clairehair

Hi everyone,
I am new to this site and have PCO, for some time now.
To be honest, all I have been doing is taking dianette, and haven´t researched it much until now.
I keep getting twinging-slight pain in my left ovary, every now and then. I recently had a total check up and all is ok, but does anyone have any ideas on what this is, and if it´s normal to you guys too.
I don´t know anyone else with PCO.
Many thanks!!!

s~tyro

Welcome!
My ovaries are frustrating buggers. If I'm not on the pill, my ovaries become very painful, get even bigger, and my cysts will grow very large. However, when I'm on the pill I still have aching in my ovaries. My doctor told me my ovaries are around five times the size of normal ovaries and that can put pressure on my nerves. Also, I still make some small cysts even when I'm on the pill. So, this can cause discomfort, too.

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nic_05

(I am new and have not been diagnosed w/ PCOS but I feel like I have these symptoms)

I have twinging or jabbing sensations in my ovary also (right one -- had surgery 2 yrs ago to remove a dermoid). I thought I was a freak or something until I read this. I even got a pinched nerve sensation in my right side, near that ovary and I almost had to stop walking it hurt so bad.

I am seeing my Gyno next week and will tell him about the pinched nerve. I never thought it could be my ovary putting pressure on the nerves!

s~tyro

I think it would really help if your doctor did an ultrasound to measure your ovaries and check for any cysts. Most people with PCOS will have cysts that give a "string of pearls" look to their ovaries, but not ALL PCOS women have this. If your ultrasound shows something, your doctor can test your hormone levels...LH, FSH, Testosterone, etc. If your ultrasound doesn't show any cysts or enlarged ovaries, I would still ask your doctor to test those hormones. If your doctor won't do it, have them send you to an endocrinologist.

p.s. I even have my thighs go numb on occasion. My big ovaries/nerve issues are to blame for that. My doctor told me their pushing on things they shouldn't be pushing on. However; when the numbness or tingling becomes persistent, I usually have a large cyst that developed. Once it shrinks down a bit things improve. I hope this helps.

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nic_05

Thanks for the advice!

Actually, my Gyno had me get a vag u/s in Jan. The right one had what looked like a small calcium deposit, but he said he wasn't worried since it was probably a result of my surgery. My left ovary looked quite large to me (especially in comparison to the rt.) and was full of cysts. But both the u/s tech and my Gyno were not alarmed saying these cysts were normal.

Next week, I am going to ask him to test my hormone levels. Funny you should suggest that because I have had sudden cystic acne (started in Jan.) which is highly unusual for me (I grew up w/ perfect skin). My Gyno said my hormones could be off balance and prescribed 1 mg of Estradoil and Spiralactonde. These meds are somewhat helping but I don't feel 100% yet. I wonder why he didn't suggest, at that time, to check my levels.

Could changes in a woman's reproductive organs, such as surgery, alter her hormone levels? I just feel like this is the root of my problems but am unsure.

Thanks again!

D-Ann1

Hi everyone. I'm new here and am glad to find this website. I've been searching for something like this for about a year now.

I have bad ovarian cyst pain every month on my right ovary. I was prescribed Ortho Tri-Cyclen Lo which works well with me but doesn't help with my recurring cysts. I didn't do well with Yasmin because of the nightly urination. (I take thyroid meds early in the morning so I have to take my bcp at night.)

The pain gets so bad every month on one side that I actually imagine removing it myself. My medical provider, Kaiser Permanente in California, won't remove my ovary. My rt leg goes numb when my ovary is in a lot of pain. Not sure what to do. I just started a PCOS diet today and jog about 5miles a day and do pilates 2x a week.

Does anyone take their bcp continuously to prevent periods so the cysts don't form?

s~tyro

My sides have been so painful at times that I've had dreams that my ovaries were being surgically removed. It must be in my subconscious thoughts. Anyhow, I have taken monophasic (all the same hormone level) pills straight through every two month and then let a period happen on the third month. I still made some cysts, though. I can't take them like that anymore because my insurance will only allow 12 pill packs per year. When you take them straight (skip the placebos), you need more pill packs. Plus, when I take a triphasic (three different hormone levels) pills, my doctor told me I had to take the week off before starting the next pack. I can't remember the reason why. Hope this helps.

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D-Ann1

I respond well to triphasic pills, i.e., Ortho Tri Cyclen. Right now, I'm on Ortho Tri Cyclen Lo and the low dose of hormones don't work well to stop cysts from forming. I called my doctor today to have her call in the regular Ortho Tri Cyclen (not low) so I can hopefully get some relief.

I have insurance, but they only pay for generics and I never tolerated the generic version of OTC very well. So, I opted to pay cash for my brand name pills every month....$57. Ouch. My hubby doesn't mind paying out of pocket because in his mind it's prevents a vasectomy. (We have 3 kids, ages 13, 11 and 2). I'm 36 and don't want any more kidlets.

D-Ann1

Oh...my doctor said the same about stopping for one week inbetween birth control packs. She said with the tri-phasic pills, there is a higher risk of pregnancy for some reason if you take them continuously. She said the monophasic works best for that.

s~tyro

I feel the best on Ortho Tri-Cyclen (regular-not Lo), too. I don't seem to get migraines with it, but I do get them on monophasic pills. My doctor's working on shrinking a large cyst right now, so she gave me a couple of samples of Yaz a month ago. Well, it doesn't agree with me. I had her write me a prescription for the Ortho Tri-Cyclen last week when I had another ultrasound to check the size of my large cyst and my smaller ones, too. We have to get my ovaries to calm down because they're out of control right now.

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D-Ann1

S-tyro...sounds like you've been at this cyst game for awhile.

I had my first cyst when I was 13 and only had 2 periods between then and age 15. At 15, a doctor put me on bcp's to help my pain. I didn't have another cyst till after I had my 3rd child. Now, they appear every month, only on my rt side for about a year now. My doctor doesn't tell me much about them at all. She once said that I had a cyst the size of a grapefruit. The ultrasound tech once old me she counted 5. I never get them looked over again. I'm just told that they'll go away on their own and to take bcp's to help. Finally, today, an endocrinologist said he'll talk to an obgyn about surgery.

s~tyro

Yep...I definitely dislike my ovaries. I've been dealing with cysts since I was a teenager. Before I knew about/and that I had PCOS, I would have these "episodes" where I would drop to my knees from the pain. It felt like my insides were being ripped from my body. My parents took me to the ER a few times and they found free-fluid in my abdominal area from several ruptured cysts. They'd give me antibiotics and send me on my way. When I began looking for answers, doctors would just throw me on BCPs because they didn't know what else to do about it. Finally, when my husband and I had been TTC for YEARS, did my doctor start doing labs to check my hormones. On paper I'm the classic PCOS gal...and I have a lot of the annoying symptoms, but this particular doctor still didn't want to say I had PCOS because I'm not overweight...which is only one of many symptoms of PCOS. I ended up getting another opinion with an endocrinologist and he took one look at my labs and said, "You have PCOS and you have it bad!" It was bitter sweet. I could finally get proper treatment...even though I didn't want this disorder. I've had some large cysts drained because they didn't resolve themselves, but usually they will go down on their own. Apparently my ovaries try to get an egg to mature and then (because of PCOS) the wrong hormone kicks in and confuses the process, which makes the follicle turn into a cyst. Then my own body takes over and starts making the cyst grow bigger and bigger....AHHHHH! I'm going to try to add a couple of ultrasound photos to my photo album here. It'll help explain things.

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D-Ann1

regarding the large cysts being drained, how long did you have to wait? how was the draining procedure done? outpatient?

s~tyro

My doctor generally has me wait 4 weeks to see if the big buggers go down. She doesn't expect it to be completely gone, but it should at least be shrinking in size. Sometimes it works out and sometimes that darn thing will still be there. When I have had cysts drained, it was done by laparoscopy. The doctor made a couple of small incisions (one in my bellybutton and one in my lower abdomen) to go in with a camera and tools to lance, drain, and cauterize the cyst. I went home the same day each time I've had it done. You'll be a bit sore, but nothing compared to full-out surgery. p.s. The procedure alway made me bleed like a medium/heavy period for several days...even if I was taking BCPs and shouldn't be having a period at the time. My doctor said it happens because of irritating the reproductive organs during surgery. Good luck!

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D-Ann1

thanks for the draining info! I hope that the same can be done with me. I don't know if I've been dealing with the same cyst since January or if it is a new one every month. When my leg gets numb, I know it's a big one.