# BLoating? GET AN ULTRASOUND! ASAP!



## SuzM

I came here with bloating, pressure/cramps in lower abdomen, and frequent urination. Here is what I read on Ovarian Cancer vs IBS:


> Some noticeable differences between typical symptoms are:Ovarian cancer symptoms include (1) urinary problems (urgency, burning, increased frequency, etc); (2) indigestion and nausea; (3) unexpected and often dramatic weight loss or gain that cannot be explained by diet, exercise, or meds changes; (4) dyspareunia; (5) fever or persistant fatigue; and (6) low back pain that cannot be explained by other reasons.


I had NO dramatic weight loss, NO nausea, NO dyspareunia, NO fever, and only mild, infrequent low back pain. I have GERD, so indigestion is normal for me and has actually been milder lately. My fatigue disappeared when I started Align. My urinary urgency disappeared with antibiotics for a bladder infection."Luckily" I started vaginal bleeding which alerted my doctor to order an ultrasound to check my uterus. The bleeding stopped and my uterus is fine, but the ultrasound revealed a tumor the size of a flattened volleyball in my left ovary. My life now hangs in the balance because I fooled around treating IBS for 3 months, when a simple procedure could have caught this much earlier and made my surgery much less dangerous.Please ladies, if bloating persists, see your gyn and get an ultrasound. Don't end up like me.


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## Kathleen M.

When they compare ovarian issues with IBS with bloating there are a few things that tend to be different.IBS bloating tends to come and go often in relation to activity levels of the colon or other digestive things that are not the same at different times of the day.Ovarian issues tend to cause bloating that comes on, is more severe, and stays fairly constant. and as noted it does have some symptoms you do not see in IBS, so any of the non IBS symptoms means you need to be checked out at the GYN's office.Hopefully this is one of those benign tumors women get on their ovaries.


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## CatUK

I have every symptom on the list above apart from dyspareunia because I'm not having any sex lol.I've been peeing loads lately, bloated, in constant pain with my lower stomach and lower back, feel sick 24/7 virtually, feel hot all the time for no reason (think my thermostat has gone lol) and I feel so tired all the time no matter how much sleep I get, also put a fair bit of weight on apart from not eating anymore than usual. I was at my Dr's last year and she suspected a cyst but didn't do any tests. She's knows I won't have an internal ultrasound so didn't suggest anything other than see how it goes. Now I'm scared, knew I shouldn't have read this post as I'd convince myself I have it.


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## Simona

I've been thinking of this lately too...my symptoms are so similar. I was going to ask my MD for a test on Friday for it - or to refer me to a specialist to get checked out. I just keep thinking there's more to my "issues" than IBS. I had to shave my head because Im too tired to wash my hair. Im always exhausted - I now have to walk with a cane because of pain in my lower body. None of that is typical of IBS...or at least not that Ive read. I went from training for a 5K run last year to barely being able to walk now.


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## SuzM

CatUK said:


> I have every symptom on the list above apart from dyspareunia because I'm not having any sex lol.I've been peeing loads lately, bloated, in constant pain with my lower stomach and lower back, feel sick 24/7 virtually, feel hot all the time for no reason (think my thermostat has gone lol) and I feel so tired all the time no matter how much sleep I get, also put a fair bit of weight on apart from not eating anymore than usual. I was at my Dr's last year and she suspected a cyst but didn't do any tests. She's knows I won't have an internal ultrasound so didn't suggest anything other than see how it goes. Now I'm scared, knew I shouldn't have read this post as I'd convince myself I have it.


CatUK and Simona:It was an external ultrasound that found mine--totally non-invasive, no psin, and not even very embarassing. Get it done PRONTO, girlfriends. I got soooo lucky. Dr. thought it was cancer, but it turned out to be a mucinous borderline ovarian tumor. I only had a 20% chance of it not being cancer. Whew! No chemo. On the downside, I have a blood clot in my lung, so I have to be on blood thinners for awhile. Things could certainly be worse.


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## CatUK

Thanks SuzM, I am probably just worrying over nothing because I have anxiety so a lot of my symptoms can be put down to that. Also I'm only 29 so would be very young to get ovarian cancer. I am at the Dr's on Friday so will be telling her about feeling hot all the time, nausea, stomach pain etc. I have a feeling I will be sent for a blood test again. Hopefully it's nothing other than anxiety.Sorry to hear you've been not too well SuzM, so glad your tumour wasn't cancer. Hope you keep well


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