Bowel cancer worries

[hannah25]

Hi,

I am a 25 year old female and have had bad health anxiety since my teens. I am in a really bad place at the moment as I am struggling with bad abdominal pain but because of my health anxiety none of the doctors/family seem to be taking my symptoms seriously. I am really worried that I have bowel cancer.
About a year ago I started having a pain under my left rib, it wasn't a bad pain just niggly and annoying like something was trapped underneath. I went to the docs and they suggest stomach ulcer/wind/pulled muscle but I tested negative for stomach ulcer bacteria and wind medication didn't help. I then moved from Northern Ireland to Scotland and the pain has been intermittent. Because I moved I had to change doctors so I have seen several doctors about this and all of them shrug it off as anxiety.
In the past 3 weeks the pain has gotten worse and I am now also having a scarp pain intermittently in my lower left abdomen, next to the hip. My bowel movements change often from constipation to loose, and I have mucus in my stools sometimes (no blood that I can see). In the past two weeks I have also become extremely tired, I'm even struggling to work as I am constantly exhausted. My tummy is also very bloated and massive.
I am really worried that this is bowel cancer that has spread to my ovaries or something. The fatigue is the most worrying symptom as it is new. I had an abdominal ultrasound about 4 months ago which was normal.
My doctors say they don't think it's serious and don't want to refer me for more tests as it will just spiral my anxiety.
Don't know what to do - are these symptoms of bowel cancer??

Any advice would be much appreciated.

[nomorepanic]

Hi

This is just a courtesy reply to let you know that your post was moved from its original place to a sub-forum that is more relevant to your problem.

This is nothing personal - it just enables us to keep posts about the same problems in the relevant forums so other members with any experience with the issues can find them more easily.

[Andromeda]

The fact that your ultrasound came back normal is reassuring, I can't offer much advice as I'm going through something very similar myself at the moment but I would take comfort in the fact that if it was cancer it would have manifested itself more seriously by now and your tests would have flagged something up!

[hannah25]

Sorry to hear you're going through the same thing, are your symptoms the same as mine?
The ultrasound did reassure me but the ultrasound woman said that if it was my bowels it wouldn't show up on the ultrasound, and now that the pain and spread and I'm feeling so tired I'm worrying again. I just am at the end of my tether and don't know what else to do...

[Deepthinker]

hannah, i don't think you have bowel cancer since your docs don't think that you do. my brother had colon cancer and his main symptom was rectal bleeding. i don't know what the symptoms of bowel cancer are though. even if you do ever have rectal bleeding, more than likely it is hemorrhoids. if this continues to worry you, tell your docs that you would like to go ahead and have the tests done that will rule it out. they can give you meds to help with the anxiety leading up to and during the tests. i wish you the very best and try to tell yourself that worrying will not solve any of your problems. it will only rob the present of its peace. taking action is what helps, not worrying. i know that is easier said than done, though. blessings!

[hannah25]

Thanks deep thinker, I really appreciate the reassurance. I have tried to get doctors to refer me for tests but they are reluctant. Will keep trying.

[Deepthinker]

you're welcome, friend. yes, you stay after those doctors, but i would draw much comfort from the fact that they don't think you need the tests. to me, that would be a really good sign. having said that, if you continue to be troubled by this, medical tests may be the only thing to bring reassurance.