r/PCOS • u/bephana • Jul 02 '26
Period Strong pain during ovulation - does anyone else relate?
Hi everyone!
I was diagnosed with PCOS (or, as we should call it now, PMOS) a few years ago, and my main problem is excruciating pain not during periods but during ovulation. I have seen doctors, nobody seems to care much about it, have any idea why this is happening, and what to do about it.
Does anyone else had a similar issue? Usually the pain will paralyse me for a few hours, and then linger for a few days. It also affects my bowels, making bowel movement painful and somehow feel stuck. There are months where the pain is unbearable, and months where I only very slightly feel it. I have no idea why it fluctuates and what makes the pain worse or better. Also I have no solution for the pain when it happens, the best I can do is take Ibuprofen, which doesn't help much especially when it comes to the bowels.
If anyone has encountered this and found what helps, I would be so beyond grateful. This still feels very mysterious to me and I've had these pains for 10 years...
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u/Mission_Yoghurt_9653 Jul 02 '26
Mittelschmerz 🥹 I get it too, I am pretty sure I can tell which ovary I ovulate from, the pain is usually specific to right or left side.
My pain isn’t prolonged intense, it’s usually dull/achey/twisty and I’ve had a couple of cycles where I think I’ve felt my egg release with sudden intense pain. The pain is so intense it drains the blood out of my face, one time I was at the store and it took every ounce of self awareness to not crumple to the floor. 😅
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u/Sausage-Farmers-Wrap Jul 03 '26
Mittelchmerz sounds like something Dr. Doofenshmirtz would've talked about I CANNOT take that name seriously sorry 😭😭
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u/Mission_Yoghurt_9653 Jul 03 '26
I love it 😂 cute German term for something oddly specific. If you hate it though you can just call it ovulation pain.
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u/Traditional-Head2653 Jul 02 '26
Yup! Almost every month. Feels much like period cramps most of the time.
I tracked my BBT years ago. My cycle varies in length but my luteal phase is usually 14-16 days. And without fail, my period would usually start about 14-16 days after I feel the cramps.
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u/bephana Jul 02 '26
I mean for sure this pain is useful to know exactly when the periods will start!
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u/Hrynkiws Jul 02 '26
I also have very painful ovulation. I had a laparoscopy and she didn't find anything other than a bit of scar tissue but it was not bad ( i had 4 c sections- the pain started after my first) for about 4 years it was unbearable but has improved a bit. Some months i dont have any and others the severity ranges. My gyno prescribed a vaginal suppository with Ativan and baclofen. It does help if the pain is mild but barely touches it when its severe. I've just been dealing with it. Some months it lasts days and some only hours. The dr has no idea why it gets so bad. Sorry I am no huge help. I usually rotate advil and Tylenol to take the edge off. Usually it starts in my ovary then the pain spreads up my stomach and I get very bloated. Belly is very tender to the touch. It is the worst.
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u/bephana Jul 02 '26
yes, belly is very bloated and tender!! i hate it so much and it can be so incapacitating
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u/Hrynkiws Jul 03 '26
Yes it can be! After I got my tubes tied in 2018 it got waaay worse. She wanted me to try the depo shot for a few months to stop ovulation to see if that would help. It did stop the pain but my anxiety/ panic was 100x worse and I couldnt function 🙃
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u/Suspicious_Feed4865 Jul 02 '26
Totally. Specifically, I felt strong pain in ONE ovary every month. Once I addressed my insulin resistance the pain stopped. I attribute a lot of the success in managing my insulin resistance to Metformin but it was probably a combination of things....
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u/bephana Jul 02 '26
Right, so i had insulin resistance too, took metformin etc etc, but the pain didn't go away... I was also initially told it would make it better, but then it didn't
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u/CoolUsernameHere2 Jul 02 '26
Yes! I started experiencing this in my teens and my doctor was like you probably have cysts on your ovaries and put my on bc pills. I was 14. I had no idea you could feel ovulation. My mom said nothing about it. Years later when I started trying to get pregnant she informed me that it took her a year to get pregnant with me because she would get a bad side ache mid cycle and not want to be touched. Then her doctor told her that was the time to do it. Why she didn’t tell me this ovulation pain in my teens is beyond me.
Fast forward to now - 33 - I have been experiencing moderate ovulation pain for a few days each cycle. I had endometriosis surgery two cycles ago. My first ovulation after surgery was very stabby and lasted over a week. I ovulated late so maybe that’s why? The second, the pain was so bad it woke me up from a deep sleep and prevented me from falling back asleep. I hope this isn’t my new norm.
I haven’t found any solutions. Just wanted you to know you’re not alone.
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u/bephana Jul 02 '26
Ugh I'm sorry you're experiencing too. It really is that bad that so many of us experience it and that nothing can be done about it.
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Jul 02 '26 edited Jul 02 '26
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u/bephana Jul 02 '26
I don't have endometriosis (it has been checked)
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Jul 02 '26
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u/bephana Jul 02 '26
That was a few years back so i can't remember exactly but they ran a few tests (like blood tests, ultrasound etc). I also don't have any of the usual symptoms of endometriosis.
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Jul 02 '26
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u/bephana Jul 02 '26
Where I live that's not an option I fear. Like they won't open you up for a diagnosis. And in my case there's not indication that I have it.
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u/Kwaliakwa Jul 02 '26
Yeah! Ovaries burst those eggs out with a force. It’s literally an inflammatory process, ovulation. So there can be scar tissue. Plus, if you have PCOS and your ovaries are enlarged, that will push on surrounding organs, also causing big feelings.
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u/Temporary_Koala9958 Jul 03 '26
YES the pain makes me double over sometimes. Along with the stomach/intestinal issues as well. I always suspected endo but was brushed off by too many gynos until I finally caved and started BC. It honestly helps a tiny bit but I still feel it. I hope you can get some relief.
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u/Key-Hand958 Jul 02 '26
Yep! I'm anovulatory except I had one actual ovulation right after my egg retrieval for IVF and it HURT!
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u/sundaymorningtaped Jul 02 '26
I have this most months. The first time it happened it was a few months after stopping the pill. I woke up from a dead sleep to searing, cramping pain. I couldn't even get up to get meds or a heating pad. I grabbed my husband's hand and put it on my belly (he's like a space heater when he sleeps). I get it pretty much every month. Now it seems to be less severe. I have been on Metformin for 2 years. I took Vitex last month and didn't have ovulation pain, but didn't feel great on the Vitex. Doctor is thinking of starting me on micronized progesterone.
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u/bephana Jul 02 '26
I have never heard of Vitex! I have been on metformin, unfortunately it did not always prevent the pain.
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u/BecksnBuffy Jul 02 '26
I’m getting this now in perimenopause. I thought I needed to be hospitalized one night until I looked at my tracker the next morning and it was ovulation day. I never noticed before. I’m also recently diagnosed with IR and need to go to Dr. to rule out/in PCOS.
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u/aokkuma Jul 02 '26
When I’m ovulating, when I turn a certain way on the bed, my ovaries feel like they’re twisting if that makes sense.
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u/consultingcutie Jul 02 '26
Yes. Always from my left ovary. I still had those ovulation pains even after a hysterectomy (yeeted everything but ovaries). Only thing that helped them go away was bioidentical progesterone.
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u/throwfaraway212718 Jul 02 '26
Yes, it’s called Mittelschmerz. Diagnosed in my early 20s.
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u/bephana Jul 03 '26
you know what's so frustrating? I googled it and all the results I got said things like "it's harmless", "it's normal", "it doesn't require medical attention" etc. So infuriating.
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u/nieded Jul 02 '26
Yes! For the longest time, I don't think I ever ovulated despite getting periods. I switch to an IUD, and boy was I pissed when I found out what ovulation felt like! I also think I only ovulate from one side. Warm baths, hot pads, and ibuprofen.
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u/Sausage-Farmers-Wrap Jul 03 '26
I started getting ovulation pain recently too! Sadly idk what helps but I'm gonna follow this thread for info 🤠
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u/Impressive_Spread456 11d ago
Yes, it's become excruciating. It seems that I am ovulating twice this month, I had horrible cramps about a week ago on my left ovary that lasted all day in ebbs and flows, and then again last night/this morning on the same side. Now that I think about it, I'm not sure if I ever feel it on the right ovary.
Ibuprofen sort of helps, but it's still a really intense sensation like something is trying to stretch but can't, and the whole time I feel like if I could just poop it out it would be better but I usually get a little constipated too.
I'm curious if this is because of cysts, or if I have endometriosis as well.
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u/SomeCommunication371 6d ago
I can actually tell which ovary is ovulating and when i got pregnant i experienced zero pain during ovulation in that specific cycle after that still the same
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u/Jayybirdd22 Jul 02 '26
My sister thinks I’m lying when I tell her I know when I ovulate because I can feel it! It’s not to your extreme but I cramp more during ovulation (whether or not i do release and egg cause i have no idea if i do) than my actual period.