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Avatar universal

Were your symptoms on and off or did they never go?

I'm so worried about my self, the thing is I have been having gastrointestinal symptoms for months, I had colonoscopy and also they looked at my stomach but found nothing.

I've always been constipated but these last few weeks I've had diarrea, I've been waking up at nights with a pressure feeling in my stomach and can't sleep...usually I can't sleep on my left side because of nausea...but sometimes I can.
My stomach gets sometime so bloated it's like I'm pregnant, I have a lot of gas which again is not like me because I've always been constipated...I have lost my appetite, can't eat much...and I usually can't eat but few bites and then I'm full...but somtimes I can and that's what has made me confused...and not sure If I should go to my gyn.
My periods have always been regular but now there was only one week between and they are heavy...also I've had this pulling feeling in my left site and when I breath deeply it hurts and also when I move around....and I'm so tired all the time it's making me crazy because I'm only 36 years old.

I called my gyn he thought it might be a cyst but wanted to wait and see if I will get better...but I'm scared I have to admit....so I wanted to ask you if your symptoms were everyday or if they did come and go...at least some of them?
14 Responses
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329994 tn?1301663248
Virginia44,
Please try not to get too upset, it is natural to worry though. Your appt is this Wednesday? Write down all your symptoms, all long you have had them and rate them from 1 to 10, get a copy of your ultrasound from the hospital and any write up they did, also tell the doctor what you told us on here about being bloated, taking the colon cleanse.  She should do several tests, including a transvaginal ultrasound and a CA125.  No one on here is a doctor so we could not say anything was cancer. We can support you however, and listen when you need to talk. Those are my recommendations. Someone else will come along and give you good advice. I think I will try and see if I can get this to be a new post, you will get more replies. If not, hopefully, someone will come along and help you too. Good luck!
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
sorry to jump over missbenster, but I am really scared as well. I started going to my local emergency rm because of severe bloating like I was 6 months pregnant. I went 4 times and each time they would give me and xray and say I am full of stool, drink som heavy duty colon cleanze and you will feel much better. so I did but when I would take it a few days later I was bloated again and so I would drink that nasty stuff and be good for a few day...ect, etc. Everytime I would do it I weighed myself before and the next day and I would loose up to 7-10 pounds. Before this I had a 29in waist and when I get bloated I go up to a 36in waist, no clothes fit, I am in track pants most of the time and some times I have trouble breathing cause I am so big. Finally I went again to the ER and got a resident Dr and she thought she felt something and sent me for a CT I was diagnosed with 2 simple cysts one on each ovary but a ultra sound and colonoscopy was highly recomended. I went for the U/S and it determined I had one tennis ball size complex mass on the right ovary and the scope came back clear but a gyn appt was recomended. I have been getting my appts with in days of each other which is very odd to me as usually it takes months where I come from d/t the lack of Drs in our area and high volume of sick people. I also have found that everyone is being really nice and empathetic to me which again is unusual because before I found everyone over worked and very crusty. My symptoms are very tired, severe bloating, mild headache, nausea, full feeling and not hungry, lower back pain, sometimes shortness of breath when really bloated, no pain at all from the mass, hair sheading like crazy, gasey....does this sound like it could be malignant???? everyone else that I have read that just had a cyst had major pain..I DON'T and that is what scares me...someone talk to me should I be worried. I have a gyny appt on wed but need some answers now so I am prepared maybe for the worst....I feel so alone :(
Helpful - 0
792410 tn?1270315500
How are you doing?
Helpful - 0
792410 tn?1270315500
I can not tell you how happy I am that you are going to another doctor.  A gyn/onc is a great next step.  Dr. Solitaire saw cysts and it is important to have them evaluated by a gyn/onc at this time.  To answer your question, no, they can not say with 100% certainty that a finding on the ovary isn't cancer with out a biopsy.  Hang in there Miss Benster, you'll get to the bottom of this.  
Helpful - 0
329994 tn?1301663248
Just be strong and stick to your guns. Write down all the symptoms you have, the severity of them, how long you have had them and take this with you to the doctor. Also, if a spouse or friend can go with you, even better as they can write stuff down while the doctor is talking to you.  I was told countless times by doctors that I have IBS (which I don't) and depression (which I don't) and brushed off. I can't begin to tell you how many times that has happened to me.  I even ended up with emergency surgery (appendix and intestinal) after they had told me basically that the pain was in my head.  WE are paying the doctors, they have to treat us with respect. Let us know what happens after this next visit and good luck!!
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
Thank you so much for your support, it means a lot to have you to talk to...

Yeah I was so surprised when I saw that he was playing the solitaire on the computer that I couldn't say anything but I found another doctor and he is a gynecological oncologist and I hope that he will be professional.
I will be going to him next wednesday, I'm going to let my GP know about the doctor I went to last time.

I've been thinking he said that I have multiple cyst on my ovary but told me they all looked fine and harmless, can they say for sure that this isn't cancer just by looking at it?
Also I read that we can form cyst in mid menstrual cycle when we ovulate but I just finnished my second period just this month so I would think that there shouldn't be any cysts on my ovary...
You know I have started second guessing my self because of these doctors I've went to that have said that everything is fine and they can't find anything, some of them have talked to me like this is all in my head which I know it isn't or they tell me they think it is just IBS, I mean this heavy and frequent bleeding isn't just all in my head and all the pain I'm having on the left side which is keeping me from sleeping is sure not just in my head...I can feel it that there is something not right and I know I have to stay strong and keep on pushing at least until they have ruled out ovarian cancer...and hopefully they will find the reason why I am like this..
Helpful - 0
329994 tn?1301663248
I agree with Ramsay14! Get another doctor and please report this one. There is absolutely no excuse for him playing solitaire - none!!! You should have a transvaginal ultrasound and a CA125 test at the very least. Then from there, they might want to do more testing.  I too, was given the run around from doctors, always saying there was nothing wrong with me, all kinds of tests run. I was worried about ovarian cancer too as I had all the symptoms. In my case, I was lucky. I do not have ovarian cancer. However, I did have several other gyn issues going on, (cysts, adenomyosis, enlarged uterus) and ended up with a hysterectomy.  Now, all my issues are either resolved or resolving.  So trust your instincts and get a doctor to listen. It took me awhile but I finally found a wonderful doctor!!! Let us know what happens!
Helpful - 0
792410 tn?1270315500
HE WAS PLAYING COMPUTER SOLITAIRE WHILE YOU WERE TELLING HIM YOUR SYMPTOMS?  Please, please, please, go to another doctor.  Preferably a gynecological oncologist.  Can you go to your primary care physician and ask them for a referral if you need a referral?  Tell the primary care physician about the solitaire and maybe they'll be so embarrassed about the unprofessionalism of the other doctor that they won't hassle you about going to a specialist.  Don't give up on this Miss Benster.  Get a second opinion.  
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
Well I did go to the doctor today and told him about my symptoms and asked if they could be because of ovarian cancer he answered straight away that I would not have so much symptoms if this was cancer?
I was surprised, while I was telling him about my symptoms he was doing something on his computer and he asked me to undressed, when I had done that I could see his computer screen and he then went in a hurry to close an opened window and that was a solitaire game he was playing, I found it a little bit offensive that he was playing that while I was telling him about my symptoms.

But he did a transvaginal ultra sound and saw few cysts on my left ovary and said that it was a little bit bigger then the right one but he said that he could see that everything was alright, he didn't take any tests so I am wondering can doctors always see that with only the ultra sound?

He did put me on primolut N (norethisterone) and told me to take that next sunday and take it for 2 weeks and that is suppose to regulate my menstrual cycle, I was reading the label that came with it when I came home and it says there that you should not take it if the cause for the bleeding isn't known and there is a warning that says
"If you suffer or have suffered from a malignant sex hormone-dependent tumor such as cancer of the breast or the genital organ" you shouldn't take it...

So I was thinking can the doctor be sure that my symptoms aren't OC just with the transvaginal ultrasound?
He didn't want to do more tests, I told him that my pain in my left side has gotten so bad that I have trouble sleeping and in the mornings it hurts like hell, he thought that was just because of a torn muscle...but shouldn't I know when I hurt my self so bad that I have this pain.
He also put me on Toviaz because of my frequent and urgent urination, that is suppose to help to stop that.

I am just afraid to take this medication if it is a possibility that this is OC...
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792410 tn?1270315500
Will you please post tomorrow after your appointment and let us know what happens?
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Avatar universal
Hi thank you so much for your answer, I have appointment with my Gyn tomorrow, I have been reading a lot on this forum and have been writing down the symptoms that I've been having, I admit I'm a little bit scared after reading about symptoms that women with ovarian cancer had experience because mine symptoms are very much alike.

This morning when I woke up and went to the bathroom to pee, the pain in my left side got so bad that it brought tears to my eyes, I have had UTI and this was nothing like that just much more worse, I thought about going to the emergency room but the next time I peed it didn't hurt so I'm just going to wait for my appointment with my Gyn...the pain in my side is constant but I took some painkillers and that seem to have helped.

Thank you so much for your support, it's hard to talk to anyone about my fear so it's good to have the change to come here in talk to you and get some advice.
Helpful - 0
1187318 tn?1266384482
Sometimes ovarian cysts can cause gastro- issues.  I self-diagnosed myself with Irritable Bowel Syndrome and always had "issues".  Once my cysts/ovaries were removed-- No more bowel issues!!!!!!!  So I would deifnately starty by writing down everything you experience & make an appointment with a Gyn.  If they seem to brush you aside and do the "wait & see" angle....please try to insist on at least a pelvic Ultrasound.   Express to them your concerns.  Above all-- Be an advocate for yourself...If you know somethings wrong & still have no answers-- Keep pushing until you get the answers you deserve!!!
Helpful - 0
792410 tn?1270315500
Write down all your symptoms.  Find a reputable website online that lists symptoms of ovarian cancer and print it out.  Definitely go to your gynecologist and show them both lists and then insist on a CT scan and a CA-125 test.  I don't mean to scare you, but please get get ovarian cancer ruled out.  
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
Also it's best to tell you the reason for I'm confused and not sure if I should see a doctor or not is because I've been going to doctors these last few months and they never find out what is wrong with me and I'm scared that they have started to think I'm imagine things or that I'm a hipocondriac which I know I am not.....but it's so difficult when they can't seem to find out what is going on.
Helpful - 0
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