Oh, lovely tamoxifen and fibroids - help!

plumster1

hi everyone-

Just got the results from my latest pelvic ultrasound and my one fibroid doubled in size (close to 5cm) and another sprouted ( almost 2cm). I am seeing the ob gyn Tuesday to discuss all my options. I wanted to hear about others experiences with fibroids and what you did. I am 48 and still strongly premenupausal as just confirmed by blood work. I will have been on tamoxifen 2 years in august. So I still have a long way to go. Ugh! Just another medical thing to deal with.

Pi-Xi

Plumster, I feel your pain.

I just got my results from my first pelvic ultrasound after being on tamoxifen for nine months. Fibroids, ovarian cyst (simple) and a slightly thickened endometrial lining. I'm not hopeful for the future of my uterus. The idea of surgery horrifies me. It has taken me a nearly year to get back to some semblance of myself after the last one and I don't want to lose another year of my life

plumster1

pi-xi

Ugh! I feel for you. Have you met with your doctor for your options? It really sucks to have to deal with all these other extra issues

farmerlucy

I did tam for two years and started having similar issues. I decided on an ooph so I could move onto an AI (I was 55). Could not tolerate the AIs so I went back to tam. Started to have postmeno bleeding and uterine thickening. I was seeing my gyn too much, so I requested a hysterectomy. It was a total open hyster. Stayed in the hospital overnight. First night was rough re: pain. After that the recovery was fine. I should have had the hyster years ago. The ooph, not so much. Even at 55 it was hormonally challenging. Good luck. I feel for you.

7of9

Plumster,

I recurred on Tamoxifen in axillary nodes. I had a 5cm fibroid and had a complete hysterectomy. It was laparascopic and I don't regret it at all though it does tank your sex drive. I seem to be tolerating Arimidex well though I am achy. I am pretty active so I don't see stopping anytime soon.

Artista928

I just had a pelvic /transvag u/s 10 days ago. A few fibroids 3 cm was found. I get the discomfort there on and off. Anyone know what the recovery time is for hysterectomy via laser technique? How long you are on your back to where you can do some light daily stuff? Bmx wasn't hard for me after a couple days so comparison to this would be great.

farmerlucy

Artista - I wasn't to lift anything heavier than a carton of milk for a month. Sounds onerous but it wasn't for me. I may or may not have followed dr orders toward the end. I was on Tylenol by day three. I put it off for years because I thought I'd be out of commission for a long time, but that wasn't the case.

I had an endo ablation about ten years ago. Didn't really work. I had virtually no recovery time for that.

Except for that first night when it felt like I was in back labor the pain was not a big deal. I was ok with the BMx too. For that my PS gave me a dissolving pain ball for five days. Since my ovaries were already gone, the hyster was just a physical process. If I had to do it all over again AND there was a good screening method for ovarian cancer I would have left the ovaries. Love me some estrogen. 😍

farmerlucy

ps I could drive as soon as I was off the narcotics.

kalenji

I have a couple of fibroids, one of which is about 6 cm. I'm 46 and not yet menopausal. As it is on the outside of the uterus (subserosal fibroid), it doesn't give me any pain or heavy period. I just have a bulging tummy and have to wear a size bigger skirt/pants. Since there's no discomfort, my doctor wasn't concerned. I'm just monitoring it and going for yearly scans. Hope to be able to wait out until I reach menopause. So, it's not always necessary to remove the fibroid. I'm not on tamoxifen though.

Anonymous

I've had two myomectomy surgeries to remove fibroids over the past 20 years. The first one took out 3 or so, the second took out dozens of them. I wanted to hang onto my uterus to protect against possible prolapses and to protect my heart (our uteri secrete prostaglandins, which protect our heart and circulatory system). I am against yanking our female parts simply because of fibroids unless they are causing pain and egregious loss of blood. If you want to hear about my myomectomy surgery, private message me and I'll share my experiences.

Variable

I can TOTALLY relate!!! I am 47, premenopausal, and delayed my start of tomoxifen due to preexisting fibroids and a baseline ultrasound of a thick uterine lining. I am schedule for a total hysterectomy, oorph, and salipingo next month. I have all three types of fibroids and have been having pain and heavy periods for a while. My low estrogen birth control had really kept my fibroid activity under control but I had to stop that once my ER + BC became my bigger problem. Now, my BC team all agree everything should go, though from what I have read, ovary removal is really controversial, and as some have mentioned hard to deal with. I am not ready to deal with menopause, and am terrified as to what this will do to me mentally and physically. At least natural menopause is out of our control. Choosing to take it on is insane, right???

Fibroids and Breast Cancer suck, and the decisions necessary to treat them, both independently and together, are overwhelming!!! UGH!!!!

I am told by my gyn that the recovery from the Davinci laproscopic surgery to remove everything will be about three weeks. I hope that is true, as I am not looking forward to another surgery recovery. This would be my fourth surgery in less than 10 months!

plumster1

thank you to everyone for sharing their experiences. I have no idea what my doctors recommendation will be. Before this, I have been relatively carefree in that department. Unfortunately I am having some symptoms so I guess I will see on tuesda

Pi-Xi

Thanks, plumster. For now we are doing a "wait and see" approach. I didn't have a baseline US, so who knows how much is due to tamoxifen and how much of it is just a natural disaster?

Artista928

Thanks for sharing ladies. I have steep stairs just to get into my apt. Any idea how long after I can get in my apt?

farmerlucy

Walking was no issue or restriction for me. I only have a few steps at home and in the barn. Def a question for your doc.

plumster1

claireinaz

Thank you, I will definitely pm you if my dr recommends a myomectomy

plumster1

well, had my doctor's appointment today. Endometrial lining was 6mm. So to be safe I have a biopsy Friday. She also thinks I will probably need a hysterectomy with my fibroid symptoms. More fun! Obviously if biopsy has problems then it will be an asap type of thing. I am hoping to put of hysto until fall when kids back in school. Back to researching

Artista928

I'm curious why your doc is going for biopsy on a 6 mm lining? My MO and Obgyn don't consider 6 mm large lining. Did it get thick fast? I have nasty fibroid symptoms too that comes and goes and am putting off yanking it out as long as I can. Up next is getting my right implant side symmetrical in the fall which is priority for me as it's noticeable the right is lower than the left even under clothes.

plumster1

my Gyn said up to 4mm is considered normalSo that's why biopsy. My previous ultrasound was in 2015 a couple months before my BC diagnosis...so I'm guessing between 2 years it probably was not a fast growth. I think she just disregarded tamoxifen factor and wanted to be safe.

With pelvic pain/pressure/urination issues she did not see it getting a whole lot better anytime soon. So that is why possible hysterectomy. We are going to discuss it further this Friday at biopsy.

Artista928

Amazing how gyns differ in what they consider normal as 4mm is thin still. GL.

farmerlucy

My gyn said around 5 mm is normal. Mine was nearing 3 cm, but it was the stupid bleeding polyp that push me to do the hyster.