Hi all. I am 7 months post op UFE my Fibroid is now 7cm shrunk from 10. However my stomach has not shrunk and Radiologist has advised that if it has not shrunk in the next 6 months then it isn't going to.
I don't want to wait for 6 months just to see that it hasn't before I can do anything.
On this site I have seen lots of posts from women who have tried Esme. I looked up the side effects and hot flushes are not listed. So I would like to try it. My question is can my GP prescribe it or does it have to be Gynocolgy? On the NHS any answers would be appreciated. Hope everyone is doing well.
Hi Patricia, what reason would you like to try Esmya? with having the ufe is the fibroid not dead or is it still living with other blood supply like from ovaries? I know that I was told that my arteries feeding my womb arent as big as they would have expected with a 12x13cm fibroid, so it could have a feed from the ovarian atery. I wudnt have thought Esmya would do anything re shrinkage now youve had ufe. Those drugs are mainly used pre op to try to get it to shrink when its alive for maximum shrinkage when it dies. Or to make it smaller pre operation, as the reduction is only temporary. Esmya is an expensive drug & is usually only prescribed by a gynocologist but this may differ with trusts. Just was not sure what you were hoping to achieve with Esmya post procedure. Then I'm not medically trained so there may by some benefits. However having been on it (which is basically a concentrated form of the morning after pill) for many it puts weight on, gives hot flushes & joint pain, but side effects werent horrendous for me. However the Zoladex implants did have worse side effects. Neither shrunk my 12x13 fibroid unfortunately for me. Lets hope UFE will. I hope you get a further reduction on your fibroid in the coming months/years.
Hi patricia27802, I agree with heather34376. Your UFE was considered successful thus far and it has reduced your fibroids by 30%, more importantly this reduction demonstrates that the blood supply to your fibroids have been cut off. Esmya would be ineffective on your exisitng dying fibroids which has no blood supply. However, not so for any new fibroids that developed afterwards. I had Esmya prescribed for me but I didn't take it as I decided to resolve the heavy bleeding with the Endo ablation and Mirena. As I spent over £400 on the tablets I thought this was now a waste and my Consultant at the London Clinic stated that it would not do anything for fibroids once the blood supply has been blocked, so the tablets have not been used but if I develop anymore fibroids in the future, which I sincerely hope not, I will take the 3 months supply of tablets.
Hi UFE I wanted to try Esyma as my fibroid is still 7cm I know it's dead and can't grow again but I thought that Esyma could shrink it further just grasping as straws really as I am really unhappy with my pregnancy belly as it is so big. I don't want to wait for 6 months then be told no it's not shrunk any further so you are stuck with it. I know I may sound vain but I have zero confidence now as I have had to put up with it for 2 years
Hi patricia27802, I don't think it's vanity, why would we want to walk around with a swollen enlarged uterus, its uncomfortable. My body is a UK 10 and my abdomen is UK 12....not a good look I had already asked the consultant the Esyma question previously as I had researched about UFE results and I wasn't impressed and I thought that maybe this might help speed along the process but the consult explained simply that it would not work once the UFE procedure was done.
My husband was encouraging me to get the open myectomy or hysterectomy as he felt those procedures would erradicate the problem compared to UFE and both his mother and sister had an hysterectomy. He supported my decision to keep my uterus and avoid major surgery but he also knew there was probably going to be 6- 18 motnhs of me moaning about the results....I had pre-warned him If in 6 - 12 months I am still unhappy, at least I have other options still available to me but for now I will continue buying a larger dress size
hello patricia you said you had fibroids has not shrink properly its very hard to tell the fibroids get smaller .l never tried Esme before. l had mymomectomy in the past my doctor never give me any tablets at all to get better ,And one day l had terrible pain l thought l had water infection my nurse check on my tummy she feel l had a big fibroids again l started to cry its really hurts me so much .
Hi Patricia, On a positive you have had a good reduction so far (some don't at all). You've had no infection? or serious infection so thats good. (That's one of the big worries for me) Frustrating that its a waiting game & I know you hate it but you look lovely from your photo, I'd wait it out if you can, see what happens up to the 12/18 months mark, my consultants secretary said she still has women getting shrinkage at 3 years. Think of it like this, its a bit like loosing weight, they didn't grow over night, so its a waiting game. If yours was 10cm you could go down to 5cm or even 3.5cm at very best (50-65% optimum) then again my consultants secretary said if you are still bothered by the fibroid you can have a d&c. You may think I'm mad but I was told I had one way before my son was born, he's 9 in November, but they never said it was causing my heavy periods so I didn't really know what it was. They said not to worry. Then after my son & a c section, I got back pain like I'd never suffered before, worse & worse. I can only think that was either that they'd done something, cut or hit or damaged tissues or nerves with the c section or the fibroid growing with the pregnancy hormones in my body. Whatever it was its just got worse & worse, I was told I'd never get pregnant & conceived straight away, so they are not always right. Let's believe there's a better shrinkage around the corner & summer's over (what summer!) now, so its winter clothes time now, you may just get the spring body you are hoping for. I can only dream to be your size or the size of ufe but I'm a 20/22 and for me being a happy uk 12/14 thats just horrendous. However pre procedure I'm following a high green meal plan & hoping now I'm off Esmya (as I put 2 stone on with it) went up from a size 16/18, but am loosing it again now once off it. I'm not sure what cases they offer a d & c I just know some ladies get them who are still bothered. UFE27 can you still get new fibroids in the uterous after ufe? :O
Hi heather34376, one research paper I read stated that, "Symptom recurrence rate 30 months after fibroid embolisation was 18% (17.2%). Fibroid size and number were predictive factors for recurrence. As most recurrences occurred after two years." The report recommend that patients continue to be monitored clinically and that they undertook ultrasound imaging two years after UFE. =13pxThe risk of recurrence increased six times more for women 40 years of age and younger.
=13pxThe recurrence rate of fibroids following myomectomy is slightly higher and some research puts this down to not all the fibroids being removed during surgery and other factors. Unfortunately we all know that hysterectomy is the only way to get rid of fibroids permanently but this option is far too drastic for me.