Steps to Take if Your Fibroid Keeps Growing

Uterine fibroids can be completely harmless or cause devastating and painful symptoms. If you have otherwise unexplained pain during your period or during sex, feel like your lower abdomen is full of weights, or are troubled by constant urinary issues or constipation, a growing fibroid could be to blame.

At Apex Endovascular, located in Fort Collins, Colorado, Dr. Shawn Ahmed can help stop and reverse the growth of fibroids using a procedure called uterine fibroid embolization. Here’s what he wants you to know about uterine fibroids and what to do when a fibroid keeps growing.

Uterine fibroid basics

Uterine fibroids (typically non-cancerous uterine growths called leiomyomas, or simply ‘myomas’) are extremely common among women of childbearing age. In fact, it’s estimated that around 80% of women have uterine fibroids at some point during their lives. 

Most women who have uterine fibroids never even know they have a uterine growth, since fibroids often cause no symptoms and aren’t typically detected without an ultrasound. However, for other women, fibroids can cause serious life disruption.

Symptoms of fibroids

Symptoms of fibroids can include any or all of the following:

• Heavy, painful periods that prevent normal daily activities
• Intermittent pelvic pain
• Urinary issues
• Anemia
• Constipation
• Pain during sex

Large fibroids or multiple fibroids can make the abdominal region feel heavy and even cause swelling that can make you look like you’re pregnant.

Fibroids and menopause

Fibroids are fed, in part, by the levels of estrogen in your body. A lot of women find that their myomas shrink dramatically after menopause, when estrogen levels fall sharply. 

If fibroids aren’t detected until near the age of menopause, or are mostly asymptomatic, you may choose to wait for menopause before deciding whether or not to seek treatment.

However, if you’re years from menopause or even on the other side of menopause and a fibroid keeps growing, you may need to explore your options for fibroid treatment.

Steps to take if your fibroid keeps growing

If you suspect you have one or more fibroids that are growing and causing serious symptoms, here’s what to do:

Step one: confirm 

Ask your doctor to confirm the status of your fibroid(s) with an ultrasound. Your fibroid(s) might be bulging into your uterus, growing between muscles of your uterine wall, or protruding from the exterior of your uterus.

Step two: discuss

If a fibroid is causing serious symptoms and keeps growing over time, you have options. These range from medication to surgery up to and including a uterine hysterectomy. However, many women find that a minimally invasive procedure called a uterine fibroid embolization (UFE) is their best option.

Step three: act

Once you’ve decided to explore uterine fibroid embolization as a solution to your growing fibroid, you’ll need to find the right doctor to complete the process. Dr. Ahmed targets the artery supplying blood to your growing fibroid, injecting tiny beads that close off the blood flow and leave the fibroid to shrink and die. Many women find that their symptoms lessen as soon as one menstrual period after UFE.

To learn more about uterine fibroid embolization, schedule a consultation with the team at Apex Endovascular by calling 970-508-8439 or by booking an appointment online.