A new oral tablet could help thousands of women with benign uterine growths known as fibroids avoid invasive surgery, experts advising the NHS say.

The watchdog agency, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE), said Ryeqo tablets should be added to a considered treatment regimen if women are experiencing moderate to severe symptoms.

This includes heavy and painful periods.

Sometimes, the associated growth and bloating can make a woman look pregnant.

They can also cause infertility.

Fibroids are common – affecting one in three women, especially black women.

BBC Radio 1 DJ Clara Amfo opens up about her experience with fibroids.

She told Radio 1’s Life Hacks: “A lot of people don’t know what they are. So these are basically non-cancerous growths that can appear on the uterus.

“Fortunately they’re not cancerous, which is a plus, but they can still cause a lot of problems, including fertility, sex-time pleasure, digestive system, urinary system, menorrhagia.

“I developed anemia because my periods were heavy. I bleed a lot because of them. »

She recently underwent surgery to remove six large ones.

“I had what’s called a laparoscopic myomectomy. That means they made three incisions – they went through my belly button, they made two incisions in my abdomen, and they came in with a machine , they basically shred the fibroids in your body and suck them out.

“Recovery is very difficult. It’s surgery, but it’s still invasive. »

Source: ENM

For some women, surgery may still be the best option. There are also injections that can shrink fibroids.

Painkillers and hormonal birth control pills or an IUD are another option that can provide relief.

If the fibroids are not causing symptoms, no treatment is needed. Over time, they shrink and often disappear without treatment, especially after menopause.

Ryeqo tablets contain a combination of drugs — relugolix with estradiol and norethisterone acetate — designed to be taken daily at home to help manage symptoms.

Research shows they can be used long-term and shouldn’t affect fertility.

According to NICE, around 4,500 women with uterine fibroids will be eligible for the new oral treatment in England and Wales, and now that guidelines have been published, it should be available in the next few months.

Helen Knight, acting director of drug evaluation at the NICE Center for Health Technology Evaluation, said: “Uterine fibroids can have a profound impact on quality of life. Aside from the many debilitating symptoms, there is a real lack of long-term options.

“This treatment has the potential to improve quality of life. In addition to being effective in reducing symptoms, it can also be administered at home, making it more convenient than injection therapy in a hospital setting.

“It can also be used long-term, which could mean improved and long-lasting symptom relief, and it’s well-tolerated, which means thousands of women will be able to avoid invasive procedures that always carry some risk.”