torqued ovary

[chocolate-chip chooky]

Have any of you experienced this?

I had this happen yesterday, and, oh my, the pain. I was vomiting from the pain, and I could hardly speak. Not fun. 

I really really really don't want to experience that again. So, please tell me, if you've had this happen, has it recurred? 

 

[Kassia]

I did a few times but mine was due to the infertility meds I was on - my ovaries blew up from being so stimulated and would twist.  Yes, it is incredibly painful.  I hope it doesn't happen to you again.  

[chocolate-chip chooky]

1 minute ago, Kassia said:

I did a few times but mine was due to the infertility meds I was on - my ovaries blew up from being so stimulated and would twist.  Yes, it is incredibly painful.  I hope it doesn't happen to you again.  

A few times! Oh my goodness, you poor thing.

I have no explanation for why it happened to me. 

[chocolate-chip chooky]

One of my daughters sent me this 😄

[footballmom]

I had it happen once and hasn’t happened again.  It was awfully painful.

[chocolate-chip chooky]

1 minute ago, footballmom said:

I had it happen once and hasn’t happened again.  It was awfully painful.

I'm sorry this happened to you. It's nasty pain.

Did you have any explanation for it? My ultrasounds showed up nothing, which is good, but also doesn't give an explanation. The ER doctor seemed a bit bemused, but unconcerned.

[MercyA]

Yes, I have endometriosis, which can cause my reproductive organs to be pulled out of place. The torquing happens from time to time when I turn over wrong in bed. (At least, I'm pretty sure that's what happening. It feels like something is twisting on a stalk and it is severe pain, like a knife. And I've had lots of ovarian cysts so I know where my ovaries are. I guess it could also be my fallopian tubes twisting.)

Endo will not show up on an ultrasound or x-ray or CAT scan. It can only be diagnosed surgically. But if you don't have symptoms (heavy periods, severe menstrual cramping, infertility), it's probably not that.

I'm so sorry that happened to you! How long did your pain last? Long enough to go to the ER evidently...poor thing! Hugs.

[chocolate-chip chooky]

5 minutes ago, MercyA said:

Yes, I have endometriosis, which can cause my reproductive organs to be pulled out of place. The torquing happens from time to time when I turn over wrong in bed. (At least, I'm pretty sure that's what happening. It feels like something is twisting on a stalk and it is severe pain, like a knife. And I've had lots of ovarian cysts so I know where my ovaries are. I guess it could also be my fallopian tubes twisting.)

Endo will not show up on an ultrasound or x-ray or CAT scan. It can only be diagnosed surgically. But if you don't have symptoms (heavy periods, severe menstrual cramping, infertility), it's probably not that.

I'm so sorry that happened to you! How long did your pain last? Long enough to go to the ER evidently...poor thing! Hugs.

Thanks, Mercy 🌻

It was sudden and ridiculously intense pain, with nausea, vomiting and near-fainting for about four or five hours. I was doubled over, and speaking was difficult.

I'm not a drama queen normally.

Afterwards, my husband said it was worse than childbirth 🙄😄

[MercyA]

2 hours ago, chocolate-chip chooky said:

Thanks, Mercy 🌻

It was sudden and ridiculously intense pain, with nausea, vomiting and near-fainting for about four or five hours. I was doubled over, and speaking was difficult.

I'm not a drama queen normally.

Afterwards, my husband said it was worse than childbirth 🙄😄

That must have been so scary! Did they do anything to treat it?

[chocolate-chip chooky]

8 minutes ago, MercyA said:

That must have been so scary! Did they do anything to treat it?

They didn't need to, luckily. The pain eased, and my ultrasound showed nothing obvious. Somehow it must have unraveled itself.

The ER doctor said it's unusual but not unheard of to have otherwise healthy ovaries twist and then untwist. 

If it stays twisted, the only treatment is surgery, because the torquing cuts off blood flow. So I was lucky to avoid that.

I hope your pain resolves soon, Mercy. I realise you're going through your own pelvic issues 🌻

[Kassia]

Just now, chocolate-chip chooky said:

 

If it stays twisted, the only treatment is surgery, because the torquing cuts off blood flow. So I was lucky to avoid that.

 

Yes, that's what I was thinking about when you mentioned you had that happen.  It can be very dangerous.  Glad yours resolved without surgery and hope it doesn't happen again.  I had intestinal blockages for years and it was terrible to live life always waiting for the next one to happen.  

[chocolate-chip chooky]

1 minute ago, Kassia said:

Yes, that's what I was thinking about when you mentioned you had that happen.  It can be very dangerous.  Glad yours resolved without surgery and hope it doesn't happen again.  I had intestinal blockages for years and it was terrible to live life always waiting for the next one to happen.  

I have to admit that a small part of me really wouldn't have minded if that ovary was removed, or all my lady parts for that matter. I don't need them any more, and I don't want this to happen again. If it happens again, I'm not waiting as long to call the ambulance, that's for sure.

I hope your innards are all good now, Kassia. 🌻

[Kassia]

15 minutes ago, chocolate-chip chooky said:

I have to admit that a small part of me really wouldn't have minded if that ovary was removed, or all my lady parts for that matter. I don't need them any more, and I don't want this to happen again. If it happens again, I'm not waiting as long to call the ambulance, that's for sure.

I hope your innards are all good now, Kassia. 🌻

yes, please don't wait if it happens again - hopefully it never will.  That pain is unbearable.  

Innards are good for now - had a few procedures and two major surgeries.  

[footballmom]

Chocolate chip chooky, my experience was almost identical.  ER doctor was very nonchalant and u/s showed it had untwisted / there was blood flow so no surgery.  I don’t remember if there was anything that brought it on.  I believe there was also an ovarian cyst involved so maybe that played into it?

 

[Soror]

You poor thing. I didn't even know that was a thing that happened 😞

[kbutton]

9 hours ago, Soror said:

You poor thing. I didn't even know that was a thing that happened 😞

It can happen to the male counterparts as well. Also an emergency if it cuts off blood flow.

[dirty ethel rackham]

I'm sorry you had to go through this.  Hope it doesn't happen again.  I had started to type out a post in this thread from the viewpoint of a sonographer, but I got called away and forgot about it.  I was on call last night and dreamt about scanning you for ovarian torsion.  (Not that we've ever met, but your avatar was in my dream.)  In the middle of this dream, I got a call from work to come in for a suspected torsion case! 

I get called in a lot for suspected torsion since our ER docs and PAs order ultrasounds for every non-pregnant female with lower abdominal pain (most not nearly as much pain as you describe.)  I've yet to personally scan a positive case, but I've had a few cases were it was likely that the ovary untwisted itself.   I have scanned a positive testicular torsion - grown man literally crying in pain.  

 

[chocolate-chip chooky]

11 minutes ago, dirty ethel rackham said:

I'm sorry you had to go through this.  Hope it doesn't happen again.  I had started to type out a post in this thread from the viewpoint of a sonographer, but I got called away and forgot about it.  I was on call last night and dreamt about scanning you for ovarian torsion.  (Not that we've ever met, but your avatar was in my dream.)  In the middle of this dream, I got a call from work to come in for a suspected torsion case! 

I get called in a lot for suspected torsion since our ER docs and PAs order ultrasounds for every non-pregnant female with lower abdominal pain (most not nearly as much pain as you describe.)  I've yet to personally scan a positive case, but I've had a few cases were it was likely that the ovary untwisted itself.   I have scanned a positive testicular torsion - grown man literally crying in pain.  

 

Ellen, thank you for caring for dream-me 🌻

Can you tell me, if there had been a cyst and it burst, would that show on an ultrasound afterwards?

All I was told was that my ultrasound was 'all good'. In hindsight, I really wish I was in a better state of mind at the time, because I should have asked questions. But I was wiped out.

I actually wonder if I had a cyst, which made the ovary lopsided and caused the torsion. I wonder if it burst during the torsion (hence the ridiculous pain), and that then helped to unravel the torsion. Just a theory, of course. I have no evidence of having had a cyst.

Edited August 14, 2022 by chocolate-chip chooky

[dirty ethel rackham]

1 minute ago, chocolate-chip chooky said:

Ellen, thank you for caring for dream-me 🌻

Can you tell me, if a there had been a cyst and it burst, would that show on an ultrasound afterwards?

All I was told was that my ultrasound was 'all good'. In hindsight, I really wish I was in a better state of mind at the time, because I should have asked questions. But I was wiped out.

I actually wonder if I had a cyst, which made the ovary lopsided and caused the torsion. I wonder if it burst during the torsion (hence the ridiculous pain), and that then helped to unravel the torsion. Just a theory, of course. I have no evidence of having had a cyst.

Sometimes, if a cyst bursts, we would see free fluid in the pelvic cavity either near the ovary or behind the uterus.  Presence or absence of free fluid is something we have to make note of for the radiologist who reads the exam.  After ovulation when the follicle bursts to release the egg, there can be small amounts of free fluid.  A larger cyst would release more fluid.   

Torsion itself causes that ridiculous pain.  That is one of the hallmarks - severe pain with nausea and vomiting.  When the pain goes away, either the organ untwisted itself, or the organ is dying.  That is why we check for blood flow in the ovary (or testicle.)   Most torsion appears to be caused by a large cyst or mass on the ovary causing it to become "unbalanced."  (I had my 5 cm cyst removed in December for this risk of torsion.)  

If you're curious, you should be able to get a copy of your ultrasound report to see what the radiologist said.  It will have a lot of "radiology-ese" that may take some deciphering.