Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsHome Remedies and LifestyleOver-the-Counter (OTC) TherapiesPrescriptionsSurgeries and Specialist-Driven ProceduresComplementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM)Shrinking Fibroids vs. Easing SymptomsFibroid Pain and PregnancyA Word From VerywellFrequently Asked Questions
Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
Home Remedies and Lifestyle
Over-the-Counter (OTC) Therapies
Prescriptions
Surgeries and Specialist-Driven Procedures
Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM)
Shrinking Fibroids vs. Easing Symptoms
Fibroid Pain and Pregnancy
A Word From Verywell
Frequently Asked Questions
Fibroidsare growths that develop in theuterus.They do not necessarily cause symptoms but, in some cases, can cause pain. Treatment depends onsymptoms, the location of the fibroids, their size, and whether a person wants to get pregnant in the future.
If you have severe pain or bleeding, your doctor may recommend making some lifestyle changes to better manage your symptoms. If these changes do not help, your doctor may suggest prescription medication or surgery. If you have fibroids but do not have any symptoms, your doctor might take a “wait and see” approach.
Here’s an overview of some of the ways that fibroids can be treated.
Verywell / Jessica Olah
What Are Uterine Fibroids?
Home remedies do not eliminate fibroids, but they may help some people get relief from fibroid symptoms such as abdominal pain.
Remedies that you might want to try include:
How Uterine Fibroids Are Treated
The first treatment you can try for discomfort and pain from fibroids is over-the-counter pain relievers such as ibuprofen.
If you have bowel-related symptoms from fibroids, you might prefer to avoid nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) because they can have gastrointestinal side effects.
FDA Approves Myfembree to Treat Uterine Fibroids
If you have very large fibroids that are causing severe symptoms, your doctor might recommend that you have surgery. However, depending on the procedure, fibroids may come back and more surgeries might be necessary.
Types of surgeries and procedures for treating fibroids include:
Purpose of Myomectomy
All surgical and nonsurgical procedures carry a risk of complications. More-invasive surgeries that require an abdominal incision have higher risks, such as infection.
Some laparoscopic surgeries involve cutting the tissue into small pieces for easier removal (morcellation).There is a risk that the cancerous tissue will spread with laparoscopic power morcellation; therefore, only contained morcellation should be performed in appropriately selected patients.
There’s very little research on the effectiveness of CAM therapies for fibroids and fibroid symptoms.
Most of the studies that exist involve small sample sizes. However, some research suggests that CAM therapies, such as acupuncture, may help some people cope with chronic pain.
Some people find relief from heavy bleeding and cramping with acupuncture, but there’s no evidence that acupuncture can shrink fibroids.
Natural Alternative Treatments for Uterine Fibroids
Doctors may prescribe Lupron, a medication that shrinks fibroids, before surgery. Shrinking the fibroids makes it easier to remove them.
Shrinking fibroids can temporarily help with symptoms, but it’s not a long-term solution. There are ways to treat the symptoms of fibroids, including pain and bleeding, but they cannot cure fibroids and will need to be used continuously.
Currently, surgery is the only option for permanently removing fibroids. Even so, not all surgeries guarantee the permanent removal of fibroids. If the uterus is left intact, fibroids can grow back.
While a hysterectomy ensures that fibroids won’t return, it also results in loss of fertility. Some people may choose other treatment options because they still wish to get pregnant.
How Uterine Fibroids Are Diagnosed
It’s possible to get pregnant if you have fibroids. However, pregnancy hormones may cause the fibroids to get bigger and having fibroids increases the risk of a complicated pregnancy.
Fibroids can also cause pain during pregnancy. However, not all treatment options are safe for pregnant people. Birth control cannot be used to treat fibroids if you’re pregnant, and some OTC supplements and medications are unsafe to take while pregnant or breastfeeding.
During pregnancy, the typical treatment plan for fibroid pain involves pain medication and hydration.
Using NSAIDsWhile OTC pain relievers called nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) are often used to treat fibroid pain, these medicines can be harmful to a fetus. If you are pregnant, you should only take NSAIDs under the close supervision of your doctor.
Using NSAIDs
While OTC pain relievers called nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) are often used to treat fibroid pain, these medicines can be harmful to a fetus. If you are pregnant, you should only take NSAIDs under the close supervision of your doctor.
Some pregnant people may require prescription pain medication. In rare cases, it is possible to get fibroids surgically removed during the first half of pregnancy.
You and your doctor can talk about different treatments, which could include medication and surgery. There are also lifestyle changes and techniques you can try at home that might help you cope with fibroid pain.
How do you relieve fibroid pain during pregnancy?
Treating fibroid pain during pregnancy usually involves OTC pain relievers, bed rest, and hydration. You should talk to your doctor before taking any OTC products, however, because it is not safe to expose a fetus to some of them.
How long does it take for pain from a fibroid to go away after removal?
You’ll have pain after any surgical procedure and while you are healing. You might need to take pain medication for at least a day after your procedure. The total recovery time can take two weeks to several months.
More People Are Turning to the Emergency Room for Fibroid Care
How big does a fibroid have to be to cause back pain?
The pain from fibroids depends on where they are located and how big they are. Large fibroids are more likely to cause pain than small ones, but small fibroids can also cause symptoms.
What does fibroid pain feel like?
Fibroid pain can cause acutepelvic pain, but it can also cause vague sensations of discomfort in the pelvic area. Fibroids can also cause lower back pain, rectal pressure, and pain during sex.
Some people have fibroids and do not have any pain or discomfort. They might not even realize they have them.
13 SourcesVerywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.De La Cruz, MSD, et al.Uterine fibroids: Diagnosis and treatment.Am Fam Physician.2017;95(2):100-107.Healthline.Identifying and treating fibroid pain.MedlinePlus.Living with uterine fibroids.Cleveland Clinic.Uterine fibroids.University of California San Francisco Health.Fibroids treatments.Di Spiezio Sardo A, Ciccarone F, Muzii L, Scambia G, Vignali M.Use of oral GnRH antagonists combined therapy in the management of symptomatic uterine fibroids.Facts Views Vis Obgyn. 2023;15(1):29-33. doi:10.52054/FVVO.15.1.059Al-Hendy A, et al.Treatment of uterine fibroid symptoms with relugolix combination therapy.The New England Journal of Medicine.2021;384:630-642. doi:10.1056/NEJMoa2008283Weill Cornell Medicine.Uterine Fibroid Radiofrequency Ablation.Food and Drug Administration (FDA).Laparoscopic Power Morcellators.Harvard Medical School.Can alternative treatments help with painful fibroids?.Tong L, et al.Acupuncture for uterine fibroids.Medicine.2019;98(8):e14631. doi:10.1097/MD.0000000000014631Lee HJ, et al.Contemporary management of fibroids during pregnancy.Rev Obstet Gynecol.2010;3(1):20-27.University of California San Francisco Health.Fibroids signs and symptoms.
13 Sources
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.De La Cruz, MSD, et al.Uterine fibroids: Diagnosis and treatment.Am Fam Physician.2017;95(2):100-107.Healthline.Identifying and treating fibroid pain.MedlinePlus.Living with uterine fibroids.Cleveland Clinic.Uterine fibroids.University of California San Francisco Health.Fibroids treatments.Di Spiezio Sardo A, Ciccarone F, Muzii L, Scambia G, Vignali M.Use of oral GnRH antagonists combined therapy in the management of symptomatic uterine fibroids.Facts Views Vis Obgyn. 2023;15(1):29-33. doi:10.52054/FVVO.15.1.059Al-Hendy A, et al.Treatment of uterine fibroid symptoms with relugolix combination therapy.The New England Journal of Medicine.2021;384:630-642. doi:10.1056/NEJMoa2008283Weill Cornell Medicine.Uterine Fibroid Radiofrequency Ablation.Food and Drug Administration (FDA).Laparoscopic Power Morcellators.Harvard Medical School.Can alternative treatments help with painful fibroids?.Tong L, et al.Acupuncture for uterine fibroids.Medicine.2019;98(8):e14631. doi:10.1097/MD.0000000000014631Lee HJ, et al.Contemporary management of fibroids during pregnancy.Rev Obstet Gynecol.2010;3(1):20-27.University of California San Francisco Health.Fibroids signs and symptoms.
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
De La Cruz, MSD, et al.Uterine fibroids: Diagnosis and treatment.Am Fam Physician.2017;95(2):100-107.Healthline.Identifying and treating fibroid pain.MedlinePlus.Living with uterine fibroids.Cleveland Clinic.Uterine fibroids.University of California San Francisco Health.Fibroids treatments.Di Spiezio Sardo A, Ciccarone F, Muzii L, Scambia G, Vignali M.Use of oral GnRH antagonists combined therapy in the management of symptomatic uterine fibroids.Facts Views Vis Obgyn. 2023;15(1):29-33. doi:10.52054/FVVO.15.1.059Al-Hendy A, et al.Treatment of uterine fibroid symptoms with relugolix combination therapy.The New England Journal of Medicine.2021;384:630-642. doi:10.1056/NEJMoa2008283Weill Cornell Medicine.Uterine Fibroid Radiofrequency Ablation.Food and Drug Administration (FDA).Laparoscopic Power Morcellators.Harvard Medical School.Can alternative treatments help with painful fibroids?.Tong L, et al.Acupuncture for uterine fibroids.Medicine.2019;98(8):e14631. doi:10.1097/MD.0000000000014631Lee HJ, et al.Contemporary management of fibroids during pregnancy.Rev Obstet Gynecol.2010;3(1):20-27.University of California San Francisco Health.Fibroids signs and symptoms.
De La Cruz, MSD, et al.Uterine fibroids: Diagnosis and treatment.Am Fam Physician.2017;95(2):100-107.
Healthline.Identifying and treating fibroid pain.
MedlinePlus.Living with uterine fibroids.
Cleveland Clinic.Uterine fibroids.
University of California San Francisco Health.Fibroids treatments.
Di Spiezio Sardo A, Ciccarone F, Muzii L, Scambia G, Vignali M.Use of oral GnRH antagonists combined therapy in the management of symptomatic uterine fibroids.Facts Views Vis Obgyn. 2023;15(1):29-33. doi:10.52054/FVVO.15.1.059
Al-Hendy A, et al.Treatment of uterine fibroid symptoms with relugolix combination therapy.The New England Journal of Medicine.2021;384:630-642. doi:10.1056/NEJMoa2008283
Weill Cornell Medicine.Uterine Fibroid Radiofrequency Ablation.
Food and Drug Administration (FDA).Laparoscopic Power Morcellators.
Harvard Medical School.Can alternative treatments help with painful fibroids?.
Tong L, et al.Acupuncture for uterine fibroids.Medicine.2019;98(8):e14631. doi:10.1097/MD.0000000000014631
Lee HJ, et al.Contemporary management of fibroids during pregnancy.Rev Obstet Gynecol.2010;3(1):20-27.
University of California San Francisco Health.Fibroids signs and symptoms.
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