Ovarian Cyst pain - Please please please can someone help/advise on pain management?

[ipmacs]

Hi all, I apologise for the essay but thought best to cover all bases.

Posting in Endometriosis as my GP thinks I have it (runs in the family) but my Gynae is reluctant to investigate because of my age (28). I did have a lapa years ago to remove a cyst and small lesions were noted but apparently that's not enough for my Gynae to look into it further *rolls eyes*. My GP is brilliant though and he treats and manages me for it until the Gynae will investigate it.

Anyway, went to the GP around January 2016 and had an ultrasound on my ovaries as I was experiencing the same pain from when I had my first (known) cyst in 2008. Low and behold, it's another one. Not overly worried as it's a small one and it's "rupturing" which "is likely the cause of your discomfort.. We'll scan you again in 4 months to see whether it's gone on its own. Bye.". Been on this road before so fair enough... that was 2 months ago now I think. I've been noticing that day-to-day it isn't really an issue (my first one was though so in comparison is minor!), just a niggle sometimes - especially if the cat jumps up.. he has a tendency land with his weight right on the damned thing.

However, when it comes to my period being due it's incredible that my affected ovary hurts like a thousands hen pecks (I have hens, when they're radged or excited for mealworms they're feisty!!) for a few days before I actually come on. My days it is horrendous. On Sunday of last weekend though, I found myself becoming suddenly tired after I walked the dog and I was clammy. At first I thought maybe withdrawal from Tramadol (I'm really careful with it as I know the body can become addicted) but I had had one in the morning. It wasn't a sudden tooth infection as I didn't have the aches associated with an infection. I was just really clammy and ridiculously tired for a good 4-5 hours until it eventually subsided. There was a little pain but nothing worth taking Ibuprofen for.

Today at work has been the ultimate worst so far and it hit me as I was half way walking into York from work over lunch. My right hip hurts on the outside of the joint so it's unrelated to the cyst but is a coincidence it hurts at the same time and the ovary was kicking off so I knew I had either just 'come on' or was imminent.

My next Ultrasound isn't for a few months now. But my question to anyone who can help is why is a Cyst that is medically small and "normal" according to my Gynae causing so much pain? I know when they're rupturing gradually it can cause a bit of pain but the fact that this one is smaller than the first but is on par with the pain level is baffling me. And it ALWAYS hurts a lot more a few days before I come on - my periods are irregular but I now always know when I will come on as the ovary will kick off. I don't remember that though with my first cyst, my first one was a constant niggling pain. Has anyone else had this before and offer advice on how to manage it until my next scan? And even then I'm worried the next scan will show it still small (or even smaller!) so how do I explain it really hurts when it must physically look beyond a minor hindrance in the eyes of a doctor?

I don't want to come across to them as someone who can't handle pain - I can, my shoulder subluxates all the time and all my joints are hypermobile and are starting to cause issues so I can handle and manage pain fine. We have 2 cats, a dog and 5 hens and I'm the sole carer of them all (OH helps out but it's like an unspoken agreement that I'm the main person to look after their health needs) so everyday I'm up early for the hens, sort the cats, OH walks dog in the morning and I walk in the afternoon plus evening games for him or brushing etc. I love gardening so I'm constantly out and about and am active, I'm not overweight and classed as "ideal" in the ridiculous BMI scale. We both work in full time office jobs and every 4 weeks I travel to somewhere in the UK to work from one of our offices and every 8 weeks stay overnight in one of the office locations. So I am active and I do 'get on with it' and since 2008/2009 (when I had my first cyst which was so painful!) I haven't had any time off for it... But this is just really getting to me and is so much more when it's time for my period to start.

There's no point in me crying to my GP about it as the scan is in a month or so, so I may as well wait. But would really love some advice on how to manage it until then? (Unless of course it gets emergency bad, then I'll do the right thing and ring someone but in the meantime, if I can manage it I want to avoid being a pain in the proverbial to the NHS).

Thanks so much to anyone at all who can help.

[JeanOsborne]

Hi I would suggest you get your GP to refer you to a BSGE endo centre. You need a lap to find out exactly what is going on, as your current gyne seems useless.

[Tboag]

At your age of 28 , what does that mean, you can have a laparoscopy at any age, and just because only minimal endo was found, you have it, si they gave no idea how much it's changed, it dosnt show up on a scan,

Get your gp to refer you to a bsge specialist centre,

Xxx

[KSvedenmacher]

I agree with the other ladies, get a referral to a BSGE, you shouldn't have to be in this much pain. I am sick of GPs saying we just have to get on with it, if a man came in complaining about that much pain in his testicles, he would be rushed to hospital right away.

It does sound like endometriosis to me and the scan isn't going to show endometriosis. A lap is really the best for that. And they do laps on 18 year olds, so to say he doesn't want to investigate due to your age is rubbish. Sorry to say but your GP doesn't sound like he knows what he's talking about.