Degenerating Fibroids

[Guest guest]

Here is what one fibroid books said on this topic:

'Coping With Fibroids' by -Claire Mason (p.20-21) 1997.

'Degeneration in a general term for the physical and chemical

changes in tissue. Degeneration is a feature of ageing, and may

be due to various things - inclduing reduced blood supply. Parts

of a fibroid can start to shrink if it doesn't reeive enough blood.

There's no research into which fibroids are most likely to

degenerate, but anecdotal evidence suggests that large fibroids

are more likely to do so. Various types of degeneration occur

frequently, but are usually not a problem.

After the menopause, fibroids typically shrink due to the

changing hormone-levels. In older women it's quite common to

find womb-stones. These are fibroids which have become

calicified and bone-like and which show up on X-rays.'

In pregnancy

Red degeneration occurs during pregnancy, whe fibroids may

grow rapidly due to increased hormone-levels. The fibroid

swells, becomes red, softens and starts to die. There is acute

pain because the blood supply cannot always get to the centre of

the growth.

Red degeneration can make the womb contract, risking early

labour or miscarriage. If this happens and you have cramping

pains, tell your doctor. You would be admitted to hospital and the

diagnosis confirmed by ultrasound scan'

'Drugs are given to relieve the pain and top the womb cramping -

but symptoms usually resolve of their own accord.

There is contradictory evidence about how often red

degeneration occurs in pregnancy. About two per cent of

pregnancies occur in women with fibroids, according to one

study. But only one in 10 of these women experience problems,

usually red degeneration as a result of having fibroids. However,

another study reported that about half of pregnant patients with

fibroids suffered red degeneration. Yet another study used

ultrasound to monitor fibroid growth throughout pregnancy. The

results showed that only a tiny number of fibroids grew during

pregnancy, usually during the first three months, and that they

then stopped growing or even got smaller during the later part of

the pregnancy.

Women with fibroids are warned about the possibility of red

degeneration occuring in pregnancy, one specialist stated. In her

experience this usually happens in the middle weeks of

pregnancy. But she emphasised that it's not dangerous, does

not usually endanger the pregnancy and gets better on it's own.'