Can Fibroids Affect Digestion?

With uterine fibroids, you may experience changes in your bladder issues and bowel movements. Many women experience frequent urination or constipation. Rarely, a large fibroid could cause a bowel obstruction. But earlier intervention can almost always prevent this complication.

 Uterine Fibroids and Digestive Problems

Fibroids can cause digestive problems including bloating, stomach pain and constipation. This is usually a problem with large fibroids that press against your stomach or colon. If the fibroids grow large enough, they can cause a partial or complete bowel obstruction (when they block some or all of the large or small intestine.)  

Why Fibroids Cause Bowel Issues

Why can fibroids affect digestion and cause bowel problems? First, larger fibroids can put pressure on the colon, frequently resulting in constipation. Less commonly, fibroids can cause a bowel obstruction  when they grow very large in size. Symptoms include bloating, cramping, abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting and/or loss of appetite. Severe constipation or diarrhea could indicate a bowel obstruction, as could darkly-colored urine, a rapid heart rate and/or dehydration. If you have symptoms of a bowel obstruction, seek immediate medical attention. Ideally, however, you would seek fibroids treatment before they grow large enough to cause an obstruction, to prevent such serious complications.

Seeking Fibroid Treatment to Prevent Pressing on Bowel

If you have small fibroids, you may be able to delay treatment, carefully monitoring their growth and managing symptoms such as heavy bleeding during your period with hormonal birth control or even simple lifestyle modifications. However, once large fibroids are creating pressure on your colon, the best way to find relief will be to shrink or remove your fibroids.

At this point, you could choose to undergo a myomectomy—the surgical removal of individual uterine tumors. But if you wish to avoid surgery, you may prefer to undergo Uterine Fibroid Embolization (UFE treatment), a minimally invasive fibroid treatment that can be performed without general anesthesia. Ready to find that relief and prevent a fibroids bowel obstruction? Request a consultation at Houston Fibroids to see if you’re a UFE candidate.