Midcycle pain (“mittelschmerz”) is the pain that can accompany ovulation.

Typically occurring on about Day #14, the pain is unilateral, may occur on either side, and lasts for a few hours to a day or two.

It is not known why this ovulatory pain is so disabling to some women, is minor in other women, and not even felt by still other women.

The treatment of mild cases is usually reassurance and oral analgesics during the pain. For more significant symptoms, BCPs generally work very well at inhibiting ovulation and preventing the pain.

Other alternatives include any medication which would interfere with ovulation, such as DEPO-PROVERA , or Lupron. The latter two, while effective, often have so many other side effects that the treatment is worse than the problem.