Confused about fibroid treatment options

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I have a large fibroid that is causing heavy periods. I get a couple of really bad days per month then it settles down to a manageable level and I get occasional spotting mid cycle.
I saw an NHS consultant who recommended removing the fibroid vaginally under sedation.
I then managed to get private healthcare through work and saw a consultant who gave me multiple options. The medical ones were an injection that will shrink them but bring on menopause or a pill that stops my periods (not sure if it will actually help the fibroids). The surgical options were keyhole surgery to remove the fibroid though it may return or a hysterectomy.
I’m only 44 and definitely want to avoid early menopause. I am also a single parent and would struggle massively if I couldn’t drive for 4 weeks after surgery so I really want to avoid that too.
I’m not sure what the best thing to do is. It’s all very extreme given that it’s only really 2 days a month that I’m suffering. Any advice please?

I suffered with very heavy long periods with mine, they were also every 3 weeks. I think this was probably peri meno symptom rather than fibroids.
I was told mierna coil is fist line of treatment for fibroids. I didnt want this so I opted for a low dose pill. I take 3 packets back to back & break for 4 days.

Its been life changing for me, no more heavy bleeding and my energy levels have increased as Im no longer low on iron.

My not be an option for you but I just thought Id share.

I had an embolisation. It's been fantastic but I'm older than you so I didn't mind going into menopause.

I'd been offered mirena but didn't fancy it and the had esyma but it's no long prescribed.

If it’s the same injection I had, it’s only a temporary menopause. I was given oestrogen patches to counteract the worst symptoms. My periods restarted 3 months after the injections finished and they’ve been very light since then. So it worked for me! Fibroids naturally shrink at menopause, so my consultant is working on the premise that I can avoid surgical intervention and menopause will do the job shortly.

I had an embolisation a few years ago when I was your age. I had a painful recovery but since then it’s been brilliant. I was told by the consultant that it generarally brings on menopause within 5 years. I’m 49 now and peri, but that’s a fairly normal age and several friends at the same age who haven’t had it are the same.

I had a fibroid that caused flooding for two years, it was hell. GPs were completely dismissive!

I was put on every type of contraception imaginable, including being pushed into having the Mirena which came close to ruining my life. I was then offered an ablation, which I didn't want at 31 as it potentially could've made me infertile.

I was close to giving up hope until I went to the local GUM clinic out of sheer desperation, wanting the Mirena removed. The lovely nurse was horrified at the way I'd been treated, and prescribed a norethisterone-based mini pill (Noriday, apparently discontinued now).

It was honestly life-changing, I'm still immensely grateful to that woman eight years on. Bleeding stopped, I got my life back, and the fibroid eventually disappeared of its own accord. Has norethisterone been suggested for you? It might be worth an ask!

Definitely ask about embolisation. It’s not suitable for everyone so may not be possible - but it’s a game changer if you can have it.

It’s sickening to think of how dismissive health professionals are of fibroids. Can take several years to be diagnosed. Hope you’re offered a proper solution soon.

Mine is huge so my only option was an abdominal hysterectomy. If you are managing your periods then a low level intervention like shrinking could be a good option.

Just be aware that you could grow more fibroids and have to undergo more treatment in the future.

Hysterectomy option should preserve your ovaries so won't trigger menopause.

I had the injections that put you into menopause and they were amazing. They were given so they would shrink the fibroids so I could have them removed via keyhole surgery and preserve my fertility.
Once the injections are stopped and fibroids removed, you return to 'normal' life. Many women ask if they can just remain on the injections for life as they are so good but sadly that's not an option as they can give you brittle bones.

I had an embolization 3 years ..its been fab quick recovery....it was never mentioned to me that it would bring on menopause.

@Fatcatriot I was told it may bring on menopause but not the 5 year thing! It's been 3 years and I'm getting menopause symptoms but it's not that unusual at 42, peri-menopause can last for 10 years!

I opted for a myomectomy, best decision I made. No more flooding or awful painful cramps. The recovery period was 2 weeks but nothing debilitating. I have a tiny scar just above my pubic bone which is barely noticeable.

I had hysterectomy but kept my ovaries. It was the best decision for me as flooding was beyond manageable. I couldn’t go to work during my period week - was awful.
i was 45 and had 2 kids so finished that part of my life.
ive never looked back.

I had fibroids. They grow when you have excess eostrogen. The injection (zoladex) is a tiny implant that acts as a hormone blocker so they shrink and die. I had that, I stopped injecting them after 5 months as the menopause symptoms were horrific. 3 years on and despite my period coming back I've been forced into HRT patches and am suffering terrible vaginal atrophy at 42 years old. I really wish I'd gone with a surgical route, there is so many horrible side effects from the implant. Please Google it to see other peerless experiences. I was just so desperate for the bleeding to stop. So for me, surgical would be the one of I had to do it again.

I had a myomectomy via open surgery at 45. I was told it was unlikely to grow back due to hormone levels dropping naturally. 6 years on, it hasn't reappeared. I was warned that as the surgery was "very vascular" a hysterectomy may have been necessary if the surgery was problematic (it wasnt). I wasn't offered a hysterectomy as first resort. This was in a women's hospital.

Recovery took a couple of weeks but I appreciate everyone's different (nurse on the ward said the reason they say no driving for 6 weeks after abdominal surgery is in case you need to do an emergency stop).

Had mine surgically removed. Best decision ever. (They don't come back?)
For me, I didn't want to take hormones, so the pill was out
Didn't want early menopause, so injections were out.

Hi Op, I have tried a few of these. I think I’m further on than you as my spell of unmanageable couple of days was before covid and I was going to go to doctor then covid hit so I left it another two years and by then I was in nappies three days a month to stop the leaks.

9 months of the mini pill I just bled all the time but less frequent flooding. Mirena coil fitting was fine (some women suffer) but I bled it out in five weeks. I’m now waiting for a hysterectomy which will be abdominal as the fibroids are too big for vaginal. I’m on Prostap (menopause implant) while I wait and also norethisterone to stop the bleeding. It’s mostly working, I’m spitting and spotting.

tranexamic acid is good too for stopping the floods but doesn’t address the symptoms.

prostap Im sure would only be temporary if you’re 44? I don’t think you can take it for more than 6-12 months. So it’s not a final solution. I’d be tempted to have the fibroid removed if vaginal is possible. I’m nervous of the full surgery but I really want my life back. I’d pretty much stopped leaving the house.

hope we’ve all helped! Good luck x

Thanks everyone who replied.
I’m still no closer to a decision. I contacted the private gynae about having them removed vaginally but he said they were the wrong type and that I would actually have to have open surgery rather than keyhole. Not sure why this differs so much from what the nhs gynae said.
I really can’t face the thought of menopause or being unable to drive for 4 weeks. It all seems extreme when I only get bad symptoms for 2 days a month.
Has anyone else decided to do nothing? Is that a terrible idea?

If it's only 2 days a month I'd leave it for now if I were you. I was bleeding constantly for several months and still regretted the embolization. It's all fine now and the embolization procedure went fine, but I got a UTI from the catheter that had me considering suicide. I'd have an embolization again if it was really bad, but I wouldn't let them catheterise me.

I had an embolization ..was awake with no catheter. Brilliant

I had my womb out for a huge fibroid, left my cervix and ovaries (37) It was 2 months ago and I feel AMAZING!
I felt great at 3 weeks. Honestly the best thing.

@CookPassBabtridge I'm waiting for the same (hopefully scheduled for March) your post has cheered me up no end!

Aww I'm glad ♥️ How long have you been waiting? Mine was the size of an 8 month pregnancy! 😆 But I had gotten so used to it so had kinda accepted feeling like that. So the difference is unreal.. The bump is gone, the weight is falling off, my skin is cleared, no more heavyness, aching, I can lay on my tummy again, have someone on top of me. It was full abdominal surgery and I was back in my active job at 4 weeks.
I still have a tiny period as the cervix creates a bit of womb lining still, but nothing compared to what they were before.. maybe just need a pantyliner for a few days. And no more babies!
I could cry with happiness 😭😂 Good luck lovely, March will be here in no time and you will be a new woman. X

Thanks! Been waiting 37 weeks so far so it will be over a year by the time I have the op.

Same as you - a fibroid the size of a 7/8 month pregnancy. I've felt so awful for months I don't even notice it anymore.

My issue is not the size of my fibroids but the sheer volume of them. After bern sent for a further scan / camera and showing me the screen pretty much a everything was blocked by fibroids. My coil is just bobbing about doing whatever as the fibroids are stopping it from anchoring wherever it should.

I'm mid 40s so looking at hysterectomy as I'm constantly bleeding.

It's rubbish!

Hi OP my symptoms are similar to yours, I was diagnosed about 8 years ago and have done nothing. Although I wasn't really offered much in the way of treatment apart from an experimental drug which I declined. I've got multiple fibroids but none are huge and if they've got bigger I'm not aware of it.