Ovarian cyst (+PAIN) & Working Out ???

[gumbygirl]

Hi Ladies,

I've just been in and out of the emergency room with *excruciating* pain like I'd never felt before. I'd had a misdiagnosis last Sunday when I checked myself in before for similar pain, but they told me I had impaction and I was given stimulants to *fix* it. Bah... So I saw someone who really tested me today and it was found that I have ovarian cysts, which can apparently go away on their own but will tend to cause really bad pain in the meantime.

While I've been going through the pain I've been too weak and exhausted from lack of sleep or being able to eat to go to the gym at all. It's been a week and a half and this is the longest lag I've ever had. Still, though, I don't know if it's safe to work out with an ovarian cyst, or even at what level at which to do it, if it is okay.

I'm now taking Naproxen (not sodium naproxen, like Aleve) for the pain, which helps but not totally and also makes me nauseous. But I know that getting up and walking and not staying in bed helps with the nausea. Now... with ALL that out of the way, my real question is if any of you have some advice on working out with cysts or have any experience of your own with a related condition. Did it make you feel better physically, if not mentally? I know I'd feel better about myself for going... I just don't know if it's medically sound. I've had a history of going to extremes before and then gave myself 2 hernias with surgery, recovery, yadda yadda.. and DON'T want to go through that again.

I'm sorry for the long long post (I'm on medication - that's my excuse!!), but I'm in dire need of advice and experience right now and anything you all could offer would be so much appreciated.

Thanks so much!

~gumbygirl

[Eileen]

I can't really comment on your case, but I did have ovarian cysts myself a couple of times in the past. Yes, they hurt worse than childbirth. But I found that once I knew what was wrong, and that it wasn't dangerous, it was easier to ignore the pain and get on with life. I didn't try to work out, because I don't think I could have mustered the necessary concentration, but light cardio would have been possible.

Both time mine burst on their own just before I was due for surgical removal. It was a hell of a period pain, but at least it was over.

[sillyvent]

I believe my friend had this problem and it was solved with birth control. Did they put you on birth control?

[Lckymii]

Oooh do I feel your pain! I've been there too. It has not hurt me in the least to work out and I find that working out consisitenly has helped with the problem. Although when you are in so much pain it hurts to breathe when those suckers burst doing things slow and gently is the way to go. Ease into movement and don't push it. If your body says stop then stop. But in my experience starting that way takes the edge off and the more I move the better I feel. Also heating pads help with the pain and achey feeling after they burst.
I was put on bc for the cysts and it did not help me with them it made them worse, I just thought I would throw that out there, just another woman's experience with medication thrown at the problem.

[gumbygirl]

Thanks for your responses! It's funny (if that's the right word...) that you say it hurt worse than childbirth Eileen. I remember being on the hospital bed trying to imagine myself as one of those moms you see on TV going "and to think I spent 9 hours of excruciating labor to have you and now you do *this* to me!".... and then feeling jealous of women actually IN labor because at least I knew it would end!!

It's freakin' amazing how much a little cyst can hurt!!!!!!!!!!!

Sillyvent, I haven't been put on BC yet because I went to the ER and have to see a gyno separately who I think would be the one to prescribe it. I know it's a common treatment but OMG! I don't want to be on BC anymore... I must be really sensitive but I blow up like a defective bazooka on it and get depressed to boot. That on top of the pain... geez *sigh* ... Lckymii (reminds me of Nintendo wii hehe), I'm really surprised that it made them worse! I hadn't heard of that but it's reallly good to know because I almost felt like it was going to be my only option. Hearing your experience on that is really well appreciated. I'm defintely going to tell my doctor about that when I see her. And good to hear that you were working out -- and consistently so (good job!!) -- I'm gonna take that to heart too, but see below for my own experience today with exercise and pain management....

This part's kind of amazingly good -- I found that the thing to do is actually distract myself from the pain (like you said Eileen, about mentally getting through it) and the best way to do that is get moving with exercise! This is definitely a blessing to find out, that I can actually zen out from the pain (I like to call it the [Frank] Zane Zen) by focusing on breathing while doing crunches, yoga stuff, even push ups and jumping jacks. I came to this conclusion after literally writhing in agony for hours to the point where i gave up on the idea of sleeping and stormed out of my bedroom and nearly onto the so-happy cats, knowing that if I'm up it must be to feed them

Well, I gave them some kitten chow first hehe... and then I threw myself on the ground and just started crunching... and... it worked!!!

So there's the answer - I not only *can* exercise, it's actually the *only* thing I've been able to do to take me away from the pain.

[gumbygirl]

(geez, I can't believe I write so much... anyway... )

I forgot to ask if any of you have had success with pain medication while you were either waiting out the cyst or for an operation. I tried Naproxen (sucks...) and Tramadol (even worse) and now I have Vicodin that I haven't tried yet but am kinda scared to. I just want to get to something that works. I don't want to be a serial meds user... just .... hurts... soo ... much. I mean, when the crunches wear off

Thanks again!

~gg

[mom2adiva]

Vicodin works for me, I feel ya honey I have a 3 month old and have been having AF with awful cramps every 2 weeks since Dec 21.

[sillyvent]

Sillyvent, I haven't been put on BC yet because I went to the ER and have to see a gyno separately who I think would be the one to prescribe it. I know it's a common treatment but OMG! I don't want to be on BC anymore... I must be really sensitive but I blow up like a defective bazooka on it and get depressed to boot. That on top of the pain... geez *sigh* ... Lckymii (reminds me of Nintendo wii hehe), I'm really surprised that it made them worse! I hadn't heard of that but it's reallly good to know because I almost felt like it was going to be my only option. Hearing your experience on that is really well appreciated. I'm defintely going to tell my doctor about that when I see her. And good to hear that you were working out -- and consistently so (good job!!) -- I'm gonna take that to heart too, but see below for my own experience today with exercise and pain management....

I only ask b/c that was a life altering thing for my friend. She was on birth control for years and got off about 4 months ago....maybe 3 weeks ago she passed out at her desk and was rushed to the hospital. There are many types of birth control. She's using the nuvaring and swears by it....I know her doctor basically said this was the only option to prevent the cycts from coming back. I know you aren't too thrilled about birth control, but there are so many different types out there now it might be life altering for you! Hope all is well!

[Lckymii]

Yup vicodin helps with the killer pain. It sucks having to rely on meds to feel normal, but it does help you lead a somewhat normal life until the cysts pops or gets removed. I am like you I hated being on meds, so I only took the vicodin if the pain was so unbearable I couldn't stand/breathe ect. I found that warm baths with calming smells, like lavender helped. And lots of heating pads, boy I was attatched to mine, I used some rice heated up in a sock and carried that thing around like it was my baby. Since toting a rice filled sock around probably isn't going to work try the heat patches they have now, they didn't have that when I was going through my tough times,sigh.
Also Sillyvent did have a good point for many women birth control really helps the symptoms, I just turned out to be the one that wasn't helped. I just wanted to say that sometimes it isn't a cure all and if you and your doc decide it's best for you just watch your body carefully. Especially if you get depressed. Also I found that before going in to the doc keeping a journal of the days when you had the cysts and when and if they broke and your pain level for that day really gives them more of an idea of what is going on.

[Eileen]

It's funny (if that's the right word...) that you say it hurt worse than childbirth Eileen. I remember being on the hospital bed trying to imagine myself as one of those moms you see on TV going "and to think I spent 9 hours of excruciating labor to have you and now you do *this* to me!".... and then feeling jealous of women actually IN labor because at least I knew it would end!!

Actually, if you are having a normal birth and can stay active during labour, childbirth doesn't actually hurt that much. Well, it does, but since it's the pain of a big muscle working very hard, it's the sort of pain we're used to. Think of it as doing a giant set of squats with progressively shorter and shorter rests.

[kraskin]

Although you have had significant bloating in the past with your birth control option, there are better options in the last few years. Nuvaring is a very low dose hormone option that allows one of the lowest doses of estrogen; the hormones causing the bloating. The other option would be a low dose oral contraceptive pill, 20 mcg pills. Yaz might be an option to talk to your provider about as the androgen in the pill is derived from spironolactone ( a diuretic) and therefore has minimal bloating issues.

Birth control pills do not make the current cyst go away. Birth control hormones prevent the ovary from becoming active and therefore decreases the risk of ovulation (making a cyst). The main problem with low dose hormones is the fact that you have a higher risk of ovulating if you are late on taking your pills or if you take medications/alcohol/tylenol that could raise your p450 system and eat up your hormones. Nuvaring helps prevent these problems as there is no first pass of the liver of the hormones and it is released from the ring without needing to remember a pill.