Can uterine fibroids cause weight gain?
Weight gain is not a common, noticeable side effect of uterine fibroids or leiomyomas (benign tumors that grow inside the uterus or on the uterine wall).
Often, uterine fibroids cause no symptoms at all, but the most common side effects that occur may include:
- Painful periods
- Heavier bleeding during menstruation
- Breakthrough bleeding between periods
- Anemia (low red blood cell count)
- Pain in the lower back
- A feeling of fullness or pressure in the pelvic region
- Increased urination
- Painful sex
- Reproductive issues, including infertility, repeated miscarriages or early labor
Although weight gain isn’t considered a side effect of uterine fibroids, as the tumors become larger in size, they may cause swelling in your abdomen, leading to increased abdominal girth.
Fibroids can be very small at 1 inch or so in size, or as large as a grapefruit. In some cases, they can become even larger, about 8 inches in diameter or more, causing a woman to look pregnant.
As fibroids grow larger, they also become heavier, and this increase in size may cause your overall weight to rise. This weight gain will correlate directly with the weight of your fibroid; for example, if you have a fibroid that weighs two pounds, your weight will also increase by this amount.
Uterine fibroids consist of muscle cells and fibroblasts. They can grow together as clusters or alone. Typically, individual fibroids grow larger than clusters.
References
- National Institutes of Health Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NIH). Uterine Fibroids. November 2, 2018. Available at: https://www.nichd.nih.gov/health/topics/uterine. [Accessed September 26, 2021].
- National Institutes of Health Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NIH). What are the symptoms of uterine fibroids? November 2, 2018. Available at: https://www.nichd.nih.gov/health/topics/uterine/conditioninfo/symptoms. [Accessed September 26, 2021].
- The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG). Uterine Fibroids: Frequently Asked Questions. December, 2018. Available at: https://www.acog.org/womens-health/faqs/uterine-fibroids. [Accessed September 26, 2021].
- U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office on Women’s Health. Uterine Fibroids. April 1, 2019. Available at: https://www.womenshealth.gov/a-z-topics/uterine-fibroids. [Accessed September 26, 2021].
- Illinois Department of Public Health. Facts About Uterine Fibroids. Available at: http://www.idph.state.il.us/about/womenshealth/factsheets/ufibroids.htm. [Accessed September 29, 2021].
- Peddada SD, Laughlin SK, Miner K, et al. Growth of uterine leiomyomata among premenopausal black and white women. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. 2008 Dec;105(50):19887-19892. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.0808188105
Read next
Is obesity a major risk factor for Covid-19?
Obesity is a major risk factor for covid-19 and people who are obese are more likely than those who are not obese to contract Covid-19 at a younger age, develop severe Covid-19, require hospitalization, oxygen, mechanical ventilation, intubation, or admission into ICU, end up in hospital sooner, or die from Covid-19. Continue reading
Mounjaro vs Ozempic: Which is right for you?
Mounjaro and Ozempic are prescription medicines used alongside diet and exercise to help control blood sugar (glucose) levels in adults with type 2 diabetes. Ozempic is also approved to lower the risk of a major cardiovascular event (like a heart attack or stroke) in patients with type 2 diabetes, as well as to reduce the risk of worsening kidney disease and heart-related death in patients with type 2 diabetes. Mounjaro has not yet received these indications, although studies are ongoing.
In a large, 2024 retrospective study in adults with overweight or obesity and treated for type 2 diabetes, Mounjaro led to at least a 5% weight loss within one year in 81.8% of adults compared to 66.5% of those using Ozempic. Continue reading
Ozempic Side Effects to Watch For
The most common Ozempic side effects with Ozempic include stomach problems, like nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, stomach pain and constipation. These tend to be mild-to-moderate and usually clear up in a few weeks in most people. Low blood sugar (hypoglycemia) is also a common side effect (when used with certain other diabetes treatments) and it can be serious. Continue reading
Related medical questions
- Zepbound Vs Mounjaro: Complete Comparison Guide for Weight Loss and Diabetes Treatment
- How do Ozempic, Mounjaro, Wegovy, Zepbound compare for weight loss?
- Why am I not losing weight on Mounjaro?
- How long does it take for Ozempic to work?
- Wegovy vs Ozempic: Which is Right for You?
- How long to see weight loss results with Wegovy?
- Tirzepatide vs semaglutide: How do they compare?
- Does levothyroxine cause weight gain or loss?
- Does Wellbutrin XL/SR cause weight gain or loss?
- Do Ozempic, Wegovy, Mounjaro & Zepbound cause hair loss?
- How does Ozempic work for weight loss?
- What happens when you stop taking Ozempic?
- Why does Lexapro cause weight gain?
- Does Lyrica cause weight gain?
- Does Ozempic need to be refrigerated?
- Saxenda vs Ozempic: For Weight Loss?
- Does gabapentin cause weight gain?
- Does Zoloft (sertraline) cause weight gain?
- Will my insurance cover the cost of Ozempic?
- How does Mounjaro Work for Weight Loss?
- How much is Zepbound with or without insurance?
- How do Zepbound and Wegovy compare?
- Is Mounjaro covered by insurance or Medicare?
- Does topiramate cause weight loss?
- Can you get tirzepatide from a compounding pharmacy?
- Does Prozac cause weight gain or loss?
- How long does it take for Zepbound to work?
Related support groups
- Weight Loss (Obesity/Overweight) (845 questions, 1,502 members)
- Uterine Leiomyomata / Fibroids (11 questions, 45 members)