Re: How Often Should Fibroids Be Checked

[Guest guest]

.... One question I have is how often should your fibroids be

> checked for growth. I told my doctor last year that no matter what

> I did, I couldn't lose weight anymore. Can this be a result of

> the fibroids? I have always been overweight, but when I really

> tried to lose, I have been successful up until the last year. I am

> wondering if this is related to the fibroids as well. In fact, I

> have not changed my eating habits, but have put on 20 pounds in

> the last year. Does anyone know if the size of a quarter is big or

> not in relation to fibroids? Please help me get my head out of the

> sand!

My doctor wanted to check me every 6 months before I decided to have

them removed. I don't know if that is standard or not though.

Quarter sized isn't that big but it depends on where they are and how

many you have, not just the individual size. It sounds like you need

to look at treatment rather than just monitoring growth if you're

bleeding that much.

Also, I've heard lots of anecdotal information about the relationship

between fibroids and weight gain but I've hunted and hunted for any

medical studies to no avail. There was one that started in Germany

but as near as I can tell the researcher gave up on it.

It makes a lot of sense to me though. Hormones play a significant

role in weight gain and loss and fibroids not only produce hormones

but the higher levels of hormones make fibroids grow. So it's a

vicious cycle of rising hormone levels. Certainly it should come as

no surprise if they end up causing weight gain. Isn't that the most

common side effect of birth control pills?

DeAnn

[Guest guest]

I might make one suggestion to you. Your description of your recent

weight problem and the fact that your periods are long and your

fibroids relatively small makes me think that maybe you ought to have

your thyroid checked. Slightly underfunctioning thyroid has been

implicated in causing fibroid growth in a couple of studies. It

causes high estrogen, low progesterone and high prolactin levels in

the body. Most regular doctors will only check your TSH levels and

then only treat you if you are way out of wack. So it's a good idea

to read up on hypothyroidism first to make sure you get all the tests

and the right doctors that you need for a good diagnosis. An

excellent book on this subject is " Living Well With Hypothyroidism "

Here is a checklist from a good site to help you determine if this

might be a possibility for you:

I have the following symptoms of hypothyroidism, as detailed by the

Merck Manual, the American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists,

and the Thyroid Foundation of America

I am gaining weight inappropriately

I'm unable to lose weight with diet/exercise

I am having irregular menstrual cycles (longer, or heavier, or more

frequent)

I am constipated, sometimes severely

I have hypothermia/low body temperature (I feel cold when others feel

hot, I need extra sweaters, etc.)

I feel fatigued, exhausted

Feeling run down, sluggish, lethargic

My hair is coarse and dry, breaking, brittle, falling out

My skin is coarse, dry, scaly, and thick

I have a hoarse or gravely voice

I have puffiness and swelling around the eyes and face

I have pains, aches in joints, hands and feet

I have developed carpal-tunnel syndrome, or it's getting worse

I am having trouble conceiving a baby

I feel depressed

I feel restless

My moods change easily

I have feelings of worthlessness

I have difficulty concentrating

I have more feelings of sadness

I seem to be losing interest in normal daily activities

I'm more forgetful lately

I also have the following additional symptoms, which have been

reported more frequently in people with hypothyroidism:

My hair is falling out

I can't seem to remember things

I have no sex drive

I am getting more frequent infections, that last longer

I'm snoring more lately

I have/may have sleep apnea

I feel shortness of breath and tightness in the chest

I feel the need to yawn to get oxygen

My eyes feel gritty and dry

My eyes feel sensitive to light

My eyes get jumpy/tics in eyes, which makes me dizzy/vertigo and have

headaches

I have strange feelings in neck or throat

I have tinnitus (ringing in ears)

I get recurrent sinus infections

I have vertigo

I feel some lightheadedness

I have severe menstrual cramps

I have a family history of thyroid disease

I have another autoimmune disease

I have had a baby in the past nine months

I have a history of miscarriage

A good site on hypothyroidism is:

http://thyroid.about.com/health/thyroid/library/weekly/aa042100b.htm

Tish

[Guest guest]

I might make one suggestion to you. Your description of your recent

weight problem and the fact that your periods are long and your

fibroids relatively small makes me think that maybe you ought to have

your thyroid checked. Slightly underfunctioning thyroid has been

implicated in causing fibroid growth in a couple of studies. It

causes high estrogen, low progesterone and high prolactin levels in

the body. Most regular doctors will only check your TSH levels and

then only treat you if you are way out of wack. So it's a good idea

to read up on hypothyroidism first to make sure you get all the tests

and the right doctors that you need for a good diagnosis. An

excellent book on this subject is " Living Well With Hypothyroidism "

Here is a checklist from a good site to help you determine if this

might be a possibility for you:

I have the following symptoms of hypothyroidism, as detailed by the

Merck Manual, the American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists,

and the Thyroid Foundation of America

I am gaining weight inappropriately

I'm unable to lose weight with diet/exercise

I am having irregular menstrual cycles (longer, or heavier, or more

frequent)

I am constipated, sometimes severely

I have hypothermia/low body temperature (I feel cold when others feel

hot, I need extra sweaters, etc.)

I feel fatigued, exhausted

Feeling run down, sluggish, lethargic

My hair is coarse and dry, breaking, brittle, falling out

My skin is coarse, dry, scaly, and thick

I have a hoarse or gravely voice

I have puffiness and swelling around the eyes and face

I have pains, aches in joints, hands and feet

I have developed carpal-tunnel syndrome, or it's getting worse

I am having trouble conceiving a baby

I feel depressed

I feel restless

My moods change easily

I have feelings of worthlessness

I have difficulty concentrating

I have more feelings of sadness

I seem to be losing interest in normal daily activities

I'm more forgetful lately

I also have the following additional symptoms, which have been

reported more frequently in people with hypothyroidism:

My hair is falling out

I can't seem to remember things

I have no sex drive

I am getting more frequent infections, that last longer

I'm snoring more lately

I have/may have sleep apnea

I feel shortness of breath and tightness in the chest

I feel the need to yawn to get oxygen

My eyes feel gritty and dry

My eyes feel sensitive to light

My eyes get jumpy/tics in eyes, which makes me dizzy/vertigo and have

headaches

I have strange feelings in neck or throat

I have tinnitus (ringing in ears)

I get recurrent sinus infections

I have vertigo

I feel some lightheadedness

I have severe menstrual cramps

I have a family history of thyroid disease

I have another autoimmune disease

I have had a baby in the past nine months

I have a history of miscarriage

A good site on hypothyroidism is:

http://thyroid.about.com/health/thyroid/library/weekly/aa042100b.htm

Tish