Anyone have a chocolate cyst/endometrioma on their ovary?

[essnce629]

So I finally went to a gyn doctor for the first time ever to see about my heavy periods and low ferritin. I thought I had at least one fibroid since I could feel a big lump during each pregnancy, but doctor did a vaginal ultrasound and didn't find any fibroids. She did say I had a very lumpy and enlarged uterus (6-8 week pregnant size) and a golf ball sized endometrioma (endometriosis blood and tissue filled mass) on my left ovary. She prescribed 5mg of norethindrone acetate daily, which is a progesterone only pill to see if it will shrink the endometrioma and stop me from having a period for the next month or two to try and build up my ferritin. I took the mini pill for 5 years after having DS2, but these pills are a 14 times higher dose and my face is breaking out like crazy like I'm 13 again! She also tested my CA-125 levels and they were slightly elevated too which can also be a sign of endometriosis. She wants to see me again next month for another ultrasound to see if the endometrioma has shrunk. If not, she wants to remove it surgically. Has anyone else had an endometrioma and what was the treatment? Also, my ferritin only moved up 4 points (46 to 50) in the past 3 months after upping my iron dose to 3 times a day instead of 2 (450mg daily), so I'm pretty bummed about that.

[maidentomother]

I'm useless re the endometrioma (though my gut says to go with surgery if you don't see major shrinkage), but I can't remember if I've told you about my need for iron from red meat? I was always chronically but mildly anemic as a vegetarian up until I started eating red meat occasionally in college. I have taken every type of iron supplement that exists at very high doses and supplemental iron never did a thing for my anemia, either actual blood tests or how I felt. Same thing with iron from plant sources. The ONLY iron I seem capable of absorbing is from red meat. I only need 1-2 servings a month, possibly bc I have such a short, light period, so you may need more. Have you ever eaten a significant amount of red meat? Did it help your ferritin levels at all?

Off topic...do you think your most recent temp jump could be evidence of you Oing through the progesterone? When I charted on various hormonal BC my temps would be significantly higher overall but I still Oed and got temp shifts. Do you know if you Oed on the mini pill?

[essnce629]

I definitely O'd regularly and on time on the mini pill. I charted for several months before swaying and coming off the mini pill and always O'd at my regular time (confirmed with +opks and temp shift) and had a normal length luteal phase and period. I've read that the mini pill only stops ovulation in about 50% of women. I don't think I'll O on these new progesterone pills as they're a 14 times higher dose than the mini pill I was taking (5mg vs 0.35mg). I've been lax about charting but I'll try on weekdays at least. I haven't felt any O pains at all and I always have in the past. These pills are actually labeled as hormone replacement therapy vs contraceptive.

I've always eaten red meat, even when swaying. I'd say I eat red meat 1-2 times a week. And yes, heme iron (from meat) is much better absorbed than non-heme (non meat) sources, which is why vegetarians and vegans are more likely to be iron deficient. I'm low carb and sometimes I'll eat 2 lettuce wrapped double meat burgers at once (so 4 patties)!

[atomic sagebrush]

It's so amazing on this journey to learn how differently our bodies all work - I'm like you essnce, I can pack away the meat but still need the supps off and on ever since I was 13 years old (and actually have reason to believe I was anemic for some time before anyone caught it, even before puberty). My period has been !!!2 days!!! for like a year and use only cast iron cookware I am stiil anemic (%&%&#*&*^&*) so have to go back on the supps which I hate. I also know a few other people who supps don't work on though, so it isn't just you, Maiden.

essnce - do they think that endo could be contributing to the anemia?? That would explain a lot woudn't it?? If you're basically having internal bleeding every month it would take a lot to come back from that (meatwise)

[essnce629]

essnce - do they think that endo could be contributing to the anemia?? That would explain a lot woudn't it?? If you're basically having internal bleeding every month it would take a lot to come back from that (meatwise)

The doctor didn't think the endometrioma was causing the heavy periods, but if I have endometriosis in others places, then yes, that would make it hard to catch up on an iron deficiency. But you would only know if you go in laproscopically and look around. Technically, I am not anemic and have never been as my hemoglobin and hematocrit have always been normal and only my ferritin (iron stores) have been low. Even on the lab slip normal ferritin is listed at 20-150 but that's a huge range and I've read that "ideal" for women is 70-90. I'm at 50 now and still feel exhausted all the time and yawn constantly. My vitamin D levels are 70 which is great, so it's not related to that.

So today is CD28 and I'm having a ton of ovary pain on my left side, which is where the endometrioma is. Normally, I only have O pain on the right side during my cycles. This O pain is coming in waves every 20-60 seconds. I wonder what's up? Maybe the endometrioma is shrinking? Normally AF would be due tomorrow. I decided to take an opk and got this. I'll take another one tonight before bed.

http://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20160515/421084930ff2792942ce335cec12d9b4.jpg

[Beautifulrainbow]

Oooo is that a positive? Or could that just be because of the progestogen?

[essnce629]

Oooo is that a positive? Or could that just be because of the progestogen?

Not a positive yet, but I'll take another one tonight before bed. I'm still having the intermittent O pain on the left side every 20-60 seconds. I took several opk tests around my normal O time and they were super light negatives. I keep feeling like my period is about to start any second but I really hope it doesn't because that would mean the pills didn't work.

[atomic sagebrush]

How is it today???

[essnce629]

No more ovary pains today. Opk test before bed last night was lighter than the previous one.

[atomic sagebrush]

OK good. They can get torsed (twisted around) meaning that the blood supply would be cut off and this could be life threatening but when that happens, there is generally no doubt in your mind something is seriously wrong and you'd be headed to the ER in severe pain.