Very Large Ovarian Cyst

whereismyOJ

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I was in the ER on Feb. 3rd after being sick starting Jan. 31st. By the time I went to the ER, I was able to keep food and water down, but I still had severe abdominal and lower back pain. I told my husband that on a pain scale of 1 to "I need to go the ER," I was an eight. So, that's pretty bad for me. I finally went. I had a CT scan done and was told there was a "very large cyst" on my ovary and to follow up with a GYN.

I had that follow up appt. on the 10th and the "very large cyst" is apparently the largest this doctor has seen and he's been practicing medicine since 1982. The dimensions are 23 x 19 x 20 cm. So that would come out to around 9 x 7 x 8 inches or or slightly smaller than the standard size of a basketball in the NBA.

Das'big y'all.

They did a blood test to check for cancer and it came back normal. However, there could be cancer inside the cyst/mass. They do not want to drain it or allow it to rupture because if there is cancer inside, it will spread throughout my body. So, I will have to have surgery to remove it and the surgery will be soon. The only doctor that should safely remove this is from me is from the GYN Oncology department.

I'm on one of the RP FB groups and a few mentioned that taking large does of Progest-E and aspiring powder would shrink it.

The problem is - I've been taking large doses of Progest-E and 1 gram of aspirin powder spread throughout the day for 2 years. I did run out of PE at one point, so I didn't take it for a few months, but other than that, I'm taking them. No doubt this monster has been growing inside of me for the last 10 years. Why 10 years? Well, 10 years ago I had an ectopic pregnancy and my left fallopian tube was removed, along with the 14-week baby/fetus. The ovary stayed and now 10 years later, it's grown into this basketball.

I sent a short email to Dr. Peat - "I was recently Dx with an ovarian cyst measuring 23x19x20 cm. I imagine this has been growing for some time, despite taking Progest-E and large doses of aspirin powder for 2+ years. Is surgery to remove it my only option?

Others in the Ray Peat Inspired Facebook group seem to think it will shrink with Progest-E and aspirin, but as I stated, I've been doing that along with lowering PUFA and other recommendations.

Thank you for your time"

and his first reply was - "Have your TSH, prolactin and other pituitary hormones, and vitamin D, been measured? How much aspirin and progesterone have you been using? How much protein in your diet do you average?"

I replied - "Thank you for your reply. The ER did not measure my TSH, prolactin, vit. D, or other pituitary hormones. I take a gram of aspirin spread through out the day and 4-5 large drops of progest-e through out the day too. I aim for 100gm of protein, but usually get 80. Mostly through milk, milk powder, homemade jello, and cheese. "

I'm still waiting to hear back from him.

I can not imagine anything else fixing this besides having it removed. This is large and went unnoticed.. really because I am fat to begin with and my I just thought I was gaining fat, not a ginormous unwanted friend in my insides. I'm in quite a bit of pain all of the time.

Thoughts from y'all? Is surgery this only option?
 

thegiantess

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Maybe I'm a wimp or something, but a cyst the size of a basketball?? For the love of God, have the surgery! That's what I would do.. And then reasses your supplements post surgery as you will have a clean slate.
 
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whereismyOJ

whereismyOJ

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Maybe I'm a wimp or something, but a cyst the size of a basketball?? For the love of God, have the surgery! That's what I would do.. And then reasses your supplements post surgery as you will have a clean slate.

hahaha, you are NOT being a wimp. This thing is no joke. I have been thinking along what you said - have the surgery, start with a clean slate.
 

honeybee

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I had a large ovarian cyst about the size of my pointing finger a few years ago-pre peat. I used large doses of vitamin a to shrink it. It worked. In retrospect I think the vitamin a made me hypothyroid becuz i knew nothing about balancing the fat solubles. I gained a lot of weight and had lot of hypo symptoms. I was desperate to avoid surgery as I had already had two major abdominal surgeries. all the markers pointed to non cancerous and I insisted on two dr opinions. I then started my very long journey to find ways to lower my very high estrogen level and regain health. Which I'm still working on. You should do what you feel is right for yourself and family.
 

Blossom

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100 mg Progest-e is supposed to resolve ovarian cysts (the dose may need to be repeated) but I'm honestly not sure about it resolving one the size of a basketball!?! I had a grapefruit sized ovary removed 10 years ago pre-Peat and felt so much better for it. I was able to keep one healthy ovary for hormone production. If you try to shrink it on your own and you are successful please let us know. Sorry you are faced with such a difficult decision whereismyOJ. Hope you get a reply from Dr. Peat soon.
 

tara

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Das'big y'all.
No wonder you had back ache!

I don't know what I'd do. Probably either surgery as soon as possible, or throw more vit-A, aspirin, progest-e at it for another couple of months and see if it shrinks - if not, surgery then? 4-5 large drops progest-e /day doesn't seem like a very high dose - I've taken probably up to 100mg or more in a day sometimes and others here have used more for extreme situations. You could consider trying more.
 
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whereismyOJ

whereismyOJ

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are you taking any other supplements?
Yes,
Vit. A, Biotin, Caffeine, Folate, Glycine, Mag. Meth.Blue, Niacinamide, Pregnenolone, Lysine, B1, B6, Vit. K drops, Vit. D drops a few times a week. I've tried a few thyroid brands in the past, but they never did anything for me. I'd like to try Tyromax though.
 
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whereismyOJ

whereismyOJ

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I had a large ovarian cyst about the size of my pointing finger a few years ago-pre peat. I used large doses of vitamin a to shrink it. It worked. In retrospect I think the vitamin a made me hypothyroid becuz i knew nothing about balancing the fat solubles. I gained a lot of weight and had lot of hypo symptoms. I was desperate to avoid surgery as I had already had two major abdominal surgeries. all the markers pointed to non cancerous and I insisted on two dr opinions. I then started my very long journey to find ways to lower my very high estrogen level and regain health. Which I'm still working on. You should do what you feel is right for yourself and family.

Thank you. I know I have high estrogen and I thought I've been working on it since find Dr. Peat's work via Matt Stone....and perhaps I did lower it to some extent, but still somehow managed to grow this monster.
 
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whereismyOJ

whereismyOJ

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100 mg Progest-e is supposed to resolve ovarian cysts (the dose may need to be repeated) but I'm honestly not sure about it resolving one the size of a basketball!?! I had a grapefruit sized ovary removed 10 years ago pre-Peat and felt so much better for it. I was able to keep one healthy ovary for hormone production. If you try to shrink it on your own and you are successful please let us know. Sorry you are faced with such a difficult decision whereismyOJ. Hope you get a reply from Dr. Peat soon.

With the continued amount of pain I'm in, I will probably opt for surgery, even though I really want to avoid it. I absolutely hate surgery! I am grateful for modern medicine and it definitely has it's flaws, but I won't deny that it has saved my life numerous times.
 

Peata

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from functionalps.com site.http://www.functionalps.com/blog/2012/01/13/indicators-of-elevated-estrogen/
http://www.functionalps.com/blog/2012/01/13/indicators-of-elevated-estrogen/
Possible Indicators of Excess Estrogen

  • Any premenstrual syndrome (PMS) symptoms
  • Uterine fibroids
  • Ovarian cysts
  • Heavy menstrual flow
  • Long menstruation
  • Menstrual migraines/headaches
  • High stress lifestyle
  • “Liver spots”/Lipofuscin/Age pigment
  • History of birth control use
  • Soy or nut milk heavy diet
  • “Autoimmune” condition
  • Heavy use of cosmetics or beauty products
  • Chronic constipation
  • Work related activities around beauty products or cleaning products
  • Early menarche
  • Start menopause early
  • Hormone Replacement Treatment (HRT) use
  • Low temperature and pulse
  • Cancers, especially of the Breast, Uterus, Ovary, or Prostate
  • History of infertility
  • Blood sugar regulation issues
  • Low energy, chronic fatigue
  • Fatigue easily
  • Polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS)
  • Miscarriage
  • History of vegetarian diet
  • Low protein diet
  • Diet low in B vitamins
  • SAD diet
  • History of low carb diet
  • High percentage of bodyfat
  • Hot flashes
  • Acne or other skin problems
  • Reynaud’s
  • Endometriosis
  • Diet high in PUFA
  • Cellulite
  • Difficulty losing weight
  • Diagnosed hypothyroid
  • Over exercise
  • Excessive endurance training
  • Water retention
  • Dementia
  • Large hips and thighs
  • Memory Loss
  • Diabetes
  • Heart attack
  • Stroke
  • Gynecomastia (“man boobs”)
  • Food cravings (sugar, salt)
  • Breast tenderness
  • Highly emotional
 
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whereismyOJ

whereismyOJ

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No wonder you had back ache!

I don't know what I'd do. Probably either surgery as soon as possible, or throw more vit-A, aspirin, progest-e at it for another couple of months and see if it shrinks - if not, surgery then? 4-5 large drops progest-e /day doesn't seem like a very high dose - I've taken probably up to 100mg or more in a day sometimes and others here have used more for extreme situations. You could consider trying more.

I could be wrong, but I remember reading that 100mg of Progest-E equals to around 1/4 tsp. My large drops looks like an extra large chocolate chip. I could go higher, I suppose.
 
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whereismyOJ

whereismyOJ

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from functionalps.com site.
Possible Indicators of Excess Estrogen
  • Any premenstrual syndrome (PMS) symptoms
  • Uterine fibroids
  • Ovarian cysts
  • Heavy menstrual flow
  • Long menstruation
  • Menstrual migraines/headaches
  • High stress lifestyle
  • “Liver spots”/Lipofuscin/Age pigment
  • History of birth control use
  • Soy or nut milk heavy diet
  • “Autoimmune” condition
  • Heavy use of cosmetics or beauty products
  • Chronic constipation
  • Work related activities around beauty products or cleaning products
  • Early menarche
  • Start menopause early
  • Hormone Replacement Treatment (HRT) use
  • Low temperature and pulse
  • Cancers, especially of the Breast, Uterus, Ovary, or Prostate
  • History of infertility
  • Blood sugar regulation issues
  • Low energy, chronic fatigue
  • Fatigue easily
  • Polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS)
  • Miscarriage
  • History of vegetarian diet
  • Low protein diet
  • Diet low in B vitamins
  • SAD diet
  • History of low carb diet
  • High percentage of bodyfat
  • Hot flashes
  • Acne or other skin problems
  • Reynaud’s
  • Endometriosis
  • Diet high in PUFA
  • Cellulite
  • Difficulty losing weight
  • Diagnosed hypothyroid
  • Over exercise
  • Excessive endurance training
  • Water retention
  • Dementia
  • Large hips and thighs
  • Memory Loss
  • Diabetes
  • Heart attack
  • Stroke
  • Gynecomastia (“man boobs”)
  • Food cravings (sugar, salt)
  • Breast tenderness
  • Highly emotional

Thanks, Peata. I could easily put a check mark next to most of those.
 

Peata

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Jun 12, 2013
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I could be wrong, but I remember reading that 100mg of Progest-E equals to around 1/4 tsp. My large drops looks like an extra large chocolate chip. I could go higher, I suppose.

In my situation with estrogen dominance, I had to take 300 - 400 mg Progest E daily to stop symptoms and keep them under control. I think I went through a bottle every week and a half or two. That's just my experience, though. Dosages will vary.
 
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whereismyOJ

whereismyOJ

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Joined
Jul 12, 2014
Messages
54
In my situation with estrogen dominance, I had to take 300 - 400 mg Progest E daily to stop symptoms and keep them under control. I think I went through a bottle every week and a half or two. That's just my experience, though. Dosages will vary.
oh wow!
 

thegiantess

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Nov 16, 2015
Messages
316
So, I see that Peat asked if you had blood tests showing serum values of hormones, vit d, etc. I know you said the ER didn't measure this, but is it possible for you to get some done? Perhaps via GP or doing your own tests? I think the mentality here is divided; some think that it's best to go by symptoms and some think it's best to go by blood tests. I tend toward the latter. I realize that Peat thinks that serum values are less than perfect, but clearly he puts some emphasis on them or he wouldn't have asked. I think a lot of folks can get bogged down in what they think is wrong, but lab values show otherwise. Or they think their situation is way worse than it is. I'm not saying a huge cyst isn't proof that you have high estrogen, but I am saying it would be nice to have starting value that way you can measure progress as you go. For me, I need hard evidence to illuminate what I think I'm feeling. The Internet can be a murky place that inspires one to think they feel something more completely than they do. Ya know?
 
M

marikay

Guest
Yes,
Vit. A, Biotin, Caffeine, Folate, Glycine, Mag. Meth.Blue, Niacinamide, Pregnenolone, Lysine, B1, B6, Vit. K drops, Vit. D drops a few times a week. I've tried a few thyroid brands in the past, but they never did anything for me. I'd like to try Tyromax though.

How much vitamin A?
 

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