Constipation and fibroids

[Orchid99]

I've been a member here for a while with initially diagnosed slow transit constipation of which my gastro said I will have for life and will need to manage it with medication and diet, they refused to do any tests to see why I had the constipation. Back in 2020 I had a ct scan which showed a very backed up colon but also 7 fibroids at various stages, I then had a transit study showing slow movement through the colon. I have asked on a few occasions now to my GP, Gastro and Gyno (nhs) whether the fibroids could be causing my constipation problems and got told no. I took it upon myself to go private and have further tests carried out and saw a colorectal surgeon who said there was nothing he could do, then a hematologist because I suffer with low white cells of which he decided to do a full body mri. When I got the results of this it showed 3 large fibroids and more smaller ones and a widening of my colon on the left side In sigmoid where my transit is at its worst. From this I went to see a private gynecologist who did a more in depth mri of my abdomen, when i got the results I couldn't believe it, it showed 4 large fibroids growing out the back of my uterus which is also retroverted (sitting towards my spine) and numerous ones growing in the walls of my unterus plus possible endo, he said they were squashing my bowel. I am a mix of relieved that something could be the cause of my constipation all this time, angry that I have been fobbed off and ill the last 4 years when something could have been done, I've been suffering with weight loss, malnutrition, pain down my left leg and back and terrible cramps/overflow diarrhoea because i can't pass stool properly, I was stuck on nortriptyline, nutritional supplements and movicol daily the last 3 years which I have now found out the Nortriptyline might be the cause of QT prolongation which I have just found out from a private cardiologist that I'm seeing because of palpitations. I can't believe how my previous care professionals were just willing to leave me this way, i have been fighting this for years.I am now waiting on a hysterectomy due on the 15th April where I am in hope I will get my life back. If you feel something is wrong please don't give up, keep fighting until you are herd.

[Maureen1958]

So pleased for you to finally get some answers. It's appalling how we are treated by the so- called professionals. Let us know how you get on.

[SingC]

So sorry for the way you were fobbed off! Well done for persevering and finding the answer you needed. Sad that if you hadn’t had the money to pay you would still be suffering, but I’m glad that you did have that possibility.

[meadfoot]

What a disgrace but all too common. I lost my gall bladder as its was a convenient excuse to allegedly remove my ongoing desperate pain. All it did was cause me five years of different pain, diarrhoea and constipation thereafter and absolutely no relief of my original four year pain.

The true cause of my chronic pain, after paying private to see a neurogastroenterologist who in one quick examination diagnosed ACNES, an epigastric nerve entrapment. One injection and the pain was gone forever.

No release from the symptoms of gall bladder removal though, that I continue to suffer with totally unecessarily.

I wish you well and success in sorting out your issues.

[edwangy]

I had exactly the same thing for years, a 9cm fibroid which they said was pressing on my bowel causing constipation and pain. I had a hysterectomy in 2021 and I don't mean to scare you but it has made my pain and constipation worse as the instestines shift into the void and now I have a recocele and small cystocele. I'd ask if there was some other way to shrink the fibroids if I were you, then you'd know if it was them causing your symptoms or something else like slow bowel transit

[Orchid99 in reply to edwangy]

Unfortunately I have to have the hysterectomy because the fibroids are also causing back and leg pain, they also suspect endo. Fibroids run in my family and even if they were removed keeping my uterus they would just grow back causing the same issues. I will ask this question about the bowels moving at my pre op though

[edwangy in reply to Orchid99]

I'm sorry to hear that, but if it is endo unless they remove your overies as well the endo can still come back in other parts of your body, it is not just contained in the womb. I just thought I'd let you know that it may not solve your problems, it made mine worse. I hope it works for you x

[SjogiBear]

My issues with constipation and transit have worsened over time since my hysterectomy. I too had fibroids and endo was already over my intestines ... they found it previously when I had an appendectomy. The gastroenterologist told me last year that a lot of my issues now are a combination of the bowels moving into the void left by the uterus and adhesions ... it took them ages to unpick my uterus from where it was stuck to part of the gut by endo. I've also got connective tissue diseases which add to the picture too. But forewarned is forearmed: I don't regret having the hysterectomy at all as it solved other problems. Good luck!