Are your periods exceptionally heavy and keeping you from sticking to your exercise routine? Do you find yourself exhausted and weak for the entire duration of your period—sometimes as long as eight days?
Do you have to set an alarm each night to change your pad so you won’t wake up to a mess? And, do your legs ache to the point of distraction? When the bleeding finally stops, are you so tired you have no energy to run, or lift weights, or even take a brisk walk?
If you can relate to these scenarios, you may be suffering from uterine fibroids.
These noncancerous growths of the uterus are found in 35 percent of white women and 50 percent of black women at the time of menopause.
Fibroid tumors, also called myomas, are usually hard, similar to the inside of a golf ball, and they are made from a uterine muscle cell that starts growing out of control. The cells make a tight whirl of muscle cells and cause blood vessels to grow.
Fibroids are rarely cancerous, although in some cases it may be a possibility.
Many women who have fibroids do not have any symptoms. When symptoms do occur, they relate to the size and location of the fibroids.
Large fibroids can cause back pressure and aching legs and pelvis. Fibroids in the wall near the inside cavity, however, tend to cause heavier bleeding and low iron or anemia.
These annoying growths can increase in size and put pressure on the bladder and bowl, creating a constant urge to go to the bathroom. Even worse, they can cause pain and discomfort during sex.
Exhaustion, discomfort
A patient I’ll call Molly came to see me to figure out her fatigue.
She was 44 and done having children. Most days, it was all she could do to keep up with her kids.
At least 10 days each month, she’d get home from work and collapse onto the couch, finding it virtually impossible to get up. She was just too exhausted. Six of those 10 days, she’d complain of heavy bleeding and annoying cramps; the other four, she was exhausted from all the blood loss.
Her office was doing a “Biggest Loser” contest. While she knew she needed to lose 25 pounds, she was just too tired. She lacked motivation to start an exercise plan or make any attempt at eating healthy.
As if all that wasn’t enough, she had to leave a work meeting because she felt a large clot come out and was afraid she would make a mess.
Molly had seen her family doctor a few weeks before she came to see me, and her doctor had ordered blood work to see if they could find some answers.
The results showed her hemoglobin blood count was 9 and her iron (ferritin) was 5. Both numbers were well below normal, so Molly’s doctor insisted she visit a gynecologist.
She lost so much blood on a regular basis and she couldn’t take enough iron (or she kept forgetting) to keep up with what her body needed. She had an ultrasound done and made an appointment to see me for further help.
Fibroids
When I asked Molly for more details, she told me the pressure on her bladder had gotten worse. Sometimes, when struck by the urge to urinate, she found she simply could not make it to the bathroom fast enough.
She didn’t want to have sex, either—sometimes because of bleeding, sometimes because it became too uncomfortable. It was anything but enjoyable. While understanding, her husband seemed sad; she missed sex with him as well.
Fortunately, Molly didn’t have any other major health issues except for her weight. Her cholesterol and blood sugar levels hovered at borderline high, but we could get those under control.
She had been experiencing an occasional night sweat right before her period, meaning she was on the edge of menopause.
Both her mom and grandmother had experienced fibroids, and they both had hysterectomies by the age of 40. Molly hoped to avoid the same fate.
Her ultrasound revealed a large fibroid measuring nearly the size of a baseball on the front of her bladder. It also showed several plum-sized fibroids near the lining of her uterus.
Together they caused the pressure she felt, and the heavy bleeding.
Her age, weight gain, fatigue and borderline cholesterol levels told me she reached an important time in her life—she needed to make some changes that would affect her for years to come.
Back in control
If Molly didn’t make some healthy adjustments, the result could be difficulty reversing her weight gain, the start of heart disease, and increased stress at home because of not being involved with her kids and husband nearly half of every month.
We talked about Molly’s somewhat limited options because she had fibroids in two different places.
If the fibroid formed just on the outside of the uterus, an IUD with progesterone, such as Mirena, would at least help the bleeding.
If the fibroids formed just on the lining of the cavity of the uterus, they could be removed without removing the uterus. Unfortunately, because she had fibroids in both places, the best recommendation for permanent treatment was a hysterectomy.
But first we needed to get her healthy enough to undergo surgery.
After taking her vitamins and iron faithfully for eight weeks, and adding an oral progesterone medicine to slow the bleeding, Molly’s iron level rose high enough to proceed.
I performed a laparoscopic hysterectomy—removing her uterus by making only three or four small incisions in her abdomen. Molly went home the same day and returned to work at full speed in four weeks. She couldn’t have sex for eight weeks as she waited for everything to heal, but then we cleared her to return to life as usual.
At Molly’s post-op appointment, she told me she felt like she had her life back and had motivatation to lose weight, lower her cholesterol and enjoy her family again.
She felt like she had won the “Biggest Loser” contest after the fact, and she seemed content with having to lose her uterus in order to move forward with the rest of her life.
Fibroids had been taking control of Molly’s life.
Now she’s back in control.
I have a 10cm fibroid. This has doubled in the last 3 years. I often feel tired. Urinate sometimes up to 13 times a day. I still have periods every month. Very heavy bleeding for 2_3 days and lighter bleeding for at further 7 days. I am 55 so doctor is reluctant to do anything. Should I insist on further investigation?
Perhaps a second opinion may be in order, Julie. Best wishes to you.
Change your diet completely eating fruit and veg. Alkaline diet is beneficial because it’s a lymphatic problem you need to detox yourself clean.
Dr Robert Morse is fantastic for advice on youtube etc. I too have them and I feel much better with my lifestyle change!
Hi Julie, did your GP refer u? U need a referral to discuss your options. I was offered a process where they cut the blood supply to the fibroids off and they shrink within a year. I then asked for another referral so discuss surgical options and was told due to the largess of mine, keyhole was not an option so it would be full op with risk of hysterectomy or if I didn’t want up, they could pull the whole lot out from below which would include the uterus. I’m contemplating the embolysation again as it is the least invasive and would mean me keeping my uterus. Menopause is not a guarantee that they will shrink.
I think I have the same problem but 😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭 I have no kids yet
I suffer with fibroids , they are ruining my life the heavy bleeding and the tiredness cause I’m anemic, lower back pain and leg cramps .had enough !
Hi Paula, Thanks for reading and commenting. I suggest you arrange an appointment with your physician to discuss options. Best wishes for you.
I have recently been told that I have fibroids. I am suffering from chronic exhaustion, my daily activities have been drastically reduced, I get cramps in my thighs, even in my toes. I get backache, headaches and sometimes I sweat at night. I also urinate several times in a day. It affects my family life, can’t cook as often as I would like, can’t clean, I have become very forgetful, irritable, it’s also affecting my job. I also get this weird sensation, in my knees and legs. I need help.
Hi Gillian. Thank you for writing in. So sorry to hear you’re not feeling well. Please do discuss these symptoms with your physician and ask to see a specialist who can address your fibroids and other conditions. Best wishes to you!
Hi Gillian,
I have a fibroid and am just on my journey to getting it sorted. However I have Fibromyagia and your symptoms sound similar. I’d ask to be seen by professionals regarding fibroids incase there is a cross over. I hope I’m wrong but it’s best to get checked
I have been told I have a 2cm fibroid which shouldn’t cause me no pain. The reason I went to my gp was that fainted twice last year. Prior to me fainting I had very bad pelvic pain which felt like someone stabbing my pelvis and severe back ache and legs ache. I got up to toilet as I felt I needed to poo and I fainted. A few months after that happened I had severe abdominal pain that I couldn’t walk and I felt very hot and dizzy. I didn’t fain. My go sent me for scan and I was told I had a small fibroid. After reading up on fibroids I tent to disbelieve the dr as I have allot if the symtoms of fibroids. I also always get very bad period pain and I was anemic after my first fainting. I also always get night sweats.
Joelyn, it sounds like you are having vasovagal attacks, also known as vasavagel syncope bought on by intense pain. To avoid passing out, as soon as you feel faint lay down and try to raise your legs higher than your heart.
I have several fibroids. I have had 2 transvaginal ultrasounds. I complain of the feeling of always having to urinate, pressure in the pelvic region, back pain that increases closer to menstruation, heavy painful periods and a “grinding” feeling on the right side pelvic area with sneezing, laughing, coughing, forward bending and twisting. Pain during sex. I have been told I need to see a urologist and Orthopedic for my symptoms. How do I get someone to take me serious? My uterus is enlarged and mis shaped. I feel the grinding are fibroids that are rubbing together or on another structure. Just turned 47…
Hi Jody – We recommend you talk with your gynecologist about these symptoms or perhaps a urogynecologist. It appears from your IP address that you’re located in North Carolina? We might suggest searching the national database for a certified menopause specialist in your area. https://www.menopause.org/for-professionals/ncmp-certification Best wishes to you!
That result is the worst case scenario, in my opinion. It’s horrible that she had to have a hysterectomy!
I had to have an emergency blood transfusion a week ago and now I’m preparing for surgery to remove several large fibroids. I have no children and am not married so I have decided to have the fibroids removed, nothing else. I’ve heard from several women with similar experiences that after the fibroids are removed, you feel wonderful! I have been perpetually exhausted for years and heavy periods have stopped me from going out and enjoying life. I’m ready for this change.
Nicki how did your surgery go? I have a 7cm fibroid thats pressing on my colon, I feel it all day as gas and waste moves through my colon, just waiting on a gyno appt to discuss my options. Have been exhausted since 10 months major changes happening in my body pain etc, intense radiating aches in shoulders/back muscles, thighs, GP thought it might be lupus or fibromyalgia, but I went back in last 3 months with incredible discomfort from distended abdomen and getting puffed and being able to feel a hardness in my abdomen, so now that I read so much more about the fibroids it could be this and maybe fibro too. Hope all went well for you.
My GP miss diagnosed my fibroids as depression for 3 years and told me over an over again that my fatigue, abdominal discomfort and heavy periods were ‘all in my head’. They finally diagnosed me with severe anaemia and recommended iron tablets and a Mirena coil, but didn’t check my uterus for fibroids first. It turns out I have an 8cm inside my uterus, so the coil did more harm than good and I basically bled for 6 months straight until they finally decided to give me an ultrasound and found the mass. So the anaemia hasn’t properly resolved and I have to keep being treated for that, and now because of COVID all elective surgeries are still cancelled and I can’t even get on a wait list here in the UK. I can’t sit upright for more than 2 hours a day, and I have to lay in a recumbent position most of the day to relieve the pressure in my belly and the fatigue is unbearable. Is there anything I can ask for, from my GP, to help make this manageable until I can get surgery? Vitamin shots? IV iron? Anything? I’ve gone from running half marathons to basically being bed-ridden and this is practically making me suicidal – I just want my life back.
Hi Lisa!
I went from a half marathon to laying in bed as well. I can’t tell you how difficult that has been, but also I feel comforted to know I’m not alone. Unfortunately, we really have to self advocate when we are with the doctors and who better to detect a change in our body then ourselves!
Because of the discomfort and other symptoms I am mostly staying home and avoiding friends. 🙁 But, thanks to COVID I don’t have to explain myself.
Lisa, this too shall pass! I have faith in God that He will restore me and you to even better than before and we will have a new found appreciation and understanding of life and others.
Take it one step at a day friend, do not despair!
I have been fighting fibroids and anemia for the better part of the last 7 years. I became severely anemic and have had to have iron infusions regularly over the years. I tried birth control but still had the heavy bleeding causing anemia. At one point I did have an ovary removed because of a nasty polyp…we thought that might reduce my hormone level and help, but it didn’t. My last attempt was a series of 6 Lupron injections. The injections did stop the bleeding but the side effects were horrible…worse than the bleeding and anemia. In addition you can only take the injections for 6 months because they can decrease your bone density. I’ve been off Lupron for a few months now and the periods have re-started, just as bad as ever. I also suffer from prolapse. I’m 55…the hope was that Lupron would force menopause, and I could maintain after but not the case. My hormone levels read like I’m in menopause but the bleeding says otherwise. I have put off the idea of hysterectomy for years thinking I was close to menopause but I’m just done with it all, and I’m going to be talking with my doctor about it. Hoping to kill two birds with one stone by taking care of the bleeding and repairing the prolapse at the same time.
I have been suffering from heavy bleeding and cramps for more than 3 years. I have been visiting my doctor and been sent back with no issues. Past one year I had been having bad fatigue , tiredness, muscle pain. I am not anemic but my iron is little low. After whole year of different diagnostic, recently I found that I have fibroids which are very small and doctor said I don’t need to worry about them. But I have so much pain in my back, shoulders, arms and legs. I can’t even walk. I have appointment with my Gynaecologist and hope to find solutions for my problem. It’s been 3 years I don’t feel normal and I pray to get my normal life. Reading all above comments made me feel that I am not alone.
I had been off birth control for almost three years without conceiving. I am 39 so was referred to a fertility doctor. Both of our cell counts are great so my doctor went in laparoscopically and checked out the ol baby maker, and found a fibroid tumor. Had a myomectomy two weeks ago and it was the size of a softball, I didn’t even have symptoms! I am healing up nicely but have noticed a change in my sleeping. Before I could barely wake up all day(even when not menstruating), and now it seems like I can’t sleep. I am at my heaviest weight ever and have been too tired and lazy to make A change, I’m hoping that getting the tumor out will help in that area too. Everything I read it says there really is no change to your health except for the heavy bleeding ( I didn’t have), but it’s got to have an impact on your body some way. Anyway just thought I would share my story and here’s to hoping for some conception in the future 😊
Thank you for sharing your story, Faith! All the best wishes for adding a little one to your family and cheers to better health.
I was told I had 3 small fibroids in Feb 20. Following symptoms of abdomen and lower backpain, bloating and longer periods with feeling a I cannot explain. Go said it is s viral but reading all the posts I think it may be fibroids related. Will state this oo my GP but just awaiting blood results first.