Comment Reply

I'm so sorry for what you've been through! Five ovarian cysts in two years, with a week or more recovery each time? That's a lot of pain and a lot of down time; I'm sure it's very discouraging when you feel you're not getting any relief at all.

A few questions for you:
-- Do you have regular pelvic exams? Even more often than once a year? Several sites I visited suggested this as part of prevention, helping to find the cysts earlier.
-- Is there a particular reason you don't want to use birth control pills? Meaning, perhaps you are trying to get pregnant or dealing with fertility issues?
-- Can you tell us your age? If you are nearing perimenopause or menopause, there are different answers to some of your questions.
-- Have you asked your doctors about having an ovary taken out?
-- Do you know what kind of cysts you are having?
-- Have you had a history of endometriosis?
-- Do you often have mid-cycle pain, even "feeling" when you ovulate because of a sharp pain in that area?

OK. Let's see what we can find.

Ovarian cysts are formed in different ways. Here's a page from the Mayo Clinic that explains and shows what happens to form the various kinds of cysts:

http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/ovarian-cysts/DS00129/DSECTION=causes

It sounds as though what you are dealing with are the corpus luteum cysts, which can become large and painful.

Here's a page on treatments, which include the possibilities of laparoscopy to remove small cysts or laparotomy to remove bigger cysts or, sometimes, the entire ovary:

http://familydoctor.org/online/famdocen/home/women/reproductive/gynecologic/279.html

Have you had your hormones tested? There can be correlations between repeated ovarian cysts and the levels of the various hormones in a woman's body.

There are risks to having one or both ovaries removed. Here's a Science Daily article on women who had one or both removed, and had a higher incidence of developing dementia or cognitive impairment:

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2006/04/060414002407.htm

However, if you are at high risk for breast or ovarian cancer, removal of the ovaries lowers your odds of getting cancer later:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/01/13/AR2009011302185.html

Here's a good Q&A on oopherectomy (ovary removal) surgery, including what the surgery and recovery time is like:

http://www.healthgrades.com/procedures/profile/Ovary_Removal_Surgery_(Oophorectomy)

There doesn't seem to be a sure way to prevent ovarian cysts from occuring. As in so many areas of women's medicine, this is a frustrating one. However, the author of a very successful e-book, Mary Parker, outlines things she says you can do to help their recurrence. They are:

-- add plenty of raw veggies to your diet, though not the starchy ones;
-- limit dairy and/or soy products in your diet
-- as much as possible, eat whole, organic or unprocessed foods
-- regular exercise
-- periodic detoxification to rid the body of toxins
-- get checked for cysts as often as possible.

Here's an article talking about her recommendations:

http://www.discoveryarticles.com/articles/146506/1/Ovarian-Cysts-Prevention-HOW-to-Protect-Yourself/Page1.html

I hope some of this information begins to help. Please write back and let us know some more information and we'll see what more we can find for you. Take care, and hang in there. You're not alone!