Ovarian cyst? Endo? Help!

[ChablisandCrisps]

Hi there. For years I've had recurrent abdominal and pelvic pain. Over the last few months I've used a period tracking app and noticed that I get pronounced lower pelvic pain for roughly 10 days either side of and during ovulation. The pain is stabbing and burning pain, very similar to PGP when pregnant and goes into my lower back and is sometimes a dragging sort of pain in my left hip. I feel dizzy and suffer headaches during this time too, without fail

I don't have any unusual or particularly heavy bleeding so doubt it's endometriosis from what I've read, but can it be this without bleeding? Or could it be a cyst?

Thanks for any advice anyone has!

It's difficult to say without getting some tests. An ultrasound will tell you if you have an ovarian cyst but the only conclusive way to diagnose endo is via a laparoscopy.

Thank you for taking the time to reply!

I will try to get a GP appointment but as I've had it years I don't want to bother them with COVID and everything.

Do any gynae-related things cause pain that goes into the back and hip as well as pelvis?

Yeah it can do. I had a large ovarian cyst that I didn't know about until i had to have unrelated tests and it was found. I had to have it removed via a laparoscopy and by the time I got the op it had started causing pain like you've described. The pain came back again during lockdown so I made a GP appointment and was quickly referred for another scan with no issues so I would recommend trying to get a GP appointment. If you start to feel a very sharp pain then go to A&E because if it is a cyst and it bursts or twists around your ovary then it can cause irreparable damage.

Hi there,
I'm only 23 but have already had two dermoid ovarian cysts and a mucinous cystadenoma removed (one open surgery and a laprascopy a few months ago). I had the exact same symptoms as you. Please insist on an internal transvaginal or mri scan, as ultrasounds are not reliable for ovarian cysts depending on their position. My first cyst I had showed only 4cm on an ultrasound and it was actually 13cm by the time they took it out. The most recent one only showed 2cm on ultrasound but it was 6.

DO NOT rely on hormone tests. Mine have always came back perfectly fine (as well as CA125 ) whenever I have had cysts despite one being suspected to be cancerous.

Finally DO NOT let the doctors fob you off. They literally made out I was a hypercondriact with my first cyst that they had initially believed to have been cancerous and put me on almost a one year waiting list. One even had the cheek to say I had medical anxiety! In the end I went to A&E and played up all of my symptoms (they'll send you home if you don't say the pain is 9/10 at least). They gave me an MRI and hours later I was rushed in for emergency open surgery as the cyst was 13cm and had ruptured. They had to take part of my ovary away as it had twisted around the ovary.
Chances are if its already causing you sharp pains it is already quite big so definitley get it checked out asap :)