Fibroid Tumors

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mssteelbody
mssteelbody Posts: 7 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Do any of you suffer from Fibroid tumors and does the exercise and diet change ease your pain? For me, it's been so-so, I have only been at it since April so it may be too early to judge. I don't want to lose weight, I just want to feel better. Can anyone give me some advice? I don't want to have a hysterectomy.
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  • jenilla1
    jenilla1 Posts: 11,118 Member
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    I was never told anything about an exercise/diet change by my doctor. I've never been overweight, so I personally have no idea whether weight makes a difference in terms of symptoms. It matters for a lot of conditions, so I wouldn't be surprised. I haven't noticed much change in symptoms from increasing or decreasing exercise, either. I do feel better overall physically (less aches and pains in general) when I exercise daily, so maybe my fitness does help but I just don't realize it because I've always been active?

    I just have one large, monster fibroid. I'm thin, so I can actually feel the outline of it if I lay on my back and press on my lower abdomen. You can't see it just looking at me, though. It isn't THAT big! Plus, I have pretty strong abs that keep everything pretty much sucked into place. ;) Doesn't cause a lot of pain most of the time, but it's mostly obnoxious because it pushes on my bladder (and makes me feel like I have to pee even when my bladder should be empty) and it feels like the mass moves inside me when I bend over or make some other movements. That is super creepy. I'll follow this thread. It will be interesting to see what other women say...

  • fr33sia12
    fr33sia12 Posts: 1,258 Member
    edited June 2018
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    I've had fibroids for a few years now, a 5cm one and a 7cm one. I do get pain in the general location of them but have noticed my healthy diet & exercised has definitely improved the pain for me. I gave up dairy and meat (apart from fish) which I believe has contributed. I read up on fibroids and you should avoid high fat processed meats, refined sugar, refined carbs, alcohol. I've done all this anyway regardless of fibroids and noticed a difference. Then last year I went back to eating junk, not doing any exercise etc and they got worse. I'm now 5 month into eating healthy again and exercising regular and starting to get periods and pain back to almost normal. I'm not saying this works for everyone as everyone is different, but it certainly helped for me.
  • mssteelbody
    mssteelbody Posts: 7 Member
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    Thanks ladies, I really needed to hear this, it gives me hope. Felt like I was going through this struggle alone.
  • NewChapterInMyLife
    NewChapterInMyLife Posts: 757 Member
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    You're not alone. I have 2 fibroids in my uterus 13cm each.the size of cantaloupes! Amazingly i don't look pregnant, just a small bulge. i don't know how. I do see them when i lay down on my back. I almost went through w a hysterectomy last year but chickened out! I cant lay on my stomach nor sides for long at a time without awful pressure. i avoid alcohol and red meat at least if i do indulge its rarely. I do want these suckers gone but bc mine are so huge( doc said they are even filling up my stomach cavity area somehow)i would risk my ovaries needed taken out too and i dont want that. You are not alone.
  • NewChapterInMyLife
    NewChapterInMyLife Posts: 757 Member
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    I know i didn't really answer your question. Mine haven't shrunk no matter what I've tried but they are maintaining.
  • NewChapterInMyLife
    NewChapterInMyLife Posts: 757 Member
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    If u can keep your ovaries get the hysterectomy!!!
  • DanyellMcGinnis
    DanyellMcGinnis Posts: 315 Member
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    I had a 16cm fibroid and a 2cm fibroid. I lost 45 pounds with them (but didn't know I had them at the time as they were only causing some vague symptoms like occasional constipation). Went to the doctor for something else and she found a mass in my abdomen (that was the 16cm one!). Ended up going with the hysterectomy, which had to be open because of the size. Kept my ovaries (I am 40). I didn't want kids, and birth control was increasing my hypertension, so that was also a factor. Also, my gynecologist said if you have multiple fibroids, you're likely to get more, and I didn't want to have more than one abdominal surgery.

    Exercise made absolutely no difference for me with respect to fibroids, nor did diet. But I wasn't having pain, either. Periods were normal.

    The hysterectomy wasn't necessarily fun at the time, but looking back (it was October 31 of last year), it wasn't so bad. I had to take 7 weeks away from the office but I can work from home which I did after the first week, so there was no loss in income. I have a high-deductible insurance plan but had already met it before the surgery so I didn't have to worry about costs.
  • jenilla1
    jenilla1 Posts: 11,118 Member
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    NewChapterInMyLife wrote: »
    You're not alone. I have 2 fibroids in my uterus 13cm each.the size of cantaloupes! Amazingly i don't look pregnant, just a small bulge. i don't know how. I do see them when i lay down on my back. I almost went through w a hysterectomy last year but chickened out! I cant lay on my stomach nor sides for long at a time without awful pressure. i avoid alcohol and red meat at least if i do indulge its rarely. I do want these suckers gone but bc mine are so huge( doc said they are even filling up my stomach cavity area somehow)i would risk my ovaries needed taken out too and i dont want that. You are not alone.

    Cantaloupes!? Ugh. Mine is only the size of a large grapefruit. The doctor said the uterus is the equivalent of early second trimester. At least I'm not "showing." I still don't know how it manages to fit in that small space without my belly poking out. It's squishing everything else around it I suppose, hence the pressure. I guess I should be grateful that mine is so "small"!

    Have you looked into Uterine Artery Embolization?
  • musicfan68
    musicfan68 Posts: 1,124 Member
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    I had fibroids about 18 years ago. I was given 3 options - go on the pill until menopause, take Depo shots until menopause, or partial hysterectomy. I chose the partial hysterectomy. They left my ovaries. As it turns out, they should have taken them too - I ended up with a 16 lb ovarian cyst that almost killed me. I would have the partial hysterectomy. My life was so much better after it. (Except for the 16 lb ovarian cyst years later!).
  • mssteelbody
    mssteelbody Posts: 7 Member
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    Thanks Ladies, great advice. Much appreciated.
  • dsboohead
    dsboohead Posts: 1,900 Member
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    I had a hysterectomy when I was 38 because I had massive fibroid. Kept an ovary though. Hysterectomy was the best thing I ever done and would do it again. Even back then didnt need that baby basket anymore!
  • dsboohead
    dsboohead Posts: 1,900 Member
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    My fibroid pinched off my bladder so I couldn't pee at all. It was the size of a grapefruit.
    Can you count on yours shrinking that much thru menopause? You could keep the ovaries but there is no use for the uterus but aggravation.
    My hysterectomy was the best thing ever!!!
  • kshama2001
    kshama2001 Posts: 27,897 Member
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    dsboohead wrote: »
    My fibroid pinched off my bladder so I couldn't pee at all. It was the size of a grapefruit.
    Can you count on yours shrinking that much thru menopause? You could keep the ovaries but there is no use for the uterus but aggravation.
    My hysterectomy was the best thing ever!!!

    I'm glad your hysterectomy went well for you. Unfortunately, that's not always the case. For me, I'd rather have the aggravation than face the potential risks.
  • nehaad88
    nehaad88 Posts: 159 Member
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    mssteelbody wrote: »
    Do any of you suffer from Fibroid tumors and does the exercise and diet change ease your pain? For me, it's been so-so, I have only been at it since April so it may be too early to judge. I don't want to lose weight, I just want to feel better. Can anyone give me some advice? I don't want to have a hysterectomy.

    i had a 11cm one. I am currently 1 week post- lap myomectomy.

    from what i read during my pre-op research, fibroids are caused due to oestrogen dominance. so if you can get to regulate oestrogen, your symptoms should be controlled too. for that, exercise and a diet rich in fiber was recommended.

    Now, even if this theory is empty, it wont hurt to do two good things which are generally healthy.

    give it a try before you take a more aggressive action.
  • jenilla1
    jenilla1 Posts: 11,118 Member
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    nehaad88 wrote: »
    mssteelbody wrote: »
    Do any of you suffer from Fibroid tumors and does the exercise and diet change ease your pain? For me, it's been so-so, I have only been at it since April so it may be too early to judge. I don't want to lose weight, I just want to feel better. Can anyone give me some advice? I don't want to have a hysterectomy.

    i had a 11cm one. I am currently 1 week post- lap myomectomy.

    from what i read during my pre-op research, fibroids are caused due to oestrogen dominance. so if you can get to regulate oestrogen, your symptoms should be controlled too. for that, exercise and a diet rich in fiber was recommended.

    Now, even if this theory is empty, it wont hurt to do two good things which are generally healthy.

    give it a try before you take a more aggressive action.

    I exercise (pretty vigorously - trail running, mountain biking, etc.) daily and have a balanced, high fiber diet, and I still have a huge fibroid squeezing my bladder. Maybe it would be worse if I didn't? :/
  • fr33sia12
    fr33sia12 Posts: 1,258 Member
    edited June 2018
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    kshama2001 wrote: »
    dsboohead wrote: »
    My fibroid pinched off my bladder so I couldn't pee at all. It was the size of a grapefruit.
    Can you count on yours shrinking that much thru menopause? You could keep the ovaries but there is no use for the uterus but aggravation.
    My hysterectomy was the best thing ever!!!

    I'm glad your hysterectomy went well for you. Unfortunately, that's not always the case. For me, I'd rather have the aggravation than face the potential risks.

    I'm the same, the thought of having a hysterectomy scares me a lot more than the fibroids, though I'm 45 so have a long wait for the menopause. I'm just playing it by ear for the moment, if they get worse and disrupt my life so much I can't enjoy it I'll consider my options again.
    mssteelbody wrote: »
    Do any of you suffer from Fibroid tumors and does the exercise and diet change ease your pain? For me, it's been so-so, I have only been at it since April so it may be too early to judge. I don't want to lose weight, I just want to feel better. Can anyone give me some advice? I don't want to have a hysterectomy.

    Added: went for a walk yesterday and as I was ovulating I had bad pain from the fibroids and the walking didn't help at all, so I think exercise can help in between periods/ovulation but maybe not so much during. Best advice though, listen to your body.
  • evileen99
    evileen99 Posts: 1,564 Member
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    I had a fibroid the size of a soccer ball; I had all the problems others here mention and more. It was too big for embolization. The hysterectomy was the best thing that ever happened to me. And mine was done laparascopically--a big tumor doesn't necessarily mean open surgery.
  • nehaad88
    nehaad88 Posts: 159 Member
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    jenilla1 wrote: »
    nehaad88 wrote: »
    mssteelbody wrote: »
    Do any of you suffer from Fibroid tumors and does the exercise and diet change ease your pain? For me, it's been so-so, I have only been at it since April so it may be too early to judge. I don't want to lose weight, I just want to feel better. Can anyone give me some advice? I don't want to have a hysterectomy.

    i had a 11cm one. I am currently 1 week post- lap myomectomy.

    from what i read during my pre-op research, fibroids are caused due to oestrogen dominance. so if you can get to regulate oestrogen, your symptoms should be controlled too. for that, exercise and a diet rich in fiber was recommended.

    Now, even if this theory is empty, it wont hurt to do two good things which are generally healthy.

    give it a try before you take a more aggressive action.

    I exercise (pretty vigorously - trail running, mountain biking, etc.) daily and have a balanced, high fiber diet, and I still have a huge fibroid squeezing my bladder. Maybe it would be worse if I didn't? :/

    That is very interesting.

    I think it should make a good motivating factor for us to be on track.

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