Ruptured ovarian cyst not showing on scan

[Pelvicpaininthebum]

I've been having severe pain attacks (during my period but they only last an hour or two) on most periods over the last 7 months.

The last one was on Friday night. When I mean severe I could barely breathe or move. The pain was like being in labour. It went from a 1/2 level of pain to a 10 in about 5 seconds.

I've been thinking I may have been having ovarian cyst ruptures and after the pain Friday have had a very tender distended tummy which seemed to fit with this so in desperation in wanting to know what's happening to me I booked a private scan yesterday.

The sonographer found a 7cm ovarian cyst on my right ovary and a thick uterus lining (11mm). He said the cyst could cause the pain I've been having but surely this wouldn't just be for such a short attack of pain.

He said there was no sign of a rupture.

My AIBU is - could there still have been a rupture but this not been visible on the scan? Could a rupture have been behind the 7cm cyst?

YABU - there was no rupture.

YANBU - there could have been a rupture.

Thank you!!

It may not have ruptured but it could be twisting which is just as painful 😥

If a cyst had ruptured, they would likely see some fluid in your pelvis. Maybe it had temporarily twisted (torsion)?

@Loveduppenguin cross posted - like our contrasting usernames!

Thanks for the responses. He shows it to me on the scan and it was shaped like a kidney bean - so maybe that shows it could have twisted across the middle??

Would there be a reason it would twist like that on my period?

if you have the cyst visible then it hasn't ruptured, it's still there. A ruptured cyst would either not be visible or there would be some fluid.
Also 11mm is normal for a lining.

Ruptured cysts likely wouldn't resolve pain wise in an hour or two, also much more likely at other times in your cycle. So I vote for no rupture.

Are your periods heavy? I used to have very heavy periods and had very severe pain for short times which was related to passing huge clots.

I have pain like this and no rupture - it’s a chocolate cyst on my ovary, my ovaries are tied together with scar tissue and trying to twist and also stage 4 endometriosis
So not an emergency as such, I don’t usually go to a&e now, pain lasts a couple of hours then I just feel wiped with it
it’s as if someone is stabbing and twisting my ovary and I usually find v gentle movement helps if I can

I wouldn’t be able to comment on the rupture/no rupture thing but are you under a gynaecologist? Are you having any follow up for the cyst?

I know it's there, I was wondering if I could have had another cyst that burst.

And everything I've read says the lining should be between 1-4mm during menstruation?

No my periods are not heavy and I only have very small clots.

This sounds a lot like me!

They said it was a chocolate cyst.

I'm still very tender and wiped out now and it happened Friday night!

Are you waiting for any treatment? What are they going to do and how long have you had it?

I've been putting off going to the doctor (I don't call doctors unless I'm dying).

I paid for the private scan yesterday as was panicking with how bad it was.

I've called the doctors this morning and someone is going to call me this afternoon (not a doctor apparently as no availability).

Over 2 years at least now, gynae has a long wait
I am having an operation this week to remove the cyst, ovary, endometriosis and free up my bowel and bladder
heat helps me a lot and basically v gentle dancing type movements, just rocking in place

Ok good. I wasn’t sure if the cyst was a new discovery or if you already knew it was there, but I’m glad you’ve called the doctors. If they’ve said it’s a chocolate cyst there’s probably some underlying endometriosis, which might explain the severe pain during your periods. When they ring you later ask for a gynae referral, which hopefully they would do anyway, but it sounds like there’s a couple of different things that are outside of what I’d expect a GP to manage and I think you’d benefit from being seen by a gynaecologist.

Omg you poor thing. I'm feeling absolutely petrified of it happening again and you've been dealing with this for 2 years?!

How often do you have the pain happen? It's strange mine seems to only happen on my period and at night.

Good luck for your surgery!

I had the exact same thing happen about 3 months ago. Was out for a day at the beach and out of nowhere got stabs of excruciating pain from my left side that radiated all under my abdomen. Was so painful that no position would calm it- I ended up keeled over, hobbled over to a wall to lean over, tried trying to stand straight but nothing worked, it was excruciating, as you said OP, exactly like labour pains. It was so bad I nearly threw up but ended up making my way to a bench, laid down and passed out temporarily.

Since then I developed painful lower back pain which moved to my left bum cheek then down my left leg. I've been signed off work ever since as some days can barely walk, feel like I'm dragging my left leg along as if it weren't my own. The Dr seems to think Sciatica so I'm booked in fir some Phsysio in a few weeks but it only started after this awful episode of pain.

I have a transvaginal scan tomorrow morning, not sure if it will show anything but I was originally convinced it was a ruptured cyst as the way the pain came on so quickly it had to be something going wrong in my opinion but Drs seem to think that and the back/leg pain aren't linked.

Ah, to be a woman 😭

Thank you I will. I've found the waiting times for my local hospital gynae and it's 42 weeks 😭

I'm so scared of dealing with this pain till then.

That sounds awful poor you!

It could be a cyst linked to the back pain. I had had terrible pain in my right hip for a couple of weeks last month and I also get sciatica pain down my right leg. The cyst is on the right ovary. I'm convinced it's linked.

Thank you I will. I've found the waiting times for my local hospital gynae and it's 42 weeks 😭

Are you sure this is not an average wait time? Patients will be triaged according to referral details and some will be seen faster than others.

It varies, usually a few times a month not as bad but once a month or so I have a huge flare where I need morphine
I tend to just ride it out at home as a&e can’t do much

HA. I have endo everywhere, deep infiltrating, constant a&e trips with pain, it’s so bad I need a bowel surgeon as well as a specialist endometriosis surgeon
it was a year to be seen, and I’ve waited over 6 months for surgery despite being on morphine, dihydrocodeine and numerous other pain meds

it sounds like you need to see someone during an episode of pain. Big cysts can tort quite easily and if the pain doesn't resolve quickly it needs fixing (because it can cut of the blood supply to the ovary on that side). GP appointment sounds sensible if the pain's settled, but if it comes back before then get thee to an A&E. (also fwiw, USS doesn't seem as accurate as you'd expect in spotting which side the cyst originates from so I'd keep an open mind...).

This sounds horrendous honestly I feel for you so much! How do you function in your life?!

Thank you I think next time it happens I will call an ambulance. I nearly did on Friday, but it was a Friday night 🙄 so thought it would take 10 hours for an ambulance to come and I thought it would all be gone by then. If I'd known I'd still be suffering now I would have called.

It seems every time it happens the pain is lasting longer so I think maybe it's doing damage.

(I couldn't get to the hospital without an ambulance as no way I could drive, I could barely walk and my dh would need to stay to look after the kids who are 1&5).

when i had a ruptured ovarian cyst the pain was incredible, and when i went to the doctor they said i had several more, booked me in for surgery there and then and they were all removed. They told me there are 2 ways to handle it: either surgery or go home, lie down with some pain killers and wait for it to pass. I elected for surgery and afterwards the surgeon told me that had been a good decision because there were so many.

I'd had it before but had no idea what it was, and just rode out the pain the first time.