Can Fibroids Cause Nausea?

If you’re struggling with nausea alongside heavy bleeding and painful cramps caused by fibroids, we can help. Many women find that these tumors disrupt not just their physical health, but their overall well-being as well.

In this blog, we’ll explore how fibroids (tumors) can lead to feelings of nausea, discuss potential remedies to alleviate this discomfort, and review other effects of fibroids, along with treatment options to address all your fibroid-related concerns.

Can Fibroids Make You Nauseous?

Many women with uterine fibroids report experiencing nausea. This lesser-known symptom can stem from several factors, including:

• Constipation
  Difficulties passing bowel movements can impact your entire gastrointestinal (GI) tract, leading to feelings of nausea.
• Heavy bleeding
  Excessive blood loss over an extended period may result in anemia, a condition where your body doesn’t have enough hemoglobin or red blood cells to distribute oxygen from your lungs to the rest of your body. This can lead to dizziness, which may contribute to nausea.
• Stomach pain and cramps
  Both strong menstrual cramps and abdominal pain can also make you feel nauseous.
• Pedunculated fibroids
  These fibroids, attached to the uterus via stalk-like growths, can lead to nausea, especially if the stalks become twisted. In such cases, these fibroids may cause vomiting and significant pain.

Remedies for Nausea

While fibroids can cause nausea, relief is possible even before seeking treatment. Here are some immediate remedies you can try:

• Get fresh air
• Practice deep breathing
• Change your focal point
• Adjust your position (away from one that places pressure on your stomach)
• Allow yourself to vomit (holding back could make nausea worse)  

Over time, you can try to manage fibroids and nausea by making dietary changes:

• Add high-fiber foods to help relieve constipation and support better digestive health.
• Stay hydrated by drinking plenty of water.
• Get regular exercise to help regulate your digestive health and reduce bouts of nausea.

If you’re anemic, speak to your healthcare provider about iron supplementation. And if nausea persists, you can also ask about taking anti-nausea medications to get you through rough spells.

Other Side Effects of Fibroids

As mentioned, side effects of fibroids—s heavy bleeding, menstrual cramps, anemia, and constipation—can all contribute to nausea and other GI symptoms, including vomiting or diarrhea.

Women with fibroids may also experience pelvic pain, frequent urination, and uterine enlargement. Seeking treatment can provide relief for symptoms by shrinking or removing your tumors.

Treatment options for Fibroids

Many of the lifestyle measures that can reduce nausea could also help manage other fibroid symptoms. Medications like hormonal birth control can help relieve menstrual cramps and heavy bleeding. However, for larger tumors or severe symptoms, medical interventions such as uterine fibroid embolization (UFE) or myomectomy surgery may be necessary. 

To explore your treatment options and review your candidacy for the minimally invasive UFE procedure, you can connect with our expert team and request a consultation at the Georgia Fibroid Institute.