what do we have in common

[patri99]

I wonder if it is possible to determine what we have in common.  We seem to all get a cyst, some of us a second cyst after removal of the first.  Are we all eating something that can cause this, or taking some similar medication?  I wonder if its possible to pinpoint a common part of our lives, through this forum, that can help us prevent future cysts...

I'm from the northeast coast.
My diet is non-restrictive.  I eat everything, except onions and anchovies.  I like buttery creamy and cheesy foods.  I love fried foods, however have cut down on them in the last 3 years.
My second cyst (4cm) is not as big as my first cyst (6in.) 15 years ago.
I take alot of aspirin and caffeine because  I get headaches frequently (twice a month).
My first cyst was spotted and removed 5 years before my 2 pregnancies.

Anybody want to give it a shot?
Maybe we can start here...

[outdoorsgirl]

I have not had weight issues, luckily, my body type is thin, although I have to work at it with exercise and healthy food, no junk food. In the last few years, I was drinking a lot of coffee and consuming a lot of soy. I have cut both out in the spring of this year. About ten years ago, when I was drinking a lot of coffee and eating a lot of soy, I had a benign tumor in my breast which had to be surgically removed. The surgeon told me to cut out caffeine. Later, my gynecologist told me not to worry about coffee. I cut it this year due to stress. I have heard good and bad about soy, not sure what to think. Same with caffeine. I do drink green tea every once in awhile. I eat very healthy now, not a vegetarian, just eat chicken and fish, no beef. Lots of veggies and salads. Very little sugar and no unhealthy carbs like chips. I have been under a lot of stress last few years, that may have upset the balance of hormones possibly.

[TrudieC]

I grew up drinking lots of milk but stopped about 25 years ago.  I stopped using artificial sweeteners a couple of years ago.  A year ago I stopped eating processed foods.  I do drink a lot of red wine and eat a very healthy diet.  I started having cysts in the last 5 years which is when my weight did considerably increase.

Previously I had ulcerative colitis (an auto-immune bowel disease) until 16 years ago which was cured by surgery, and then diagnosed with hypothyroidism about 12 years ago.  I do have a fibroid.  I had my tubes tied at 30 years old due to recurrent ectopic pregnancies.  No birthcontrol since then.

I have done a lot of reading too and the estrogen dominance is a big contributor.  Do google it and you will see that it comes from the drugs in our foods, chemicals, etc.  It is a very tough thing to get rid of.

I know that some women who have not yet had children and do get cysts, will often have no further cyst issues after pregnancy.  This does not apply across the board but is a trend I have seen.

[maggie12345]

I am vegetarian. Take coffee only during winter. Now, I have stopped eating chocolate all together. I don't drink Coke or any soda.
Now I am taking lot of rich anti-oxidant food. Stopped storing food in plastic containers. I have stopped using Microwave.
Lets see whether I will get cyst again. I drink, a large cup of Green Tea at least once a days. Now started taking daily multi-vitamins.

My cyst problem may have started when I gained weight and went on  aggressive diet plan to reduce weight.  

[outdoorsgirl]

That is a very good question. I read somewhere about a study that women who drank a lot of milk (whole milk) are at increased risk of ovarian cancer. But it seems like everything puts you at increased risk of cancer so who knows? I still drink milk - just the non-fat kind due to high cholesterol levels.

[MarieMichele]

There are some theories out there that growth hormones (such as those in beef and chicken), environmental toxins such as DDT, food packaging, as well as food cooked in certain plastic containers or wraps are sources of artificial estrogrens that really mess up how our ovaries behave.

I personally also wonder about artificial sweeteners (all of them) and their tendency to collect in the reproductive system for awhile.

I think one day medical science will make a much bigger deal about this.  I agree, the number of problematic cysts that are occurring has got to be a sign of some abnormal reaction to something.