QuestionI'm 39 and had a baby when I was 38 my son is 15 months. And after I had him I had my check up and my pap was questionable so we had to have 3 biopsy and a DNC ever since that I have had black to dark brown then to pink periods and my uterus will not go back down. What can I do to make my Uterus go back to pre pregnant and what does it mean to have dark periods. I also have a Fibroid on the left side of my cervix.
AnswerDear Paula,
Typically, dark or brown blood/discharge is "old" blood. Meaning it is usually just a bit of blood which is older and been in the uterus long enough that it doesn't contain the oxygen-containing cells which give blood its red color.
Fibroids are actually quite common - between 50% and 80% of all women have at least one. For the most part, these fibroids cause no symptoms, though they can be problematic for about 20% of women. Uterine fibroids are tumors or growths, made up of muscle cells and other tissues that grow within the wall of the uterus (or womb). Although fibroids are sometimes called tumors, they are almost always benign (not cancerous). They are the most common, benign tumors in women of childbearing age, but no one knows exactly what causes them. Causes could be hormonal (affected by estrogen levels), genetic (running in families), environmental, or a combination of all three. Because no one knows for sure what causes fibroids, we also don't know what causes them to grow or shrink. For the most part, fibroids stop growing or shrink after menopause. However, this is not true for all women with fibroids.
They can be frustrating to live with when they cause symptoms. Not all women with fibroids have symptoms, but some have pain and heavy menstrual bleeding. Fibroids also can put pressure on the bladder, causing frequent urination.
Reproductive hormones like estrogen and progesterone can stimulate cell growth, causing fibroids to form. During pregnancy, the increase in these hormones may cause fibroids to grow in size. Though fibroids tend to grow in size during pregnancy, it is unlikely that they will cause you any symptoms.
The only absolute CURE for uterine fibroids would be a hysterectomy. Otherwise, if you are prone to them, even after treatment, they may grow back.
I would suspect that if you continue to have issues with an enlarged uterus or irregular/unusual bleeding, your doctor may consider follow-up testing such as an ultrasound or hysteroscopy.
I hope this has helped you and answered your question. I wish you well.
Brenda
