Problems with Ovarian Cysts

Knottie07560568

I found out about my first ovarian cyst last April due to some aching, but didn’t worry about it too much. Months later, I began feeling a worse ache in my lower left abdomen, which spread to my lower back. It got worse over time, and it made it hard to move around at school and work. Finally I saw a doctor about it and they told me I had ten ovarian cysts. It had only been two months since I had just one. The doctor gave me some medicine to take for pain, which helped a little but the pain grew worse  and worse every month. It got to the point to where I would cry getting out of bed and moving around, and I was never able to get comfortable, so I lost a lot of sleep. I had to go to the emergency room because I was in intense pain after intercourse with my FI, and they told me I had about 20 cysts on my ovaries. I saw a specialist in January, and he told me that he thinks its the birth control that I’m on, which stopped my period. He put me on the pill along with my current birth control to try to balance out my hormones and make me have a period again. I’m supposed to take both for three months and then come back and see if they’re gone. Daily activities are becomming harder and harder and I constantly feel like my insides are falling out. I have no more medication besides what he gave me for nausea, and most over the counter stuff doesnt help. I’ve seen other women post about cysts on here and I was wondering if there is anything I can do to ease the pain besides just curl up with a heating pad and hope it goes away. I’m honestly desperate, please help me.

PrettyGirlLost

Knottie07560568 said:

I found out about my first ovarian cyst last April due to some aching, but didn’t worry about it too much. Months later, I began feeling a worse ache in my lower left abdomen, which spread to my lower back. It got worse over time, and it made it hard to move around at school and work. Finally I saw a doctor about it and they told me I had ten ovarian cysts. It had only been two months since I had just one. The doctor gave me some medicine to take for pain, which helped a little but the pain grew worse  and worse every month. It got to the point to where I would cry getting out of bed and moving around, and I was never able to get comfortable, so I lost a lot of sleep. I had to go to the emergency room because I was in intense pain after intercourse with my FI, and they told me I had about 20 cysts on my ovaries. I saw a specialist in January, and he told me that he thinks its the birth control that I’m on, which stopped my period. He put me on the pill along with my current birth control to try to balance out my hormones and make me have a period again. I’m supposed to take both for three months and then come back and see if they’re gone. Daily activities are becomming harder and harder and I constantly feel like my insides are falling out. I have no more medication besides what he gave me for nausea, and most over the counter stuff doesnt help. I’ve seen other women post about cysts on here and I was wondering if there is anything I can do to ease the pain besides just curl up with a heating pad and hope it goes away. I’m honestly desperate, please help me.

Call your doctor.  You need to let him/her know that your situation is intensifying and possibly worse so that he can revise the course of action.

Call your doctor asap.

Knottie07560568

I tried calling him about two weeks ago but he said that I need to wait until after I have my first period before we can change anything..He said he can perscribe me more medicine, but honestly it doesnt do that much anyway. I'm still about 4 days from the pills that start my period. 

Couggal12

Yikes, that sounds extremely painful and while I can't relate I do feel for you. 

I used to deal with debilitating period cramps when I was younger. Almost every other month I had to miss school and would be in so much pain I would throw up. I finally saw a doctor when I was in my senior year of high school who put me on BC. I had to try a few of them before I found one that worked with my body. 

I used to take a prescription NSAIDs for my cramps. It didn't always work but, it helped me through most days. Can you ask your doctor for something stronger than just over the counter ibruprofen or tylenol? 

southernbelle0915

If you're calling your doctor in pain and they're putting off an appointment with you, you should find a new doctor. 

If you want to stick it out with this one, ask to be put on a cancellation list. If you don't want to wait, go to an urgent care. If it's an emergency, go to the ER.

OliveOilsMom

I have Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome or PCOS.  I have not experienced the pain that you describe here. 

I had a friend who developed a cyst and it flipped or inverted (forget the medical term), she had intense pain and needed immediate surgery.  Have you had any ultrasounds or other tests to look at the cysts?

You need to see your doctor again and tell them how dibilitating the pain is.  What type of specialist are you going to?  Have you seen an OBGYN? 

holyguacamole79

I had 11 cysts on one ovary until I had surgery this past March.

I suggest you search on this list for a NaPro Technology trained doctor.  http://www.fertilitycare.org/illinois-medical-consultants/

Good luck!

ashley8918

Without even reading this post in full, you need to go to your doctor (or a new doctor, if he's being a bitch).

That being said, I have had some really awful cyst-related issues, so I will come back a really read this when I get a chance.

themuffinman16

I have endometriosis and ovarian cysts. Mine isn't as severe as yours, but it is getting pretty bad after going off birth control.  There is nothing I can do about it, since I am trying to get pregnant, just lots of hot showers.  I find showers or baths work betterthan heating pads because it is a moist heat.  Also, take yoga.  It drastically helps reduce stress levels.  Stress levels are a large factor in worsening endometriosis and  development of ovarian cysts. 

   I used to drink one  glass of red wine when my symptoms were acting up, in the evening. Something about red wine relaxes your muscles, it worked the best. I know you can't really do that , during the day/ when you are working.  If you don't like to drink, take something like Aleve or Ibuprofen, these relax the muscle walls in your abdomen. 

   There is a drug to put your cysts into remission, it will basically bring you into menopause (it is only chemical, so it can be reversed).  I have had to do this on several occasions. Because ovaries are so sensitive to future fertility, if you remove the cysts, surgically, surgery is usually a last resort after trying hormone therapy. It takes several tries to know which hormone has the right levels to reduce your cysts. Once you do, and you will know by how you feel, in a month,  things will be a lot better.

   I used to be on the Nuva Ring, and after a while of being on it, I was seeing changes. My periods were getting a lot more painful, I was getting migraines. I was having pain several times throughout my cycle. I think your body just starts requiring more hormones to fight certain reproductive maladies, as you get older. Maybe you should seek a OB that specializes in PCOS/ Endometriosis. I have a specialist, and she really stays on top of any issue to make sure I am in as little pain as I can be, and that my reproductive organs are being taken care of so I can have children.

levioosa

Your doctor is being ridiculous.  You should find a new one.  Call him immediately and reiterate that you need to see him now.  If he can't see you and you think this is a medical emergency, go to the ER.

Have you had ultrasounds?  What did they say? Have you had them since you stopped the other form of birth control? 

badbnagdway

Agree with others go to the doctor ASAP. I am concerned that your doctor is not listening to you. If you are in too much pain to function, surely there is something else that needs to be done. 

I got cysts from time to time as a teenager and being on birth control (seemingly) helped to prevent them. They hurt some, but nothing like what you are describing. 

My doctor diagnosed me with insulin resistance a few months back and put me on metformin. I have learned since being on it that it is sometimes prescribed to women who are having trouble conceiving because it can help control pcos. I am not a doctor, so I am not recommending you go on it, but I am saying there must be treatments out there and your doctor needs to help you find them. 

Knottie07560568

OliveOilsMom said:

I have Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome or PCOS.  I have not experienced the pain that you describe here. 

I had a friend who developed a cyst and it flipped or inverted (forget the medical term), she had intense pain and needed immediate surgery.  Have you had any ultrasounds or other tests to look at the cysts?

You need to see your doctor again and tell them how dibilitating the pain is.  What type of specialist are you going to?  Have you seen an OBGYN? 

I've had multiple ultrasounds and CAT scans. The specialist is an OBGYN, and he's highly recommended. And he's one of the only two doctors in my area that take my insurance...

Knottie07560568

I will definitely contact him, thank you all. I go in for ultrasounds every three months or so, which is how I noticed the rapid growth of my cysts. I'll see if there is any medicine that he can think of that can make the pain go away, at least enough to help me get through the day. 

PrettyGirlLost

levioosa said:

Your doctor is being ridiculous.  You should find a new one.  Call him immediately and reiterate that you need to see him now.  If he can't see you and you think this is a medical emergency, go to the ER.

Have you had ultrasounds?  What did they say? Have you had them since you stopped the other form of birth control? 

Yep, your doctor is being an ass, IMO.

Call back and tell him in no uncertain terms that you need to be seen ASAP because you are in terrible, terrible pain and if he refuses because you have to wait, then ask the office manager/receptionist to schedule you to see a different doctor in the practice like now.  And go to an ER or urgent care if they can't schedule you soon enough.

PrettyGirlLost

Knottie07560568 said:

OliveOilsMom said:

I have Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome or PCOS.  I have not experienced the pain that you describe here. 

I had a friend who developed a cyst and it flipped or inverted (forget the medical term), she had intense pain and needed immediate surgery.  Have you had any ultrasounds or other tests to look at the cysts?

You need to see your doctor again and tell them how dibilitating the pain is.  What type of specialist are you going to?  Have you seen an OBGYN? 

I've had multiple ultrasounds and CAT scans. The specialist is an OBGYN, and he's highly recommended. And he's one of the only two doctors in my area that take my insurance...

And he's also being a shitty physician IMO,  because he won't listen to you when you tell him that you are in severe pain, which has been worsening this entire time.   It's pretty clear that if your pain is getting worse and worse each month that whatever it is your doctor is hoping to accomplish with his treatment plan isn't working.

Knottie07560568 said:

I tried calling him about two weeks ago but he said that I need to wait until after I have my first period before we can change anything..He said he can perscribe me more medicine, but honestly it doesnt do that much anyway. I'm still about 4 days from the pills that start my period. 

Why?  Did he explain why?  I have experienced excruciating pain related to periods and cramps. . . I would not endure 4 days of it just because.   I'd personally be in that doctor's office grabbing him by the balls in an effort to help him to understand the magnitude of the issue at hand ;-)

Knottie07560568

Lol, that would be something for the other patients to see! He explained it, but I don't know if I can explain it correctly. Something about the lining of the uterus has to shed and when it doesnt it causes cysts so he wants to see if after a period, cysts will start to go away/not form. That was a a very shortend version of what he said lol. But you're right, I shouldn't have to suffer through it. I'm going to try to talk to him about the chemical themuffinman16 was talking about. As long as it doesnt effect my ability to produce children, I'm willing to try anything. 

holyguacamole79

Where do you live, OP?  Look up Napro Technology.  They have a lot of experience with ovarian cysts.

Knottie07560568

I live in Missouri. Okay, thank you!

levioosa

PrettyGirlLost said:

Knottie07560568 said:

OliveOilsMom said:

I have Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome or PCOS.  I have not experienced the pain that you describe here. 

I had a friend who developed a cyst and it flipped or inverted (forget the medical term), she had intense pain and needed immediate surgery.  Have you had any ultrasounds or other tests to look at the cysts?

You need to see your doctor again and tell them how dibilitating the pain is.  What type of specialist are you going to?  Have you seen an OBGYN? 

I've had multiple ultrasounds and CAT scans. The specialist is an OBGYN, and he's highly recommended. And he's one of the only two doctors in my area that take my insurance...

And he's also being a shitty physician IMO,  because he won't listen to you when you tell him that you are in severe pain, which has been worsening this entire time.   It's pretty clear that if your pain is getting worse and worse each month that whatever it is your doctor is hoping to accomplish with his treatment plan isn't working.

Knottie07560568 said:

I tried calling him about two weeks ago but he said that I need to wait until after I have my first period before we can change anything..He said he can perscribe me more medicine, but honestly it doesnt do that much anyway. I'm still about 4 days from the pills that start my period. 

Why?  Did he explain why?  I have experienced excruciating pain related to periods and cramps. . . I would not endure 4 days of it just because.   I'd personally be in that doctor's office grabbing him by the balls in an effort to help him to understand the magnitude of the issue at hand ;-)

Yup, these things are the reasons I dropped my last OBGYN.  I was in excruciating pain, I was having cysts that would grow up to the size of a softball, and I was heavily bleeding for 40-90 days straight at a time.  My OB just said, "well, we'll put you on different birth control.  Why are you asking about bloodwork?"  Um, maybe because something is obviously horrifically wrong if I'm bleeding for that long and having cysts that large?  And because I feel pretty fucking weak and anemic, and you should probably want to check that too if I've been on my period for that long.  Man, shitty doctors can fuck off. 

OP, if you are self medicating from the pain since you are out of painkillers, be very careful what/how many you are taking.  If you take too much Motrin it can be very hard on your stomach, liver, and kidneys.  Make sure you are drinking plenty of water and eating a little something if you are taking them.

I'm sorry I don't have more advice right now.  My cramps used to be so bad that I would spent a few days curled around the toilet, rocking back and forth and vomiting from the pain.  Birth control has helped significantly, but I still get pretty bad cramps and I get nauseous. 

JaniV123

Knottie07560568 said:

I will definitely contact him, thank you all. I go in for ultrasounds every three months or so, which is how I noticed the rapid growth of my cysts. I'll see if there is any medicine that he can think of that can make the pain go away, at least enough to help me get through the day. 

have you had you calcium and phosphate levels checked? have you had UTI or kidney stones? 

Also if you don't mind me asking, why are you still on BC? You should talk to him about taking you off BCP and looking for other prevention stratergies. 

Knottie07560568

Thank you for your advice. I'm actually taking extra strength exedrin, motrim has never helped me much. And I have never had my phosphate levels checked, I do not have a UTI or kidney stones. I've had UTI's before though. I'm still on BC, but the main thing that I do not like about the doctor I'm seeing is that when I asked if I could get off the kind that I'm on, he insisted that it's the best BC ever and that I shouldnt get rid of it. I don't see how it's the best if it's hurting me, lol. 

holyguacamole79

GET A NEW DOCTOR.  NOW.

Knottie07560568

Also, I waited two weeks for my appointment with him and all he did was talk to me. He didn't bring in my x rays, or the results of my ultrasound, and when I asked him if PCOS or endometriosis were possible causes, he said he would test me for PCOS later but he doesnt think that's it because I don't have an excessive amount of hair or a deep voice but we could test for it after we try the pills, but he acted kinda mean about the endometriosis. He laughed and said I was probably assuming it was worse than it is, so he wasn't going to check me for that now either. I could be freaking myself out thinking it's endometriosis, but I feel like a doctor needs to check on anything a patient is seriously worried about. I'm going to call around when I get home later and look for a new doctor..

PrettyGirlLost

Knottie07560568 said:

Lol, that would be something for the other patients to see! He explained it, but I don't know if I can explain it correctly. Something about the lining of the uterus has to shed and when it doesnt it causes cysts so he wants to see if after a period, cysts will start to go away/not form. That was a a very shortend version of what he said lol. But you're right, I shouldn't have to suffer through it. I'm going to try to talk to him about the chemical themuffinman16 was talking about. As long as it doesnt effect my ability to produce children, I'm willing to try anything. 

Ok, I can see that logic.  But I don't think a reasonable person would want to test that hypothesis at your expense while you are in such bad pain.

Knottie07560568 said:

Thank you for your advice. I'm actually taking extra strength exedrin, motrim has never helped me much. And I have never had my phosphate levels checked, I do not have a UTI or kidney stones. I've had UTI's before though. I'm still on BC, but the main thing that I do not like about the doctor I'm seeing is that when I asked if I could get off the kind that I'm on, he insisted that it's the best BC ever and that I shouldnt get rid of it. I don't see how it's the best if it's hurting me, lol. 

And this seals it.  He's being an ass and he's not listening to you.  Ditch him.  You need an OBGYN who will try and work with you, not basically force you to do things "Because I said so!"

Knottie07560568

You guys are right, I didn't see how insensitive he was until now. I guess since I was told he was the best, I assumed he was. 

holyguacamole79

Knottie07560568 said:

I live in Missouri. Okay, thank you!

http://www.fertilitycare.org/missourimedicalconsultants/

PrettyGirlLost

Knottie07560568 said:

You guys are right, I didn't see how insensitive he was until now. I guess since I was told he was the best, I assumed he was. 

He's obviously not the best for you because you are in a fuckton of pain right now, adn he's not listening to your wishes with regards to BC.  Yeah maybe that form of BC is usually the best way to treat cysts. . . if it's not working for you or it's not exactly what you want, he should be trying to find something that is better suited for you.

Knottie07560568

Thank you!

flutteringinfl

Knottie07560568 said:

You guys are right, I didn't see how insensitive he was until now. I guess since I was told he was the best, I assumed he was. 

I think many of us are trained to just deal with whatever doctor's tell us, not ask questions, and not push for things when we think there are issues. Sure, it can go badly in the opposite direction, but he's human too and subject to the same flaws as all of us. If he's basically laughing and patting you on the head condescendingly whenever you tell him his solutions aren't working, it's definitely time to find a new doctor. Good luck!

Knottie07560568

Thank you!

OliveOilsMom

Knottie07560568 said:

Also, I waited two weeks for my appointment with him and all he did was talk to me. He didn't bring in my x rays, or the results of my ultrasound, and when I asked him if PCOS or endometriosis were possible causes, he said he would test me for PCOS later but he doesnt think that's it because I don't have an excessive amount of hair or a deep voice but we could test for it after we try the pills, but he acted kinda mean about the endometriosis. He laughed and said I was probably assuming it was worse than it is, so he wasn't going to check me for that now either. I could be freaking myself out thinking it's endometriosis, but I feel like a doctor needs to check on anything a patient is seriously worried about. I'm going to call around when I get home later and look for a new doctor..

To the bolded, I don't have either of those PCOS symptoms/side effects but my doctor still tested me and confirmed the diagnosis.  I don't think your doctor is as great as his recommendations would imply.

Maybe this wouldn't apply beause you are not trying to have a baby, hopefully other ladies could affirmatively answer this, but wouldn't a Reproductive Endocrynologist be the type of specialist you should see?