Pain only during ovulation?: Hi Ladies, Am... - Endometriosis UK

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Pain only during ovulation?

_lovelyness profile image
34 Replies

Hi Ladies,

Am I the only one who suffers like hell only during ovulation and the week after ovulation?

Most people seem to have terrible endo pain during their periods, but it's not the case for me.

In fact my period pain is a walk in the park compared to my post-O pain.

I had a laparoscopy last April which brought me no relief whatsoever, despite the fact that endo wand adhesion were found and removed. Pain killers bring me no relief whatseover. The pain is debilitating, excruciating, it feels like I'm in labour, it radiates in my pelvis, hips, vagina, rectum, tailbone....

It comes like clockwork, every single month without fail, once ovulation has taken place, and it's been like this for the past three years.

The doc is now wondering if the endo could have damaged the pudendal nerve.

I just don't get the chronic nature of my pain, why it comes at that specific time in my cycle, and why it differs from the usual endo timeframe.

What sucks even more, is that I'm trying to conceive for the first time, and my pain flare-ups happen at a crucial time when fertilization and embryo implantation should be taking place.

I would love to hear from anyone who can shed some light on this, or has experienced the same thing as me.

Thanks !

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34 Replies
aimee22 profile image
aimee22

Hi lovely,

It sounds silly but reading your post has made me feel better. I have been having one of those 'is this just me?!' situations!

I'm having a bad couple of days. My pain is excruciating and my mum ended up calling an ambulance last night as i passed out from the pain.

I was on decapeptyl injections for 6 months and had the last one in december. The consultant i saw did an internal ultrasound and said it looks like i am mid cycle and will be ovulating any day now, which is why i'm experiencing such horrendous pain.

I've never experienced ovulation pain until now and pray to God that it's just a one off. I really feel for you having to go through this every month. Can i ask how you manage to get through it? Do you go to hospital? What pain relief you take? I'm currently taking dihydracodeine, dicolfenac and paracetamol but they really aren't touching the pain.

Last night i was given gas and air by the paramedics which helped a tiny bit and then IV morphine which took the edge off slightly. however when i got to A&E i had a really horrible nurse who said she can see on my record that i've been in A&E a lot (which was before I had surgery in Oct) and she wouldn't give me any more morphine as she thinks i'm addicted and basically only going to hospital for morphine. Luckily my partner was there (i was in too much pain to even fight my corner) and after getting quite angry and demanding to speak to her superior, i was finally given some more.

I'm in such a bad place at the minute. I already feel like such a burden when i go to the doctors or hospital etc but she has made me feel so much worse.

After being transferred to gynae, the on call doctor there said that i need an emergency care plan in place so that if i end up in A&E again, i wont be treated like that and will just get the pain relief i meed. But i know how the system works... Nothing is done quickly.

Sorry... I went off on a bit of a tangent there. i'm just so mad still!

I'm in the same boat as you regarding trying to conceive. my specialist said as soon as i start ovulating again that me and my partner should start trying.. But if i'm going to experience this pain every months then i can't see how we'll be able to try.

Hope you'r okay. X

in reply to aimee22

Oh bless you. I had a similar experience in A&E. Once the realised I didn't have appendicitis, they sent me home with 'bad period pains'! I felt like a child, I'm 39!!!! All the best. X

_lovelyness profile image
_lovelyness in reply to aimee22

Hi Hun.

I too feel so much better knowing that I'm not the only one going through this.

I've had my share of unhelpful medical staff at A&E so sometimes I don't even want to go, even if I'm suffering like mad. It makes my blood boil reading how you were treated.

Ovulation pain is a beast. I've also had a ruptured ovarian cyst in the past, and I wonder if you could have been experiencing that.

These past couple of months, I try to only take paracetamol and use my hot water bottle or TENSE machine, because I'm scared of taking heavy duty stuff which could be detrimental to an embryo. So I obviously suffer a lot but I tell myself if that's what it takes to get pregnant, then it will be worth it. My partner disagrees with that, and I can see his point and I know he hates to see me suffer like this. But what can I do.

I'm on the waiting list for the fertility clinic, and really pray they will be able to help me

Shermum profile image
Shermum in reply to _lovelyness

Raptured ovarian cyst pain is indescribable!! I do think I have high pain threshold (not taking paracetamol and bearing with the pain all these years) but that episode sent me curl up in excruciating pain and send me by ambulance to A&E, my blood pressure went low, I just could not function mentally .. horrific

kitty270 profile image
kitty270

Hi ovulation is the worst pain for me. I get crippling throbbing ovaries lower tail bone pain, struggle to sit as the pain radiates from my bottom and on worst days i can't walk due to stiffening sacral ligaments and adhesion pain. I understand your pain. I was diagnosed with endometriosis in 2012 and have had three ops since then my last one where I had excision surgery in June. Which really helped. I also had left ovary and uterus stuck to my bowel and my bowel was caked in endo. They did test my tubes and thankfully they were clear. However the good news...despite my pain I always new when I was ovulating ( the only positive side effect!) so me and my husband would have ,what we called "gentle sex" for five days during this time and now I am overjoyed to say I am pregnant after 5 months. Luckily i do not have much pain in the act of sex only deep pelvic pain if we are a bit too deep. If you can find a position that's comfortable it is possible to conceive during this painful time. Obviously some months I couldn't do it at all but just take each day as it comes and I hope you get some joy. Take care and good luck.

_lovelyness profile image
_lovelyness in reply to kitty270

Hi Kitty.

Gosh, sounds so much like me.

My second lap, I had the lower appendix stuck to the abdominal wall.

I always know when ovulation happens, because I get a sharp stabbing pain, then a dull ache for a good 3-4 hours after that.

I forgot to mention that on top of the endo, I also have PCOS.

Congratulation on your pregnancy, and I pray I can have a good news soon.

ally3074 profile image
ally3074 in reply to _lovelyness

Hi I know this is an old thread but I suffer like this every month for the last 8 yrs religiously on day 21 the horrendous pain begins for 3-5 days continuously .. I get the 2 days at ovulation that I can tolerate but a wk later it debilitates me ..had my lap in April for endometriosis and no change .. I was reading up on luteinising unruptured follicle syndrome..has anyone heard of this before .. where the follicle just keeps growing larger and dosent pop when it should..it wld explain my pain a wk after ovulation ..then it eventually stops growing and reabsorbs bak I to the body ..it's just so weird that's it clockwork every mth ..wld certainly explain things if it was ..

Allison

Hi

I get mid cycle pain. I have always felt quite sensitive during that part of my cycle, I could tell which side I was ovulating on. But over the years the pain has got worse. In the last 4 years I have developed endometriomas, which is probably why the pain is now much more horrific. I sometimes bleed, but that seems dependant on how much exercise I have been doing (dreadful if I have been doing a lot of running). Could this be the case for you? x

_lovelyness profile image
_lovelyness in reply to

Hi Marie.

Same here, It seems I'm prone to endometriomas or heamorragic cysts lately.

They found one on the right ovary during my 2nd lap last April, they didn't touch it tho. And a pelvic scan I had two weeks ago, showed there's one on the left ovary (half the size of the ovary!).

So when I get my excruciating pains the days after ovulation, I can feel a very distinct searing pain on that left ovary as well.

Bb11 profile image
Bb11

You are not alone - I too have horrendous ovulation pain. Wish I could offer more comfort than that............

_lovelyness profile image
_lovelyness in reply to Bb11

Thanks girl.

I don't wish it on anyone obviously, but knowing I'm not alone in this does bring some comfort

No you far from alone. I started my periods when I was 12 I am now almost 43 I went 3 years with painful periods then when I was 15 one month I had pain mid cycle this carried on each month until I was referred to a gynaecologist he just told me to excersise more! Very helpful NOT... but this was the 80's. I carried on like this every month with the exception of a brief time on the depo injection but also the pain only ever lasted 48 hours max but this all changed after the birth of my son 11 and half years ago. My periods returned exactly 6 weeks after giving birth and 2 weeks later the most horrendous mid cycle pain was felt. Too cut a long story short I was digonosed with mild endo a year after giving birth via laproscopic surgery but they could not tell me why the ovaries where causing me so much pain I had 6 months of Zolodex and as soon as I stopped the pain returned. Like you my periods don't cause me any issues but I still have to put up with 7 to 10 days of horrendous ovary pain, infact I am day 6 of this months pain. Again the pain has changed where it used to be one sided I now feel it on both sides down my legs in my bottom etc. I saw a gynaecologist last year and a hysterectomy was the only suggestion (due to medical reasons I can't take the pill etc) at 42 I just wasn't ready too loose everything and be thrown into a menopause and especially when the gynaecologist said he didn't know for sure if this would stop all my pain!!

So no you are not alone I used to think I was until I joined this forum.

I just pray that I go through a natural early menopause but with my track record I will probably go into my mid fifties :-(

_lovelyness profile image
_lovelyness in reply to

Oh dear.

So sorry to hear how much you suffered. All these unhelpful clueless docs are infuriating.

The pain does indeed shift. It has a mind of its own. At times I feel pressure on my hips, sometimes on both sides, sometimes I can almost feel the pain traveling down my nerves. the pain in the butt and cervix is terrible. It's just so weird.

It's bad enough I suffer when I ovulate. But I would expect it to be a one off thing, when the egg pops out. What baffles me, is why after ovulation has happened, I should still experience pain several times a day, for several days...then it goes....until it comes again the following month :(

in reply to _lovelyness

Hi lovelyness, you have said exactly what I have always said, that why do we have the pain before and after ovulation we are told you can only get pregnant one day a month so why all this pain, my pain usually starts around day 11 of a cycle and can continue until day 20, I can understand the pain building up before the egg is released but surely like you said once the follicle has burst that should be the end of it but it seems not for us and many other girls but I've never found a gynaecologist who can give me the answers as basically that don't know.

I wish you all the best in trying to conceive :-)

_lovelyness profile image
_lovelyness in reply to

OMG. Same here. I can feel the pinching pain of the follicles growing. Then the stabbing pain from ovulation. And then the horrendous pain for days after ovulation. Makes no sense at all.

Rache_1 profile image
Rache_1 in reply to _lovelyness

Yea that's exactly what is happening to me too. Do you have endo or mittleshmerz?

Char998 profile image
Char998 in reply to Rache_1

I am sorry I reached this thread so late. I am currently in my ovulation phase and in a lot of pain.

The way my dr described it is that when you ovulate the motion of the egg travelling through your phallopian tube can pull on adhesions that you have and therefore causes the pain and inflammation!

I currently only have “suspected endometriosis” the gyno diagnosed me with heavy bleeding (ha!) and gave me a choice of combatting the pain or bleeding but not both! Still fighting for the laparoscopy

I wonder if the pain is the trauma of the egg release? My ovaries are apparently rammed with cysts, so it would make sense that it might hurt afterwards? X

_lovelyness profile image
_lovelyness in reply to

Who knows. I also have PCOS (so multiple small cysts), but also endometriomas from time to time (blood filled cysts).

If it's the ovulation and aftermath from it, why is the pain not localized on just the ovaries. My pain also comes in wave. It will last for half an hour solid of agony...then eases off....then comes back again 3 hours later for another half hour...than ease off. I can have this up to 5 times a day at random hours. It can wake me up in the middle of the night, or start when I'm out and about. It will be like this for almost a week. And then it will just go away. A week will go by, and then my period will come.

That's the pattern, every single month.

in reply to _lovelyness

That sounds familiar. I have pain now, on day 20 of my cycle! It doesn't come in waves though, it's fairly constant. When I first started feeling these pains and they weren't localised to the ovaries, my GP told me that the pain radiates to different areas depending on nerve endings and patterns? As you say, who actually knows?! X

Koesister profile image
Koesister in reply to _lovelyness

Lovelyness!

Have you discovered what the cause of your symptoms are?

Mine are, almost word for word the same - timing, duration, everything.

I am at absolute wits end as to what to do to find relief.

I am tempted at times (during that excruciating half hour) to rip out my eyeballs so as to distract myself from the overy pain...!

joanasouza profile image
joanasouza in reply to Koesister

My pain is also exactly the same but i dont have a diagnosis i am from Portugal have you done any treatment or exame? Thank you

angelyn profile image
angelyn

My pain started out as burning pain the week after my period! I wouldnt say my periods were massively painful, but over the course of a year they changed from lasting for 1 week, every 3 weeks to lasting for 2 weeks and happening every 2 weeks.

Had my lap xmas eve where they found endo on my bladder. Unfortunately, my pain is now every day and Ive now developed kidney pain as well, but it all started out with ovulation pain! I've read that if you have endometriomas this can cause pain during ovulation so that may be something to consider and I could have sworn that PCOS causes ovulation pain as well.

Dont let them fob you off, and you should be given appropriate painkillers for your condition. I started off with mefemanic, then coedine, then tramadol, then tramadol plus amytryptaline, then tramadol plus amytryptaline plus paracetamol and ibruprofen, then tramadol plus amatryptaline plus naproxen. As I've told the medical professionals who think "bad periods"(even though im in pain everyday), this pain is worse than any broken bones I have experienced in the past. So they really should be managing your pain levels.

xx

Hi lovelyness I was one of the many who gave you a reply 4 months ago I was just going through old posts. How are you doing now how's the pain? I m now under an endo specialist and waiting for lap number 4 as my pain continues I'm hoping he finds out what is going on inside and can remove any endo found that's the plan anyway but I'm not holding my breath as it's been going on for so many years now. Take care x

beano_1 profile image
beano_1

I have endo on my bladder and uterus and every month at about day 13 I start to get a sharp uncomfortable swelling feeling in my bladder and vagina. This will then get worse to the point where I feel my uterus pulsing and the vagina burns like hell which then causes my bladder to burn. I look and feel like I am going to pass something through my vagina because it feels so swollen. I end up taking antibiotics because it calms my bladder down. My question is how the hell can you try to get pregnant when this happens at the same time every month? It is so frustrating. I am going to go and see my doctor to. Also you can only take paracetamol if trying to get pregnant but it so tempting with the pain to take something stronger.

Teachfirst profile image
Teachfirst

Bless you all. I finally found others that are experiencing the exact same pain that I have every month. Five years ago my Dr. put me on birth control to keep me from ovulating so that I wouldn't have pain. After five years, I decided it was time to get off of them because I am going to be fifty this year. My first month off my period returned and so did the ovulation pain. In the past six months I have been to my ob/gyn three times. I feel like no one believes the amount of pain I am in. My doctor says she can't explain the pain, that it could be endo but doesn't know. She acts confused that it is on the same side every month 7-10 days after my period. I have tried to explain the pain as dibilitating, intermittent, lasting twenty minutes then going away. It wakes me at night like a contraction then subsides. It is always in the same spot but also travels down my inner thigh. I also feel like my bowels are involved. I get gas bubbles that seem to come when the pain is peaking. I now worry that the endo is attached there. My doctors seem to have none of these concerns though. It confuses me. I just want an explaination! This pain is now lasting 5-6 days mid cycle. Had an ultrasound done to look for cysts and they found one on the opposite side. I went to a new ob/gyn today. My Doctor wasn't available so I saw her partner and went through the same story. She too wouldn't offer up a reason. She basically had the same response and offered birth control options to control ovulation. She agreed that it sounded like endometriosis but she said that the pain I was describing was unusual. By the end of the appointment, we decided on the most drastic option. Hysterectomy, removal of left ovary and both tubes. I also have adenomyosis which causes heavy bleeding so the removal of the uterus makes sense. I feel like this was my decision and that worries me. I hope I am making the right choice? I just want this pain resolved. Thank you for letting me share my story. I feel validated having read about your experiences.

joanasouza profile image
joanasouza in reply to Teachfirst

I feel exactly the same Word by word all the doctors say my symptoms are unusual i am only ok When im on birth control... i want to conceive for the first time and the doctors dont know what i have and what to do

Tessa123 profile image
Tessa123

Ladies I've been suffering with the exact same pain as everyone on here but I've done some research and believe that this mid cycle pain we are having is called Mittelschmerz. I'm yet to see a g.p to tell them this is what I have because I've been to so many doctors and hospitals and none of them could work it out, so I ended up self diagnosing myself. But from what I've read I don't think there's much that can really be done in terms of treatment, which I'm really upset about because this pain is the equivalent to labour and who wants to be going through this every month!

jenniibee profile image
jenniibee

I'm still reading up and trying to self-diagnose my symptoms as I've been in agony for about 9 months on and off now and my pain usually builds up during ovulation that takes me all the way through to when my period starts and it's actually a relief for me when it does!!

I get pain in my left side most months (I had a 3 month stint when my body decided to be nice to me but then it all kicked off again last month) and like yours it radiates everywhere to the point that I have to pace the floor, I can't think straight, I've scarred the skin across my abdomen from putting scalding hot water bottles against myself to try and ease the pain and I've also taken myself to A&E numerous times from the sheer terror that I'll collapse from the pain.

It's horrific and after numerous X-rays, CT scans and ultrasounds I'm *finally* being referred to a gynaecologist who I'm praying will be able to help. I'm on the pill and the first three months it really helped but it seems to have been short lived and I'm back to square one again. Nightmare.

Just got to keep it together and keep fighting together I guess! It's great to be able to share experiences.

joanasouza profile image
joanasouza

Hello i am from portugal and i have the exact Same Pain scrutiating pain during ovulation and the week after is horrible pain ... i am also trying to conceive for the first time and its impossible i had to go Back to the continuos birth control... i have no diagnosis and i am searching for every clue possible.

Did you do any treatment? Anything?

Thank you

kelsbels88 profile image
kelsbels88

I too get pain mid cycle however feel rather bad as it doesn’t seem to be as bad as some of you ladies, so I send lots of condolences for that. I hope you all find your answers soon. Xxx

joanasouza profile image
joanasouza

I have the exact same pain only during ovulation is excruciating... I had my first cirurgy in may and removed some adesions... also trying to conceive...

jhill2323 profile image
jhill2323

My story is very similar to yours and the replies below. Something not mentioned that I think is helping me is looking into the psoas muscle. By pure accident a reflexologist noted during my ovulation pain one month a tight ball of muscle up and under my ribcage. He worked on it, like loosening it, and it was so helpful. When I saw him on another occasion when it wasn't during my ovulation the tight ball of muscle was not there. I started going to a massage therapist the day before my monthly ovulation pain comes (always day 7 of my cycle) and she noted a tightening of a different muscle (but maybe connected?) - the poses muscle that wraps around from the back to the front and down to the groin. Over the years and getting a massage also sometimes when not ovulating, she noted that this psoas muscle starts tightening prior to my ovulation period. It makes total sense in relation to my symptoms... I get very gassy (both ends :/) and it feels like something is clamping down on my colon and/or intestines... I feel it near where I think my ovaries are, along my intestines/colon, lower back, bum, and also a little bit when I pee/kidneys. When I get this muscle massaged prior to the pain starting there have been months that it never comes. If I get it too late once the pain has started, the massage usually helps a lot, but doesn't get rid of it totally. Thank you for this opportunity to share what is so hard to explain to any medical professional or family, or friend. I know what I am saying helps me is weird, but just wanted to share in case it provides anyone a glimmer of relief. I have a 2 year old and had a bit of a break from the pain but the last few months it has been back in full force so I am forced to start researching and dealing with it again. My husband helped me yesterday by doing some psoas muscles stretches he found online... he also found some articles on endometriosis and the psoas muscle and ovulation. One article mentioned that when this muscle tightens it can cut (or minimize) the blood flow to the ovaries. I hate yoga, but am willing to try it, I am hopeful that keeping this muscle flexible might provide some relief. I am happy to find this post even if it is old. If I figure anything out on this new track of research I will return with what I find. By the way, the last 2 days I did the stretches and took 1 oxycodone and felt like a normal human being. I am lucky to have a doctor that will prescribe me 3 oxycodone's a month. I guess because I only ask for 3 she trusts that I am not an oxycodone junkie :( But it is the only drug that I have found to take the edge off of the pain. Muscle relaxers (I thought these would work with the psoas muscle connection) just knock me out and I still feel the pain, and it is not practical to be in bed 3-5 days doped up with a 2 year old :( I pray for all of you suffering from this. No one else understands the pain and how depressing it is as the days go by, your period starts, and this is around the corner. It is taking away from the quality of my life and this chapter with my precious baby girl...

ClaireHall28 profile image
ClaireHall28

This is amazing! Have you discovered any other links over the years? I would be keen to investigate this myself. Thanks

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