# Birth Control Pills and Ovarian problems- Question



## JulieKaye (Jun 23, 2001)

I've been on birth control pills for 6 years and am age 41 and don't smoke and have had IBS-C for 15 years. However, I'm experiencing lower right pelvic pain which the GI doctor says may be from the ovaries, ex. cysts. The pain has persisted on and off for over a year. Isn't birth control the treatment and prevention of cysts? Also, doesn't birth control reduce your risk of ovarian cancer? If so, I'm already on it yet this pain has come up. Also, my pelvic exams are normal. I'm having an ultrasound done at the request of my GI doctor. Can the doctor overlook cysts, etc. during a routine exam? Is this test really necessary? I've been menstruating and the pain is worse, and especially worse after being poked around by the doctors lately.


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## lily2000 (Sep 13, 2002)

I am also on birth control and I suffer from IBS-C and chronic abdominal pain. I have had severe pain in the ovarian area. One time my OBGYN was fairly sure I had a cyst that burst, based on my description of the pain. It is odd to get ovarian cysts while on the pill, but it can happen, especially if you miss a pill here or there. Definitely get an intra-vaginal ultrasound so your doctor can see if there are any large cysts or not. (My doctor did an ultrasound on me and found no large cysts that would cause my pain.)I have always had a lot of menstrual pain and it seemed like my IBS flared up very often around the time of my periods. It was hard to tell what was causing my pain. Anyway, the pattern of pain prompted my OBGYN and I to suspect endometriosis. Eventually, I underwent a laparoscopic surgery to detect endmetriosis. The examination turned up nothing. However, I am glad I had the procedure because then I could eliminate gynecologicical problems as the source of my chronic pain (except for the slight possibilty of having another painful cyst in the future, which of course is not chronic).To wrap this up, my chronic pain was due to my IBS. Recent anxiety and depression had made the IBS symptoms worsen. Now I am undergoing psychological treatment, and I am learning to manage my IBS better, and I am not experiencing nearly as much pain as I had in the past.My point is that it is important to pinpoint the cause(s) of your pain so that you can do treat it and get some peace of mind. Good luck!


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## Homebound (Jan 27, 2000)

My doctor was just telling me on Friday that I can still get a cyst from time to time, even on the pill. I've been on them for 4 months, because of cysts. And once in awhile I'll get small pains there (nothing like I was getting before though OUCH!). And he said yes, it's very possible to still get one, but not as many as I would had I not been on the pill. Doctors can sometimes feel larger cysts during exams, but you really need an ultrasound, or catscan to see them. My papsmear came back normal, and he couldn't even feel the cysts. My catscan showed mulitple small cysts on the both ovaries. Hope this helps!


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## poeticalms (May 10, 2002)

I have a long history of Ovarian Cysts and yes I have had Cysts despite being on the pill. They just happen.


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