Scared - tummy issues.. Bowel cancer??

[kittenface]

Hello again everyone,

So - I am 27, female, sporty and healthy etc - mostly good diet with lots of veg and minimal processed food (too much wine at the weekends).

Recently I have been having recurring trouble with my tummy. Probably for about a year I have been having bouts of abdominal pain with dodgy tummy symptoms. This comes and goes, and sometimes I can go for months without having any problem, and when it comes it can last for a few days or a couple of weeks.

My pain is always in the same place in my tummy (which is what scares me) - its on the left side, in the upper/middle part of my stomach. I also get bloating and gas, slight nausea and sometimes I will have loose stools and/or constipation.

I've seen my GP who gave me omezeprole for excess stomach acid six months ago - but it doesn't feel like heartburn. I saw him again today and he wants to take a stool test for excessive acid, but he also thought it sounded like I am basically blocked up and need to cut down on eating carbs, eggs and cheese.

I'm really worried that it's something much more sinister (I can't even bring myself to write what I definitely think it is) - but then could it also be yet another symptom of my anxiety? I know it can affect your digestion… it's just that my pain is so specific :(

Any help or similar experiences of this would be SO helpful to me right now, and might stave off another meltdown.

Thanks all

xXx Kittenface xXx

[Arietis]

Hi Kittenface

I have IBS and I get my pain in the same place every time. Lower right hand side, I used to get scared it was my appendix for years! But I discovered it was set off by Dairy products and meat so once I changed my diet I have had barely any symptoms.

xxxx

[kittenface]

Thank you so much for your reply Arietis, really helps.

I'm just scared because it's been almost two weeks now and i've had pain (fluctuating, not always really bad) every single day - It's literally the first thing I think about when I wake up - the pain also seems to radiate into my upper back at times. Has anyone else had anything like this?

I think if I could just stop focussing on it so intensely I feel like it might calm down.

Is it possible to develop IBS in your mid-20s? A number of friends have advised me that it sounds exactly like their IBS…

As always - any help hugely appreciated!!

xXx Kittenface xXx

[damianjmcgrath]

I've had right side lower abdomen/side pain for 3 weeks now, and the pain feels squeezing/tight, like a balloon is inflating, but nothing is visible when I look at it. The pain is mostly dull, but occasionally a bit sharp, again, like a balloon inflating past it's comfortable point.

When I walk, it feels like there's a weight pressing down on my right hip, making walking uncomfortable. When I sit, it feels like I'm squashing something on my right side, which hurts. Lying down is relatively comfortable.

I'm very concerned by the pain, as although I do historically suffer from IBS, these aren't my usual symptoms, they've started out of nowhere, and I don't seem to have had any bowel movement changes. In fact, I've got no other symptoms at all except the ache/pain. No temperature, appetite still good, no illness, no bleeding, etc. However, the pain is definitely causing my anxiety.

I am convinced it's my appendix, but the doctor examined me and found nothing and just told me to wait for it to go. I keep thinking any second now, something is going to burst, and when it aches, I worry it won't stop aching.

If this is IBS, I'd be amazed, but I guess it's possible. I do occasionally get a weird taste in my throat, like a chalky/milky/sour taste so perhaps it is digestive problem.

Can IBS suddenly change, and suddenly start from the foods I've been eating for years with no problems?