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6months of symptoms, does any one have the same?

Posted , 3 users are following.

kat00236
kat00236

Hello,

I am going through something frustrating with my health in the last half a year. I was always healthy, but started to have issues since end of january 2019.

I have on and off diarrhea, constipation, painful gas, lower back pain that radiates to the leg and the stool looks narrower than usual, a bit smaller than 1inch and I am always tired.

I have done full blood tests - all normal, except feritin is a bit on a low side 21.

Colonoscopy - all normal. CT scan - all normal.

My question is what can cause such problems? and also can CT scan see rectal cancer? Can colonoscopy miss tumors?

By the symptoms I have it feels to me that it's a bulky tumor that presses on some nerves. But I am not a doctor and I can be completely wrong.

Please let me know what you think.

Kate

0 likes, 9 replies

9 Replies

  • pippa58442
    pippa58442 kat00236

    Posted

    CTs and colonoscopies are highly accurate and are used to detect tumors as well as other conditions. If you had a bulky tumor, these scans would show it!A tumor that is bulky would be hard to miss. My brother who is a surgeon told me that nasty conditions show up very early on scans. Try to see it as a positive sign that your test have come back normal. Try not to think of the worst case scenario because worrying actually aggravates gut problems. Your symptoms sound like IBS.What had your doctor suggested? Try to believe in your test results and whatever reassurance your doctor gives you. Do you have any abdominal pain that moves about?

    • kat00236
      kat00236 pippa58442

      Posted

      Hi Pippa.

      thanks for replying, really appreciate that. Yes I do have abdominal pain that moves around. But I also have some sort of rectal pressure.

      The doctor says possibly IBS, but wasn' t conclusive about that... so I feel frustrated. And possibly my frustration is causing some of the symptoms.. not sure though.

      Good that you have a medic in a family who can reassure 😃

      Kat

    • pippa58442
      pippa58442 kat00236

      Posted

      Rectal pressure can occur with IBS too. What other tests is your doctor going to do to give you a conclusive diagnosis? All my tests were inconclusive but I had no diagnosis for three and a half months, This caused me intense health anxiety, panic, despair and frustration. I had difficulty believing any reassurance from anyone including my doctor because I thought something had been missed. When I told my doctor about my anxiety, he recognised IBS taking into consideration my bowel symptoms. My symptoms were daily and constant because of the stress of getting no help for so long. Ask for more tests

  • Vish2015
    Vish2015 kat00236

    Posted

    What about HPylori ? Did you go for any test that could confirm it negative? My doctor had said, blood tests are not sufficient for detecting hpylori. Lower back pain, radiating to hips and left leg was similar to my case.

    • kat00236
      kat00236 Vish2015

      Posted

      Hi Vish,

      No I haven't been checked for HPylori. I will ask my Dr. to do the check. thanks for a good idea.

      So you mentioned it was causing you pain in the back and hip as well? did it go away after hpylori treatment?

      Kat

    • Vish2015
      Vish2015 kat00236

      Posted

      You should go for that test too. Endoscopy, Breath Test and Stool test can detect hpylori. For me hpylori medication only helped me to cure my problem.

      Yes, pain in the back, hip and that affected pain in the back part of thighs too. Very bad gas and used to occur unpredictably within every 3-4 days. When it started, I used to be very confused if I have got a heart problem ( as the gas used to radiate heart muscles ) or back problem. But it turned out to be stomach problem, and I got cured after taking medications, when hpylori was detected through endoscopy.

    • Vish2015
      Vish2015

      Posted

      One more important thing. If you go for endoscopy they test it on a slide something like this:

      http://www.ijabmr.org/articles/2016/6/1/images/IntJAppBasicMedRes_2016_6_1_18_174003_f1.jpg

      They may ask you to keep it which is preferable. When this slide start getting full pink/red, it means you have got the infection.

      In my case doctor put it with him for half an hour and told me I did not have any hypylori infection. But at the same time he asked me to keep it with me and see for 12 hours, and then throw it away. He had fully assumed I did not have the infection. At home, even after 3 hours I did not notice any change. But after around 10 hours, I saw it had got completely pink. If I had not seen it , I would never know I had got the infection.

    • Vish2015
      Vish2015

      Posted

      What I mean to say is, that doctor may declare all clear without waiting. And that may cause a "false negative" that will leave you completely clueless. So better wait and approach the doctor again it if shows positive after some hours.

  • kat00236
    kat00236

    Posted

    Will ask my doc to check this out.

    Very interesting that it actually felt in your back and leg. Fingers crossed it is Hpylori in my case.

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