If you have uterine fibroids and are approaching menopause, you may have heard that they’ll simply “go away.” The reality, though, is more nuanced. Hormonal changes during perimenopause and menopause can affect fibroids, but that doesn’t mean symptoms automatically disappear.
Below, the Fresno Fibroid Center team explains what happens to uterine fibroids during perimenopause and menopause.
Uterine fibroids are noncancerous growths that develop in or around your uterus. They’re hormone-sensitive, which means they respond to estrogen and progesterone. During your reproductive years, higher hormone levels can stimulate fibroid growth.
As you enter perimenopause, your hormone levels begin to fluctuate. Perimenopause refers to the months (or years) leading up to full menopause. During this time, estrogen and progesterone don’t decline steadily at first. Instead, they rise and fall unpredictably.
These shifts can temporarily cause fibroids to grow or symptoms to worsen before hormone levels eventually decrease.
After menopause (when you have completed 12 consecutive months without a period), your estrogen levels drop significantly. Because fibroids depend on estrogen, many shrink once you are fully menopausal.
Perimenopause can last several years. In fact, it begins about 8-10 years before menopause. During this phase, you may notice:
It can be difficult to determine whether your symptoms are caused by fibroids, hormonal shifts, or both. Some women experience temporary enlargement of fibroids during this stage because hormone levels can still spike.
If bleeding becomes heavy enough to cause anemia or interferes with your daily life, you shouldn’t wait for menopause to resolve it.
Many fibroids decrease in size after menopause, but not all do.
Studies show that it can take a few years after menopause for fibroids to shrink, and how much (or if) they shrink can be influenced by your body mass index (BMI). Women with a BMI of 25 (or less) had better shrinkage rates than women with a BMI over 25.
Regardless of your weight, you may continue to experience pressure symptoms, especially if your fibroids are large.
You should seek evaluation if you experience:
Any bleeding after menopause requires medical evaluation, even if you have a history of fibroids.
If fibroids continue to cause significant symptoms, treatment may still be appropriate during perimenopause or menopause. You don’t have to tolerate disruptive bleeding, pain, or pressure simply because menopause is approaching. Again, it can take a few years after menopause for them to shrink!
At Fresno Fibroid Center, your care team evaluates:
If treatment is right for you, you can address your fibroids without open surgery. Our team specializes in trans-radial uterine fibroid embolization (UFE). During UFE, we cut off the blood supply that feeds the fibroids. Without enough blood supply, the fibroids shrink without having to wait for menopause.
If you live in or around Fresno, California, and have concerns about fibroids during perimenopause or menopause, schedule a consultation with our team.
Dr. Benjamin Pruett, Dr. Sean Tower, Dr. Brian Ng, and Dr. Ashkan Behzadi can conduct a thorough evaluation to help you understand what’s happening in your body and determine whether treatment is necessary.
You can also reach us by phone at 559-216-0746.
