I have been having quite a bit of lower back pain and tenderness & swelling in my lower abdomen. In particular it has been hurting down low down on my left side. It is a dull aching & churning feeling that I am constantly having, almost like I am on my period, when I am not going to be starting for another week or so. I have been having to sleep on a heating pad every night!

I know I need to get in to see a doctor as I can be pretty sure this is a cyst, but I guess what freaks me out the most is that for you to actually have symptoms like that that you notice and that are actually hurting you, doesn't it have to be a pretty serious sized cyst? I think it always scares you when you hear that ovarian cancer, when it reaches the stage where you are really to the point where you are having noticeable symptoms, that it is usually pretty advanced. :(

Leigh

I just posted a thread kinda similar to yours.
When I had my first cyst last year, it was pretty big, I had to have surgery and have it removed. When I first thought something was wrong, it was when I started bleeding like I was on my period but I wasnt suppose to start for another week. I was going through tampons every 15 minutes. I scheduled an appointment to see a specialist and he was able to get me in the very next morning, that is when he told me that I had a cyst. I had the dull aching and churning feeling, tenderness and swollen in the abdomen and back also, like I was on my period when I wasnt.
I have not had a cyst now for a year but I have been getting that aching pain
again and have had it for the past 3 months straight it is even worse now then ever. I am going to see the doctor b/c either I have another cyst or it is something even worse.

I would go see the doctor if I were you. I am so scared, I keep thinking all the things that could possible be wrong and could be damaging to the potential of being able to reproduce, cancer, etc.

Dont mess around, your health is very important and if you wait it could be a day to late. Know what I mean?
Plus you'll feel alot better when you find out what it is for sure instead of letting your mind wonder all the bad things it could possibley be.

Good Luck!