Advice on Ovarian Cysts

Updated on April 21, 2009
C.T. asks from San Antonio, TX
11 answers

I'm 37 and the doctor found a cyst on my ovary. It is very painful, but I don't want to go on the pill cuz strokes and heart disease run in my family. Money is tight so I can't really afford an operation either. Any suggestions?

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J.H.

answers from Columbus on

I understand your concern about "the pill", but they can shrink the cyst usually in a matter of months. This would be much cheaper than having an operation and hopefully not affect your risk of stroke too much. If you don't smoke and are a healthy weight you are probably okay to take the pill for a short period of time without too much risk to your cardiac health. The cyst may shrink on it's own, too. If you are really concerned about taking hormones than I would suggest taking Tylenol and giving it a few months. Make sure you check back with your doctor. Good luck!

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K.T.

answers from Houston on

Birth Control pills usually help with cysts very quickly. If you don't smoke, you could speak with your dr about your concerns and see if a short-term round of pills might help. Depending on how big the cyst is, it could be a normal cyclical cyst.

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C.L.

answers from San Antonio on

Unfortunately you pretty much eliminated the two treatment options. My only suggestion is to take pain management meds when you need them and take comfort knowing the pain is coming from a source that isn't doing much damage. Sometimes we feel pain and react more because of the worry about why out body is in pain then the pain itself, so maybe knowing the pain is from a cyst will let you coast with pain management until you can have the operation.

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M.N.

answers from Longview on

I have had ovarian cysts a couple of times and my dr gave me some anti-inflamitory/pain meds and they went away on their own. You may want to ask about that and wait and see. They are very painful. I remember laying on the couch crying with mine.

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K.S.

answers from College Station on

I would be very careful about ovarian cysts. I had one at the age of 24 and it grew to 22 cm and ended up needing surgery to remove it. I lost my right reproductive organs. I am 28 and doing fine but until I had my 1st baby almost 2 years ago had to stay on the pill to suppress any cysts from growing back. I would take the pill if I were. Check with your Dr. and get all the info before making your final decision.

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J.C.

answers from Houston on

I had a similar problem, my cyst was measured at 12 cm. But with only once cycle of the lowest dosage birth control pill it had ruptured and without any noticeable discomfort. It might be worth a shot for you to at least try under doctors supervision. Hopefully it will go away just as fast for you. Good luck.

R.D.

answers from College Station on

There are some good natural remedies to this condition. I suggest that you look into it. A naturalpath doctor might be a good place to start.

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H.P.

answers from Houston on

Read up on ovarian health and take a trip to your nearest health food store. Check out this site: http://www.herbs2000.com/disorders/ovarian_cyst.htm.

Also, check out the Native Remedies site. I order from there.

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N.S.

answers from Houston on

and my girlfriend (with an 8yo daughter) just came home from the hospital after surgery from a ruptured ovarian cyst yesterday. She went in to the ER last Saturday with abdominal pain and found out rather quickly it was caused by a ruptured ovarian cyst.
Whatever choice you go with - make a decision and go with it. Research your choices, talk to your doctor about options.
The hospital stay and surgery was very very had on my friends daughter - their little minds go off in all sorts of directions with something like this.
Research, gather your info, talk to your dr, make a decision and take care of yourself.

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M.P.

answers from Houston on

I had a ruptured ovarian cyst over 20 years ago. It was a very painful experience and it took 2 trips to the emergency room to diagnose (it was on my right side so they thought it might be my appendix), so by the time they decided to do emergency surgery I was just happy to finally get some relief. I have been on the pill pretty much ever since (except when I was pregnant with my 2 kids, of course) and have not had any further problems with cysts. Of course, my family has a very good medical history, so I haven't been too worried about the risks from the pill. I suggest you do some research to determine what are the highest risks (ruptured cyst vs. heart disease or stroke) and which option is best for you with your health and family history.

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S.L.

answers from Austin on

My good friend has fibroid cysts, and has had great luck using acupuncture to shrink them. Good luck!

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