Update after seeing gynae yesterday. I havent got endometriosis, the scan shows an ill defined 8mm portion of the lining. Going for another scan next week to determine if this is fibroid tissue and that the rest of the lining is less than 5mm. If so, no action and to monitor as no other symptoms. Anyone else had this, they dont seem overly concerned and told to carry on with Vagifem and Ovestin as normal.
Hi Dierdre - I see the topic has moved away from the subject of your post - fibroids but yes I'll tell you my experience.
I had some spotting after sex a few times about 7 years ago (6 years after starting HRT). Was sent for scan. Showed thickened lining (to be expected as I was on cyclical HRT so it was at the part in my cycle where it would be thicker). The Transvaginal scan showed an irregularity in the lining so was sent for hystersocopy and biopsy. The hyster showed that I had a small fibroid of 0.8 cm (ie 8 mm) and biopsy was all clear - so that was unlikely to have been the cause of spotting. I am on full systemic HRT medium dose patches and have been for 13 years now.
For reference a relative had a big one in her early 60's which was the size of a grapefruit and she had to have a hysterectomy.
A few years later - last year - I bled on the last day of the combi part of my cycle so mentioned to doc at my HRT review and said i was worried if the fibroid had grown so had another scan (TVS) and in fact the fibroid had shrunk to 0.6 cm (6 mm) after a fuirther 6 years (on full HRT) not grown.
So the position is that taking HRT MAY cause existing fibroids to grow but NOT necessarily and as I say mine shrunk. If you already have large fibroids at time of menopause then maybe continuing with medium to high dose of HRT will mean they don't shrink or maybe grow but most definitely depends on each individual circumstance.
In any case if they are not bleeding and not painful then there is not a problem anyway. As far as I know fibroids are harmless if left and it is only polyps that need removal in case they become cancerous.
So all in all Deirdre I would say hopefully nothing to worry about - although I would always accept investigations that are offered as it's always good to know about our innards
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Hurdity x