Medicines for Ovarian cysts

Most ovarian cysts are functional, harmless and clear up on their own, so they often need no medicine at all — just reassurance, simple pain relief if they are uncomfortable, and sometimes a repeat ultrasound scan to confirm they have gone. The main medicine used is the combined hormonal contraceptive pill, but it is important to understand its role: it does not shrink a cyst that has already formed. Instead, by stopping ovulation, it can help prevent new functional cysts from forming, which is helpful for women who keep getting them. Larger, persistent or complex cysts, or cysts after the menopause, are assessed by a specialist, and an operation to remove the cyst is occasionally needed.

For the great majority of women, no — ovarian cysts are very common and most are harmless functional cysts that come and go with the menstrual cycle and disappear by themselves. Many cause no symptoms and are found only by chance on a scan. They matter more in certain situations: cysts that are large, persistent or complex-looking, and cysts that appear around or after the menopause, are assessed more carefully to make sure a rarer cause is not missed. The one genuinely urgent scenario is sudden, severe pelvic pain, which can mean a cyst has ruptured or the ovary has twisted — this needs emergency assessment.

Usually, yes. The commonest type — the functional cyst — forms as part of the normal menstrual cycle and typically resolves on its own within a few weeks or months without any treatment. This is why the usual approach for a small, simple cyst in a woman who is still having periods is "watchful waiting", often with a repeat ultrasound scan later to confirm it has gone. Not all cysts behave this way: larger, persistent or complex cysts may not resolve and need closer monitoring or, occasionally, removal. Cysts found around or after the menopause are also looked at more carefully, as functional cysts are not expected at that stage.

Ovarian torsion is when an ovary, sometimes enlarged by a cyst, twists on the stalk that carries its blood supply, cutting off blood flow. It is a surgical emergency because the ovary can be damaged if it is not untwisted quickly. The classic warning sign is sudden, severe, one-sided pelvic or lower tummy pain that comes on quickly, often with nausea or vomiting, and sometimes feeling faint. A cyst rupturing can cause similarly sudden, severe pain. If you develop pain like this — especially with vomiting, faintness or a fever — call 999 or go to A&E straight away rather than waiting, so it can be assessed and treated without delay.