changed to gedarel 30/150 and it's turned me into a spotty moody bitch, in 2 weeks my already 30FF breasts are spilling out my bras, I feel flabbier and I'm surprised my OH hasn't left me.
Would the bleeding have been caused by the fibroid? And there was no need for me to change pill? I would love to go back to Yasmin, I hate how I'm feeling at the moment.
I'm also waiting for a referral to the gynae for a smear.
What's a 'small' fibroid?

Me! Had been on the pill for years then 3 years ago periods got really heavy with spotting towards the end of pill pack. Scan revealed a number of small fibroids growing into the womb lining. Told their location meant they couldn't remove them, only trim them back! Had surgery to do this and have Mirena inserted. Mirena was a disaster, constant bleeding for 9 months and acne from hell! Coil removed and went back on pill. Mostly okayish but still heavy periods and occasional spotting at end of packs. Then one month I started bleeding mid pack all the way through to the next pack, really heavy. Got re - referred and had scan to see if suitable for ablation. Told I have loads of small fibroids (largest 3cm) clustered in one area of womb. This could make ablation tricky as few gaps between fibroids to ablate iyswim!

Anyway, they're going in to have a closer look and do ablation if possible. If not, will do more trimming and hopefully go back and do ablation at a later date. They hope this will see me through to menopause when they will apparently shrink (I'm late 40s). If not, it's hysterectomy for me 😕

stopfucking

No, the mirena has caused the constant drip, drip, drip.

I went to get it removed and they couldn't pull it out so I have to wait for surgery now.

Am now on day 27 of my period... You read that right - of my period, not of my cycle. Bleeding for 27 days solid. GP says it could be due to stress! I think she thinks I'm exaggerating, bloods came back normal but a 27 day bleed is not normal, my cycles are usually short & v regular. I know myself that there is something going on inside - sluggishness on one side & cramping, am bloated & have a 'mittelschmerz' sort of ache quite frequently. But I've pushed for a referral for ultrasound & hope to get an appointment next week. Not yet 40 and not done with fertility yet - would like to have a DC next year. We'll see... The bleeding is making me feel more tired than usual.

I had a hysterectomy at 42 because of fibroids, tried tablets, told ablation probably wouldn't work because they were too big and would return as they were blood vessel fed apparently. I am 48 November best thing I've done but not for everyone I understand. I had no option.

The consultant who removed my fibroid and did my ablation said Mirena would never have worked (it didn't: caused bleeding every day for 6 months and periods stayed unmanageably heavy). Because my fibroid was inside my uterus, it was stopping it contracting down to cease the bleeding as well as causing lots more bleeding itself. So myomectomy and ablation for me. Fibroid took 2 ops under GA to remove as was too big to do in one go. Periods now shorter (4-5 days) and only heavy for one day as opposed to eight days of flooding and a further week of bleeding.

I was diagnosed with fibroids last year.

It was actually picked up by accident. I went to my GP complaining that my IBS symptoms were getting worse. I was referred to the gastroentrologists to ensure it was nothing more sinister. They carried out an abdominal scan which didn't reveal anything to do with the IBS but did reveal a huge fibroid, which was news to me.

I hadn't had any problems with my periods in fact they were getting less frequent (I'm nearly 50 so just thought I was perimenopausal.) However after being told this my periods immediately became heavier and more painful!

The issue with it was it was pressing on my renal tract so when I was told about the fibroid it was a light bulb moment. For years I'd been weeing loads and wanting to wee NOW. I assumed it was my age and also I admit I drink loads of Diet Coke so thought it was that.

I don't have kids. We would have liked them but it didn't happen. After a while of nothing happening, we both went to the GP. I had bloods which were all normal. He had a sperm count which came back as 'low and slow.' We talked about taking it further but decided if I was to get pregnant fine, but we decided we didn't go down the IVF route. On hindsight, I now wonder if the fibroid also played a part as I was told I'd probably had it for years, but obviously it didn't come come up on blood tests.

I got referred onto gynae, and had further investigations and was given the options. Actually, because of the size, the options were hysterctomy-take it or leave it. Medication, keyhole surgery etc were ruled out because of the size. I asked if we could hold off till after my menopause as they often shrink after that but was tod it wouldn't shrink that much. After weighing it all up, i went for the operation. I was told by the surgeon after it was the size of a 7 month pregnancy . I'm not skinny by any definition-if I had been it may have been more obvious. It was so big my uterus was all misshapen and was palpable under my ribs. They had been considering a vertical rather than bikini line incision because of this but this is a last resort as it means more scarring and because youre going against the natural way the muscles sit, takes longer to heal. In the end I got a bikini line one but I assume that there was a lot more internal stitches than normal as it did take a while to heal and I was off work for 3 months. Even now I get the odd twinge.

It has helped my symptoms but they didn't go completely as my pelvic floor muscles are very weak but I'm seeing a women's health physio and this is helping. I do wonder if the pressure from my fibroid, as well as pressing on my renal tract, did put pressure on my pelvic floor making them weaker in a similar way to pregnancy.

Fibroids are generally caused by excess estrogen (which is why they shrink at menopause) so if u want to try shrink it in my experience it's best to address your hormones... I have one fibroid that's been consistently measured at between 3 to 3.5cm over the last five years so while I've never got rid of the bugger I've managed to keep it fairly small and have had no others. I've been taking a product called DIM which held your body get rid of 'bad' estrogen - you can look it up online, it is very well researched. It got rid of a lot of horrid hormonal symptoms I had too. Have also been on various prescribed herbs including Siberian ginseng. Make sure too you get your iron & ferritin levels checked! Hope that helps X

I had an abdominal hysterectomy last year for giant fibroids. I had 2 myomectomys & a hysyercopy previously, a mirena fitted & all kinds of drugs. Nothing worked my fibroids continued to grow & I was bleeding continuously. I had a haemoglobin of 3& many transfusions. Eventually the bleeding was so heavy I couldn't leave the house or even the bathroom !

The hysterectomy was the best thing I ever did

Agree re estrogen ...supplements and food items can also trick the body into thinking it is getting estrogen. Your nom de plume makes me think my shrunken fibroids cd be aliens!

Thank you to everyone who has posted, I'm so sorry you are all having or have had these problems too
I've hardly been online at all, so will have a good read tomorrow hopefully
I see the GP Tuesday to discuss what happens next
I've Bern mid cycle the last week and have bleeding, dragging and have felt generally exhausted
And tbh my mood today and yesterday, I feel like I could murder someone, so I'll leave you all in peace :o but I appreciate everyone's involvement x

I'm really sorry I've been so crap at replying to everyone, I am so busy atm.
Anyway I saw the gp this week and I have a 2cm fibroid, everything else normal (sti check, smear, swabs, etc lining of womb, ovaries, shape of womb normal) she said she doesn't doesn't think that size of fibroid would cause mid cycle bleeding so I've been refered to a gynaecologist, which she said would takes ages, but it's gone through as urgent and I've got an appointment in forty days time at a private hospital
And now I'm panicking :(
Can you please tell me to get a grip

I was told it's not size but the location that is key. If it's under the womb lining it can cause loads of problems even if it's very small. My biggest is 3cm and has caused mid cycle bleeding.

It's a Submucosal fibroid apparently

Yep. Same here. They're the buggers that cause the most trouble, regardless of their size. GPs are not fibroid experts, mine said similar.

Thank you hypermum, just knowing that has reassured me.
Do you get the dragging pain and bloating too?

Hi Owlmum, I had a horrendous time with fibroids undigagnosed for many years. kept getting fobbed off by GP for years re long heavy periods, dragging pain, constantly needing to loo and bloating IBS symptoms etc. I eventulay went with what I thought was V painful cystitis and saw a student doc who did an abdominal examination and sent me straight to A&E (my fibroids were so big you could see and feel them!)
I was initially diagnosed esmya which stopped my periods for a while (sweet relief) But due to the size and location I ended up having an abdominal hysterectomy vertical cut. I had a great consutant who managed to keep my ovaries and cervix so no menopause or pelvic floor issues. they took out 7lbs of tissue, the same size as my DS birth weight!
I'm not gonna lie it was a tough recovery but my life has improved 100% since then.

Owlady - no, just heavy, longlasting periods and occasional break through bleeding.

I have one large and growing fibroid and had the very heavy periods. Mirena has worked well for me, but next step would have been the ablation. Most docs like you to at least give the Mirena a go first as it's far less invasive than other surgery.

My Dr thought mine was fibriods. Went for another scan on wednesday and it turns out I have a polyp. Im fricking 24. :(

@LunaLoveg00d ... loving the name :)

I thought I would update this as you have all been so supportive.
I had a hysteroscopy yesterday. I have several deeply embedded submucosal fibroids, the back wall of my womb is thickened (so biopsy taken) and a polyp was removed and sent for biopsy and I had a mirena fitted. There is something wrong with the surrounding skin so that has been biopsied too. Back in two months

Lady, they should able to snip off your polyp. Try not to worry x

I’m ressurecting this very old thread.
has anyone had a failed hysterscopic myomectomy?
i had one plus and ablation on Feb. reduced bleeding significantly (before it was insanity). Last two cycles I’m having two heavy days again with some flooding.
was told base of fibroid is still there which may be the cause. Guess it was a submucosal but part of it embedded.
so sick of this….
I’m 50.