lower back pain, pelvic and rectal pressure

[fulltime_mom]

38, female with a uterine fibroid.

For over a year I have to run to the restroom after eating the majority of the time.  Recently, my lower back/tailbone began to ache.  I also had right flank pain.  I went to my OB/GYN to have a yearly exam and he check for a bladder/kidney infection.  Came back negative.  Now I am constipated and having to take fiber pills to ensure a BM everyday.  No blood in the stool, no mucus noted on BM; however, my lower back hurts almost everyday.  I have the feeling that something is in my rectum/pelvic area.  

GYN did not seem concerned, just stated that constipation could be the cause--but it's not improving.  No fever, weight loss or bleeding.  Has anyone else experienced this?

I starting to worry since my father has colon polyps removed every few years, and my grandmother died of colon cancer.  My doc's seem to think I'm just a worrywart--but I only go to the doc at the most--once a year.  Would the fibroid be cause this issue?  Please help!

[TrudieC]

A very large fibroid can cause similar problems but you'd be having very heavy periods too.  I would insist on a transvaginal ultrasound to look for an ovarian cyst.  That is an easy one to rule out and the symptoms definitely match.

[ggreg]

I think you should have that uterine fibroid taken out of there forthwith.  You have the fibroid, it's possible it's grown large enough to cause you discomfort, and I do not understand how come your gyn doc is letting this thing go.  With your history and symptoms, the safe route is THE way to go, and they need to either do the ultrasound as the other poster suggested to see how that fibroid is doing and see if there are others, or better yet, I think a CAT scan is in order, it's a better diagnostic tool, and since you already have a fibroid, I think it's okay to go the step-up in type of test.  Go to another doctor if you need to, even the county health clinic docs can order one for you, they can see you as a walk-in on the same day and order the scan, and then you wait a while to have it done.

See, if you didn't have the fibroid to begin with, I wouldn't worry.  But since you've got that thing, not only could that fibroid be a problem, but also as the other poster said, could be you have yet another growth in your pelvis causing you problems.  Your history of a fibroid, your symptoms of pain and the bathroom thing, all this points directly to a risk of either your existing growth getting too big or another one growing too big in your abdomen, too.  

There is absolutely no reason on earth why you can't have a scan (other than insurance company cost-oriented non-reasoning), becuz when you look at the cost that physical damage an invasive fibroid can cause, it's cheaper in the long-run to be safe than sorry.  I have read too many stories about the wait-and-see approach with gynecological tumors, that can turn out lousy for the patient.  Sure, some growths don't cause problems.  But when they DO cause problems, by golly, the doc has got to switch gears and prevent, prevent, prevent.