Painful Ovulation *lady topic*

[Smurfysmiles]

ETA: Meant for this to be in Family & Home. Have requested it to be moved, thanks

Does anyone else get painful ovulation with the cramps and everything? It's almost to the point where it's as bad as regular mentrual cramps and I can't seem to find anything to make it feel better

I was hoping someone on here might be having the same issues and have some remedies. I can't tell you how much it would be appreciated if you did. I've tried midol and hot pads and neither seems to help, blah.

 

[Hudson_Hawk]

Yep! Well not anymore, but I''ve always been plagued by middleschmertz (sp?). I just did what I''d do if it were AF, take 800mg ibuprofen every 4-6 hours, drink lots of water and use a heating pad if needed.

 

[Smurfysmiles]

it''s rough being a woman!

 

[Hudson_Hawk]

Ain''t that the truth sister! Oh and FYI you get cramps when you''re knocked up too.

 

[Smurfysmiles]

well crap, im lookin forward to menopause now lol

 

[radiantquest]

I used to have lots of pain and when I got my period the pain was so bad that I threw up and could not funtion for 3-5 days. I went on Depo Provera shot and have not had a period in about 10 years. I also dont get pms, cramps ever, back pain, headaches. None of the things assocated with it. There are so many people that think it is bad for you, but it isnt at all. I always ask the doctor in case new information has come out and it is all fine. I have one of the best gynecologists in the state of MD and he has assured me several times that it isnt causing me any harm. I go pick up the shot at the pharmacy $25 then take it ti the office $19 4 times a year. It is cheap and I dont have a period. I wouldnt have it any other way. The only drawbacks are that it can cause weight gain. I was a size 0 in HS and now I am a size 6 so it has caused weight gain, but being 5''10" I am ok at size 6 and dont look chunky. The only other thing is the risk for osteoporosis, which is a problem for women anyway. I take Womens One a Day and an extra Calcium +D supplement and my doctors tell me that I am doing everything right and that if I want to stay on it until I hit meopause that is fine.

 

[luckystar112]

I have extremely out of whack cycles that last 50-60 days. I think I feel ovulation...I start getting cramps on day 30 (when normal people would be starting a new cycle), and then another 30 days goes by before I actually get my period. BUT, then I read that its likely people with cycles as long as mine aren''t even ovulating...so who knows.

I will...after I get health insurance.

Oh, and my cramps sound a lot like radiantquests. I get a ton of sciatic nerve pain and the cramps are unbearable....it''s awful. I cry and cry and I''m basically immobile for a few days. This can be a sign of endometriosis, but since the periods I DO get are rather normal, it''s unlikely that I have it. My mother did have it though. I used to think there was no way I could endure labor if I could barely handle period cramps--I thought what I was experiencing is normal. But it''s not--thank goodness. I''ve read that some of us unlucky folks get cramps are similar to labor contractions. I''ve never had a child, but I''m assuming mine are like that because I can''t imagine them being much worse before I''d be begging for an epidural. lol.

 

[dcgator]

Date: 2/11/2010 3:49:59 PM
Author: Hudson_Hawk
Yep! Well not anymore, but I''ve always been plagued by middleschmertz (sp?). I just did what I''d do if it were AF, take 800mg ibuprofen every 4-6 hours, drink lots of water and use a heating pad if needed.

Smurfy, I am sorry you are having such pains.

It could be as HH descibes or it could be a bit more involved. I would have severe pain, that nothing solves. My pain was the to the point of wanting to throw up, doubled over, no relief from sitting, standing, laying down, etc. and would last usually 8-12 hours. I was diagnosed with follicle cysts. Essentially when you are ovulating, the process goes wrong and your egg bursts.

When you are having this debilitating pain, you can get a pelvic scan to confirm. Otherwise, there is not really any other way to know for sure that it''s a cyst.

However, I am not trying to scare you either. It could very well be middleschmertz. You can look it up on Webmd and get some more info on it if you want.

Luckystar: I hear you on the pain/childbirth thing. I have heard some woman with cysts say the pain is equivilent to labor pains. Ugh.

 

[lyra]

I tend to get follicular ruptures. It feels like appendicitis. The first time I had this a few years ago (I was about 42?), we didn''t know what it was and I spent 5 days in the hospital on morphine.

I''m allergic to CT scan dye, so actual diagnosis took forever. (no one will challenge CT scan me, which can be done in emergencies, so I always have to wait). They also put me on IV antibiotics because I got a high fever (41.0 C). It was an ordeal. Mostly unnecessary IMO. Anyway, when I get that pain now, I just live with it. Doesn''t happen every cycle, but I definitely know every cycle when ovulation is taking place. I get some cramping too, but the ovulation pain is sharp and stabbing.

I am on metformin for my diabetes, which tends to make my cycles very regular. It is also used as a treatment for PCOS, which I don''t have. I sometimes wonder if being on metformin is hindering me going into menopause.

 

[Smurfysmiles]

Well if labor pains are equal to my period cramps I think I'll survive! They have been SOO bad for soo long that my pain threshold has gotten higher I think. The only time they will ease up is if I'm on the pill. However, the pill gives me high blood pressure which causes migraines. I believe it's the estrogen that is shooting my BP up so I wonder if there is something else I could try with not as many hormones....

Also I've only started noticing the ovulation pains in the last year or so which I find kind of odd...I wonder if it is possible to develop a sensitivity to them later in life

Also wanted to thank all you ladies for chiming in, makes me feel better to know I'm not the only one who gets these darn extra cramps

 

[Hudson_Hawk]

Smurfy, did they get worse once you went off the pill? What BC are you on now? I definitely noticed my ov issues get worse once I went off of hormonal BC.

 

[Smurfysmiles]

Now that you mention it that is about the time they went away but I also was only the pill for about a year which seems strange because I didn''t have it before? Geez I need to go have a doctor fix me up lol
Personally I''d take the ov pain over the migraines I guess

 

[lyra]

Oooh, Smurfy, if birth control pills give you both high blood pressure and migraines, you shouldn''t be on them at all. You might have a vascular issue. My 22 y.o. daughter has this problem and she''s not allowed to ever go back on them or even use the mirena IUD which emits a very small amt. of hormones. Now she has to suffer through her painful periods unfortunately.

Have you talked to your doc about all of this stuff? You definitely don''t have endometriosis, PCOS, or anything? Have you had an ultrasound or CT? There are pain medications you can take, my daughter had one prescribed, although it tends to make her stomach so upset it''s just not worth it.

 

[snlee]

Sorry to hear about all the painful cramps. I've never been able to tell when I ovulate but I used to have really bad period cramps. I haven't experienced any painful cramps during my period since having my son. I wonder if it can change with pregnancy.

Also, not the scare you ladies about labor but having gone through natural childbirth with no drugs, labor is nothing like period cramps. During the start of labor, you'll get period like cramps but they get worse. I'm sure if you get an epi you'll be fine though.

 

[Smurfysmiles]

I haven''t been to the doctor in about a year, I''m overdue for a checkup, had to wait for health insurance to kick in though

Usually extra strength midol does the trick, but it''s when they hit in the middle of the night, which is usually what happens that it is the worst because they build up while you are sleeping and then you wake up from the pain!

And the ovulation pain usually hits me out of nowhere, it SUCKS!

 

[packrat]

Oh my word, those cramps are the worst! Sometimes I use a heating pad, but mostly I try to take pills and keep quiet, or I take pills and try to stay busy and ignore it. I chug a lot of water too. I remember telling my mom that I had always imagined labor pains to be like the worst possible period cramps and she laughed at me. But, when I get those cramps, I also get (so how much info do you want to know about me today?) terrible diarrhea and those horrible cramps that go along w/it. And, when I went into labor w/my first, that''s how I knew it was labor-it felt exactly like the worst period/diarrhea cramps ever. Boy, you''ll have such a pain tolerance built up when you have a baby Smurfy!

 

[Miss Sparkly]

I wouldn''t try Depo if you have issues with the pill. I too had a lot of trouble finding a pill that would work with my body. Depo caused extreem depression, high blood pressure and weight gain - I gained 80lbs in 1.5 years on depo because I was always hungry. The pill just caused mild depression but no hunger or high blood pressure. One of the best pills I found for me was Ortho Novum. Also, it might be a good idea to find a doctor who is willing to put you on a progesterone mini pill to give that a shot. Both my husband and I were never interested in having children so we found a doctor who was willing to perform a vasectomy on a 24 year old and it took about a year for my body to get back to normal after stopping the pill. I am also a huge believer in chiropratic and acupuncture care and holistic medicine as a whole.

 

[Sha]

Date: 2/12/2010 2:44:49 PM
Author: Smurfyimproved
Well if labor pains are equal to my period cramps I think I'll survive! They have been SOO bad for soo long that my pain threshold has gotten higher I think. The only time they will ease up is if I'm on the pill. However, the pill gives me high blood pressure which causes migraines. I believe it's the estrogen that is shooting my BP up so I wonder if there is something else I could try with not as many hormones....

Also I've only started noticing the ovulation pains in the last year or so which I find kind of odd...I wonder if it is possible to develop a sensitivity to them later in life

Also wanted to thank all you ladies for chiming in, makes me feel better to know I'm not the only one who gets these darn extra cramps

The pill suppresses ovulation, so it would make sense that you don't have the pains when you're on the pill, as you're not really ovulating (the pill tricks your body into thinking you are, though), even though you have a withdrawal bleed/period during your 5 day break from the pills.

I wonder if it could be endometriosis? That usually causes a lot of pain during menstruation. A lot of women with endo find their pain is relieved when they're on the pill (for the above reason), though- which is why docs usually recommend it as 'treatment'. When they're off the pill, and ovulation returns - so does the pain.

Just a thought.... it might be something else, though... I'm sorry to hear you're having such horrible pains.

I would definitely check it out with your doc.