Hi, I am an 18 year old female, 5'7", 150 lbs. I have had irregular menstrual cycles all my life, and I'm a little curious about some of the other symptoms I've been having. I only have 6-8 periods a year, and when I do have them they start with no warning and they are HEAVY-- almost uncontrollable. I also have cramps, which are usually mild, but can sometimes be debilitating. A few years ago I met with a gynecologist (for a separate issue) and had an ultra-sound done. They found a cyst on my ovary but assured me that many females have them and that it wasn't anything too out of the ordinary, but they may cause me some discomfort. Occasionally I will feel a slight pain where one of my ovaries is. The major problem I have with this situation is pain that I get every two months or so. It starts out as very mild but gets worse over the course of maybe two or three days. It is a VERY sharp stabbing pain occurring in the area just below my belly button. It gradually gets worse, becoming painful to the touch, and I am unable to use my abdominal muscles. It always culminates in about a half-hour of incredibly intense pain-- I'm unable to even stand up straight and I can feel it when I breathe. Then it completely subsides. I have always attributed this to ovarian cysts rupturing, but I'm not sure. This has always happened to me...is it something I need to worry about?