Fibroid pain - does this sound normal?

[Atissue123]

I’ve had what the gynae team ‘think’ is a fibroid in my uterus left side for about a year. That’s when it was first spotted on an MRI. It’s been painless but I have adenomyosis so generally do have painful periods etc. it’s in the left side muscle wall of my uterus. It sometimes is more painful that side during my period. When measured it was quite small (1.5x2.2cm). That was last January. Most of this year I’ve not noticed anything except occasionally around my period that side might hurt more.

they’ve rescanned me 2 weeks ago it’s grown to be a bit bigger (2.4 x 2.9cm now). Still relatively small but has grown. This last month I’ve had a weird sort of pulled muscle / dull pain for 3 weeks (I didn’t have it the first week of my cycle just after my period). I think it’s got to be this fibroid now pushing on things. It radiates into my hip. It literally started one day and hasn’t stopped. I thought I’d injured myself. I’m just about to start my period now so hoping it might lessen after that.

But im it’s something worse. I’m just looking for others experience of fibroid pain. They have said they THINK it’s a fibroid but could be a cyst of adenymosis as apparently it looks a bit unusual. They can’t biopsy due to location so have given me an option of wait and see or hysterectomy. I’m 42 and feeling a bit scared by the latter option!

what I read about cancerous tumours seems to indicate they don’t hurt until they get big but obviously that might not be accurate. I have no mid cycle bleeding etc. just the pain and heavy ish periods.

I should add im following gynae advice but its likely i wont hear anything for a few weeks so i guess im looking for reassurance that fibroids or womb lesions can be painful like this. It seems sort of cyclical - much worse at ovulation for a few days and now pre period.

I've recently had a hysterectomy for ademyosis and several big fibroids. Had bad period pain, heavy bleeding and v long periods for the last few years but generally no pain apart from few days before period and during. Can they not do a hysteroscopy to see what's going on?

@Barleycat they’ve not offered that but it may be because of the location of it. I’ll ask that at my next appointment.

@Barleycat how was the hysterectomy?

I have 3x fibroids, all about 1-2cm in size. The only time I had pain from them, was when I was pregnant and when I was having MC's, all due to the hormones. I too had a gnawing, pulling sensation on one side. I had early scans in each pregnancy, because I was worried it might have been an ectopic. Thankfully, other than some mild cramping on day 1 of my period, I don't normally have anything more.

I assume you aren't pregnant? Maybe you are peri and the hormones are causing your pain? I had mine diagnosed on ultrasounds and during a hycosy- which checks the shape of the inside of the uterus and checks the tubes are clear. Has your gynae said if they will do any further testing? Ultrasound? I'm surprised they only 'think' its a fibroid from the MRI! No advice I'm afraid, other than asking if there is any further, non invasive testing they can do?

I have over 30 fibroids ( on waiting list for hysterectomy) but they don't give any trouble except occasionally when I pass one and that can be a bit ouchy and quite dramatic as it's usually in the shower. I get it looked at.

@JC03745 no not pregnant but definitely peri menopausal and I do wonder if that’s the cause. I feel like something has changed with it quite suddenly but realistically it’s probably hormones driving that. I think. The pain you describe is exactly how it feels. Not super acute, like a pulled muscle sort of strain feeling. I think maybe it’s pulling on some ligaments or something.

I had a 10cm fibroid; it was so big I could feel it protruding when I lay down; but I never had separate pain to my sore periods, even when it was growing. I had embolisation treatment last year which led to it shrinking significantly and I can’t feel it anymore.
for context am also peri I think.
mri should be able to say definitively what it is (from my experience). Hope it all works out

Hi. It was 8 weeks today so am still recovering. Op etc went well and they kept me in for three nights which I was grateful for. First few days were tough and the lack of energy is frustrating. I'm back at work Monday for a few half days and it feels the right time. Main issue has been my anxiety about something going wrong but that is passing. I was waking up every hour to pee in the night and now I only wake up once. I'm not yet at the stage where I'm celebrating having it done but I think I will be in another few weeks hopefully.