Hi, I was wondering if anyone here has had both?
I was diagnosised with PCOS while doing fertility treatment about 10 yrs ago. Treatment didn't work. Since then started Atkins, lost 35 pounds and got pregnant, and pregnant, and pregnant a last time (I now have a 3, 2, and 1 yr old!). My question is I haven't been bothered much with the PCOS except fertility problems and hair growth. This last weekend I started having pain and over the last 3 days have seen my primary Dr, had a pelvic US, and seen my OB-GYN. I have a baseball sized cyst he says isn't related to PCOS. Our course of action will be to wait a month, repeat US, and if same size will have surgery to remove it, hopefully laperscopic, but due to size the chance of c-section like incision is pretty high.... Ugh!
Anyone know, experienced, a cyst like this?? Do you think it will shrink in a month? Burst before that? Thanks, Carol

Funny you should mention it, I have one right now. I have no idea how big it is but it sure hurts and has inflamed my entire abdomen. I've learned from experience that there is nothing doctors can do usually, and that they usually DO go away on their own. Sometimes they rupture, and that hurts like hell. I just take it easy and take ibuprofen for a few days and right now things are already getting better. Don't do anything strenuous, you could twist your ovary or encourage it to rupture.

Getting these now and then seems to be a side effect for me of balancing my hormones and restoring ovulation. What I get sometimes are follicular cysts in which an egg doesn't "pop" correctly, my body then sends out more follicle stimulating hormone which just makes the thing grow. If I'm diligent in checking for non-ovulation I can short-circuit this by using natural progesterone cream to fool my body into not sending out the extra FSH that month (and supplementing since there is no corpus luteum). Some doctors think our follicles just get damaged over time and exposure to chemicals and malfunction as a result, but I personally wonder if years of PCOS has anything to do with a tendency to get these. Good luck!

Hi,
I also have PCOS and cyst on ovary. I was diagnosed with PCOS 33 yrs ago while going to fertility dr. He just told me that meant I didn't ovulate and would probably never get pg. We adopted and then 3 yrs ltr, I lost about 60 lbs and got pg.
They never, in all my years of going to ob/gyn, told me I had cysts till 3 yrs ago when one ruptured and I had US. We have been monitoring it since and now dr. would like to remove it(ovary). I keep putting it off. I also was just diagnosed with IR. On another note, right after my daughter was born (23 yrs ago) I developed hypothyroidism. Seems all 3 usually go together.
If you have any questions, I'd be glad to help if I can.

Hi Grimalkin and Mary,
Thanks for your feedback. I'm feeling much better so hoping the cyst is shrinking. Will find out for sure in two or so with a repeat US.
Have you heard of them becoming larger again after TOM when hormones are changing? Someone mentioned this to me so I'm a little apprehensive what the next week or so bring... My Ob-gyn gave me the impression that little is known about what causes some to grow large, shrink, etc. Treatment was pain control, time, and if none of these work- surgery. One web site even claimed eating dairy and red meat could cause them to enlarge! Any experience with this?
Thanks again, Carol

I don't know Birdie, I tend to have the most problems about 1 week after ovulation/1 week before TOM. That's why I think the FSH is a big factor in making them grow. It doesn't happen if I fool my body with NPC into not ovulating. There are probably multiple causes for these, I think it is important to know what kind of cyst you have - I'm guessing you have a functional cyst of some kind since your doctor is playing wait-and-see.

I agree with much of what this website has to say. This approach has worked for me, you may want to read this and evaluate it for yourself. Good luck.