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Ovarian Cysts
Hey Ladies,
I was wondering how many of you have experienced ovarian cysts and if/what you did about them or if you just dealt with them. In highschool I would tell my doctor almost every visit I had a lot of tenderness very low on either my right or left side of my abdomen. She always blew it off and on regular internal exams she would say she couldn't feel any cysts. Finally she ordered an ultrasound and it showed I had 1 cyst 5cm large. The ultrasound tech at the time suggested to my doctor I get another ultrasound done to get a better look at it. It was normal, it went away on its own but then I had another one a bit smaller growing on the other side. My doctor just said I would have these come and go probably forever, nothing serious.
I'm 25 now, and I still don't think its "serious" but I'm getting really sick of it. About every 3-4 months I get really bad tender pain just like I had in high school. One time out of no where, I had the most excruciating pain in the same spot and when I lied down the pain crawled up my stomach almost to my ribs and it felt like I couldn't even breathe. I thought I was having an appendicitis attack. It went away after about an hour but following that I had tender pain all week. The doctor thought that it was probably a cyst that burst but not to worry about it. I'm having this tender pain again and bending, stretching, going to the bathroom, coughing even, any jarring movements hurts it so much. It feels like a bunch of pressure that is just going to burst! I also get extremely painful periods, but I don't know if it's related. It hurts too much to even have sex. When we do, it's just jabbing pain located right where the tenderness is.
I was wondering if any of you deal with cysts and if there's anything that helps at all! Thank you in advance!
Re: Ovarian Cysts
I deal with multiple ovarian cysts on both ovaries...have been since I was about 23, I'm 28 now. I've been to my own doctor as well as sought a second opinion after one of my cysts sent me to the emergency room. Unfortunately, I've been told by both doctors that until I'm TTC and am consistently unsuccessful, surgery is a last resort. They don't want to risk me losing an ovary. I deal with so many of the same things you deal with.
TRY: Evening Primrose Supplements twice a day (two pills twice a day when your pain is bad), ask your doctor for a pain killer, schedule ultrasounds every 6 months if you can. It's up to you but some doctors recommend birth control to suppress the size and the pain. Don't let the doctors blow you off. If you have pain, call them so they can record it. Hope some of this helps.
Go see another doctor. Especially if your cysts are chocolate cysts or you think you have endometriosis. Last year I was in and out of the emergency room 4 times. I had to have an emergency surgery eventually because I had chocolate cysts that were constantly rupturing and one was twisting my ovary it could have destroyed it. My sister didn't even know she had cysts until one day she went into the emergency room bc of excruciating pain (her cyst was bursting). They performed and emergency surgery on her, but couldnt save one of her ovaries, it was too late the cyst had destroyed it.
Please go see another doctor. We both had endometriotic (chocolate) cysts, which you may not have, but you need a closer look. If you're having that bursting pain, or any pain you should get another opinion. Doctors are very hesitant to perform surgery when were young and haven't had kids yet, but there are birth control pills they can put you on to help stop the cysts from forming/growing. The hormones in the pills even help shrink them.
I don't want to scare you, I just want to let you know that it's something that needs to be looked into, so you don't end up in the same boat as me or my sister.
Best of luck. I'm sorry you have to experience the pain. I know how bad it can be!
I would definitely see another doctor. Large cysts, and a 5 cm cyst is considered large, when gone untreated can cause your ovary to twist which leads to emergency surgery and the loss of that ovary.
I had a cyst show up on a CT scan for something unrelated. The doctor who read the CT scan recommended I see my OBGYN who in turn thought it would be wise to surgically remove the cyst. Because of my wedding I put off having it done for six months. I finally had a laparoscopy about a month ago and the cyst had grown to be grapefruit sized. Unfortunately my doctor couldn't save the ovary so now I am down to one. Recovery has been pretty hard because of the size and pretty rough emotionally because of the loss of the ovary.
Get a second opinion just in case!
Just a bit of info - it's a syndrome not a disease.
Polycystic ovary syndrome. And, keep in mind, BCP is a great option to treat one of the many symptoms but it is not a cure all and those who suffer from multiple symptoms should be treated (likely) with more than just BCP. 
Since I was about 17, I've been dealing with ovarian cysts. Every so often, I have one burst (which to me, feels like labor) and the excruciating pain usually lasts about two days. After two years of complaining about pain, tenderness and swelling in my stomach, I switched OB/Gyns. I saw the new OB and see sent me to an RE. The ultrasound showed several ovarian cysts (measuring around 3-4 cms each).
They sent me for a laparoscopy the next day. When they started poking around, it showed that I had Stage 3 endometriosis as well, which can also cause severe pain.
I would suggest seeing another doctor, explaining you situation. A lap should really be a last resort because of price, but if you are in this much pain, it deserves to at least be looked at.