To think I should have waited to speak to the female doctor?

[purpletablet]

I’ve been experiencing pain in my right ovary since Monday. It’s not unusual for me to experience ovulation pain but it usually only lasts about a day. This time it has gotten gradually more intense and it woke me up during the night last night and was radiating into my back and down my leg.

I called the doctors this morning and explained to the receptionist and she said she didn’t have a female doctor available. I said that was fine and I was happy to speak to a male doctor.

He just called me there and after I explained my symptoms he told me that ovarian pain is not really a “recognised phenomena” and it’s much more likely that I’m suffering with bowel colic and that I should take some buscopan. I tried telling him that I get ovarian pain every month when I ovulate and I can tell the pain was coming from my ovary but he pretty much said he understands what I’m saying but I’m wrong 🙃

Thankfully I have a long awaited gynaecology appointment at the hospital next week but my goodness. Nothing like a man telling you your ovary pain doesn’t exist 🤣

Doctors do often brush people off and then it turns out to be something serious. As happened to my lovely friend who was fobbed off with reflux medication until she died of cancer 6 weeks later

Your male GP is ignorant, but asking a female GP would not necessarily help

I had a necrotic ovarian dermoid cyst removed years ago, together with ovary & tube. I know exactly what an ovarian cyst feels like (agony) so recently when I got the same pain, other side, I rang my gp and she said I couldn't have an ovarian cyst because I am past the menopause.

She was wrong. I've had the second ovary with cyst removed.

Thankfully you have an appt with gynae specialists.

There are statistics that state that women doctors ARE better, they listen and pay more attention to detail. Positive surgical outcomes for women with a female surgeon are much higher than with male surgeons.

publishing.rcseng.ac.uk/doi/10.1308/rcsbull.2024.5#:~:text=The%20cohort%20study%20considered%20patients,patients%20treated%20by%20female%20surgeons.

Echoing others on here (sorry) but I had this and lived with it for about 10 days until I could barely move, went to urgent care and turned out to be an ovarian cyst which was hours away from rupturing. It was still difficult to get a diagnosis even in hospital until I had an MRI. If you don't have a walk-in urgent care I'd definitely be phoning 111 and asking for their advice.......

Yes I agree it’s not really a male/female type thing. My question was more because the receptionist asked if I wanted to wait for a female gp and I said no. After having such a bad call from the male doctor I’m wishing I had said yes to the female doctor on the off chance it would have had a better outcome 😅

My sympathy OP. I had a similar experience, unusual mid cycle agonising pain. Saw a male member of staff at the surgery (not a GP, think a paramedic) and he seemed very sceptical when I was insisting it was a reproductive organ related thing, but agreed to send me for a scan which I was grateful for. And of course when I finally got the scan months later it turned out I'd been referred for a bladder scan only - he thought it was a UTI and didn't believe I knew my own body at all. It was frustrating and I've had multiple episodes since with no investigation, treatment or explanation.

Thank you. My pain is borderline at the moment. It’s manageable but I am in quite a bit of pain. If it’s not any better by tomorrow or if it gets any worse I’ll definitely get checked out.

Ectopic pregnancy feels like that ovary type pain on one side that gets worse. When I had one the pain got so bad it felt like a knife and I couldn't get up out of a chair until it eased off a bit. Straight into theatre when I got to the hospital. The ectopic forms early in pregnancy and doesn't necessarily trigger a positive pregnancy test so it's easy to miss.

My surgery no longer has any female doctors, just 3 males. One of them states he has a special interest in male health. I feel very unhappy that there isnt one female GP

I get really bad pain when I ovulate too, OP. Can’t really say anything much that is helpful but just that I sympathise.

The GP should’ve laid hands on you. I’d want to rule out ovarian cyst rupture or torsion, ectopic pregnancy and appendicitis.

If the pain becomes more severe of you develop other symptoms including fever, nausea/vomiting, diarrhoea then get seen urgently.

Slightly off topic, 2 x females GPs were dismissive and condescending about perimenopause and continued to try and prescribe me anti depressants at every appointment. it was extremely difficult and exacerbated my already addled brain,
The male GP was far more understanding, asked the right questions (IMO), listened to me & without hesitation or push back prescribed HRT, (he also followed up to see how I was doing a few weeks later).
All 3 from the same GP practise, I honestly thought if the female GPs are absolutely set on pushing antidepressants for peri, I’ve got zero chance of any support with a male gp.
How very wrong I was. In this instance, the male GP was a million times better.

I also recognise ovarian pain from ovulation, from embryo retrieval for ivf and from surgery. I’ve also had a tube removed and had an ectopic and can identify how tubal pain is different to pain in the ovary. It’s incredibly specific. Telling women they can’t experience ovarian pain is just wrong.

OP if there is any chance you’re pregnant please see another dr asap. (Apologies if you e clarified this but I wanted to post before finishing the thread as an ectopic pregnancy is an emergency.)

I just find the entire gynae thing frustrating
gynae tells me if im vocalising pain and maxed out all my meds to go to a&e
a&e say they cant give me any other pain relief and tell me to go home
then gynae get annoyed when I am at screaming levels of pain but won’t go to a&e
because I would rather be vocal at home!

When I was 48, I was diagnosed with Adenomyosis, my male GP told me only cure is a hysterectomy but seeing as I would probably go through menopause in about 5 years, I should probably just leave and wait for menopause. I’m sure he would’ve put up with that pain for another 5 years

I'll be interested to know what your outcome is. I can feel ovulation pain too, and for some reason more so in my right ovary. Sometimes I've even wondered if it's my appendix as it can be fairly painful, but it's always mid-cycle and intermittent then goes. Any constant pain must be investigated, absolutely.

I do wonder sometimes that if I can feel ovulation more on the right, whether there is also a connection with digestion interference in that location, and maybe that makes it more painful? My GP (male, as it happens) once explained to me that the ovaries are just as sensitive as the testes are in men, the slightest knock, cyst, or bad indigestion can cause searing pain to the ovary - just like it would if you did the same to a man's balls! It makes sense that during ovulation that the ovary would also be ultra sensitive to anything interfering with it.

Good luck with the gyne, I hope that all is well 🙏

I get your point but IME every shit, dismissive GP I have had has been a man. Thankfully I haven’t had to deal with a male GP in years (there seem to be much fewer of them around these days?)

Madness! I get ovulation pain every month, and can tell which side the egg is released from - i thought it was a recognised thing that some people get. I was debating going to the doctor as its become more pronounced recently, but I might try a private hormone/women's clinic instead as there's one nearby. If you can, I'd try looking for a specialist.

The lack of interest in gynaecological issues across the NHS is staggering. From both male and female HCPs unfortunately.

I have one friend who's had constant, relatively heavy bleeding for 6 weeks. GP keeps saying "wait and see if it stops".

Another friend had multiple ovarian cysts, signs that the infection from these had spread, a twisted tube and ongoing fertility issues. Five 24+ hour A&E attendances, multiple GP appointments and three admissions to hospital. The gynaecologist's "treatment" plan? Wait 3 months for a repeat scan and see what's changed.

It's an absolute disgrace.

When.I had a 6cm endometrioma on my left ovary I could feel it all the time but the pain was dreadful on my period, when previously I'd had light and almost unnoticeable period pain previously. Then it started hurting all the time and was excruciating. GP treated it seriously - I had several symptoms of ovarian cancer. Had keyhole surgery plus MRI snd CT scan to check for any cancer- luckily it was "only" endometrosis and polycystic ovaries. Surgeon removed the cyst and as much of the lesions as possible.

It's almost never cancer but I don't know how they can be so glib and not at least send people for blood tests and scans.

I totally sympathise- I had a male breast clinic doctor telling me the abscess in one breast was just cyclical pain 😡😡😡 and all women suffer it and to take some paracetamol.

We need more female doctors!

Our prayers have been answered…

https://www.theguardian.com/society/2025/mar/06/female-doctors-outnumber-male-peers-in-uk-for-first-time

I've been hospitalised due to ovulation pain. It was extreme. I've also had a male GP tell me my miscarriage at 5 weeks wasn't really that bad.

I did an e-consult to ask my doctors for an appointment for contraception it CANT be the pill or implant as I'm on topirimate and I'm on the pregnancy prevention programme.
Ten minutes later I get a text from a nurse
Visit the pharmacy to obtain the PILL.

That particular nurse gave out potentially dangerous advice that day - luckily I knew the pill isn't an effective nor appropriate form of contraception when taking topirimate ( also on lamogtringe) but, imagine those who didn't?