Severe pain, told to “forget about it”

I was going to suggest gastritis.

especially because you have a hiatus hernia and so are at a higher risk of reflux.

it’s really painful and when I had it I got dizzy and passed out too.

Yep I agree on that. Only thing that’s ever worked however as I have done a pain management course, for absolute emergencies in A and E only.
It is the only time I have been pain free for twenty years.

perhaps the GP meant concentrate on other things,
i have listened to an article about imagining you have no pain and it disappears.

I had that this exact issue and was pushed back between gynae and general surgery and had all sorts of tests. Only when a laparoscopy was done did they discover endometriosis all over my gallbladder and removed it.

Ehhh I could write the same thing, they've treat me for water infections even tho it shows none, taken endless bloods and 3 scans and still it's there. I was even back yesterday saying to the Dr how my family is helping with the kids because I'm sat with a hot water bottle as painkillers don't ease it at all, absolute agony around bottom of stomach area and they still don't know why either

This is excellent advice.

Other tips.to get adequate healthcare:

-Do your research and ask about specific conditions/treatment/tests/referrals eg I’m concerned this could be endometriosis, what can we do next to rule that out?

— If they refuse a test/referral/treatment ask that they make a note in your records that you requested/queried x. Often they can then suddenly do whatever it is.

— Ask them to keep a copy of your bullet pointed notes in your records.

Do not be fobbed off. You were basically told to “stop worrying your pretty little head about it” which is beyond appalling and condescending. It’s also negligent because they are far from having ruled out all possibilities yet. Do not see that doctor again. Remember that you see a doctor for an OPINION (they all gave different ones and different approaches) and they are supposed to work with you not patronise and dismiss you. So pick your doctors. Find one (or hopefully more!) that is not rude, or dismissive, or condescending and actually tries to get to the root of your issues.

Beat of luck. It sounds absolutely horrendous and I hope you find out the cause and get adequate treatment.

Just adding another possibility, I'm not sure it fits with the location of the pain. But you mentioned 3 C-section's so there could be a possibility of adhesions formed from the surgery.

I am having this right now also. With age its getting worse. But you do hear more about this lately. Coincidence??

Bowel issues and endo are often connected.

i had a laparoscopy which diagnosed endo a couple of years ago, it took 10+years to get...also a family history of IBD (ulcerative colitis and crohns)

i think personally the quality of the food we are eating and drinking is harming our gut bacteria. The water we are drinking probably isnt as safe as we think.

alot of food contains microplastics, our water supposedly flouride?!?! Which im sure that could give anyone aches.

red meats and dairy are best avoided with endo/tummy problems, also gluten??,maybe you could try to cut these out...

whilst the doctor isnt helping, i do think diet should be considered as you may naturally find some relief by changing a few things.

@Glitterballofdreams

Just to ease your mind

Sounds like a gallbladder problem

The very small amount of blood they've taken will definitely not affect your anaemia 😄

I have pancreatitis and the symptoms fit. Mine was caused by use of NSAIDs (ibuprofen, aspirin) that I'd been taking more and more of for another pain issue my GP preferred to ignore.

Does it get worse a few hours after eating, OP? And have you noticed whether fatty foods make it worse? You could try to cut out as much fat from your diet as possible, and if, after a couple of days the pain has significantly improved, that is useful information for your doctors as well as obviously being great for you.

It doesn’t mean you’d have to forgo fat for life, there are enzyme supplements you can take that will help the pancreas to digest the fat it is struggling with.

The diagnosis of mine was complicated by the fact it turned out I also had a duodenal ulcer, adding to the pain in that region of the abdomen. -also caused by the ibuprofen use, so not quite as unlikely as it sounds.

Cocodamol is not an appropriate level of pain relief.

Buscopan helps with bowel spasms. Omeprazole helps with reflux/will protect your stomach if you are taking anti inflammatory.

the standard pain meds for endo would be mefenamic acid or tranexamic acid which are NSAIDs however given you have reflux your doctor may have decided not to prescribe them because of the impact on your stomach.

I believe there is also a push to avoid prescribing NSAIDs generally these days - I get flack from my pharmacist every time I fill my prescription.

if you have ibs then a drug that impacts the nerves can be useful - amytriptyline is not a painkiller but is frequently used for ibs as it “tones down” nerve reactions. A side effect is it makes you drowsy so if taken at night it can help you sleep. Possibly worth discussing it.

the other main class of painkillers is the opioids, next step up from cocodamol is codeine in either 15mg or 30mg. These can make some people feel very spaced out and nauseous and there is also a push against prescribing this as these class are addictive. Apparently.

one is left with the conclusion they just hate prescribing painkillers of any sort.

I have chronic pain following an accident and severe mangling of my foot and last meds review I got asked if I’d considered stopping pain meds. Laughed, but he was serious. I said no, and told him he was a muppet.

It sounds like a pelvic MRI would be helpful. Sorry you’re going through all this, it’s really tough to be in pain even knowing the cause.

I had this, was told it was anxiety for ages, it was the gallbladder not anxiety. I also had some clear scans to begin with.

I had severe stomach pain for years. I'd go to the doctor, the doctor would send me for an ultrasound of my gallbladder, they'd so no stones, and that was that. My current doctor did the same. But when the ultrasound showed no stones, she did a HIDA scan - she said it's not normal for an adult to have no gallstones; they usually pass without issue. The HIDA scan showed my gallbladder wasn't functioning at all. Hence, no stones. It was removed and I've not had an issue since. Ask for a HIDA scan.

I know you mentioned they've ruled out gallbladder issues but have they ruled out pancreas issues? That is an upper right abdominal pain (under ribcage) and causes pain that radiates to the back, as well as nausea, dizziness and can really knock you for six.

Hi OP please also look at a condition calles sphincter of oddie. It's massively mis-diagnosed and often gets mistaken for gallbladder issues and people often have their gallbladder taken out unnecessarily.

OP - My gallbladder was scanned, no stones. I asked for a second opinion cos my doctor was crap basically. Ended up having GB out and it was badly infected. Shoulder pain is linked to GB as well (referred pain I think they call it). Hope you get sorted. It's awful being in pain and trying to find an answer!

Sounds exactly like my symptoms for biliary colic. Prescribed me morphine and on the waiting list for gallbladder removal. I started a very low fat diet and have had much fewer episodes of pain. I would advise doing this and seeing if it helps.

I took the liberty of running your symptoms through ChatGPT. This is not a proper diagnosis and I am not a doctor, but it may help you talk to your GP.

ChatGPT said (in order of likelihood):

"This presentation is complex and clearly distressing. Given the history and current symptoms, here are some differential considerations and overlooked possibilities worth raising forcefully with a clinician:
1.
Endometriosis

• Why it fits: Severe menstrual bleeding, chronic pain, prior hyperemesis (linked in some women to hormone sensitivity), and anaemia suggest the possibility of undiagnosed endometriosis.
• What to do: Pelvic MRI, gynaecological referral, and consider laparoscopy. Endometriosis can implant on the diaphragm or near the liver, which could explain RUQ pain.

• Why it fits: Right upper quadrant pain radiating to the shoulder blade is classic for biliary involvement.
• Why it might be missed: If there are no gallstones and liver function tests are normal, acalculous cholecystitis or gallbladder dyskinesia may be overlooked.
• What to push for: A HIDA scan (hepatobiliary iminodiacetic acid scan) to assess gallbladder function. This won’t show on standard ultrasound or CT.

• Why it fits: Pain at the bottom of the ribs radiating to the shoulder blade could be musculoskeletal or nerve-related—especially if positional or worsened by movement or deep breaths.
• Often missed: If not considered, especially in women, it may be dismissed as nonspecific or anxiety-related.
• Tests: Clinical exam by someone who palpates the ribs carefully and checks for “slipping” or nerve entrapment.

• Blacking out: Could be due to low haemoglobin, aggravated by frequent blood draws and heavy bleeding.
• What to do: Iron infusion may be more effective than tablets, and a cardiology follow-up may be warranted, given murmur and blackouts.

• Hiatal hernia: Already diagnosed; if worsened, it can cause referred upper abdominal and back pain.
• Rule out: Oesophageal spasm or GERD complications.

• Why it’s considered: Chronic pelvic pain, worsened by standing or menstrual cycle, not visible on standard imaging.
• Test: Pelvic venogram or MRI with vascular sequences.

• Rare but possible: Autoimmune or small duct pancreatic issues can escape detection on basic imaging.
• Advanced imaging: MRCP (Magnetic Resonance Cholangiopancreatography) or endoscopic ultrasound.

What to do next:

• Insist on a referral to both gastroenterology and gynaecology. These symptoms straddle both specialisms.
• Document episodes and push for escalation. Keep a pain diary, note blackout events, track cycle timing, and don’t be fobbed off with “normal tests.”
• Consider private imaging or second opinion if NHS delays are excessive.

This isn’t in your head—it’s just in that frustrating diagnostic no-man’s land where multidisciplinary care is needed but rarely coordinated well."

Appreciate that you've been sterilised, but can you still have a Mirena coil?
After several years of debilitating long and heavy periods and the resulting anaemia, Mirena coil stopped my periods altogether.

It depends on the endo. It can be diagnosed without
it was obvious I had it from a simple ultrasound and they used an MRI to confirm