Fibroids and Fertility
If you have been diagnosed and are considering having a child, you may be wondering if fibroids and fertility problems go hand-in-hand. What you do not want is to go through months of trying to conceive, only to be unsuccessful and to then learn that you could have done something about it.
Fibroids do sometimes affect pregnancy, but certainly not always. Some women will conceive normally and go through their pregnancy with no complications at all, whereas for others, the situation is very different.
Fibroids are non-cancerous growths of muscle tissue which form inside or, more rarely, around the uterus. They are more common in women in their thirties or forties and can sometimes cause infertility. The growing tendency for women to have children later in life is the reason why fibroids are becoming a greater factor than before.
Before explaining a little about the specific ways fibroids can impact on fertility and pregnancy, I would like to relate the experiences of three women whose stories were told in a recent article about fibroids.
1. Eva wished that someone had sat her down at 30 and told her that she needed to have babies “now”. She had left it until later and now 40, has suffered 3 miscarriages as a result of fibroids. Incredibly, it was only after the third miscarriage that the fibroids were noticed on a scan. She sought private treatment and had 15 fibroids removed surgically and knew that the procedure could affect her chances of conception in the future. She felt she had no choice as she felt that although she was conceiving easily, she would have had another miscarriage.
2. At 37, Leona had fibroids and found that her treatment was unsatisfactory. She had asked her doctor, if there was a connection between fibroids and fertility as she was trying to conceive, and she had self-diagnosed. He was non-committal and she had to even fight to get a scan, as the doctor was dismissive. The scan found several large fibroids and these were subsequently removed. She described the experience as “the worst of her life” as she needed a blood transfusion afterwards due to severe blood loss. Then she caught three separate infections whilst in hospital, which required antibiotic treatment and was readmitted into hospital after going home with a burst abcess. Eventually, the infection cleared but she still hasn’t conceived and now fears that the operation has quashed her chances.
Frequently Asked Questions
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QUESTION:
What if you have bleeding fibroid?
I am 43 yrs old and starting the change I just had a 3 day period. Four days later had some smelly dis-charge that was pinkish coupled with the worst Itch.
I have ever had in my life and NOTHING would help
to stop it. Now the Dr. said I have an enlarged uturis and possible fibroides.Plus bleeding like i’m having another period. This is the 2nd or 3rd time this has gone on. Any Drs. Out there Familiar with this. Any help would be nice . Having an ultra sound on aug. 22-
ANSWER:
It’s not the fibroid itself that is bleeding, but rather it’s the fibroid that is causing the abnormal bleeding. I have a hx of fibroids and polyps of the uterus, and have had both removed a few times, via hysteroscopy with D&C.I had severe cramping with my periods and the abnormal/irregular bleeding when I had the fibroids and polyps. Since they were so problematic for me, the gyn removed them.
I wish you all the best, I hope that you find some relief!
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QUESTION:
Can a small fibroid cause excessive bleeding during your cycle?
I had a hysteroscopy in Sept and since then I started bleeding heavy at first then went 2 months with only spotting. They removed some polyps but the fibroid was under the lining of my uterus so they left it. It is very small but not my cycles come regularly but I pass huge clots. I can go all day without any blood but around 8pm I pass a huge clot and mess up my clothes. What should I do?-
ANSWER:
i don’t think so.
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QUESTION:
Absess in my mouth and a uterine fibroid OMG I am almost 57 years old?
A tooth ache. Does anyone identify with me. a bleeding fibroid. what is a girl to do, does anyone have any answers for me. I am sick and tired of being sick and tired. Also I am voting for McCain. But I would of voted for Hillary.
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ANSWER:
I’m sorry you are going through this. I think it’s best to ask your G yn dr. If you don’t have one (my mom never went) then ask your family dr. who he can recommend for you. I had two uterine fibroids and also adenomyosis that was diagnosed (although adenomyosis is usually diagnosed after a hysterectomy because the ultrasound showed what it looked like. The dr. said he could feel two fibroids (not big or anything but they gave me so much trouble and two years after I had my third baby I ended up having a hysterectomy at age 29. I was like you and sick and tired of being sick and tired. There are treatments such as a myomectomy but usually that’s for women who still want to have a baby. Another option if you are bleeding very heavy like going through a pad in an hour or less can be something called UAE or uterine artery embolization. I didn’t want to do this since my chouices were either a hysterectomy (we didn’t want anymore kids and I was really bleeding very heavy). I would go through a tampon in about 20 minutes. I also am aware that fibroids depending on the size can affect the bladder or make it difficult for someone to be able to have a hard time peeing if the uterus is pressing on the bladder. Also incontinence (wetting like when someone sneezes). I did see a urologist before my hysterectomy and was diagnosed and treated for urethral stenosis. My urologist told me that I’d feel so much better after a hysterectomy which I was planning on having done. I had to have support from my family because it is major surgery. Some women depending on the size of the fibroid can have a vaginal hysterectomy if the uterus is not any bigger than 9 weeks pregnancy size. An ultrasound can show how big in measurement a uterus is. Also a gyn dr. can feel if the uterus is enlarged, boggy (adenomyosis or endometriosis in the uterine muscle), or if the bladder is being pushed on making it difficult to pass urine or keep it in you like if you sneeze, cough, or do something else.With the technology today there are many tests to determine which treatment or cure is right for you. You are not alone. Many women do have fibroids. With some they don’t bother anyone meaning they don’t cause any bladder problems or heavy bleeding while with others they have problems.
You can feel free to email me (emails are private and not given on here when you click on my email button). This site will give you a box that you can send email to and will not display your email address. I’m very confidential from being in the medical field already and I don’t share anyones medical history or give out their email if they want to actually email me at my address I can give out if you want when you message me. I’ve went through so much since I was 28 and my energy level was low (probably from bleeding so much and feeling the pressure om my bladder due to the firbroid.
From what I know there are three treatments for fibroids and as I mentioned before one is a myomectomy, another is UAE (uterine artery embolization), and another is a hysterectomy. You and your dr. will have to talk to see how you can make the best decision for you. My hysterectomy was one of the best things I had done and I don’t have any regrets. My sex life was so much better and I didn’t have to worry about anymore problems going to the bathroom. A urologist can help you if you have any bladder isssues and if necessary then there are other things that can be done either with a hysterectomy or to the bladder or urethra (for me as I had urethral stenosis in which I had to be dilated which worked awesome). The urologist told me it was most likely due to the pressure of my uterus on my bladder. Although I had three kids, I was actually at more of a risk for having problems with holding in urine or not having so much leakage without wearing something to protect my underwear. I was in so much pain. Usually fibroids don’t cause pain but they can cause bleeding. There’s also a site at www.hystersisters.com in which a woman can go to and read stories of how people were treated. One message board is for people who don’t know what to do and they can type pretty much everything they have been going through in detail if they want.
I wish you luck in finding the right treatment or cure for your situation. There are many ways one can have a hysterectomy. I had a vaginal hysterectomy and kept my ovaries. If my uterus was 10 week pregnancy size or bigger I would not have been able to have a vaginal hysterectomy. There is also an abdominal hysterectomy in which the belly is cut and the dr. removes the uterus that way. Some women who have bladder issues may decide to keep their cervix and that’s up to them and can get advice on if keeping the cervix will help “hold” the bladder up so they don’t have to many issues anymore. Your best bet would see what your dr. thinks is right for you to do. Be honest with your dr. I wrote down on paper of what I was going through in detail. I wanted to keep my ovaries so I could get the hormones needed.
As for the abscess in your mouth, if it’s in a tooth you should see your dentist. If it’s not in a tooth I would still see a dentist. Here is one link about what to do for an abscess.
http://www.2homeremedies.com/abscess.htm
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QUESTION:
heavy bleeding after fibroid removed?
well half of fibroid it was to big to take out got to back to have it removed and have dc and coil fitted woke up from the op to find to catheter bags attached to me one for wee the other for blood they gave me a needle to stop the bleeding now 6 days later started bleeding heavy-
ANSWER:
CALL the doctor. NEVER get medical advice online.
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QUESTION:
do fibroid tumors bleed or have a leakage?
I am not due for my monthly period for another 2 weeks and 2 days ago I spotted blood (and it was not like blood in my urine) while using the bathroom. Then I had like a brown colored discharge follow by a purple coloured discharge in the 2 days days following the spotting. It seems to be clearing up, but I want to know if fibroids leak and if so, or if not, should I consult my physician, or wait until june 8th when I go to see the specialist?-
ANSWER:
My mom had fibroids. They can cause spotting, but, of course, you should talk to your doctor. My mom had the fibroid immobilization surgery, and hasn’t had any problems for a while. Good luck! 🙂
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