Re: conceive with fibroid?

April 18, 2002

> Any opinions as to whether it is better to have a myomectomy then

try to conceive, or try to conceive with a small fibroid?

> Eby banfill>

Hi Eby,

Great question! and a tough one.

First, does your fibroid cause you any symptoms you can't live with

while you try to conceive? Mine makes me bleed so badly I'm on BCPs

continuously right now until my blood counts get back up. As soon as

I go off them I'd be terribly anemic again. So, I will get my

fibroid treated first and have chosen UAE. But that's my personal

decision -- doctors don't recommend it because of the lack of data of

UAE's impact on fertility.

Second, where exactly is your fibroid? It's possible it could

block your fallopian tubes and prevent conception. Or, if it

distorts the endometrium, it could prevent the embryo from

implanting. It can also increase your risk for miscarriage.

However, I don't believe there's a clear way to know whether or not a

fibroid will cause you to miscarry or deliver early. There's a

statistical risk for it even if you don't have a fibroid.

Here are a few websites that give a little info on fertility and

fibroids.

http://www.fibroidzone.com/pregnancy/pregcontra.html

http://www.fibroid.com/fibroid/chapter7.htm

http://www.sffertility.com/infertility/infert_fibroids.htm

It's interesting/frustrating to see the conflicting info among

these and other sites. Just goes to show a lot more research needs

to be done.

Bottom line: very many women have had healthy pregnancies with

fibroids. If you don't have bad symptoms and your gyn says it's OK

for you to try conceiving, then I'd say consider go ahead and

trying. This way you avoid the potential risks of the possible

treatments.

best wishes,

Ellen

April 18, 2002

> Any opinions as to whether it is better to have a myomectomy then

try to conceive, or try to conceive with a small fibroid?

> Eby banfill>

Hi Eby,

Great question! and a tough one.

First, does your fibroid cause you any symptoms you can't live with

while you try to conceive? Mine makes me bleed so badly I'm on BCPs

continuously right now until my blood counts get back up. As soon as

I go off them I'd be terribly anemic again. So, I will get my

fibroid treated first and have chosen UAE. But that's my personal

decision -- doctors don't recommend it because of the lack of data of

UAE's impact on fertility.

Second, where exactly is your fibroid? It's possible it could

block your fallopian tubes and prevent conception. Or, if it

distorts the endometrium, it could prevent the embryo from

implanting. It can also increase your risk for miscarriage.

However, I don't believe there's a clear way to know whether or not a

fibroid will cause you to miscarry or deliver early. There's a

statistical risk for it even if you don't have a fibroid.

Here are a few websites that give a little info on fertility and

fibroids.

http://www.fibroidzone.com/pregnancy/pregcontra.html

http://www.fibroid.com/fibroid/chapter7.htm

http://www.sffertility.com/infertility/infert_fibroids.htm

It's interesting/frustrating to see the conflicting info among

these and other sites. Just goes to show a lot more research needs

to be done.

Bottom line: very many women have had healthy pregnancies with

fibroids. If you don't have bad symptoms and your gyn says it's OK

for you to try conceiving, then I'd say consider go ahead and

trying. This way you avoid the potential risks of the possible

treatments.

best wishes,

Ellen

April 18, 2002

> Any opinions as to whether it is better to have a myomectomy then

try to conceive, or try to conceive with a small fibroid?

> Eby banfill>

Hi Eby,

Great question! and a tough one.

First, does your fibroid cause you any symptoms you can't live with

while you try to conceive? Mine makes me bleed so badly I'm on BCPs

continuously right now until my blood counts get back up. As soon as

I go off them I'd be terribly anemic again. So, I will get my

fibroid treated first and have chosen UAE. But that's my personal

decision -- doctors don't recommend it because of the lack of data of

UAE's impact on fertility.

Second, where exactly is your fibroid? It's possible it could

block your fallopian tubes and prevent conception. Or, if it

distorts the endometrium, it could prevent the embryo from

implanting. It can also increase your risk for miscarriage.

However, I don't believe there's a clear way to know whether or not a

fibroid will cause you to miscarry or deliver early. There's a

statistical risk for it even if you don't have a fibroid.

Here are a few websites that give a little info on fertility and

fibroids.

http://www.fibroidzone.com/pregnancy/pregcontra.html

http://www.fibroid.com/fibroid/chapter7.htm

http://www.sffertility.com/infertility/infert_fibroids.htm

It's interesting/frustrating to see the conflicting info among

these and other sites. Just goes to show a lot more research needs

to be done.

Bottom line: very many women have had healthy pregnancies with

fibroids. If you don't have bad symptoms and your gyn says it's OK

for you to try conceiving, then I'd say consider go ahead and

trying. This way you avoid the potential risks of the possible

treatments.

best wishes,

Ellen

April 18, 2002

Thanks for the articles. I'm not sure my decision is clearer but at least I

am more informed.

My fibroid was 6cm. and is now 4cm after 6 months on Danazol. The plan is

to continue the Danazol for 3 more months then examine my options at that

time. I was pretty much a symptomatic before the fibroid was discovered.

I've always had heavy periods and tended towards anemia since I was a

teenager so I really don't feel the fibroid changed much. I am to blame

that it got so big initially as I did not find a new doctor for 2 years once

we moved.

I'm trying to get my GP to schedule an abdominal MRI or CT-scan, whatever is

better, so that the exact location of my fibroid can be determined. I've

only had a couple of ultrasounds to date. As long as it's not causing

infertility perhaps trying to conceive before a myomectomy would be the way

to go. I'd really like to avoid surgery for as long as possible especially

as I have only 1 fibroid (for now).

The side effects from Danazol were tolerable and mostly just a minor

inconvenience up until 1 month ago. Now the back & leg pain is affecting my

daily life. I have had severe back problems in the past that were corrected

by surgery; so I find this very difficult and scary, what if it's not the

drugs?? I can't wait to get off them to find out. I live in the country

and have 2 horses, my husband travels quite a bit so my friends and

neighbors have been helping me out with lifting bales and shoveling snow.

I'm very blessed.

Eby

Ellen wrote

Great question! and a tough one.

First, does your fibroid cause you any symptoms you can't live with

while you try to conceive? Mine makes me bleed so badly I'm on BCPs

continuously right now until my blood counts get back up. As soon as

I go off them I'd be terribly anemic again. So, I will get my

fibroid treated first and have chosen UAE. But that's my personal

decision -- doctors don't recommend it because of the lack of data of

UAE's impact on fertility.

Second, where exactly is your fibroid? It's possible it could

block your fallopian tubes and prevent conception. Or, if it

distorts the endometrium, it could prevent the embryo from

implanting. It can also increase your risk for miscarriage.

However, I don't believe there's a clear way to know whether or not a

fibroid will cause you to miscarry or deliver early. There's a

statistical risk for it even if you don't have a fibroid.

Here are a few websites that give a little info on fertility and

fibroids.

http://www.fibroidzone.com/pregnancy/pregcontra.html

http://www.fibroid.com/fibroid/chapter7.htm

http://www.sffertility.com/infertility/infert_fibroids.htm

It's interesting/frustrating to see the conflicting info among

these and other sites. Just goes to show a lot more research needs

to be done.

Bottom line: very many women have had healthy pregnancies with

fibroids. If you don't have bad symptoms and your gyn says it's OK

for you to try conceiving, then I'd say consider go ahead and

trying. This way you avoid the potential risks of the possible

treatments.

best wishes,

Ellen

April 18, 2002

Thanks for the articles. I'm not sure my decision is clearer but at least I

am more informed.

My fibroid was 6cm. and is now 4cm after 6 months on Danazol. The plan is

to continue the Danazol for 3 more months then examine my options at that

time. I was pretty much a symptomatic before the fibroid was discovered.

I've always had heavy periods and tended towards anemia since I was a

teenager so I really don't feel the fibroid changed much. I am to blame

that it got so big initially as I did not find a new doctor for 2 years once

we moved.

I'm trying to get my GP to schedule an abdominal MRI or CT-scan, whatever is

better, so that the exact location of my fibroid can be determined. I've

only had a couple of ultrasounds to date. As long as it's not causing

infertility perhaps trying to conceive before a myomectomy would be the way

to go. I'd really like to avoid surgery for as long as possible especially

as I have only 1 fibroid (for now).

The side effects from Danazol were tolerable and mostly just a minor

inconvenience up until 1 month ago. Now the back & leg pain is affecting my

daily life. I have had severe back problems in the past that were corrected

by surgery; so I find this very difficult and scary, what if it's not the

drugs?? I can't wait to get off them to find out. I live in the country

and have 2 horses, my husband travels quite a bit so my friends and

neighbors have been helping me out with lifting bales and shoveling snow.

I'm very blessed.

Eby

Ellen wrote

Great question! and a tough one.

First, does your fibroid cause you any symptoms you can't live with

while you try to conceive? Mine makes me bleed so badly I'm on BCPs

continuously right now until my blood counts get back up. As soon as

I go off them I'd be terribly anemic again. So, I will get my

fibroid treated first and have chosen UAE. But that's my personal

decision -- doctors don't recommend it because of the lack of data of

UAE's impact on fertility.

Second, where exactly is your fibroid? It's possible it could

block your fallopian tubes and prevent conception. Or, if it

distorts the endometrium, it could prevent the embryo from

implanting. It can also increase your risk for miscarriage.

However, I don't believe there's a clear way to know whether or not a

fibroid will cause you to miscarry or deliver early. There's a

statistical risk for it even if you don't have a fibroid.

Here are a few websites that give a little info on fertility and

fibroids.

http://www.fibroidzone.com/pregnancy/pregcontra.html

http://www.fibroid.com/fibroid/chapter7.htm

http://www.sffertility.com/infertility/infert_fibroids.htm

It's interesting/frustrating to see the conflicting info among

these and other sites. Just goes to show a lot more research needs

to be done.

Bottom line: very many women have had healthy pregnancies with

fibroids. If you don't have bad symptoms and your gyn says it's OK

for you to try conceiving, then I'd say consider go ahead and

trying. This way you avoid the potential risks of the possible

treatments.

best wishes,

Ellen

April 18, 2002

Thanks for the articles. I'm not sure my decision is clearer but at least I

am more informed.

My fibroid was 6cm. and is now 4cm after 6 months on Danazol. The plan is

to continue the Danazol for 3 more months then examine my options at that

time. I was pretty much a symptomatic before the fibroid was discovered.

I've always had heavy periods and tended towards anemia since I was a

teenager so I really don't feel the fibroid changed much. I am to blame

that it got so big initially as I did not find a new doctor for 2 years once

we moved.

I'm trying to get my GP to schedule an abdominal MRI or CT-scan, whatever is

better, so that the exact location of my fibroid can be determined. I've

only had a couple of ultrasounds to date. As long as it's not causing

infertility perhaps trying to conceive before a myomectomy would be the way

to go. I'd really like to avoid surgery for as long as possible especially

as I have only 1 fibroid (for now).

The side effects from Danazol were tolerable and mostly just a minor

inconvenience up until 1 month ago. Now the back & leg pain is affecting my

daily life. I have had severe back problems in the past that were corrected

by surgery; so I find this very difficult and scary, what if it's not the

drugs?? I can't wait to get off them to find out. I live in the country

and have 2 horses, my husband travels quite a bit so my friends and

neighbors have been helping me out with lifting bales and shoveling snow.

I'm very blessed.

Eby

Ellen wrote

Great question! and a tough one.

First, does your fibroid cause you any symptoms you can't live with

while you try to conceive? Mine makes me bleed so badly I'm on BCPs

continuously right now until my blood counts get back up. As soon as

I go off them I'd be terribly anemic again. So, I will get my

fibroid treated first and have chosen UAE. But that's my personal

decision -- doctors don't recommend it because of the lack of data of

UAE's impact on fertility.

Second, where exactly is your fibroid? It's possible it could

block your fallopian tubes and prevent conception. Or, if it

distorts the endometrium, it could prevent the embryo from

implanting. It can also increase your risk for miscarriage.

However, I don't believe there's a clear way to know whether or not a

fibroid will cause you to miscarry or deliver early. There's a

statistical risk for it even if you don't have a fibroid.

Here are a few websites that give a little info on fertility and

fibroids.

http://www.fibroidzone.com/pregnancy/pregcontra.html

http://www.fibroid.com/fibroid/chapter7.htm

http://www.sffertility.com/infertility/infert_fibroids.htm

It's interesting/frustrating to see the conflicting info among

these and other sites. Just goes to show a lot more research needs

to be done.

Bottom line: very many women have had healthy pregnancies with

fibroids. If you don't have bad symptoms and your gyn says it's OK

for you to try conceiving, then I'd say consider go ahead and

trying. This way you avoid the potential risks of the possible

treatments.

best wishes,

Ellen

April 19, 2002

Good question. I myself am trying to decide if I should do something

with my fibroid or try to conceive again without doing anything. I

am the very proud mother of a 5 mo old little boy, but I had a very

difficult pregnancy. I did not know I had a fibroid until about 18

weeks into my pregnancy when I had such terrible pain that I could

not even walk. AT that point, the doctors told me all kinds of

terrible things that could happen to my pregnancy or delivery, etc.

etc. What was suppose to be the happiest time of my life, was not.

I was in a lot of pain and very uncomfortable. Thankfully, I only

delivered a week and a half early to a healthy baby boy and none of

the problems they said that I may encounter during delivery did not

happen. My doctor now wants to do a myomectomy, but I don't know. I

obviously would like another child and I am not trying to weigh the

pros and cons. I don't want to have scar tissue causing me

infertily, yet I don't know if I can go through anohter pregancy like

the last one. It is a tough decision and I'm not sure what to do

either.

Good Luck,

> Thanks for the articles. I'm not sure my decision is clearer but

at least I

> am more informed.

>

> My fibroid was 6cm. and is now 4cm after 6 months on Danazol. The

plan is

> to continue the Danazol for 3 more months then examine my options

at that

> time. I was pretty much a symptomatic before the fibroid was

discovered.

> I've always had heavy periods and tended towards anemia since I was

a

> teenager so I really don't feel the fibroid changed much. I am to

blame

> that it got so big initially as I did not find a new doctor for 2

years once

> we moved.

>

> I'm trying to get my GP to schedule an abdominal MRI or CT-scan,

whatever is

> better, so that the exact location of my fibroid can be determined.

I've

> only had a couple of ultrasounds to date. As long as it's not

causing

> infertility perhaps trying to conceive before a myomectomy would be

the way

> to go. I'd really like to avoid surgery for as long as possible

especially

> as I have only 1 fibroid (for now).

>

> The side effects from Danazol were tolerable and mostly just a minor

> inconvenience up until 1 month ago. Now the back & leg pain is

affecting my

> daily life. I have had severe back problems in the past that were

corrected

> by surgery; so I find this very difficult and scary, what if it's

not the

> drugs?? I can't wait to get off them to find out. I live in the

country

> and have 2 horses, my husband travels quite a bit so my friends and

> neighbors have been helping me out with lifting bales and shoveling

snow.

> I'm very blessed.

>

> Eby

>

> Ellen wrote

> Great question! and a tough one.

> First, does your fibroid cause you any symptoms you can't live

with

> while you try to conceive? Mine makes me bleed so badly I'm on

BCPs

> continuously right now until my blood counts get back up. As soon

as

> I go off them I'd be terribly anemic again. So, I will get my

> fibroid treated first and have chosen UAE. But that's my personal

> decision -- doctors don't recommend it because of the lack of data

of

> UAE's impact on fertility.

>

> Second, where exactly is your fibroid? It's possible it could

> block your fallopian tubes and prevent conception. Or, if it

> distorts the endometrium, it could prevent the embryo from

> implanting. It can also increase your risk for miscarriage.

> However, I don't believe there's a clear way to know whether or not

a

> fibroid will cause you to miscarry or deliver early. There's a

> statistical risk for it even if you don't have a fibroid.

> Here are a few websites that give a little info on fertility and

> fibroids.

> http://www.fibroidzone.com/pregnancy/pregcontra.html

> http://www.fibroid.com/fibroid/chapter7.htm

> http://www.sffertility.com/infertility/infert_fibroids.htm

>

> It's interesting/frustrating to see the conflicting info among

> these and other sites. Just goes to show a lot more research needs

> to be done.

>

> Bottom line: very many women have had healthy pregnancies with

> fibroids. If you don't have bad symptoms and your gyn says it's OK

> for you to try conceiving, then I'd say consider go ahead and

> trying. This way you avoid the potential risks of the possible

> treatments.

>

> best wishes,

> Ellen

April 19, 2002

Hi Eby,

I am struggling with the same decision that you are....myomectomy or

try to conceive with the fibroid. I must say that I have gone

through a pregnancy with a fibroid that I did not know I had until

the 18th week of my pregnancy. I had a lot of pain and discomfort.

What was supppose to be the happiest time in my life, was not. The

doctors kept telling me about all of the horrible things that could

happen during the pregnancy or even during the delivery. I dealt

with a lot of pain, but I did give birth to a healthy baby boy in

November. None of the risks associated with delivering with a

fibroid happened, thank GOD. My doctors now want me to have a

myomectomy. I am not sure what to do. Do I want to risk the

infertility after the surgery? or do I want to go through another

very painful pregnancy? I like you am struggling with this decision.

Good Luck to you,

April 19, 2002