Depending on the type of cyst, some will go away on their own. It can be painful though if they burst.

If I'm remembering correctly from when I was just looking this stuff up a few months ago, I think a cyst is one of the things that they can cauterize during a laparscopic surgery to remove it. But you'll want to look that up a little more because I may have that confused with them cauterizing endometriosis on the ovaries.

Megs right; it depends on the type of cyst and size, and they can usually determine that with the ultrasound. A few months ago I was having issues, abdominal and pelvic discomfort, and back pain, and I felt like I couldn't empty my bladder completely. I saw my OBGYN and she suspected a cyst as well. I had an ultrasound and that confirmed a hemorrhagic cyst which basically a blood cyst. They are usually related to your cycle, and they're one of the more painful cysts. I had to get another ultrasound a month or so later AFTER my next period to see if it went away, which it did.

Yeah, it's so hard to get in for this type of stuff at the end of the year. Between the holidays and everyone wanting to get their medical stuff in at the end of the year before their deductibles start over again in January make it hard. I was kind of late in scheduling my mammogram this year and couldn't get in until 12/28.

Yeah, I've been having to work to empty my bladder too, which might have been the symptom that really tipped it toward being a cyst.

@RMB How long had your symptoms been going on? I'd really love for this to just go away on its own, but I've had symptoms for a while now and they seem to be getting worse with every cycle. I guess I'm skeptical of it resolving on its own, but thinking about surgery or anything else is just making me tired. :-(

@Meg

I am a little paranoid about one bursting. My sister had one that burst and she wound up in the ER with intense pain. Would rather not do that, if possible.

Toss, while mine was NOT confirmed with ultrasound my doctor also diagnosed me recently with an ovarian cyst. We didn't do an u/s just because of insurance hassle with it all, and it's certainly NOT the most important thing on my list right now. But he said all the symptoms fit, which is the same as what you're all here describing, and he wasn't too concerned about it because he said women get them all the time and they usually go away on their own. I was in really horrid pain with it sometimes, got worse during ovulation. I mean there were days I could barely move from the pain, and I'm not generally a wimp about pain or women's issues. One month was so bad I seriously started thinking I cannot go through this again and I need to go back to the doctor and get a scan, but like me I waited another month - and you know what? The next month I had no pain at all. Go figure. Now I've noticed a slight return of pain over the past couple of months, but still not too bad. Honestly, I don't know if it's normal or not, because of course this is all supposition in my situation, but I have experienced pain for months at a time, and I've been getting periods of mildish pain like this since before my last pregnancy. Since I got my clots the pain is worse, so I don't know if it has somehow been affected by the poor circulation up in my pelvis too......But according to my doctor for this type of cyst they don't usually treat it but just let it go away on its own, even for women without clotting problems. So it's like the other ladies said - just depends on what kind of cyst.

The bladder thing is what made me OBGYN think cyst too. First she ran a urine culture to rule out a UTI or something like that.

In hindsight, I suspect I've gotten this type of cyst on and off for well over a year because I had similar discomfort here and there for a while. It's just that this discomfort that prompted me to go to the doctor lasted for a few months and got really bad the last few weeks before seeing my doc. And I am not a wuss with pain or with women's issues either Prior to going to the OBGYN, I thought it was a GI issue actually, and had an endoscopy along with one of my regular colonsoscopies and they didn't find anything. Shortly after that is when the urinating issues started. Also, one of my breasts really started to hurt, not the normal breast pain prior to your period, but it felt like a metal prongs were clenching my breasts. It was awful. Anyway, yeah, it was something that was ongoing for a bit.

With my last period, I just had my normal 2 weeks of PMS, and cramping, none of the cyst symptoms. Now this week, I noticed the urination thing again, and intercourse is a little painful (sorry for the TMI) so I wonder if I have another one.

My cycle is all over the place as it is so it's hard to tell what's what. I tend to spot very lightly too but I think it's part IUD, part goofy hormone changes

Don't worry yet too much about treatment. Just figure out what you have first and go from there.

It's funny rmb that you mentioned about the breast pain, because I had that too but had forgotten. But it was one of the things that went absolutely hand in hand with the cyst pain - I'd get them together so it was definitely hormonal. In my case (and I realize you non-moms would not be able to make this comparison), the pain felt exactly like when I was full of milk. But just on one side. There were times it was bad enough that I had to be careful with my arm placement and I couldn't sleep in certain positions.

Thanks for the stories and information. I get a little paranoid with unidentified growths just because there is SO much cancer in my family (my mother alone has had it three times, although not ovarian/breast) and I want to stay on top of things as much as possible.

Still, good to know that it could be worse (the sharp pains have been pretty minimal up to now) and that treatment might not be much outside of watch and wait. Guess I'll just have to see what the ultrasound shows. Thanks!

Totally get that Toss. I've a similar family history, and my grandma died from ovarian cancer so sometimes I'm always looking over my shoulder it seems with some things. Ovarian cysts are so common so I'm sure that's all it is, but I know I was white knuckling it when waiting for my ultrasound results. It's all good, sister!

It depends on the cyst. They can simply drain them via a needle but sometimes they need to be removed surgically. I found I had one after breaking a vertebrae in my spine - it showed up on the CT scan. It was big, about 8cm, and I had it and my uterus removed a couple of months later though. I was 54 and cysts are less common at that great age so they tend to want to take them out. I've heard cysts in younger people are very common and are often simply monitored. Good luck.

I am currently having issues with hemorrhaging cysts/endometriomas. Mine burst in October while on Lovenox. Bled a lot into the abdomen but it stopped. No surgery was needed. Pain was immense, and afterwards it took me like a month to feel better (blood in the abdomen is an irritant). I never had any discomfort before though. A week after it burst my ultrasound showed an 8 cm cyst/endometrioma so really nobody knows if it really burst or started to burst. My doctor took me off blood thinners to see if it would help it go away on its own. So I stopped my lovenox a few weeks before the intended stop time. Just waiting to see now.
I would try to schedule ur sonogram ASAP. Just to see what is going on.