Endometriosis and Uterine Fibroids

[VaBreeze]

I have often thought about what conditions preceed a dx of fibromyalgia.   It seems that many women have either previously, or are currently suffering, from one of these issues.  I am curious as to whether or not there is a connection.  

I appreciate you taking the time to respond to this poll.  Thank you.

[SASSA23]

I think your right! and even if there diagnosis are true or correct how are they really healing us ladies? Sounds like most women end up in a worst situation then ever before! I'm glad you did'nt go through with the surgery! I'm glad you stood up for your health.

[Teena412]

I'm with you FedUpWithBS! I was uncomfortable seeing my male GYN, so I switched to a female GYN three years ago. My pap smears have always been routine and always normal. Now, after three years, the female GYN springs it on me that she wants to do an ultrasound. She tells me that I have fibroids and an ovarian cyst and wanted to schedule surgery to remove my ovary right away! I told her that I have never been married yet and do not have any children and was there any way to remove the cyst and leave my ovary. She insisted that the cyst was too large and the whole ovary and cyst needed to be removed. I told her that I would think about it and I have not been back to see her nor do I plan on seeing her again. Normal pap smears all of my adult life and now all of a sudden fibroids and a cyst! I plan on doing more research of my own. I know of a couple of women who died because of non-life-threatening or unnecessary surgeries. Sometimes I feel that some of these doctors are trying to drum up their own business to keep their paychecks fat. Second opinions and maybe even third opinions and plenty of research are necessary.

[RJE]

I didn't know how to complete the poll.  I have had endo for 20 years.  I had numerous fibroid and a dozen surgeries after my hysterectomy at 30.  The endo just went everywhere after my hysterectomy.  Finally in 2002 I had another Endo cyst removed and three months later I had another Endo cyst.  This time my doctor sent me to a cancer doctor who took me off HRT.  Then I went through 6 months of mild chemo shots.  I haven't had another Endo cyst since then.  Of course taking me off the HRT drugs sent through the change in a hurry.  The hot flashes were unbearable and I would sweat so bad the sweat would literary run down my face.  The doctor finally put me on a mild anxiety drug and that all went away.  In 2008 I was diagnosed with FMS/CFS/RLS.  Now my life is hell, lol.  

This is my opinion:  I really think FMS has to have something to do with women hormones.  Otherwise, more men would have FMS.  My opinion only.

[PASSOVER]

Evening primrose oil contains Salicylic Acid;  gamma-linolenic acid; urase; lipase; lipoxgenase enzymes also hydroperoxide and asparagine and water;                                  Urease is an enzyme that catalyzes the hydrolysis of urea into carbon dioxide and ammonia
Lipase breaks down saturated fats   and cholesterol  so reduces all hormones directly; and can act to thin the blood slightly in respect of reducing fibrin thus slowing platelet coagulation;

Lipoxygenases are a family of iron-containing enzymes that catalyse the dioxygenation of polyunsaturated fatty acids in lipids containing a cis,cis-1,4- pentadiene structure. It catalyses the following reaction:
fatty acid + O2 = fatty acid hydro peroxide  it is an anti-flammatory agent and work predominantly within the liver and kidneys; and endocrine system; note well; only in a very very low concentration 0.03 percent or it would damage the liver and endocrine system; most strains of harmful bacteria (and cancer cells) are anaerobic and cannot survive in the presence of oxygen or H202.

5 Lipoxygenase is used to combat asthma and over cytokine responses as with uterine wall membrane diseases; ie endometriosis; Unlike menstrual fluid from the uterus which is shed by the body, blood from the misplaced tissue has nowhere to go, resulting in the tissues surrounding the endometriosis becoming inflamed or swollen. This process can produce scar tissue around the area which may develop into lesions or growths. In some cases, particularly when an ovary is involved, rogue testosterone in the blood can become embedded in the actin cells and uterine  tissue where it is located, forming blood blisters that may become surrounded by a fibrous cyst. Or fibroids; ie fibrous cell tissue;

[mickeyirish]

I had both endometriosis and fibroids, had a hystertomy 15 years ago, before I was ever diagnosed with fibromyalgia and CFS and RLS. I never untill now, thought there was a relationship,  I also have problems with fibroid tumors in my breasts.  I mentioned your poll to my doctor and he rolled his eyes and said the two have nothing to due with each other. Truthfully I think he is an over educated idiot.

[FedUpWithBS]

I'm 45.  I HATE going to GYNs.  I hadn't been in 3 years until I went for a second opinion to a Rheumatologist about Fibro (this year) - he confirmed the first diagnosis that I DO have FMS.  I'm the third in my family (all women) and I'm the youngest with this Dx.  

My Rheumatologist INSISTED that I go get my gyn check up, it had been too long not to (which I already knew), didn't want to go back to the one I previously had for many years for personal reasons.  Picked one, went, couldn't stand him!  Won't go back to that one.  But, they called me with my results of the pap smear and said I had endometrial cells or something like that in the biopsy.  This male GYN Dr. said my uterus was tilted and needed to come out - HE WAS READY TO CUT!!!!!

Guess what - I was told, BEFORE I ever had a child, when I had gallbladder emergency surgery at the age of 22 and stayed in the hospital for seven days and nights, that my uterus was tilted.  My WONDERFUL male surgeon back then (23 years ago) told me I had an ovarian cyst, which he drained during the gallbladder surgery and informed me it would probably come back and it HAS continuously recurred EVERY month just before my cycle, and resolved during my cycle all these years.  The cyst sometimes is painful for a few days, other than that, I don't consider it an issue.  So, for at least 23 years I have been aware that I have a tilted uterus, but no one, other than this last GYN "kook" that I saw said I needed a hysterectomy for it.  I think he was just "knife happy".   I am puttting off seeing another GYN to find out what having endometrial cells in my pap smear actually means.  It's on my "long list of To Do's".  I have had normal periods all my life UNTIL I went to "the kooky" doctor.  Since I saw him I can't predict anything about my periods.  There is no regularity, nor consistency any more.  I don't know if the timing is coincidental or if he did something that caused it.

I don't know if this helps at all, but I think your poll was genius.  I have NOT had fibroids, that I know of, nor endometriosis, that I know of, nor a hysterectomy and I don't plan to - at least not for a tilted uterus that I've had all of my adult life.  Thank you for your research.  Good luck and God Bless!

[PASSOVER]

Female patients; ref;  triptorelin  this again,  it is known to reduce estradiol and all estrogens together,  so is most definitely successful in treating cancers in female patients, similar to tamoxifen etc, again though,  if corrupt testosterone is present the cancer may not be defeated; and may return;  it would be best to take triptorelin along with a vaccine that acts against corrupted testosterone; we need urgently to research a vaccine that blocks corrupted testosterone this would then prevent cancer establishing itself by producing troublesome oncogenes and  incorrectly formed enzymes that cause cancers and many other diseases;

[Ruthy66]

I don't have any of those but I do have PCOS.

[Linda1949]

My first time posting in this group. Just the other day I was thinking about all the things that might have brought on my fibro(dx 1 yr).  I'm 60 yrs old and at age 28 after my 3rd child (all c-sections) I had my tubes tied. Ten yrs later due to endometreosis had a hysterectomy. I have a family history of female problems, thyroid disease, and osteo arth. I've lived a fairly healthy life (never got colds or the flu) until my 1st osteo problem a heel spur in 91. Fine until 2005 since that time I've had 6 surgeries. 3 shoulder (2 arthoscopic, 1 partial replacement) thyroid removed with only 1 parathyroid gland left, gall bladder out, and carpal tunnel with ulna nerve release. I need 3 more surgeries. I'm lucky that I'm working for my husband at home, though my office skills are getting worse. I can't imagine having to raise small children or leave the house to go to work. Everything for me now is a major. My mind is foggy quite a bit. All of your stories truely amaze and inspire me. It's interesting to note that several people  have had their tubes tied.  Some where I heard about 10 yrs after tubal lig. problems crop up frequently. Looking forward to following the responses to this question.
Good luck to all.
Linda from MIch

[candigirl]

Interesting!  I always wondered myself.  I seemed fine until I had my tubes tied when I was 22 after my second child.  I had nothing but problems from then on.  Very heavy periods, pain, back pain, fibroids, edomectreoius.  Had the cysts removed several times. Kept coming back and with scar tissue.  I got of tired of it and that is when I first started having all my FM symptons IBS too.  I thought all the female problems was what was causing all my problems so I begged the doc to give me a  hystectomy at 28 years old.  But after I had it all my FM symptons got worse.  Never went away and I am 47 now.  Wonder what thhe connection is?  But I also had mono when I was 17 and I wonder about that too.  I just pray that this new medicine savella works.  
Amy

[karajo]

I had endometreosis, adnymyosis and polyps for many years.  Then was dx w/ fibro and lupus.  Whatever holds the uterus in place gave way and my uterus was moving around too much, causing problems.  It was removed.  So I'm yes to almost all of them except the fibroids.

I agree with PASSOVER.  I took an herb (Chasteberry Tree) and evening primrose oil.  When they took out my uterus, they could not see any endometreosis, but found it microscopically.  The Chasteberry totally shrunk all of the lesions found in 2 previous surgeries.

[PASSOVER]

both caused by corrupted testosterone that confuses transcription in actin cells cure is less stress status' using evening primrose oil as this lowers oetrogen  progeterone ostradiol and corrupt testosterone levels beware nullifys the effect of the contraceptive pill, andrew langham

[Phtartist]

I had three different laproscopic surgeries to remove fibroids.

One they could not reach laproscopically, it is still with me.

[PlateletGal]

I just did the poll, although I don't have fibro (at least not primary). I'm the CFS'er here... LOL ! I do have fibroids and was recently diagnosed. Not fun.  = (

[Nana434]

Very interesting i hab hysterectomy 3yrs ago due to both conditions.

[VaBreeze]

This is amazing to me.  It is interesting that out of those voting, 33% have had endo. and 33% have had both of these problems.

A fibroid is a fatty, muscular tumor and is typically benign.  In some cases it can be very small, while others can become quite large.  

I find it particularly interesting that I have had a uterine fibroid, currently have planter fibroids and I have the dx of fibromyalgia.  

Thanks to everyone who participated here.

[singerpoet]

Good idea to ask these questions. I had endometrioses in my 30s but didn't get it treated, and went through menopause in my 40s.  I also had a lot of ovarian cysts, nice to not have that issue anymore.  I would have to look up "fibroids" actually.  Thanks for enabling us to see your poll results.

[VaBreeze]

I pray that you do not have it.  It can be very serious should it adhere to an organ.  Mine was confined to an ovary, so they removed it.  There is no guarantee that it will not return, however, I had to have a total hysterectomy due to a tumor.  

These conditions do not seem to be 'normal' to me and i'm wondering why so many women have issues like this and then come down with a dx of fibro.  May be a hormonal connection somewhere.  Very interesting.

[Barb249]

I'm not sure, thay think I may have endometrioses but not confirmed. I know my symptoms are bad when I start my menstral cycle.  I have never had children.

[VaBreeze]

ROFL @ RobinHood (nice to get a giggle first thing in the morning).  

Angel - thank you for commenting.  It's awful that you had to go through menopause at such a young age.

[kiddthekatt]

I started having a horrible time when I was 38. I went to the doctor and after a series of tests, he told me that I was suffering from  endometriosis. He put me on birth control although I had gone through a tubal when I was 26. I took the birth control pills for 3 months, and never had another period. I went through menopause at 38.


He was floored when I told him that I had given birth 4 times. I do remember that when my monthly came around, I was sick for over a week every month. I am so happy I don't go through that anymore.

gentle hugs
Angel

[RobinHood70]

Ummm...none of the above? LOL ;)