?'s about uterus size. et al

Hi,

I am rather new here and I have a question regarding my uterus size and when surgery might be warranted or other treatments can be used.

I went in for a pelvic exam today and to talk to another dr. regarding a hyster recommendation. She said my uterus is large (11.8 x 4.5 x 5.3 ) How large is this in comparison. I went in for the usual --Heavy, frequent periods, ungodly clotting, same thing most of us are experiencing. She said she could feel fibroids and she recommended trying bcp OVCON 35, to help with my cycles. But really, is this uterus gigantic!? I have been reading that most "normal" uteri are 3-4 cm. Should I get this monster out or give the bcp a try. Has anyone been able to stave off the hyster for very long with bcp? She said I might end up needing it anyway.

Thanks in advance.

Jaime-

I don't know what a big uterus size is other than 50-90gms is the usual size and any larger usually causes problems. My uterus at my first ever pelvic ultrasound was around 14cm which was considered a risk in terms of bleeding out. My largest fibroid at the time measured at around 9cm but 6 months later after trying bcp and provera the fibroids had nearly doubled in size meaning I desperately needed the hyst. I think it depends on the woman regarding how much bleeding you can take - I'm about 5ft 5 inches and couldn't handle it so the hyst became my only option. What's your bleeding like?

My beeding is extremely heavy and clotting is horrible, it is causing some slight anemia so my dr wants me to use slowfe. I am going to try the bcp for a few months, but am worried that the uterus will get larger, it is pressing on my bladder and I have also read that that is an indication that a hyster would be recommended--when it interferes with bodily functions, ie bladder, colon etc. I am so confused about what to do, but I suppose a few months will not make a huge difference, I will hopefully get a recheck in May, that was the last time a sonogram was done and that my uterus showed 11cm. I think that is about 10-12 gestational?

Thanks so much for your response and experience!

Jaime-

I hope your doctor isn't going to wait until May to monitor your blood counts. The BCPs may kick in right away, but if some of your bleeding is due to adenomyosis, then they're not likely to help that part of it.

This is a good time to get another opinion if a couple of months on the BCPs doesn't help or if your bleeding pattern changes. There's not much you can do for adeno, except the hyst, but when it gets to the point that you're bleeding that much, you have to something a bit more to investigate than just the sort of "watchful waiting" your doctor does now.

See if your doctor will get blood counts for you every month, to see if the iron is working or not. That's important to know too. In the meanwhile, research everything that you can, and if you or your doctor are considering the hyst, then get second, third, or even more opinions before making that final decision. There are not a lot of good options for adeno, unfortunately; but if it's just fibroids, then you have a couple of choices, such as myomectomy and embolization.

Good luck, and keep us posted on how it goes, OK?



Audrey

Audrey,

Thanks so much for the great advice!

I am so new to this that I forget to ask the right questions! This Dr. is great, she was actually my second opinion. The first Dr. did a pelvic and listened to my history and told me I have Adeno? This was my first ever visit to him and he did not have my records. So I found another Dr. and she wants to try Ovcon 35 and wants me to come back in 3 months to recheck. I feel comfortable with this. I will definitely let her know if the bleeding persist.

I have some other med stuff (Thyroid nodules) that I am going in for next week, so I will be closely monitored for those as well. Dang, I feel so old right now (36)!!!

I stumbled on this website and am I ever glad I did. Everyone is so helpful!!

I will keep you posted!

Jaime-

Jaime:

Adeno is notoriously difficult to diagnose, but your history is quite characteristic. You should know, within a month or so, if the BCPs are going to work, but if it's adeno, then your doctor is right in that the hyst is likely, and with anemia, sooner rather than later.

The problem with adeno is that it's where the endometrium has actually infiltrated the muscle wall of the uterus. Since that can be a diffuse and microscopic process, it's difficult to diagnose with any of the usual means. And ablation or embolization aren't usually successful with this particular condition .

I hope you find relief with the Ogen. It will be interesting to see what you find with the thyroid nodules; thyroid problems alone can create bleeding problems as well. Good luck with it all, and let us know how it works, OK?



Audrey

Sounds like you have your answer about size - and how big 11 cm is in terms of weeks pregnancy, etc. I looked it up in my handy dandy book by Nelson Stringer, MD. He died in the last couple of years I think, but had a book with illustrations called "Uterine Fibroids, What Every Woman Needs to Know". He says that the normal size of a normal uterus is a small pear (sounds like it might be more than a few cm). An orange is a 10 week fibroid, a grapefruit - 12 weeks, a melon - 16 weeks, a pineapple is 22 weeks and 28 weeks is a pumpkin.

Sounds like you've got a plan to go with at this point. Sure hope it works out well for you.