Extreme pain when ovulating

[Ballerina]

When I ovulate about 2 weeks before my period I'm in absolute agony. I can be bent double and unable to move at times and often feel sick with the pain. I've just come off the pill and it was like this before I went on the pill too. My actual periods aren't too bad though. Is this normal for it to hurt this much or should I go to the doctors because I'm worried something might be up with my ovaries?

[Lu_C]

Everyone experiences things differently, but I don't think that exactly fits into 'normal'.
I'd talk to your doctor about it if it's affecting your life or if you're worried. It may be nothing, but sometimes it's worth checking.

[purplebutterfly]

I'd talk to your doctor about it if it's affecting your life or if you're worried.

I used to have pretty bad ovulating pain as well because I have Polycystic Ovaries. If affecting you that badly its worth mentioning to your GP as it can be a sign of an underlying probelm.

[Ballerina]

I used to have pretty bad ovulating pain as well because I have Polycystic Ovaries. If affecting you that badly its worth mentioning to your GP as it can be a sign of an underlying probelm.

That's what I'm worried about. But theres a difference between polycystic ovaries and polycystic ovary syndrome isn't there?

[piccolo]

That's what I'm worried about. But theres a difference between polycystic ovaries and polycystic ovary syndrome isn't there?

No, they're the same thing. It's reasonably common and affects people in different ways but pain ovulating is sometimes a symptom.

[Ballerina]

Can't they make you infertile and give you body hair though?

[piccolo]

Yes but not always. If you're ovulating you're clearly not infertile, and if you were going to have excess body hair you'd have noticed by now.

NHS Direct info here

[Ballerina]

So they could just be making it painful rather than causing any serious problems? I'll give it a few more months yet to get my cycle back to normal and if it doesn't improve I'll go to the docs.

[Ilora-Danon]

I'd suggest a trip to the doc saying you suspect ovarian cysts - they can do blood tests to check for PCOS and a scan too; those are the usual routes that suspected PCOS go down.

[Lu_C]

My mum doesn't have polycystic ovaries, but she has in the past had a lot of cysts on her ovaries (and got one at the moment too actually)... but she had no problem concieving or anything, so don't worry too much about that.