Others with mittelschmerz?

[macaronmama]

I am curious as to whether there are others TTC that suffer from mittelschmerz and how they deal with it while TTC? And when I say suffer, I mean, crippling pain.

I got diagnosed with it around 16, but I was actually getting side pains a year or so prior to my cycle starting when I was 12. Lots of emergency visits to the hospital with my dad thinking I had appendicitis. But my family doctor use to be an OB and figured it out. I went on BC later to help with the pain, but still get mild to middling pain when my ovulation date hits. And mine also linger for two or more days.

I've always joked that it'll help track when I'm most fertile and TTC, but now that I'm faced with the pain because I'm off birth control, I'm really dreading it. I would spend hours curled up in a fetal position around a hot pad with barely any help from pain killers when I was younger. The one month I skipped BC last year, I ended up crying.

I have not found any research online that mentions that it interferes with one's ability to conceive, so I'm relieved there. Any recommendations on how I can mitigate all this horrible pain so I can actually feel up to sex? I don't have a OBGYN appointment til March (my insurance won't let me go again until a full year has passed). 

[britta]

Jan 8, 2016 12:07:18 GMT -5 pippacricket said:

I don't get it severely every month. The months that it really bothers me I just take some Tylenol and use a heating pad.

Same. Except I take Ibuprofen.

[pismoduo]

I get ovulation pain, but I wouldn't describe it as "crippling". It's usually just somewhat uncomfortable for a day, then painful for most of a day, then there's some lingering soreness the day after O.

You might try cold instead of heat, though. It could be inflammation, which heat would only make worse.

[cookswithwine9]

I experience a distinct pain on either left or right side that lasts for a few hours. However, my "pain" is not how you are describing. It has woken me up from sleeping before, but I usually don't do anything to ease it since TTC. I have taken aleeve (naproxen) before since that is what I use for menstrual cramps. I'm sorry I can't be of more help I would definitely ask your doctor when you can.

[wannabmama]

I get it pretty bad some months, but it's more of a horrible pressure. I feel bloated and gassy...but am not actually gassy or constipated or anything (at least nothing you would take to fix those things does anything). I try to stretch out when I can but mostly I just suffer through, take Tylenol or midol. The next day I'm usually weirdly exhausted, too, like my body was battling something all day. Mine never lasts more than a day, I don't think. I've just sort of learned to live with it (but it totally sucks, ha)!
Not a lot of help there...but tons of commiseration!!

[ironbaby]

Mine was significant one month, bad enough that my doctor did an ultrasound when I had my annual to just make sure nothing obvious was the matter. Her advice boiled down to heating pad and OTC pain relievers, but mine was not "crippling." I'd say this qualifies for another visit to your GYN if you experience it again.

I still experience ovulation pain, and it is especially painful during certain positions of sex, but my doctor felt that it was completely normal as long as everything checked out (which it did).

[joy]

Jan 8, 2016 12:54:57 GMT -5 cookswithwine9 said:

I experience a distinct pain on either left or right side that lasts for a few hours. However, my "pain" is not how you are describing. It has woken me up from sleeping before, but I usually don't do anything to ease it since TTC. I have taken aleeve (naproxen) before since that is what I use for menstrual cramps. I'm sorry I can't be of more help I would definitely ask your doctor when you can.

There's no reason to avoid pain killers when trying to conceive. Truly.

[doodler]

Lurking...I also have it really bad. The pain builds up over a few days until I actually ovulate, then I am sore for a few days after. I did go to my doctor about it because it was so bad and just like everyone else I was told to just use normal pain relieving techniques. Regarding sex, I found through trial and error that certain positions hurt more. There were times that I literally yelled out because it hurt so bad. I'm sorry I don't have any better advice for you.

[ohinvrtedworld]

I'm so sorry that you're in so much pain! Mine is irritating twinging more than anything else. I sometimes take ibuprofen because I imagine that most ovulation pain is a sort of inflammation. When you are able to see a GYN again, I might do so and bring it up for a second opinion. Definitely don't go into panic mode, but if there's a medical answer to help with whatever is causing so much pain, it might be a lifesaver for you while TTC!

[cookswithwine9]

Jan 8, 2016 13:30:30 GMT -5 joy said:

Jan 8, 2016 12:54:57 GMT -5 cookswithwine9 said:

I experience a distinct pain on either left or right side that lasts for a few hours. However, my "pain" is not how you are describing. It has woken me up from sleeping before, but I usually don't do anything to ease it since TTC. I have taken aleeve (naproxen) before since that is what I use for menstrual cramps. I'm sorry I can't be of more help I would definitely ask your doctor when you can.

There's no reason to avoid pain killers when trying to conceive. Truly.

Even in the TWW? Advil is my pain reliever of choice, but in the TWW I switch to Tylenol.
Edit grammar

[littlelion]

The only time I've had crippling ovulation pain esp during sex was when I had a cyst on one of my ovaries. It required surgery. I've read somewhere that cysts can grow on ovaries each cycle but then go away or bust. I remember by Ob monitored the cyst a couple of months to see if it would go away on it's own.

Sorry that you suffer thru it each month. Hope you get some answers that help in your next appt!

[notagoddess]

I don't have any advice, but I'm sorry you're dealing with that amount of pain, macaronmama. I hope you can get seen soon to get some answers.

[joy]

Jan 8, 2016 13:49:15 GMT -5 cookswithwine9 said:

Jan 8, 2016 13:30:30 GMT -5 joy said:

There's no reason to avoid pain killers when trying to conceive. Truly.

Even in the TWW? Advil is my pain reliever of choice, but in the TWW I switch to Tylenol.
Edit grammar

Sure.  Are you concerned about taking ibuprofen because you shouldn't take that "if" pregnant or are you more worried about your lining?  I've heard both reasons.

Of course, it's a personal choice.  It's up to you.  But to the first, I do not believe in acting pregnant before being pregnant.  And the two week window isn't pregnant. 

[cookswithwine9]

Jan 8, 2016 13:59:41 GMT -5 joy said:

Jan 8, 2016 13:49:15 GMT -5 cookswithwine9 said:

Even in the TWW? Advil is my pain reliever of choice, but in the TWW I switch to Tylenol.
Edit grammar

Sure.  Are you concerned about taking ibuprofen because you shouldn't take that "if" pregnant or are you more worried about your lining?  I've heard both reasons.

Of course, it's a personal choice.  It's up to you.  But to the first, I do not believe in acting pregnant before being pregnant.  And the two week window isn't pregnant. 

...because you shouldn't take that "if" pregnant reason. I didn't know it could affect your lining.

[RajahMD]

Honestly, ovulation pain should not hurt that much. It should not be crippling. I would highly recommend you bring it up to your OBGYN.

[joy]

Jan 8, 2016 14:03:19 GMT -5 cookswithwine9 said:

Jan 8, 2016 13:59:41 GMT -5 joy said:

Sure.  Are you concerned about taking ibuprofen because you shouldn't take that "if" pregnant or are you more worried about your lining?  I've heard both reasons.

Of course, it's a personal choice.  It's up to you.  But to the first, I do not believe in acting pregnant before being pregnant.  And the two week window isn't pregnant. 

...because you shouldn't take that "if" pregnant reason. I didn't know it could affect your lining.

I'm not sure how real the lining thing is.  Some women are on a low dose of aspirin during their two week window.

Really - don't stress yourself out!  If you need some pain meds, take them.  There's no sense in suffering. 

I was on a migraine preventative medicine that I was advised to stop once I got a positive.  Before that?  I was told to take care of me.

[macaronmama]

@doodler, I feel you there on the different positions. When I'm cramping it's pretty much missionary or bust because everything else hurts.

Thanks for the well wishes from everyone else - I am at least sure it is nothing other than the ov pain itself. I had a thorough exam (plus ultrasound) mid-last year due to other non-mittelschmerz related pain I was having in my pelvic region and everything came back clean as a whistle. My OBGYN knows about the pain and the only real things she can do for me are the BC and possibly some stronger painkillers.

I'll hope for the best. Maybe it'll just be really bad one month and better after that. I've been on BC for years and years, so it's possible it won't be bad as in my youth long term.

Though, I am remembering I use to take hot baths for this and that super helped - not sure if hot baths are a bad thing when TTC? I'll go look it up, seems like it wouldn't be.

[joy]

Hot baths are fine.

[lilsneezy]

Jan 8, 2016 14:25:14 GMT -5 joy said:

Jan 8, 2016 14:03:19 GMT -5 cookswithwine9 said:

...because you shouldn't take that "if" pregnant reason. I didn't know it could affect your lining.

I'm not sure how real the lining thing is.  Some women are on a low dose of aspirin during their two week window.

Really - don't stress yourself out!  If you need some pain meds, take them.  There's no sense in suffering. 

I was on a migraine preventative medicine that I was advised to stop once I got a positive.  Before that?  I was told to take care of me.

The nurse at my RE office told me to avoid ibuprofen during the TWW because it could affect implantation. Obviously, women get pregnant all the time on ibuprofen but if you're really worried about it then just switch to Tylenol cookswithwine9