Persistent Lower Left Abdominal discomfort
Posted , 7 users are following.
Hello. Looking for any advice/help/reassurance really!
I'm 32/male, I was "diagnosed" with IBS back when I was 14ish and just accepted it, didnt really have too many issues barring the odd cramp. Usually when I had issues I'd have some constipation, I'd take a fybogel and it would be fine in a couple of days.
My current problems started approx 8 weeks ago now. I landed pretty hard on my tailbone and took some ibuprofen for a few days. I don't normally take any painkillers - I think they bunged me up. 3-4 days after I had really bad constipation, worse than normal - straining for 20min+ just to get a few..pellets out. I also had some pain urinating which I just put down to an IBS flare up as sometimes this happens. It lasted a bit longer than usual so I decided to cut coffee out as I thought it might be an irritant (coffee is pretty much 90% of the liquid I've consumed in the last 15 years) It turns out my body really does not like coming off the caffeine so that made my constipation even worse. For the next 2 weeks I was doubling up on fyobgel and having high fibre cereal just to get some movement every few days.
Eventually I came to the conclusion the caffeine wasn't causing the issue - it was the sweetners I'd moved over to. I went back onto coffee to try and get things going again (albeit less than before) and it had the desired effect.
my BM's seemed to settle down but ever since my straining episode I've had a discomfort lower left abdomen. persistent, 24/7 same place. The pain seems to be from where the bowel turns into the middle across my pelvic area to my belly button (2-3" below) - it doesn't wake me up, it doesn't really get any worse (sometimes feels a little better after a BM but not for long) its just...there!
So here I am 7-8 weeks after the straining incident and I still have this discomfort, I can't really call it a pain its more of a ..general awareness/discomfort. the pain is probably a 2/10 when walking about and a 3-4 at the most when sat down (but I do feel its a bit tender) I went to the doctors who prescribed some mebeverine and presumed it was just IBS. they did absolutely nothing. I started taking some tumeric pills, they don't seem to do a great deal. I've stopped the mebeverine and tried buscopan and some peppermint pills - nothing really seems to work. The doctor took some bloods and a urine test. both of these came back fine and apparently I didn't need any further investigation.
I'm not convinced its IBS - infact I've spent the last 2 months going mad with health anxiety googling alsorts convincing myself its bowel cancer. I've never seen any blood in my stool, my blood test was fine so I guess I'm not anemic. My stools are fairly normal - brown/sausage shaped and of a decent size. Constipation isnt so bad going 1-2 times a day now and the only time its been on the soft side was once after drinking apple juice and once after panicking sat in doctors. I'm generally awake 18hrs a day and don't feel exactly "ill" in myself so nothing really adds up to cancer but this discomfort is really getting me down and all the stress/anxiety im going through may well be making it worse.
I went back to doctors last week saying this really isnt improving and he shrugged, said I could try some paracetamol and would refer me for "a camera up the bum" because my grand dad died of bowel cancer (even though he was in his 70s) but cancer was unlikely because im 32 and don't have any red flag symptons
I don't suppose anyone has any insight? I was tested for celiac 8 years ago and that was negative (I guess that could change?) when I sit down it feels a bit inflamed at times and sometimes seems to go down to my inner thigh/groin area. I've read all the IBS discussions and I don't really fit any of them as my stools are solid. I've got an appointment for a specialist (which is absolutely terrifying when you already think you have cancer) but thats not going to be for 6-7 weeks at its only been marked as routine. I'm going out my bloody mind with worry, I don't know if I can cope another 2 months! Trying to research going private in the UK but I'd have to pay for everything and it seems a right minefield but my head is a complete mess at the moment with stress.
One last thing that crossed my mind was there is a low level diverticular disease? Where you can have chronic pain/low level inflammation and that seems to come from being constipated/low fibre? that seems to be the closest thing I can think of that would fit my issues - the doctor shrugged and suggested high fibre and paracetamol though!
Thanks - if anyone made it!
0 likes, 30 replies
RustyDaDog john69530
Posted
I'm interested to hear any findings you have, I am at 3 weeks currently with basically the same exact symptoms, and yes I agree Dr. Google will have you dying in no time. Which is why I have been hanging out here and reading what others have to say as I don't believe I have anything BAD wrong, just something isn't right. I am going to see my GP tomorrow and hopefully will get SOME kind of answer. I know I have IBS, but this isn't the same as that. Nothing I do makes me feel better. Question, do you have hot flashes at night, or do your hands and feet feel cold always? Those are a couple of things I am experiencing as well, but are probably totally unrelated.
john69530 RustyDaDog
Posted
As much as I'd like to help, I believe i already responded in your post because you sounded similiar to me!
I must say im having some other ..symptoms which I can't tell if its anxiety or something else. I first started getting hot/burning feelings in my legs/hands which was probably about 2-3 weeks into my ache (thats strange) i struggled to sleep as my feet was always too hot or sometimes..cold? very weird feeling, like my skin just got hugely sensitive to everything. Every time i felt the burning/heat in my feet I'd touch them - perfectly normal. (Am I imagining this?)
I don't really get that too much anymore, now I get the odd burning feeling in the back of my upper thighs (theres nothing even around that part of the body?) and ..I seem to be itching a bit more, but I don't know if this is just sensitivity (I do have a skin condition but it usually only troubles my face - this is all over) after I convinced myself my liver wasn't falling apart and tried to distract myself it seems much less..frequent - perhaps its anxiety?
Latest symptoms are the bloating/ache in my upper abdomen - all the way across. A very minor headache for about 2 weeks (not really bad just "there"
and occasionally a little bit of light headedness - related to the headache or to the stomach aches? who knows!
The bloating started and I thought it must be serious - now I'm gonna stop eating and start losing weight but to be fair I can just ignore the bloating and I'm eating as normal, it also could be related to a probiotic I'm taking.
But after all this - I still have that lower left ache, always persistent, still hasn't got any worse, marginally better after a BM but not great. In all my googling the best I've come up with is some sort of low level diverticular disease which ticks a lot of boxes but frankly I'm terrified to go private and get an answer (I could have died of old age before NHS get me referred - its currently end of may)
I wish I was a bit more positive about it, I can't lie I've spent an awful lot of time reading about bowel cancer - although...I don't think it really adds up.
RustyDaDog john69530
Posted
I wanted to let you know I went and saw my GP yesterday, after discussing everything with him I feel better. I looked me over, and asked if I had pulled a muscle or anything, as I told him sometimes I was straining when I went to the bathroom. I told him I had been some. He told me he didn't think it was anything to worry about, which was a relief after asking me several questions. He told me if it hasn't improved in a couple of weeks to come back in and they would order an abdominal CT scan. It's still there I can feel it, or maybe it is in my head, but I am leaving it alone for a couple of weeks to see how it goes, I do think I am going to get some mylanta on my next trip to the store and see if that helps anything. Hope all goes well for you, I have looked at a couple of cancers as well, and as you said it doesn't add up to any of those, which is good! If I find out anything else I'll let you know.
Best of luck to you!!
john69530 RustyDaDog
Posted
Good to know!
It's hard to know what supplements and things to try taking. Worth trying a few things I guess.
Maybe yours will just disappear if you can ignore it for long enough! I'd like to say I've tried that but I'm sure its always in my mind somewhere so its hard to tell!
I'm so bloated higher up now that I can barely notice my initial complaint. I'm wondering if I went too heavy on fibre, still probably less than your suppose to..but about 5x more than I'm used to.
john69530
Posted
I thought I'd update things incase anyone had anything similar
I got fed up with the prospect of the NHS waiting time to see a consultant of 8 weeks, so I went private and was seen in 2 days (last night) - it was the same guy too
We had a 15min chat, he had a prod about..suggested we could go for a colonoscopy if I wanted, could do it on the NHS and wait 8 weeks or pay for it privately and have it in a week, he doesnt expect to find anything, nothing I said has "alarmed him" (although when I left the place there was much more I could have said!)
So now I've got the weekend to decide if I want to wait 8 weeks or pay the 2 grand and get it over and done with, if only I knew which of my symptoms were related to this.."issue" and which were anxiety based (because I've got alsorts going on these days and yes all of them could be anxiety!)
I'm not good at making decisions!
pippa58442 john69530
Posted
Gut problems are often related to anxiety. However, your doctor will be able to work out what your individual symptoms relate to when you have the colonoscopy. Monitor your anxiety levels to see if your symptoms come on after stress and tell your doctor if your see a pattern emerge. I didn’t know what my gut symptoms related to, but my doctor recognised immediately that anxiety was the cause when I told him about how I had had severe stress six months before my symptoms started. He diagnosed me with stress related IBS.
john69530 pippa58442
Posted
Everyone I know is telling me to wait..but I don't think any of them are fully aware how ..bad? I feel. I've got this on and off upper bloating now (front and back) and seem to have flu like symptoms (some headaches/bit of a sore throat occasionally, a weird vision problem that I can't explain well. All of it is "minor" and may well be anxiety but my body has had enough!
I did tell him I was letting the stress get on top of me/anxiety and things and I was only here because..well cancer concerns. He really didn't seem that fussed/think it was anything major and I may well find out it was just IBS all along, you would think that would have eased my mind a bit, but no not really.
From what I can find out hes one of the more reputable consultants round here, its not like I got a junior or anything. Even when I spoke to his secretary the day after she said if the doctor has said you can wait for the NHS, then I always tell them to wait for the NHS.
Not sure why he had no interest in any other sort of scan, I suppose the colonoscopy is the main/catch all procedure but it would have been nice to have been offered some £300-400 options instead of 2 grand!
It would be nice to have some answers/something positive...
pippa58442 john69530
Posted
If you are not happy with being told to wait, you should do what you feel is best for you and go for the private option. You will get answers and something positive if you do this. Although, I got no diagnosis after an expensive private ultrasound, the positive thing for me was that nothing serious showed up even if it was disappointing that I got no answers at the time.
john69530 pippa58442
Posted
Hopefully hes squeezing me in next Tuesday but apparently there are some staff issues which..is ridiculous for the money paid...
panicked is an understatement!
pippa58442 john69530
Posted
Keep hoping and don't panic. Panic will make your symptoms far worse. There is no point in panicking about something that hasn't happened it.
john69530 pippa58442
Posted
Hi to anyone interested/with similar issues.
Colonoscopy done this afternoon - no abnormalities but he took a biopsy incase there was anything microscopic (guess thats pretty routine since hes already in there?
It was quite a terrifying trip out but it turns out I was being sedated so the actual procedure was over in seconds when I woke up a bit confused! felt absolutely nothing.
So..I guess it is just IBS/Diet? there cant really be anything else left if he didnt see it in there? Very pleased, I've still got my ache/problems but knowing I'm not riddled with cancer has certainly made it better!
pippa58442 john69530
Posted
john69530 pippa58442
Posted
It's actually quite funny
I was told I had IBS 18 years ago
But only now I guess I can Actually be told I've got IBS properly! It's fine though, I mean IBS isn't exactly pleasant but when you 100% know what it is...its something to look at/work on!
Expensive..but money well spent I feel..
pippa58442 john69530
Posted