Question about cysts/PCOS. I need your stories!

[Beeptime]

Hi Lovelies,

After my 8th Positive OPK in a row, I am doing some investigating. I am what I believe to be 12DPO. NO temping b/c NTNP. I have read that PCOS & ovarian cysts can cause you LH to stay high causing repeat positive OPKs. I don't have any of the "symptoms" of PCOS that I can find. Pretty regular cycles, not overweight, actually have been losing a little weight without effort, very little body hair, don't remember the others. Anyway, I'm sure there might still be a chance that I have it considering I can't self diagnose, especially without a hormone panel. My other thought was just a cyst or two?

My question is this- What does having a cyst feel like for you? Cramps? Aches? All over? One sided? How about DURING the TWW as opposed to the rest of your cycle?

For over a week (during my TWW, but NOT before O) I've been having dull achey cramps. They have been totally moving around. Sometimes near my right ovary, sometimes near the left, sometimes near my belly button, but mostly centered very low in my uterus area. Also have been having mega lower back ache/cramps this entire time as well. Aches and pains all over different areas at different times. Just trying to find out if this sound like typical cramping/aches from cysts?

Thank you for taking the time to respond!

 

[MemmaJ]

I probably won't be very helpful because I was diagnosed with cysts a couple of months ago, and didn't even know I had them..! I'd had no symptoms!

Like you - I'm slim, normal amount of body hair, no textbook PCOS symptoms.. and have fairly regular cycles/periods. Which all makes sense because my blood results actually aren't bad (my testosterone was normal, just one other hormone was slightly high).

I only went to the doctor originally, because I'd had a couple of episodes of mid-cycle spotting and also pain during intercourse. These were both new things for me and normally I'd have just ignored them - but we'd been TTC for 6 months by then, and I just knew something wasn't right (gut instinct!). So I went to the doctor about those things on their own, knowing they wouldn't do anything if I had just gone about infertility.

She arranged my blood tests and sent me for ultrasounds - and I do have cysts on my ovaries, which I was surprised about..!
Apparently the cysts means I'm 'probably' not ovulating (despite positive OPK's, as they don't really mean anything), but I've never had a day 21 Progesterone test as it's classed as a 'fertility investigation' so I'm not allowed it.

Is there any way you can have an ultrasound done just to clarify things? Like I said, I had no real symptoms so it's not always obvious!

 

[Dia0624]

Hey, a few years ago I had an ovarian cyst that became problematic. At first I didn't feel anything, the only reason I knew something was wrong because when we dtd it hurt me a lot. It hurt to a point where I was afraid of doing it. Then came spotting between cycles along with a dull cramp. It was ok for the first few months but as it continued to get bigger my pain got worse. The pain basically was located on the side of the cyst, it doesn't move around and it certainly wouldn't be felt near your bellybuton. It feels like an ache. My pelvic bones also hurt.. Similarly to the aches I feel during the first day of periods. But mine got bigger and prior to finally getting it removed I remember that it was so painful that I couldn't walk to work. My doc didn't believe it when I told her how much pain I was it, she said a cyst couldn't be that painful but it was and it went away immediately after the procedure. I had a similar ache recently and I was told I have a functional cyst but I never got it checked again so I'm not sure if it's still there but doesn't seem like it is.
Like the pp said, get an ultra sound done that's the only way to know for sure. Are you sure you're getting that many positive opk? Cuz it's sometimes very hard to distinguish if it's a true positive, that's why I prefer the clear blue ones that give a smiley.. No second guessing with them.

 

[Charmed86]

The only way you will know if you have PCOS is to go to your Dr & get the necessary tests. Also, it is possible to have PCOS without the cysts! There are 3 main criteria to diagnosing PCOS, you must have 2 out of the 3 to be diagnosed. These are:
Annovulation
Hormonal Imbalance
Cysts

You can't possibly know whether you have these without being tested by a Dr. No amount of speculation or comparing your symptoms will really help you.

And, for what it's worth, I don't have any of the 'classic' PCOS symptoms. I don't have excessive hair or trouble losing weight, I don't have a problem with sugar/insulin & therefore not prescribed metformin, like some women are.

 

[Beeptime]

Thank you ladies so much for your responses. I will definitely go get checked out. I just figure, that last time I got my hormone panel they would have told me if something was up. But I'll go get checked again as I don't think it's normal to get this many days of pos opks. And Yes, to my knowledge, they are true positives. Test line darker than the control line.

 

[hopefulfor1st]

When I was diagnosed I had 49 cysts (up to 18 is considered normal, any more points to pcos) they e never caused me any cramping / discomfort / pain etc

 

[Charmed86]

When I was diagnosed I had 49 cysts (up to 18 is considered normal, any more points to pcos) they e never caused me any cramping / discomfort / pain etc

It's such a funny condition.. I have no cysts & yet have PCOS! Go figure! I have a hormonal imbalance & was suffering with annovulation. I guess technically now I don't have PCOS!

 

[imstacey21]

I had one a few times. For me I generally only felt it when DTD. Either on the right or left side of the uterus. Only could feel it when done at certain angles. It feels like a sharp but manageable pain. If it gets big enough you might feel it when walking around or bending over. 800mg of Ibuprofen helps a lot.