1. Community
  2. Gut, bowel and stomach
  3. Irritable Bowel Syndrome

Pelvin/Belt area discomfort - Daily

Posted , 4 users are following.

g75183
g75183

Hello,

Been a while since I posted in IBS, however for last few months, run into a little dliemma. Whether to go for a colonoscopy/sigmoidoscopy or just accept that I have IBS and Health Anxiety.

My symptoms right now are worrysome yet extremely mild and liveable. I got this discomfort, like tension in my lower, mainly left side of my pelvic are, just below the belt line, kind of just above my manhood area, maybe jst a little higher. I went to the doctors about this, I have no Red Flag symptoms, I have actually managed to increase my weight over the past 6 months, now weighing a pretty good 71-72 KG which for me is an ideal weight. I dont have any pain that wakes me up, the only blood in stool is from when my hemmorhoids worsen and inflame and my stools, well, as with all, I always have some complaint, sometimes flat, other times bulky, sometimes floating, other times sinking, its something that has plagued me for some time. Now the doctor recommended UltraSound and Bloods, both were fine. the only thing my doctor had worried about was one of my liver functions was sligtly abnormal but this was a few days after heavy drinking on New Years EVE/DAY, so she stated this would be the direct cause. She mentioned that if the pain became more severe, she would recommend I see a Gastro, and perhaps they would do a colonoscopy, but she was not worried and since has perscribed me with Xanax for my Health Anxiety. 

I know at 30 years old, only a few months since turning 30, I have a very little chance of having colong cancer, no one in my family has had it, I dont smoke, I am not Obese and I eat very healthy, lots of fruit and vege and very little red meat, not losing weight, when I had the FOB test, they only found the hemmorhoid blood on the outside of the stool but nothing in it and I have also seen a surgeon who conducted a digital rectal exam and anascopy who said that my colon, as far as he could see looked very healthy and that if I am worried, go in 5 years time for colonoscopy.

My question is.....should I have a test, which I have a very strong feeling would come back with nothing just to temporarily improve my Health Anxiety, or should I accept this tension discomfort as IBS/Stress/Anxiety and just believe and trust in my body? I guess, I could go for the less invasive Sigmoidoscopy, to check the lower but my Fiancee really thinks I do not need it as the doctor did not send me for the test, she said if it got more severe only. on a scale of 10, its mostly a 1-2 sometimes a 2-3 smile

Any advice would be great wink I heard colonoscopy is heavily overused for people under 40 and it almost never shows colon cancer, only to an unlucky few that fall in the risk cantegories.

0 likes, 9 replies

9 Replies

  • astrozombie
    astrozombie g75183

    Posted

    I would always have the test and I have had a fair few. Despite eating healthier I have similar results to you with regards re: stools. Colonoscopy and endoscopy shows much more than the Big C. 

    If if you ever find out how to improve what you have discussed above re: stools please post. I am new to talking about this so still a little squeamish.

    • g75183
      g75183 astrozombie

      Posted

      yeah exactly, they show more and thats why I am thinking about them just incase there is something I can get treated quickly to end that discomfort, but then again, I know I have IBS and although I used to be emabarrased I no longer am as I think why should I be :D its something so common and I think that one day it will be more recongnised in the medical profession and more will be done to help the patient before they develop Health Anxiety as a result to the continued problems one faces smile for sure if I manage to get over this, I will be posting about it wink one thing I did find that worked previous was probiotics and low fodmap diet, however I have changed since then to a high in vegetable/fruit diet and trying to bulk up my stools. 
    • astrozombie
      astrozombie g75183

      Posted

      I agree they do show more. I should add I do suffer a little with paranoia so I will always accept the tests but that is just the way my mind works. When I am ill I can be in the loo for 3 hours and fine at mine but at a partner's house or parents it is just embarrassing to me. 

      What specific probiotics as new to eating better. I am in the high vegetable and fruit camp so snacking on carrots as opposed to biscuits for example.I also like tomatoes, celery and cucumber and peppers and had beetroot once but I am not sure if good for me or not. I could take or leave it.

      With regards to fruit I never know what is best but I like apples and plums and grapes but whether they are the best for this condition I have no idea. I think I need to start researching food.

  • philippa61759
    philippa61759 g75183

    Posted

    If your doctor has diagnosed you with IBS, accept the diagnosis.  If your symptoms are mild and you have no red flags, you have nothing to worry about.  My IBS is very mild and I can live with it now that I know what is causing my pain.  All my tests were normal, but one doctor wanted to do them all again because some organs couldn't be seen.  I went back to an eighth doctor who said I didn't need further tests because my symptoms had not changed in three months and I had not developed anything new.  This reassured me and my health anxiety disappeared.
    • g75183
      g75183 philippa61759

      Posted

      Thanks for your reply, yes your right, I mean its been 3 months, the pain did not change, nothing developed, so I guess I should let it go wink I keep thinking about the tests because I suffer from an addiction to get confirmation I dont have anything wrong with me that will kill me sooner that I want to leave this planet :D I have a lot of positive changes coming up in my life and I am always afraid if I dont take the tests I run the risk of losing out....but then why should I doubt a professional doctor when all I know is what Google told me when I use to google my symptoms wink
    • philippa61759
      philippa61759 g75183

      Posted

      I made the mistake with googling because 7 doctors couldn't help and was desperate to find something for them to work on.  However, I only ended up fearing the worst   Thank goodness there was one doctor in my practice who recognised my symptoms.
    • astrozombie
      astrozombie philippa61759

      Posted

      That makes perfect sense and some doctors have even said to me IBS is an area which is one which is not fully understood and we start to understand more than the doctors through trial and error with food.

      I just wanted to stop spending hours in the loo and realised the tipping point had been reached when I felt so ill afterwards I decided to have a lie down for 5 mins and 2 hours later the door is being shaken very violently as I had fallen into a deep sleep and doing that at someone else's house is also very embarrassing. 

  • Elijo
    Elijo g75183

    Posted

    It might be feasable to go ahead and have the colonoscopy.  It could give you a baseline.  I have seen instances where younger folks did have colon cancer (not to frighten you) when I was taking my late husband for chemo, the doctors thought she was too young and didn't test her properly, she ended up getting chemo.  The colonoscopy is not too uncomfortable at all, but the prep was the "killer";  also after I was so cleaned out, it took a while for my bowels to "stabilize."  So to be sure, it might be wise to have it.    Good lukck!
  • g75183
    g75183

    Posted

    As my decision, I decided to arrange an appointment with my doctor and ask for them to make the decision. If they feel I should go for something, with the discomfort being so low down, to the left....I will ask for Sigmoidoscopy as I believe it is much less invasive and also I have been informed by my surgeon prior that it is not always needed to have a colonoscopy to check....only if the pain is high up and to the right..........however if the doctor decides that I have no other symptoms that are worrying and as the pain is no more than a mild discomfort I can live normally with, then I will accept the diagnosis and move on. I read a study recently which stated that if the doctor diagnosis IBS, it is a 98% success rate of diagnosis with only 2% mis-diagnosed, so odds are pretty good and at the end of the day,....odds are all we can accept sometimes wink
Back to top

Report or request deletion

Thanks for your help!

We want the community to be a useful resource for our users but it is important to remember that the community are not moderated or reviewed by doctors and so you should not rely on opinions or advice given by other users in respect of any healthcare matters. Always speak to your doctor before acting and in cases of emergency seek appropriate medical assistance immediately. Use of the community is subject to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy and steps will be taken to remove posts identified as being in breach of those terms.