I had a grapefruit size cyst on my right ovary and didn't have any pain at all, and it was benign. I don't know why I didn't have any pain but I am truly grateful for this!
It doesn't matter how big cysts are, they hurt regardless. I actually began to hurt worse once I found out the cysts were there than I did before. I think that until you are told that you have a reason to be hurting, your mind tries to convince itself that it's all in you head. Once that reasoning is taken away, the body tends to focus more on the pain since you know there is a reason for it.
That's really interesting to read. My ovary hurt and was adhered to the uterus (this could be seen on ultrasounds).
The adhesions probably happened because I had so many cysts (and a few surgeries) over the years. I had pain (sometimes quite bad) from mid cycle (when I ovulated) until my period. So probably I wasn't ovulating properly, the ovum didn't want to leave and hung around and messed up her room in the Ovary Inn!
The trouble with this stuff is, when you have pain, you never know what is causing it, and it is so hard not to worry and think the very worst.
I wish doctors were better at helping us monitor and save our ovaries and keep them healthy.
The pain level has to do with what the cyst (s) are leaning on. If they are getting bigger and leaning on more nerves then more pain, but, unfortunately, they could be growing into space without sensitive nerves and you'd not know it. I convinced myself that the cysts were getting smaller because I couldn't feel them as well through my abdomen--wrong!
It can, but my general discomfort has increased without the cyst size increasing much (Dx at 3.5, now 3.6 5 months later).
I think part of it's in my head... I know the 'alien' is there, so I feel more from that area, when before I might not have paid attention to it.
~Mare