RE: Just found out I have fibroid

[Guest guest]

To : I am on b/c pills to help control bleeding from fibroids, but over

time the bleeding for me has gotten heavier. I don't have any mid-cycle

bleeding so far, but the submuocsal fibroids I have tend to make my periods

heavier. I take lo-ovral. From what I know, b/c pills cannot shrink

fibroids.

[Guest guest]

Dear .

I take b/c pills too I was taking them for about a year before my fibroid

was discovered. My bleeding has always been on the heavy side and the pills

have been an enormous help.

My fibroid was discovered in May and the last few months I have noticed that

my periods are starting earlier than usual and lasting a bit longer.

For example. I finish my last pill on a Saturday so during the next week I

should have a bleeding with new pills starting on following Sunday. Usually

my period was coming on Friday and by Monday evening when I was taking the

second pill everything was clear.

Last time my period came on Thursday and lasted until Tuesday. This time it

came yesterday (Wednesday) and I just have to wait and see how long it will

last.

The bleeding is also a bit heavier than usual and last time I noticed

several small clots on the sanitary towel. I think my fibroid is starting to

play games despite its small size. I can't imagine what it would be like if

I did not take the pills.

thanks

andra

[Guest guest]

,

I tried birth control pills (Loestrin). They helped at first, but my fibroid

symptoms increased each month and by month 5 were back to where they had

been. There are a number of fibroid treatment options in between the

inaction of " watch & wait " and the invasive action of having a hysterectomy.

Myomectomy and Uterine Artery Embolization are two of them. Myos remove just

the fibroid, not the uterus. UAE cuts the fibroid's blood supply, so it

withers. Again, your uterus is spared. However, there's not much data yet

about UAE and pregnancy, so if you are considering a second child, you might

look first at myomectomy.

No-one knows exactly what causes fibroids. Genetics, some foods, and yes,

being overweight have all been implicated as causes/triggers, so please don't

beat up on yourself about that.

[Guest guest]

I've been on birth control pills (Loestrin & then Norinyl) since June after

being diagnosed with fibroids and can honestly say they are of almost no

help. The doctors assured me the BCPs were the best form of temporary relief!

Yeah, right. I went off them 6 yrs. ago precisely because menstrual pain had

returned with a vengeance. My experience may be different from others',

though. Cramps, clots, heavy bleeding, pain, bloating, gushing, digestive

problems & general misery all during menstruation have barely improved. BCPs

did help the symptoms in the past, in my 20's to mid-30's -- but back then I

was probably dealing with a whole different set of issues.

My advice is to seek treatment before your symptoms worsen & your fibroids

grow. The wait & see mode is for the birds unless you have absolutely no

symptoms at all. I'm waiting (less & less patiently!) for UAE to be scheduled.

Best wishes, Tinkuy

P.S. A litany of complaints: I'm especially miserable & negative right now.

Three days ago I returned to work as a field archaeologist & my fibroid

problems & pain are interfering too much. Vicodin (a pain killer) makes me

stupid & I don't like driving or working under its influence. Kneeling, lying

down on my stomach, sitting on the ground & bending over a burial excavation

all day while working with others in very close quarters don't seem to be a

problem. But trundling towards a port-a-potty several hundred yards away on a

site with no running water or garbage bins is a challenge. Yesterday I had a

gushing episode in the middle of something I couldn't abandon easily. Some of

my co-workers know what's going on. We archaeologists are an earthy (heh-heh)

bunch, so at what point do I confess to others (mostly male) why I've turned

into such a slacker? Today I just gave up & stayed at home. This situation is

depressing me. Thanks for letting me vent.