Please help rationalise my stomach problems

[mark212312]

You had scans though, depending on what scans you had I.e. a CT would have definitely picked up inflammation in the structure of your colon unless it was the smallest polyp that wouldn’t have grown quickly enough to cause the symptoms your having in such a short space of time. My Dr told me when I was younger that the NHS start screening at 50 because polyps tend to form in 40’s and then take 8/10 years to develop into something that could be described as sinister. Not eating is probably making you feel awful and making the stomach issues worse.

[hellosugar87]

The only thing they gave me was an ultrasound on liver, gallbladder, pancreas and I assume spleen too. No ct or endoscopy or anything 😪 they won't.

[mark212312]

Clearly they don’t have any concerns - blood tests tell them more than you think. Reason young people make the news is that it’s ultra rare the 1% of 1% etc odds of ascending colon bowel cancer in 30s is something like 700,000 to 1 same as being hit by a meteor

[hellosugar87]

That's a good way of thinking of it. I really enjoy statistics and use them to do a lot of "scary" things in life like flying on planes ect.

But for some reason when it comes down to health and cancer, the stats just don't cut it for me long term

This definitely comes down to the fact my mum WAS a rare stat.....super rare cancer diagnosed at a young age.......died slow and painfully. So I know where my head goes when I worry about this. But I guess because I saw the rare and unusual happen my brain absolutely won't accept I won't be the one it happens to. I've been in therapy for three years and still can't get past this issue.

[mark212312]

Go the other way; you would be the 1% of 1% of 1% - like the odds of winning the lottery twice etc if you want a statistical argument you are even less likely because for a super rare cancer to appear twice to mother and daughter would in itself be a statistical anomaly save for if that cancer is genetic of course

[KtHD]

Hello - I feel exactly the same and have had the same stomach problems as you. Mine have been ongoing for 6 months following having COVID in August 2021.
I have had horrendous trapped wind, acid reflux, diahorrea which is yellow, panic attacks. In October I had full bloods and a physical examination and nothing could be found so they attributed it to anxiety. But the stomach problems are there 24/7 and there is no relief if I alter diet or don't eat certain foods.
I spoke to the doctor again yesterday and he has now ordered more blood tests and stool samples to check for possible bacterial problems or celiac disease.
It has effected my life so much because I am so anxious and down about it and spend most days crying. I have OCD which links with health so like you have said I keep thinking the worst and all the tools I had before to help me cope aren't working now. I have been referred for therapy but the waiting list is massive.

[WorryWendy]

Did you ever find out what it was? Im going through something similar. Convinced I'm dying at 35 and the Dr's are missing it

[Pkstracy]

All of this sounds like IBS, I never know from one day to the next what my stools are going to look like, I also get pains, like being stabbed in my intestinal area over and over again, a lot of times, I also have anxiety and bipolar, and I was diagnosed with IBS.

[Lynz32]

Oh wow this is me down to a T. Except mine started randomly one night with pain in my lower right side which I was convinced was appendicitis. I went to the GPs 3 times who thought it was nothing, meanwhile I'd scared myself silly thinking I was going to die. Went to A&E about 5 times in a week and had so many bloods done etc and all came back as normal. I did have a mild UTI which I was given antibiotics for but that wouldn't have explained all the bowel symptoms I was getting. I lost half a stone in weight over 2 weeks and was convinced this was the end. I even made a will and everything.

I had 2 pelvic ultrasound tests done as they thought it was gynae at first, but these were all normal. I then had a CT scan which showed mild bowel inflammation but that was it. I had a fecal calprotectin test done which was showed mild bowel inflammation too, but the CT and the fecal calprotectin test were done when I was on antibiotics and I had horrendous diarrhoea the whole time I was on them so it's likely that's what was picked up. I then had a colonoscopy with biopsies done which were also normal.

I've been referred back to gynae as the only thing that hasn't been ruled out is endometriosis as this can't be picked up on scans usually and I've always suffered with my periods so it could be that the condition has got worse if I do have it. I'm 33 so a similar age to you. I also had the covid vaccine a few weeks before all of this started too so I'm wondering if it's all linked. But this also all started right after having a really stressful and traumatic 18 months or so in my personal and work life, and it started the day after I'd been signed off work with stress and anxiety and after deciding to quit my horrendously stressful career as a nurse.

I keep getting intermittent pain in the same area on and off and have chronic constipation and bloating too. I've been like this now coming up to 4 months and it's taken over my whole life. It's the first thought when I wake up and last thought when I go to bed at night. Like you I also panic whenever I get pain in that same area. I also have a diagnosis of OCD also and have suffered badly with health anxiety in the past. I'm also convinced that I have something that the doctors keep missing even though I've had so many tests done. I'm worrying about endometriosis now mainly because the only way that can be diagnosed is by a laparoscopy operation - and the thought of having abdominal surgery also scares me silly! I wish there was some end to all of this suffering as I'm like a shadow of my former self, sadly. It is reassuring to know that there are others in a similar boat and I hope we can all get better soon.