dont know what to do reg:fibroid

Hi ladies
I posted a few wks back saying that i had a fibroid, quite large really and easy to feel, i can feel it just along the top of my pubic hairline.
I am 40yrs old and have been taking hrt due to early menopause, a cyclic one where i have a bleed every month.
These bleeds have became horendous so my gyne has put me on cyklokapron tabs to slow bleeds down as iam passing large clots at time of bleed, it seems to be a vicious circle as i now know that the hrt can make the fibroid worse.
Iam waiting for an appointment for a scan prob to see how big this fibroid is, but my gyne has made it clear that she doesnt want me to have a hyst.
I seem to have many problems with this fibroid, i can feel it when iam lying on my tummy, i also cannot seem to hold on to my urine either, iam up at the loo lots in the night and if i cough ect i leak a bit, my back is very sore also.
Apparently if i had gone through menopause without hrt then this fibroid would have shrank on its own, but iam reluctant to come of hrt as i was having really bad symp without it, anyway doc says because of my age i really need it.
I have also had a laproscypy and laser treatment in the past for endo.
I really would appreciate some advice from you ladies as i dont know what to do next, i dont know if it is appropriate on the board to talk about sex and appologies in advance, but are there any other ladies with fibroids for whom it is affecting there sexuall lifes, i was having a very good intimate relationship untill recently, and now i seem to be unable to reach orgasm, does the fibroid interfear with this asspect ?.thankyou

Hi Scotlass,
Sending gentle hugs your way.

Is is possible for you to get a second opinion from another gyn? You say your current gyn does not want you to have a hyst. Maybe your gyn has very good reasons for this. Do you have other medical problems that would make you a high risk patient? In particular, this could be things like blood clotting problems or diabetes, just as a couple of examples.

You sound pretty miserable. As for difficulties with orgasm, no apologies needed for asking this type of question here. We do try to keep things in good taste here, but we all understand the need for this type of information and support from other women. Unfortunately, I didn't have this type of experience when I had fibroids and I can't say I've read other posts or information on this specific topic. Hopefully someone else will be along who can share their experiences with you.

Keep reading and posting and we'll provide support any way we can. Let us know if you are able to get that second opinion, or at least get more information from your current gyn.

Beth

Hi beth
Thankyou for your speedy reply, i dont have any other medical probs but i think the gyne genarraly tries to diswaid us from having a hyst (do they ?) i am waiting on an appointment to come through for the scan thingy lol so ill have to wait on that i suppose, the last time i was there (first appointment) she gave me a chart to fill in reg: my input and output of fluids, but really i only get leakage when iam nearly due my periods, (bloating) i get the feeling that she will try anything rather than give me a hyst which i suppose is a good thing as i know it has'nt to be taken lightly, but iam just so fed up at the momment with it all and iam not looking forward to my next period.
Thankyou for offering me support its great to know i can come here and ask Q.

Hang in there. I so understand (and know) all the pain and discomfort you explain. I can not imagine having a fibroid you can feel and a doctor not wanting to get it out.

I don't know if this is an option for you, but I had my 4th myomectomy when I was just a year or so younger than you. Until my hyst, bless my sweeties heart, our sex life was nearly non existant because I was too uncomfortable. I think with already having all the pressure on my back and bladder, any more pressure just would send me over the edge.

All the best Lass, if you have any questions, please feel free to e-mail me.

BSQ

Hi there - I too have fibroids, and have had heavy bleeding for over a year now. (I just had an endometrial ablation last week that hopefully will reduce or stop that problem.) I am 47 and wanted to reply to your inquiry about fibroids and orgasm. I have noticed over the last couple of years that it takes me longer to get one (or I don't at all) and I wasn't all that quick before. I do not know if this is related to the fibroids or it's just me getting older, but it's definitely what's happening. Perhaps the fibroids are pressing on some important nerves, or making it more difficult for the uterus to contract, or ??? I do not have pain during sex or otherwise from the fibroids, so it isn't that.

I don't know if my experience will help but here goes. I had fibroids that my doctor monitored for 10 years. When they doubled at the age of 41 I was told that something had to be done. I was having the same symtoms that you are experiencing minus the difficulty achieving orgasm. Now that I have had the hysterectomy I am no longer having the pressure from the fibroid but am having a terrible time adjusting to the changes in my sex life. I fear I have traded one set of problems (in my opinion) for a worse set of problems. God Bless your doctor for not rushing you into this surgery. Please take care.

I would just like to say thankyou to you all for your helpfull advice, i have an appointment with my doc on the 14feb so i will see what she says then in regards to having to wait for the scan, i think once i get the scan done then i will know better what road to go down, its just the waiting about on the appointment that is frustrating and sometimes the fibroid is really annoying me. thankyou

This may or may not help you with your options, but it's an interesting article...

"Abortion Pill" May Also Help Shrink Fibroids
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - The so-called "abortion pill" mifepristone, also known as RU-486, seems to shrink fibroid tumors in women, and may allow them to avoid hysterectomy or at least have easier surgery, according to a report released Friday.

Uterine fibroids can cause excessive menstrual bleeding, pelvic pain and frequent urination. The benign growths occur in about 25% of all women and are the leading cause of hysterectomy, or removal of the uterus, in the US.

In the current study, Dr. Steven H. Eisinger and his colleagues at the University of Rochester in New York discovered that a daily dose of 5 milligrams--only a small fraction of the 600 milligrams (mg) usually needed to induce abortion--can significantly reduce fibroids.

In 2000, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved mifepristone for abortion in the first seven weeks of pregnancy.

In the study, participants reported that many of the symptoms associated with fibroids improved after mifepristone treatment, such as pelvic pain, bladder pressure, and lower back pain.

What's more, after 6 months of treatment, the 19 women who received the 5 mg dose experienced a similar improvement in both symptoms and the size of their fibroids to the 20 women who received a 10 mg dose. And women given the lower dose reported fewer hot flashes, a noxious side effect of treatment with mifepristone.

Both the 5 mg and the 10 mg doses succeeded in decreasing the size of patients' uteruses by one-half, a sign that the treatment had a significant impact on their fibroids.

These findings indicate that low doses of mifepristone can provide all the benefits of the treatment, but with lower side effects, Eisinger told Reuters Health.

"In a pilot study, we had shown that mifepristone, at a dose of 25 mg, could shrink fibroids," he explained.

"However, this dose was tied to a high rate of side effects, particularly hot flashes," he added. "In the current study, we tried to avoid these side effects by finding the lowest dose that was still effective."

Low doses of mifepristone could increase the safety of a woman's hysterectomy by reducing the size of her fibroids before the procedure, and lowering the risk of complications, Eisinger said.

The drug may even help her avoid the dramatic surgery altogether, he added.

"By shrinking symptomatic fibroids until menopause occurs, mifepristone could help some women avoid the need for hysterectomy," Eisinger noted.

SOURCE: Obstetrics and Gynecology 2003;101:243-250.

Last Updated: 2003-01-31 10:00:10 -0400 (Reuters Health)