Bizarre painless dragging/cramping feeling in back, stomach, upper legs - normal? Fibroids? perimenopause?

[nomoremsniceperson]

I've just turned 41, had super light periods for about 7 years, usually have no period cramps at all but I always get severe ovulation pains. Yesterday I started to get this tightness in my back/upper legs/lower abdomen. It wasn't exactly painful per se but deeply uncomfortable. It reminds me somewhat of early labour - it's a tightness, a dull heavy dragging feeling all around my lower back and radiating forwards into my abdomen and down into my hips/thighs. My period has arrived this morning. This month I had weird cycle symptoms - I had ovulation pains again one week after ovulating, which never happens. Also normally my boobs are very sore after ovulating but this time they aren't sore at all. I have 2 uterine growths which haven't so far caused any issues but maybe they're getting bigger.

I've lately also had some lower back stiffness just above my hips which I thought was spine or muscle related but maybe it's part of the same thing?

I recognise this is a very specific complaint but I'm really just looking to see if anyone has had this dragging feeling and can explain what it means. Probably a long shot.

No I think you are on to something. I remember the junior doctor I saw gave the impression symptoms can be unique and feel odd. They shock their head at peri at 42.

My fibroid (I'm hoping now it is a polyp as that is only way it will get removed) started out weird as hell, numb stomach like someone has sprayed that cold spray then the pressure and dragging started a couple of months down the line. Never felt right since 28th December 2022. I thought up everything from it being brought on walking with a stick, strange reaction to weight loss, medication effects, hernia to diabetic neuropathy but nothing tallys up.

Before I went into hospital as an emergency for neck and spine incomplete condition, (I now had more than one thing going on at same time) it was like someone was giving me a hug at the front and squeezing tightly, now it is around the back like a rope that is being pulled tight. Different type of back ache that presented with cervical myelopathy I'm stiff and my legs heavy. I struggle to understand it has anything to do with CM as I made a successful recovery after surgery and when I looked up the c's issue I had it was surgery for releasing pressure primarily on wrist-extenders, female biceps and something else, nothing to do with the lower stomach.

The way you describe the tightness in the back sounds EXACTLY like what I have.
It's all so weird isn't it. I went to see the gynaecologist today as an acute case (she kindly agreed to see me at short notice) and ruled out any kidney infections, ovarian cysts or increase in the size of my fibroids. She said it could be related to the prior back pain, or it could be gallstones or kidney stones or even gastritis. But it's eased off a bit now and I'm increasingly inclined to think it could just be an awful new period symptom. Or a bog-standard back problem. All so strange and unpredictable though - sometimes I wish female bodies came with an up-to-date manual!