Worried sick about ovary/back pain - help!

[messylittlemonkey]

Hi there

I posted recently about an ongoing pain which I have in my left ovary area. It seems to date back to June when I had an early miscarriage at 5 weeks. In the cycle leading up to this, I had a couple of days of left ovarian pain around the time of ovulation which I thought nothing of. About a week after the mc, I started getting a dull ache (like a period pain) in my left ovary area. This got quite bad at one point and I saw the out of hours GP who said it could be an infection and gave me antibiotics. The pain did subside a little but never really went away and I sae my own GP about a month later. He felt my pelvis and said he couldn't feel anything, but thought it could be a cyst and gave me anti inflammatory painkillers and said to wait and see for a couple of weeks. The pain then went away and I was fine for a couple of months.

However, it returned again about a month ago and is accompanied by lower back pain on the same side. it's not noticable all of the time and doesn't keep me awake at night, but it's really starting to get me down. I saw another GP a week or so ago who has referred me for an u/s scan, so I'm waiting for an appointment. She also did a pelvic exam and felt nothing, and again mentioned a cyst.

I am 34, have regular periods and no other symptoms. I have one child.

I have stupidly googled my symptoms and all I seem to get are ovarian cancer websites. I keep telling myself that this is unlikely, but as time passes I'm getting more and more worried.

Can anyone give me any reassurance?

Thanks for reading this ramble!

I had this many years ago and it turned out to pelvic imflammatory disease resulting from an undiagnosed infection. The antibiotics were a particularly horrible combination of strong tetra something or other, so it may be that your abs helped a bit but weren't strong enough.

They originally thought it was appendicitis and I had it removed, of course it was healthy.

Then I had it again at six weeks pregnant and I had the full ectopic surgery and it turned out to be a twisted cyst.

I'd go to the GU clinic if I were you and have a thorough check and if that's all clear then push for a scan to check for cysts and things.

Don't think the worst, it could be many things!

Thanks, Guadalupe.

Sounds like you've been through the mill. I didn't think about the GU clinic but will look into it.

I'll try to think positive!

Indeed, having since had a ceasarian and a hysterectomy you can imagine my stomach has an interesting selection of scars!

It's always worth checking at the clinic, chlamydia can go undetected for years and cause long term trouble and they are so thorough there.

They might be able to advise you re cysts too. Hope you get it sorted out, I remember that pain very clearly.

Did you have any symptoms of infection other than pain?

I was given a trio of antibiotics when I first had the pain. It started as a dull ache and after about a week became really intense like a bad period pain and that's when I saw the out of hours GP who prescribed the meds. As I said, this seemed to work, but not completely.

I'm just so confused as to what it could be, especially as it went away completely for a couple of months and then came back with the added symptom of back pain! I forgot to say that the last GP I saw did some vaginal swabs and I'm waiting for the results, but she said if I don't hear anything to presume they are okay and that she will refer me for a scan. That was about a week ago.

I just feel that an infection would have more symptoms and not come and go like this has.

No the pain was the ony symptom. It also came and went as you describe. Sometimes I felt completely normal, then I would have a periods where I could barely walk, the pain felt like a bolt through my ovary as though someone was twisting it back and front.

It might not be what you have of course, but I did experience symptoms like yours and it's worth eliminating it as a possibility if not.

I suppose I did feel generally unwell or run down but not ill as such.

Thanks again.

It does sound like a possibility and I expect the results of the swabs will tell me.

The pain is like a dull ache mostly, but does get more intense from time to time, just like a period pain. The back ace also comes and goes and ranges in intensity. It was quite bad just before my period and seems worse after exercise. It also feels a bit stiff and twinges sometimes when I bend over.

I have the results of the swabs and they are normal, so it doesn't look like it could be PID.

Have been referred for a u/s scan so just waiting for a date now.

Thanks for your help!

Well at least it's ruled that out, and good that you have a scan appointment. Hope you feel better soon.