Should I go ahead with my colonsocopy or cancel it? (20 year old)

Hey everyone,

For the last 2 months now I have been having varying levels of lower abdominal pain mainly on my left side just under my rib cage and a little lower along with some episodes of nausea which I think are related more so to my acid reflux depending on what I eat. It's not severe but it seems to be there most of the time.

I have already been through various tests including an ultrasound of my lower abdomen, blood tests including carotenoids, urine tests, a stool test which all came out perfectly normal and I have already had a gastroscopy about 2 months ago for my acid reflux issues which came up normal too. In saying that as well the pain under my rib cage actually started about a week after my gastroscopy but the ultrasound that I had about 2 weeks ago of my lower abdomen came up normal so I assume there wasn’t any damage done?

I am just a bit fearful of going through a colonscopy if it isn’t need as it might make things worse and that the pain under my rib cage might have been a cause of the gastroscopy I had?

Both my gastrologist and gp definitely think I have IBS and health anxiety with the latter that I can say for sure but they still said to do the colonscopy to ease my mind. My question is at my age would it be worth going through with the symptoms that I have especially with the fact that every single test I have done so far has been 100% normal could all of this be anxiety?

Thank you in advance,

Daniel

Maybe this is a question you should put to your GP or gastrologist. It does sound like anxiety related IBS and a pain on the left side below the ribs is common with IBS sufferers.
With health anxiety and IBS you could experience many symptoms. You've had tests and the professionals agree that it's IBS. The problem with HA is that we often don't believe the doctor, so they need to reassure us with tests. More often than not (definitely in my case) unnecessarily. IBS pain, when triggered by anxiety will last as long as the anxiety lasts. Doesn't matter what you eat or don't eat, the symptoms continue as long as the anxiety about those symptoms continue. Maybe postpone the colonoscopy and try some CBT to address your anxiety problem. If the symptoms clear up you'll have your answer.

This is pretty much what the doctors recommended me doing after I had done the colonsocopy just to be sure I mean mainly the pain is on the left but is all over the place sometimes along with some foods triggering the pain more than others like if I were to eat a subway with salami and bacon or a Pizza i'd get pains in my lower abdomen but 3 or 4 months ago I never had these problems? I have had some days though where I feel as if I can't empty my bowel fully it feels like there's still food in there and that I feel heavy but it seems more so as if that I am not having enough fiber.

I've had IBS for many years, since childhood. Mine is triggered by anxiety but I know that there are many different types and for others it can be food related.

There are so many symptoms with IBS and everyone is different from diarrhea to constipation, bloating, wind and sometimes just pain which can be absolutely anywhere from chest to groin, left or right and even felt in the back by some sufferers .

I usually have a flare-up when I'm anxious and then my bowels become very sensitive so I'm careful what I eat, which means plain boring food, no fat, no gluten.

But no matter what elimination diets I put myself on (sometimes just a drink of water brings on the pain it seems :huh:) and whatever medication I take, at the end of the day the only thing that stops it for me is when I get confirmation from the doc that it's just IBS and not the terminal diseases that I suspect and worry myself silly about. Then the anxiety lifts and as if by magic, the symptoms disappear. They can go on for months and the more I worry the more they intensify.

i would say that if you could eat anything 4 months ago, it's unlikely that you now have an allergy to these foods or that they're the cause of the IBS.
Yes, your bowel does feel full and you do feel heave or bloated. Thats mainly due to wind though.

So follow a health diet, listen to your doctor and trust him, get some exercise, and some CBT for your anxiety. Don't google your symptoms and try not to focus on them. Get your mind occupied with something else. You'll see how quickly the pain leaves when you don't pay it any attention!

Btw when I was your age I had a lot of IBS and was always running to the doctor thinking it was appendicitis because at that stage the pain decided to be lower right abdomen. So it does move around. Nasty isn't it?

That's exactly what I have been doing to a tea, pretty much running to the doctor to get everything tested ahaha i'm probably the most regular person at the clinic lol. I will have a talk with my doc again about it I think maybe I will try the CBT like you said and maybe just get the scope out of the way just in case it's only a week and half away too.

The Colonscopy is quite a simple procedure. you can have mild sedative if you prefer. It's over in minutes and the Moviprep preparation isn't that bad.

I'd go ahead with it. Peace of mind and all that. If you don't you'll possibly carry on wondering 'what ifs'