Menopause And Fibroids: Is There A Connection?

There is a popular myth that menopause can cure uterine fibroids. It doesn’t.
It makes sense to think that when you are no longer having periods, chronic conditions of your female reproductive organs (like fibroids) will also go away.

But that isn’t necessarily true. Women who are close to menopause are often advised by their doctors to “just hang in there,” and a lot of women do just that for many years, without seeing their fibroids shrink or their symptoms diminish.

Fibroids (non-cancerous tumors in the uterus) affect up to 80% of women of childbearing age and are most common in African American women ages 35-50. It has been reported that many women experience more severe fibroid symptoms before the onset of menopause, which is called perimenopause.

Perimenopause usually begins several years before menopause. It's the time when the ovaries gradually begin to make less estrogen. It usually starts in a woman's 40s, but can start in her 30s or even earlier. Symptoms of perimenopause can begin years before menopause, and they often continue for years afterward.

Every woman’s body is different. Some women are fortunate and their menopause does cause their fibroids to shrink, although this change does not always mean that the fibroid symptoms go away completely. And, for some women, menopause does not cause the fibroids to shrink at all, and THEY MAY EVEN CONTINUE GROWING, causing these women to experience painful, uncomfortable, and often debilitating symptoms long after they stop getting their periods.

If you are approaching menopause and are experiencing symptoms caused by fibroids, here's what you need to know:

Waiting for menopause isn't a solution. Women in perimenopause suffering from fibroid pain are often told by their doctors that because of the estrogen level decline associated with menopause, their symptoms will soon ease and the fibroids will shrink once they start going through “the change.” However, many experts agree that waiting for menopause is an ineffective solution that can do more harm than good.

Some women wait to pursue treatment for fibroids in the uterus hoping that no treatment will be needed. Almost every woman who postpones treatment of uterine fibroids ends up with fibroids larger than when they were first diagnosed, and many of those end up undergoing a hysterectomy (the surgical removal of the uterus) that might not have been necessary.

An increase in estrogen is the main problem. During the period beforemenopause officially begins, menstrual cycles are dominated by estrogen. This increase is frequently called an “estrogen bath. ”This influx of estrogen has been proven to encourage the growth of uterine fibroids. While you are waiting for menopause, the fibroids are provided with the perfect environment for growth. (Other factors can cause fibroids to grow and pain to worsen. For example, a substance given off by fat cells can encourage fibroid growth in the same ways estrogen does.)

Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT) can stimulate the growth of fibroids.

Hormone replacement is frequently prescribed for menopausal women to lessen the uncomfortable symptoms that result from the lack of estrogen, including hot flashes, vaginal dryness, mood fluctuations, and diminished sex drive. Estrogen deficiency can also decrease bone density, increasing the risk of fractures; adding supplemental estrogen back into the body can help maintain a woman’s bone strength after menopause.

Hormone replacement therapy can dramatically improve the quality of life for many women in menopause. However, the risks of hormone replacement can sometimes outweigh the benefits if the growth of fibroids and worsening of fibroid symptoms is possible. This happens because HRT introduces even more estrogen into the body, stimulating fibroid growth and in turn intensifying the painful symptoms.

If you have uterine fibroids, you don't have to wait to go through menopause to alleviate the pain.

Whether you're experiencing perimenopause or have already started menopause, you can take control of your health to treat uterine fibroids:

Treat uterine fibroids promptly. It's the best course of action, even for women who feel that menopause is approaching. If you suffer from symptoms of fibroids such asheavy bleeding, backaches, pelvic pain and pressure, bladder problems, or anemia, you should consult a doctor knowledgeable about fibroids and the full range of treatment options to have your symptoms evaluated and to discuss treatment options that are right for you.

Learn more about minimally invasive, non-surgical procedures. Many women with uterine fibroids feel that a hysterectomy or suffering through the pain are their only options. Fortunately, a minimally invasive non-surgical procedure called uterine fibroid embolization (UFE) can be very effective in the treatment of fibroids and their symptoms.

During the procedure, an interventional radiologist makes a tiny incision in the skin of the wrist or the thigh. The procedure usually lasts about an hour and during that time the patient is sleepy, but not asleep.

A very thin catheter is passed through the skin incision and into a blood vessel. X-ray images are taken to guide the interventional radiologist during the procedure. When the blood supply of the fibroid is visualized, tiny particles the size of grains of sand are injected into the artery. These particles partly block the blood flow to the fibroid tumor, causing it to shrink and eventually die, thereby alleviating the symptoms.

Why do so many women choose UFE?

UFE is an outpatient procedure that doesn’t require general anesthesia or a hospital stay.
Patients experience a rapid recovery (just a few days) as compared to surgical procedures.
UFE is an organ-sparing procedure: your uterus is left intact.
UFE is effective on most sizes and types of fibroids.
Recurrence of treated fibroids is rare.
Multiple fibroids can be effectively treated at the same time.
Studies have shown that nearly 90 percent of women who undergo UFE experience significant or complete resolution of their fibroid-related symptoms.
UFE is covered by most major insurance companies.

Stop living in pain or fearing a hysterectomy, hoping that menopause will solve your fibroid problems. Consult a doctor about dealing with your uterine fibroids. With the availability of minimally invasive procedures such as UFE, you may be able to reduce your fibroids and enter menopause more comfortable and healthier than you ever imagined.

VIVA EVE was founded by a team of fibroid doctors and specialists who felt that women should be able to choose their own path to health, with their doctor’s support. By providing up-to-date techniques and sound advice, the experts at VIVA EVE help you choose the most appropriate option for treating such illnesses as fibroid tumors, endometriosis and adenomyosis.