TMI - Fibroids and HUGE period blood clot

[WhatsGoingOnEh]

My periods have been getting heavier, and eventually a couple of scans revealed 1 have two fibroids, one inside my womb, and they're growing.

My consultant said we can watch and wait.

The last 2 months my periods had got slightly lighter. But this month is bad again. It started last Friday with a "normal" period. Then it lightened up. This afternoon it got heavier again, but it's bright red blood, not like "period" blood.

I've had a couple of large clots. Then just now I went to the loo and the BIGGEST thing you've ever seen fell out of me. It looked like raw liver. It was about 6cm long, and not all flat, but more rounded. Like a ball of liver. I've never given birth so this has to be the biggest thing that's ever come out of me. It was unreal.

What the fuck do I do?

Do I call someone? I'm really scared.

[KatyMac]

I have a 5cm cyst on my ovary which will be monitored & a 3cm something in my uterus – which might be a fibroid but it’s the wrong shape and it might be scar tissue.

So wait for another appt

[WhatsGoingOnEh]

Hi @KatyMac - thanks for the update. I hope they weren't too thorough with that wand. Do you feel better?

Is the scar tissue from a c-section?

[PolkerrisBeach]

I had my ultrasounds for fibroid diagnosis mostly with the gel on your abdomen like during pregnancy. Only had a transvaginal scan once and the scanner was gentle! Also had a MRI at one point as they tried to work out how the fibroid was attached to the wall of the uterus and whether embolisation would be an option (it was, but was only given a 40% - 50% chance of success).

I really do think that there is an attitude in some GP's that heavy periods are just "one of those things" and you just have to put up with it and get on with it. Things changed for me when I saw a different GP who was horrified about how much it was affecting me, ordered a barrage of blood tests, put me on tranexamic acid and referred me to a consultant.

One thing which hasn't been mentioned is thyroid - one of my blood tests revealed my thyroid was underactive and that can contribute towards heavy periods. It's worth reading up on the connection and asking your GP whether a blood test is appropriate as a cheap and easy way to rule it in or out. I'm now on thyroxine and feel a lot better, but still very glad i had the operation.

[KatyMac]

He was gentle, but as I'm all UTI atm it wasn't great

I had an ectopic in 2000 and my tube burst - it was not nice

[WhatsGoingOnEh]

My bleeding is back and worse than Thursday. What's scaring me is that it's not period blood (sort of thick/gungy) - this is just normal blood.

I bled through a Super tampon in 10 minutes and through a Lilets 6 "for extremely heavy flow" in 15 minutes.

If I take the Acid, it stops. But that's not what is causing the bleed. This looks like something has gone wrong up in my womb and now it's just non-stop bleeding?

[KatyMac]

I would be making a huge fuss in your situation

[WhatsGoingOnEh]

I've phoned 111. I'm going to go back to the OOH GP.

[KatyMac]

good

Can you have someone with you to help advocate? (Sadly I have to say ideally a man - althought that annoys me - I get better treatment when my dad/dh came)

[WhatsGoingOnEh]

Yes I agree! Men get better treatment. 🙁

The OOH dr never rang back.

[PolkerrisBeach]

Back to 111, that level of blood loss is not normal. Be persistent. Do you have anyone who can get stroppy on your behalf if you're not feeling well enough?

[WhatsGoingOnEh]

111 GP sent me to A&E! Blood test - mildly anaemic. Letter to give to my GP.

[CurlyWurlyTwirly]

Did a& ecprescribe anything?
I would be back to the gp again in the morning asking for tranexemic acid, norethisterone and an urgent referral to a gynae.
Your current blood test may say mildly anaemic, but at this rate you could be badly anaemic when your period ha£ finished

I would insist on surgical intervention, preferably a hysterectomy.

[KatyMac]

That doesn't sound positive

[WhatsGoingOnEh]

Don't! You're all scaring me!!

I'm going to ring my GP tomorrow to try to get an appt. the A&E woman said to carry on with Tranexamic Acid (which does stop the bleeding completely when I take it), and has given me a very strict letter for my GP, suggesting I get an urgent Gynae referral.

A lot of this is my fault as I was trying to live with things, and avoid surgery (because I'm a wimp). But I've had enough now. This is just miserable.

So it'll all be fine.

[WhatsGoingOnEh]

What doesn't help at ALL is that I have huge health anxiety, and am a mad google-doctor.

But the good side of that is that I ring 111/GP for literally every symptom. Which had led to my having to undergo horrible tests (endoscopy; colonoscopy!) for what were in fact just neurotic worries (throat was fine; I just had piles).

I'm a bit sick of hospitals so I was trying to tough this one out. But I'm not gong to any more. :)

[WhatsGoingOnEh]

I do wonder if the big round clot was actually my fibroid. I wouldn't be surprised. It was a big round ball of liver - isn't that what they're like?

[KatyMac]

Sorry I meant that they didn't take you situation and distress seriously rather than that I thought anything was majorly wrong sorry

[WhatsGoingOnEh]

@KatyMac It's ok! I'm just a big scaredy cat!

[CurlyWurlyTwirly]

No the big round liverish looking ball is unfortunately “just” a blood clot. A fibroid will have its own blood supply, so cannot fall out.
Please don’t worry. The most important things are the tranexemic acid is stopping your bleeding. If you carry on with the iron, you should be able to get rid of your anaemia.
You also have your a&e letter so you will get your gynae referral.
In my gps surgery, they did a “choose and book” where you were given a PIN number and pass code so you could pick from a wide range of specialists, so could aim for the earliest possible appointment. I would think a month to 6 weeks is about normal wait for a first appointment.

[KatyMac]

Sorry CurlyWurlyTwirly, you seem like you know more than me.....any views on a mass that doesn't really look like a fibroid, makes my uterus look unicornate but might be scar tissue (ectopic 18yrs ago) - do you reckon that is a straight away appt or a wait?

[WhatsGoingOnEh]

Thanks @curlywurlytwinky :)

[WhatsGoingOnEh]

A fibroid will have its own blood supply, so cannot fall out.

Ah, I see. Bugger. ;)

[CurlyWurlyTwirly]

@KatyMac
I’m no gynae expert, I only know about fibroids because I had horrendous ones and researched as much as I could and had a good gynae..

Have you had an ultrasound? I reread your posts, and you have a cyst. All I know about those is a friend who had polycystic ovaries and had them lasered so the eggs could get through so she could get pregnant. ( she has since had 2 dc)

If you are being monitored, is this by a gynae? If not ask for an appointment via your gp

[CurlyWurlyTwirly]

@WhatsGoingOnEh

No problem, hth
All I would say is keep your anaemia under control.
You need a hb above 100 to be operated on. Up to 120;is best. Has your go prescribed the iron, or did you just go to boots?
I would just ask your gp for a blood test and ask him for the correct dose of iron. I was prescribed 2x 200mg of ferrous sulphate daily.

[WhatsGoingOnEh]

@CurlyWurlyTwirly He didn't prescribe any. I just bought tablets, and Floradix.