How to Get Rid of Uterine Fibroid Pain

DIAGRAM OF UTERINE FIBROID

Uterine fibroids are common, benign growths that frequently occur during a woman's reproductive years. For some women the pain from fibroids can be extreme, manifesting itself in many ways. As a result of fibroids the uterus, which is normally the size of a small pear, may grow as large as a small watermelon. The enlarged uterus puts excess pressure on the bowel, bladder, abdomen or back resulting in pain.

Steps

1. Treat the pain and wait for the fibroids to resolve themselves if the pain is manageable. Fibroids will naturally begin to shrink after you go through menopause and your levels of estrogen decrease. Most women experience no pain from fibroids after menopause.
   • Over-the-counter pain pills, such as ibuprofen and acetaminophen, may provide temporary relief from pain and swelling caused by fibroids.
   • For more severe pain stronger analgesics requiring a doctor’s prescription are needed. Examples include stronger NSAIDS like diclofenac, mefenamic acid and naproxen or opiates.
   • Hot water bottles, heating pads and soaking in a hot tub are helpful for lowering back and abdomen pain.
   • There are other ways of relieving pain from fibroids.
   • These include: Gentle therapeutic massage, the careful use of thermal heat pads, or ice-packs to the site of the pain, poultices, TENS machines, acupuncture, and hypnosis. Caution: there is a risk of burns when using heat pads or ice-packs (ice-burns). Prolonged or incautious use may result in skin burns, permanent colour changes to the skin (erythema ab igne) and skin damage. Always follow the manufacturer’s instructions.
2. Talk to your doctor about hormone therapy or prescription pain medications if your efforts at pain management are not working.
3. Shrink the fibroids by having a uterine fibroid embolization, which involves inserting a catheter into your femoral artery through a small incision made in your thigh to block the fibroids' blood supply. This outpatient, non-invasive procedure has an extremely high success rate.
4. In this procedure a fine tube is passed into the artery that supplies the myoma. The radiologist will then inject gel or tiny plastic particles into the artery. These block the artery and cut off the blood flow to the myoma. The myoma subsequently shrinks. UAE is performed as an inpatient or outpatient procedure. It is rare to get complications, but very rarely the procedure may precipitate an early menopause. Medical research has found that the re-growth rate is low, but more long term studies are required. A disadvantage is that not all myomata are suitable for treatment with this method
5. MRI-guided ultrasound surgery uses a high intensity ultrasound beam to shrink myomata. The MRI scanner enables the radiologist to identify the myoma. The ultrasound uses extremely powerful sound waves to heat and destroy the myoma
6. Have a myomectomy to remove the fibroids and leave your uterus intact. If fibroid pain is interfering in your life, you may have to have the fibroids removed to eliminate the pain. This is a type of surgical procedure which involves taking out the fibroid without removing healthy uterine tissue. This is a good treatment for those women who want to conceive after they have had treatment for their myomata or who prefer to keep their womb for other reasons. It is possible to fall pregnant after a myomectomy. However you may be advised to or require a caesarean section to deliver the baby.A myomectomy can be performed one of 3 ways:
   • Abdominal myomectomy involves the surgical removal of fibroids through an abdominal incision.
   • Laproscopic myomectomy requires several small incisions in the abdomen to allow for fibroid removal with a laproscope.
   • Hysteroscopic myomectomy removes the fibroids vaginally using a resectoscope, which cuts the fibroid using electrical current.
7. Have a hysterectomy as a last resort for relieving fibroid pain. A hysterectomy removes your entire uterus and is the most invasive fibroid treatment. Considered a major operation, it often requires an extended hospital stay followed by a period of recovery at home. A hysterectomy has the greatest risk of complications.
   • Pain bleeding and pressure on the bladder and bowels caused by fibroid is responsible for 40 percent of all hysterectomies performed in the United States.
   • Most hysterectomies performed because of fibroids are carried out by means of an an abdominal incision, because the uterus is too large for other types of removal.

Video

Warnings

• Fibroid pain may be chronic or just occasional and may get worse during bowel movements, physical exercise, sexual intercourse, or when you have your period. Fibroids may also cause irregular or heavy vaginal bleeding.
• The risk for uterine fibroids is greater in overweight women, women who have never had children, and those who have a genetic predisposition.
• Abdominal pain can be caused by many different things, some of which are life threatening if left untreated. Whenever you experience pain you should see a physician for diagnosis.

Related wikiHows

• How to Get Rid of Pain Through Exercise
• How to Prevent Uterine Fibroids

Sources and Citations

• • http://www.gynsecondopinion.com/fibroids.htm
• http://www.fibroids.com/traditional-fibroid-surgeries/myomectomy
• http://www.fibroids.com/the-embolization-solution/uterine-fibroid-embolization
• http://www.fibroids.com/traditional-fibroid-surgeries/hysterectomy
• http://www.enetmd.com/content/fibroid-pain http://www.entmd.com/content/fibroids

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