Anyone Here Experienced Ovarian Cyst?

I am 45 and was suffering from bowel issues and went to my local E.R. for what I thought was a bowel blockage, since I have dealt with this issue for awhile now. A surgeon found that I had a mass growing on my left ovary the size of a cantaloupe, which I could move around. I had a small mass on the right one too. I also had endometriosis. I had to have a hysterectomy and remove all masses 3 days later. Thankfully I had no cancer.
2 years previously I had an ultrasound that showed nothing. So I knew the mass on the left had either gone undetected or it grew in less than 2 years. It was always painful for me to have intercourse with my husband.
I am on a very strict diet and have been for most of my life due to digestion and bowel issues. I am 5'9 and weighed 135 lbs. so it was quite obvious to see that I had something growing on that left side. Please trust your own gut feeling when it comes to your health...it is better to be safe than sorry. I had so many different medical issues that I was almost to the point of backing out going to the ER in the first place. I wish you the very best of luck.

It sounds like you may need a new doctor if the one you were seeing didn't do any testing or follow up. Cysts are not always visible on ultrasound though.

You should be tested for PCOS (polycystic ovary syndrome). That causes weight issues as well as cyst problems. It would also account for the duration of your problem.

(Pads do not cause cysts, but if you wan to to try a Diva cup, go for it.)

I had a Dermoid-complex cyst removed beginning of the year. The only way I guessed it was because very very heavy monthly cycles. It was in my left ovary. I was given 2 options- to remove the ovary via Laproscopy or Mini Laprotomy- with larger incision- but I could save the ovary. I went with the later option as I wanted to save the ovary. Recovery took longer as I am 42 now. Also simple cysts unlike mine dissolve on their own but are painful. My cyst was not the kind to dissolve- it grew larger. If you do get surgery- please do make an informed decision and do not hesitate to ask any number of questions to the Gynecologist- it's your body. Please do take rest- as I did not and paid the price for it by being sick for a long time. Best wishes.

I have an ovarian cyst that has been giving me trouble off and on since June. I get pain when I am not on my period though, unlike you. My doctor back in June didn't do any tests but said from my symptoms she was pretty sure I had one. She said there was nothing to do but wait and see...if it gets much worse we can operate. But I guess they kind of "come and go" with how inflammed/swollen they are and how much pain they cause. I was only given a definite diagnosis last month when I had to go in to the hospital for testing for something else. The pelvic ultrasound and CT scan photos saw that I definitely have one. I tend to have bouts of pain at night about 2ce a month. Sometimes it's worse and sometimes it's not so bad. I am thinking about researching what the surgery is like and asking to get it done...I'd rather have it taken care of. I was told that you can't really do much about getting an ovarian cyst...they are caused by hormones, or endometriosis, or by previously having one. Doctors will sometimes put women on the pill to even out their hormones to prevent them getting more cysts.

Many years back I thought I had appendicitis and went to the doctor. He recommended that I go straight to the hospital. Well it usually takes about 15 minutes to walk there from his office but it took me 45 minutes due to all the pain.

That night I had surgery for appendix but it was the left ovary that had ruptured due to a cyst. I spent three days or so in hospital and another six out from work. As for the instructions of how to recover I did follow must of them and all healed well. Afterwards my periods were much more pleasant with little to no pain.

I hope that the new doctor gets to the bottom of your issues quickly.

the other S.

I'm glad that you're changing doctors. Shame on him or her for not paying attention to your symptoms.

Your weight is not the reason you are having cysts. Put that away. Lose the weight and eat healthier because it's the right thing to do for your body. Stress is not the reason for your cysts either.

You have some things to figure out with your new doctor. Are the cysts "bursting cysts", or are they cysts that stay there and become painful as part of your cycle? If they aren't bursting cysts, are they filled with fluid or blood? How they deal with these cysts depends on the answer.

I have had both. The bursting cysts are SO painful that you think you're giving birth. Indeed they say that the pain is 3rd in line with giving birth and passing a kidney stone. After the cyst bursts, it bathes the abdominal cavity with that poison until the fluid is absorbed by the body. And the process is terribly painful. It will continue to happen. And you can't have that.

If this is happening, you need to manage it. Certain types of birth control pills work. I took Mircette for years after my diagnosis. I never had another bursting cyst after that. (Not just any birth control pill works on this. And by the way, there IS a generic equivalent of Mircette...)

As BAD as bursting cysts are, worse than that are the ones that don't burst. Those are the ones that have to be surgically removed. I had one of those too, and had to have it removed.

Be a part of the process with your doctor. Tell him or her that you want to know the plan for your care. List your questions on a piece of paper so that you don't forget them.

I don't blame you for being upset. Now use that energy to help drive you to towards a partnership with your doctor. Mine really listened to me. He found endometriosis cells during the surgery and zapped them with a laser. I'm so grateful for that, because it took care of it and I didn't have endometriosis after that. I know that I'm lucky. Some women deal with that for many years.

Good luck!

When I was 17, I was in a lot of pain. My gyno did an ultrasound on my ovaries but nothing showed up. She finally did exploratory surgery. I had cysts on both ovaries. Some were the size of a quarter.
I'm not sure why they don't come up on ultra sounds. It sucks, I'm sorry you are going through it.

If they suspect you had a uti they would not have checked for a cyst. They have very similar symptoms. If you don't feel confident in your Dr find a new one. I had one years ago that I had to have surgically removed. You need to talk to the Dr about your options. Usually once you have one it does not go away. Mine got to the size of a grapefruit and was so very painful before I had it removed. A lot of times they can be genetic.

https://www.womenshealth.gov/a-z-topics/ovarian-cysts

I don't think you can prevent them unless they have you on meds to keep you from ovulating.
I'm not sure why a diva cup would make a difference one way or the other.
Hope you feel better soon.