Irritable Bowel Syndrome Message Boards | Re: Ovarian Cancer Scare

I have a friend who is an OC survivor (6+ years!), so I can tell you what her symptoms were like.

First of all, OC is pretty rare when you're young. Secondly, the bloating they talk about is not really regular IBS bloating where it comes and goes. It's all of a sudden (at least in my friend's case!), it's really severe (within a week, she was throwing up from it), and the latest guidelines I've seen say that you also feel like you have to pee really badly.

If you've felt bloated on and off for years and you're not getting that bladder pressure feeling, it's doubtful that you have OC. (It's also something that will spread pretty quickly, so you're not going to feel symptoms for years without getting really really ill!) The CA-125 blood test will tell you if you have any reason to worry, and an ultrasound can also be done to see if you have any growths. I would also think that if you are getting regular pelvic exams, they check to see whether they feel any ovarian irregularities.

After my buddy was diagnosed, I freaked out because I have IBS-related bloating. My doc pooh-poohed my worries, which peeved me at the time. Now that I know more about what she felt before her diagnosis and how IBS-related bloating feels, I agree with my doctor. This being said, get your butt to a doctor if you ALL OF A SUDDEN get severe and unrelenting bloating (something not fixable by a heating pad or herbal tea) along with the feeling that you really need to pee all the time NOW.

--AC

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