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General health

Big uncomfortable bloated stomach for 3 months now

12 replies

WTF1 · 01/10/2019 19:30

I do have a GP appointment booked but it's ages away....unless you're dead or dying you don't get fast ones around here Hmm

So, 52 year old woman, and my tummy has been bloated, full feeling, slight nausea and discomfort for months now. I tried going gluten free for a couple of weeks and no discernible effect. I have never had any issues like this before, no known allergies/intolerances.

I had shed loads of blood tests back in the early summer due to other health issues (extreme fatigue, aches and pains) and found I was anaemic. The GP said at the time that he could rule out any sinister causes of my ailments since pretty much everything came back fine. I have been taking a number of supplements since tho - iron, B12, Vit D, coQ10 and magnesium - and I am no longer anaemic and my pain and fatigue are all resolved (yay!) Instead I have a large, uncomfortable upper abdomen Confused Not saying it's related, just annoying. Im a bit burpy but nothing major, and not especially farty. What can I try to alleviate my discomfort..? Any thoughts appreciated!

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Lagatha · 01/10/2019 20:27

I don't want to worry you unduly but with those symptoms I would want to rule out Ovarian cancer.
My mum had it 2 years ago, and symptoms were similar. She had surgery and made a full recovery thankfully.
Please insist on this being ruled out. And I'm sorry if I have scared you. Really sorry, I hope I'm wrong.

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Mummaofmytribe · 02/10/2019 02:21

Insist on appointment now. As pp said, ovarian cancer needs to be ruled out. I apologise for being scary but it's imperative you get checked quickly. I'm sure it's not and then you can relax. But until then - doctor now!

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Insomniacscientist · 02/10/2019 02:27

I agree with pp’s that ovarian cancer needs to be excluded. This link may be of interest
ovarian.org.uk/ovarian-cancer/ovarian-cancer-symptoms/

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differentnameforthis · 02/10/2019 03:15

Have you tried the FODMAP diet? www.monashfodmap.com/

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WTF1 · 02/10/2019 07:10

Im reasonably confident it's not ovarian cancer since GP actually said back inthe early summer that if anything like cancer was going on then it would have resulted in abnormal blood test results. Dont know what in particular would have flagged tho.

I've just started trying fodmap different...early days so no results yet. How long does it take before you see any difference if fodmap does help?

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SalamanderOnHoliday · 02/10/2019 07:15

I was thinking ovarian cancer too..sorry.

How about trying fermented foods like sauerkraut, Greek yoghurt. To help gut flora.

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TamarindCove · 02/10/2019 07:15

Sorry OP but ovarian cancer was the first thing that popped into my head as well, simply because of the bloating.

Could you ask if (somebody correct me if I’ve got this wrong) the CA125 level was normal in your blood test? I don’t even know if it is routinely taken, but I believe this is the marker that is usually elevated in early stage ovarian cancer.

There’s probably a thousand other things it could be, but I would want thinsrules out as quickly as possible in your shoes.

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ToLiveInPeace · 02/10/2019 07:19

I have ongoing symptoms that include bloating and I had both a blood test and a pelvic ultrasound to rule out ovarian cancer. Also an abdominal ultrasound and endoscopy to try to identify the problem. Please encourage your GP (or maybe a different GP) to explore the problem further.

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WTF1 · 02/10/2019 08:02

Will definitely check it out, and Im seeing a different GP. Thanks for everyones advice.

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Oldmum55 · 02/10/2019 09:46

WTF1 I know that the ovarian cancer comes up when googling bloating as I've done it myself. But it can be a lot of other things as well. It's a shame that when you Google to be reassured you are frightened instead. Anyway good that your blood tests didn't show any cause for concern. You could try yougurt like Activia which I found helpful. I seem to get bloating and burping on and off. Could you try and bring your GP appointment forward and do mention to them that you are worried about ovarian cancer. Better be clear and specific with our worries otherwise we waste everybody's time.

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Insomniacscientist · 02/10/2019 21:19

There’s a fantastic FODMAP app that you might want to look into. It’s from Monash University who are the people who developed the diet.

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differentnameforthis · 03/10/2019 13:12

It took me at least 2 weeks to see good results (I am in phase one - eating low fodmap to calm things down). I have IBS and had a huge flare after the passing of my FIL.

There are lots of Low fodmap foods available these days, and I have joined a facebook group that helps lots.

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