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When to Seek Medical Care

Women with mittelschmerz rarely need to go to a hospital's emergency department, but some serious medical conditions such as appendicitis and ectopic pregnancy can mimic the pain of ovulation. A woman should go to the emergency department if it is possible one of these conditions is causing the pain.

• Appendicitis causes pain in the lower right side of the abdomen along with loss of appetite, nausea, or vomiting.
  
  
• An ectopic pregnancy is a pregnancy that develops in the fallopian tube instead of the uterus. This might be the cause of the pain if the woman thinks she might be pregnant or if her last menstrual period was irregular.

A woman should call her doctor if the following occur:

• Midcycle pain lasts longer than 3 days
  
  
• Vaginal bleeding occurs during midcycle pain