Hello all,
I've stumbled across this forum in an effort to find advice on an abdominal condition my partner is suffering from. I don't want to influence any advice to a particular condition, so I'll give as much information I can, whether it is related to her current condition or not. (If that makes any bit of sense!)
In February she suffered a miscarriage. The doctor's did nothing in the way of intervention (apart from a scan to diagnose the condition), and let nature take its course.
In June she started experiencing a constant abdominal pain, which she described as a dull ache. It was manageable, but bothering her enough to go to the doctors. At times it got quite sharp but she dealt with it pretty well.
In September she was diagnosed with a (small) ovarian cyst, but was still experiencing the pain. The doctor suggested she might also have IBS. She has tried courses of Mebeverine, Spasmonal and Peppermint oil, but none of these have had any affect on the pain she suffers.
She has no issues or complications with her stools. No diarrhea, constipation, irregularities or blood.
Early last month (October) she experience a very intense, sharp stabbing pain in her lower right abdomen, in addition to the constant dull ache she has been experiencing for a number of months. Before I explain the stabbing pain, if I could just expand on the dull ache. The region of the dull ache is the band across the hips, and this area is very tender. When her tummy is touched, you can feel the soreness and it feels as though she is constantly tensing her muscles.
And back to the stabbing pains. These have increased in frequency and she now experiences them around 10 or more times a day, each lasting for a period of perhaps 10 or 15 minutes. The stabbing pains come on very suddenly (she describes it with a quickness of lightening) and lasts for a period of seconds, perhaps 10 - 30 seconds. Once this has passed, after a few seconds the stabbing pains return and the cycle is repeated. During these attacks (which I guess could be described as severe cramping), she is unable to move, talk, and is very often reduced to curling up in a puddle of tears. She sometimes find comfort in pressing down on the region of pain during the attack (perhaps a backwards move, but it's her way of dealing with it), and says that heat (a hot water bottle) applied to the area temporarily relieves, but does not remove the pain.
She is currently taking Tramadol for the pain, but this doesn't seem to do much for her.
The impact these attacks of pain she suffers (on top of the constant, dull ache) is profound. She is no longer able to work nor study. She spends the majority of time at home, where she can endure her attacks in peace.
I previously mentioned that her tummy is very tender. We have recently discovered that a number of factors can bring on these sharp, stabbing pains (quite bad ones, in fact). She is no longer to walk at her normal pace, and the attacks can even be brought on by the bumpy ride of a car journey. The other night in bed I accidentally brought my knee up and knocked her stomach. Almost immediately after she suffered a very bad attack and was overwhelmed by the pain it caused - almost equal to the level of guilt I experienced for knocking her!
We have been to accident and emergency over the pain. They suspected appendicitis but soon ruled that out. She saw a gynecologist who prescribed a course of antibiotics for PID, but these have had no affect. She is seeing the gynecologist next week, and if nothing comes back, she will be referred to bowel specialists.
An observation made by her GP, and one that I can verify is the activity of her bowels. I often press my ear to her stomach to have a listen, and it is almost always gurgling and churning. It never seems to be quiet.
If you're still reading this - thank you very much for taking the time. I'm almost finished, I promise. We're struggling very much with the NHS - it always seems a constant battle and no one seems to take a genuine interest in the condition she suffers. She has been passed from pillar to post and hospital referrals can take several trips to the GP and up to 9 weeks on the waiting list! And advice or suggestions on what this condition may be would be greatly appreciated!
On a final note, we are currently trying out a high-fibre diet for her, but she's convinced this won't make a difference as she experiences the pain in a morning before she has had anything to eat. Nevertheless I am encouraging her to experiment with her diet - as any improvement whatsoever will do wonders.
If you want any more information - please just ask!
Thank you,
Snickers101
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