Symptoms/advice

FormerMember over 5 years ago

4 replies
125 subscribers
2323 views

Hello

Hope you can help.

I’ve had a pain in my right side, about 7cm up from my belly button. I can feel it when I breath in more. Also bloating, pressure and pain in the upper stomach above belly button(a bit like stitch). My back is really aching too and my stomach looks bigger. This all started in December last year. I thought that it could maybe be a kidney infection so took a urine sample to the dr’s. The dr picked up microscopic blood in the urine, so was sent for an ultra sound of bladder and kidneys, nothing was found, but still microscopic blood, so had to have a cystoscopy, which was all clear. Dr also sent me for an abdominal ultra sound as I was still getting pain. This was clear apart from a small cyst on my liver. The pain in the side got a little easier and the bloating better for a few months, but over the past 3 weeks it back.

Last week the dr examined my stomach and said it’s nice and soft with no enlarged spleen, liver etc. She said the pain is too high to be my bowel, but i’m not convinced. She thinks acid.

I’m besides myself with worry. I wanted to ask for your advice...i’m wanting to self refer for an MRI of my abdomen. Would this show up an issues with my bowel? Or should I refer for a colonoscopy?

I’m a 41 year old female. I just know that something is not right.

I would really welcome your advice, thank you.

Plymgirl over 5 years ago

Hi gezt, the advice I would give is to write down symptoms that you think have changed especially if you feel that somethings not right and go back again to your dr. It may not be anything serious but the way I explain to people now I say if something changes to what was your normal then get it checked out. Best wishes and let us know how you get on. Vanessa x

Plymgirl

Kareno62 over 5 years ago

You’ve had some good advice from Vanessa about keeping a note of your symptons - thought this record from the Bowel Cancer UK page might help?

https://bowelcancerorguk.s3.amazonaws.com/BCAM%202019/SymptomsDiaryApr2019.pdf

Karen

Macmillan Support Line - 0808 808 00 00, 7 days a week between 8am-8pm

FormerMember over 5 years ago

A couple of thoughts from an unqualified lay person who knows nothing. Do you still have a gall bladder? Gall stones are incredibly common in women of your age and give pain on the upper right hand side. You mention the ultrasound but do you know whether they looked at the gall bladder as well?

Also an MRI tends to give a high resolution of a smaller area such as a single organ. A CT scan would be more effective over a larger area so make sure you know what you want otherwise it is money wasted. Obviously a colonoscopy is specific to the large bowel and it is how most bowel cancers are diagnosed but if your Dr is right and your pain is higher than this it may not show anything if the problem is elsewhere. You have asked your question here but my bowel cancer symptoms were a rectal bleed of quite a lot of fresh blood and a change in bowel habit so very different to yours although everyone probably has slightly different symptoms.

You sound very anxious, can you go back to your GP and tell them you want further investigations armed with a diary of symptoms? I hope you are able to find out what the problem is to set your mind at rest.

Nicky

FormerMember over 5 years ago in reply to FormerMember

Thank you for all your comments. I will start to keep a detailed diary and will book to see my Dr in a weeks time. Thank you for taking the time to reply. I really appreciate it x