Fibroid belly.

[Briannaco]

Hi.

Im 40. I've had a swollen stomach for years.

I also used to only get period pain on my actual period.

I've had pain the whole week before my period, for the last two years.

Do you know when you just know that something isn't right.

I went to the doctor with these symptoms several times over the two years . The doctor sent me into the hospital each time to get an ultrasound scan. They told me everything was normal. They didn't do an internal scan

Eventually I paid for a private internal scan.

This scan said that I have a fibroid in my womb. I went back to the doctor with this information. Apparently it's currently not big enough for them to recommend removing it. She didn't mention any other option, but now I'm looking online it looks like there might be medication to shrink them?

My stomach is huge. It's so distended. I honestly look nine months pregnant. Apart from the look, I'm also worried that if I don't deal with it it's going to affect my health

I was wondering what anyone else did with fibroids.?

How big is your fibroid?

Depending on the scan, I either have 3 or 4 small ones, about 2cm in size each. Only found when I had scans when TTC years ago. I don't have any bloating or symptoms from them at all- well not that I'm aware of! Mid 40's now, still regular periods and only a few cramps on day 1.

Are you sure its not pain from your bladder or intestines? Have they been investigated?
Your pelvis is very low down behind your pelvic bone, so a fibroid would have to the size of a grapefruit to be felt above that bone. Do you have endo? Are you TTC? I was told mine wouldn't be removed as too small, they weren't stopping TTC/implantation etc and the surgery could do more damage than was worth it. Especially, as I don't have any symptoms from them.
Did your GP give you any next steps?

No it's definitely pain in my womb.

The pain feels like period cramps but constant.

And I get the pain all of the week before my period, and all of the week of my actual period.

The pain is intense.

I'm not trying to conceive

The doctor didn't give me any next steps.

I'm sure this has happened to many women- but i feel like they just dismiss me - trying to get help for women's issues is so hard!

I don't know if I have endometriosis.

The doctor doesn't seem to care.

If it’s not big enough to recommend removal, it’s unlikely to be the cause of you looking 9 months pregnant, I say this as someone who had two fibroids, endometriosis and a hysterectomy.
My pregnancy looking belly didn’t shrink with the hysterectomy and fibroid removal, only with a complete diet overhaul, giving up alcohol, sugar and increasing fibre and exercise.

Theres an interesting video about visceral fat causing a big tummy here, could that be the cause?
vm.tiktok.com/ZGdAfR3xK/

Maybe you ask the GP to refer you to gynae to have investigations for endometriosis though if you have pain? Although be prepared to be fobbed off. It was 10 years of hell-5 of them under gynae-before I got my hysterectomy!

Thanks for that post.

It's not fat on my belly, as I'm not overweight.

My stomach is very distended. And it's gotten bigger. I'm a size 10. Everyone comments on it. I get asked how far along in pregnancy I am, a lot

You know where you read womens stories in magazines where they say

"Everyone thought that I was pregnant, then when I went to the hospital , they found a nine pound cyst in my womb'

My stomach looks like their stomachs.

I'm going to have to try to go and get more opinions.

I'm sure I have a cyst or another larger fibroid or something.

I think that women often suffer from cysts in their wombs, But doctors don't check or care.

So how big is the fibroid OP?

I'd see a different GP at your practice and ask for further investigations and a referral to gynae for the ongoing pain.

Hi I can't remember exactly how big it is. As it was a while ago and they sent me the results by email attachment.

The email attachment brought me to the private clinics page with my own personal login, to see the document.

When I go to login now , it says "link expired".

I'm have to ring them and ask them to email me the results again

It just annoys me as I feel I've been fobbed off by so many people.

And I know it's happened to other women too

I had a fibroid that was huge, and that gave me a uterus of 24 weeks gestation. It showed up on vaginal ultrasound and ct as being huge, I think 19cm.

if you look 9 months pregnant that would be a massive fibroid. Has your belly grown rapidly since your scan ? Did they take full blood count to check anaemia ?

I had pain on the days of my period only and massive bleeding. When it degenerated it was a different type of pain.

So if you fibroid has grown very quickly to a uterus size of 9 months that is a big red flag and you would need to see the doctor. Take a photo of your abdomen when you are lying down and email your GP

I’ve got six fibroids and they’re big but my stomachs flat, I exercise 5 times a week though so in shape. But I wouldn’t think with yours being so small mines showed no prob on ultra sound as they’re big. So maybe something else going on ? An intolerance possibly ?

My stomach is huge. I was just looking at it in the mirror today.

You know where someone's stomach doesn't look fat, but swollen and distended.

Like some of those men who have giant beer bellies. Mine is like that. And I'm in pain too

I'll go back to the doctor again. I've gone to different doctors so many times with these same symptoms- swollen stomach and a lot of pain.

Yeah go back ! Don’t leave it, doctors these days brush everything off but you know yourself its not right.

@Briannaco is it worse in the evening (the bloating / swollen stomach)? You may have adenomyosis.

I have this and I am also a size 10, slim and by evening can sometimes look easily 6 months pregnant.

In the morning I tend not to have it unless i am ovulating or maybe pre period.

I have fibroids, adenomyosis and probably a bit of endo too. It is shit! I have pain much of the month now and have been dealing with this since 7 years ago. I There are things that can help but surgery/hsyterectomy (if its adeno) is the only actual 'cure' which so far I have put off.

Also there are loads of fibroid / adenomyosis groups on Facebook and loads of women reporting this swelling / pregnant look, I do think it's very common. Not sure thats reassuring but I know it's quite scary when you don't know what's causing something for sure. Often Adenomyosis is pretty difficult to diagnose - MRI is best way. It can be seen on an ultrasound but is often missed unless you are with a specialist and it's the right time of the month for the scan.

I took a couple of photos of my tummy today to show you what it looks like.

Here is my stomach

And here it is without clothes.

It's huge.

It's a bit worrying to look at when I look at it like that in those photos. Like it's huge. It looks like there's something wrong.

I'm definitely not pregnant . My stomach has been like this for the last two years. It doesn't feel right either. It has a kind of feeling like there is something heavy in it.

Maybe a cyst?

My regular GP was booked up and I was having some ovary pain. They fobbed me off onto the Livi app to have a remote consult just before Xmas.

I spoke to the nicest doctor who agreed it warranted a scan, send it back to GP who didn't question it and did the referral, and I've got my scan this Saturday.

I know I have fibroids and I've had a cyst removed before. I've got my most recent scan records from a few years ago at a fertility clinic but want to be managed by NHS.

I can't believe how little fighting it has taken. Fingers crossed for you. My tummy is big too but not quite like yours. You deserved a scan to know what's going on.

Just a thought- When I had my cyst, one side of the belly stuck out more. Is yours even when you look down? Or when laying down?

Hi
I've had many fibroids for years and my belly swelled just like yours. Extremely uncomfortable and embarrassing. I'm sorry to say that the only thing that helped was going through the menopause. I hope you have better luck with the doctors than I did.

My fibroid is 17cm by 14cm. I definitely have a pregnancy belly!