tmi partners bowel problems keep being fobbed off by doctors

[Mallooby]

Hi all, i'm at the end of my tether with this.. my partner started having issues going to the toilet around 3 months ago. It seems to get better for a few days and then get worse again in a cycle around and around and the doctors don't want to do anything about it due to coronavirus. He hates ringing them at the best of times and has rang them four times just to be told to eat more fibre and drink more water, he's been doing that and it's making absolutely no difference.. we've been through every over the counter remedy.. lactulose sennacot the suppositories none of it makes a difference.

At first i thought it was just internal piles but now he's in pain at the bottom of his back and his stomach, one side of his stomach feels hard and he's losing weight because he doesn't feel like eating and there's a lot of blood and mucus(sorry tmi) when he does try to go.. rang the docs again earlier, told he'd get a call back and no one rang. I know with the virus there's not wanting to see people unless they really have too but if i google his symptoms it seems pretty obvious to me that he needs to be seen especially since everything we've tried so far hasn't worked. He's so down with the pain and in all honesty i'm sick of living with him moping about because he can't poo

I'm ringing the doctors tomorrow and can't promise i won't lose my rag with them, does this seem right to anyone else or do you think he should be seen?

Lose your rag, they need to get him seen. He's losing weight, in pain, passing blood and mucous and alternating between lose bowels and constipation?
Definitly needs seeing.

Sorry re read, just constipation, still needs to be seen. Poor man.

If you have no joy with your gp can you call 111 for advice?

Don’t lose your rag, that won’t help. But he does need to be seen (or at the very least urgent referral for further investigations arranges)

Some GPs are seeing people. I have managed to get my contraceptive injection twice, so I’m sure my practice are also seeing patients with severe/urgent issues.

You're correct that he needs a F2F with his GP if that's the only way to obtain a full discussion or referral that will put his and your mind at ease.

Is he taking any medication or supplements (like iron) that are known to promote constipation? If so, he might need a medications review or some time-limited additional advice/referral to a registered dietitian/referral to a relevant consultant.

Does he have a family history that might suggest he has an increased risk for diverticulitis or other GI or bowel problems, OP? Is he in an age group associated with increased risk?

Constipation like that can make people feel miserable and unwell. It's TMI but can you prepare a timeline/diary of bowel movements and interventions (the fibre etc.) to present. It might be difficult for the GPs to grasp the duration of this or to track the interventions that have already been tried and this would help.

Good luck! I hope that there is a clear treatment path and resolution for your partner.

Be persistent. Please.

My friend has stage 4 bowel cancer, which has since spread. Touch wood it’s all been excised and I hope to God it never comes back.

But she said on her Facebook page if something doesn’t feel right, say so and keep on saying until you get taken seriously.

Oh also you can call 111.

If your GP blanket isn’t seeing patients, they will book you in to see a GP elsewhere (eg your local out of hours practice)

Definitely persist with this. Don’t let him be fobbed off. My sister has inflammatory bowel disease and it took ages for her to be taken seriously and she became very ill as a result. They need to do an endoscopy to look at his bowel, take stool cultures and bloods. It could be several issues but i would suggest it needs a specialist. Really hope he’s feeling better soon and gets the treatment he needs.

Keep pushing, Getting seen at the moment is nigh on impossible in some places so it is essential you are as proactive as possible.

Don’t ring on his behalf
He’s an adult.
Unless he has given written consent for you to talk for him then they won’t be able to discuss it with you.

As an adult he needs to take responsibility here himself. Unless he has a specific disorder that would require you to advocate for him.

He does need an examination and a proper discussion.
He should say he has ongoing symptoms, weight loss, rectal bleeding and meets the criteria for a 2week wait referral.

GPS are rightly keeping fave to face appointments to a minimum but conducting them via video link, email and phone.
Nothing wrong with that but the issue here is that he isn’t any better after following advice and his symptoms have progressed.

No need to lose your shit at anyone. If he is calm and clear he will get much further.

@RunningAwaywiththeCircus

He needs a colonoscopy and I would push hard for a 2 week rule referral.

Do NOT let the GP fob him off with a diagnosis of IBS. That diagnosis might be correct, but can only be made after other causes (most notably colon cancer) have been excluded.

This.

I don’t want to scaremonger or simply scare for that matter, but get him to print this out and wave it in the doctor’s face: www.bowelcanceruk.org.uk/campaigning/never-too-young/

With any luck he has IBS but bowel cancer absolutely MUST be ruled out first with those symptoms.

Definitely be persistent, we are struggling with this, DH had a colonoscopy and endoscopy just before lockdown, came back as negative for bowel cancer but since lockdown nothing. DH now weighs 8 stone 12 and at 6 foot tall it’s not good.
I’m at the end of my tether but will keep on and on until he gets seen again by his consultant.
His GP is doing as much as he can and we’re now battling together to get the hospital to see DH again.

He needs to ring and ask for an urgent appoint with a GP. The GP needs to refer him urgently under 2 week wait.

If the receptionist/triage nurse won’t give him an appointment (he needs to be clear on the issues and his concerns especially blood and unexplained weight loss) then he needs to ask to speak to the practice manager. If the GP won’t refer him then he needs to ask for a second opinion from a different doctor. He needs to be honest and upfront about his symptoms.

Phone/email practice manager in the morning. Complain that you feel the symptoms are ongoing and require an urgent face to face. If that doesn’t work, go to A+E - he’s severely constipated and in pain. People present all the time with abdominal discomfort in A+E. I’m your stereotypical polite English type. I rarely see my GP but these are red flags and he needs to be seen. My brother had a lot of these systems and it was appendicitis that started to get better before it ruptured. But he was fobbed off for weeks.

Thanks for the advice everyone, he's going to ring first thing and if we don't get anywhere he'll ring 111.. i dread to think the amount of people that are going to go undiagnosed with really sinister diseases because of this stupid virus Hes 33 so not in the main age group for bowel cancer but it's still possible and i'm so worried about it.

@SuperFairy he's 6'2 and 9st there's literally nothing on him.. he's usually around 10 and a half stone and that stone and a half makes such a big difference to his appearance he looks so ill at the moment plus him being poorly and grumpy all the time is putting such a strain on our relationship, we have a 3 year old and he's finding it difficult to be patient with her.

I'll get him to let them know that he's eligible for the two week referral and hopefully we'll get somewhere

Good luck @Mallooby

PP have given good advice re A&E, my DH took himself there and they kept him in overnight and did some tests, nothing conclusive from them but they were what prompted the GP to take action and led to the 2 week referral for the colonoscopy and endoscopy

💐

Definitely don’t let him be fobbed off OP. As I say, it’s hopefully nothing so serious. But I had absolutely no risk factors for bowel cancer whatsoever and I still got it. Fortunately my GP took my symptoms seriously and referred me for a colonoscopy right away. Coronavirus caused major delays but fortunately not enough to have caused major additional issues I don’t think.

Obviously I can’t diagnose him and I absolutely don’t want to scare you! But bowel cancer emphatically has to be ruled out asap. I don’t need a medical degree to tell the GP that.

Agree, pester pester and pester some more. My mum's cancer went undiagnosed since February (finally diagnosed July).

There is no excuse for the GP not seeing your DH under these circumstances. None. Not covid, not anything.

People need to stop drawing fucking rainbows and realise that the NHS is failing many people.

I hope your DH doesn't have cancer OP.

For temporary relief try the Atkins diet - counterintuitive but it works - fibre is probably irritating everything, so no raw food, no fruit (except possibly bananas and possibly dates) cut down on carbs, reduce veg intake and eat well cooked root veg. No tea or coffee - miso soup instead. No cold drinks - only hot. No alcohol. Take a good quality vitamin supplement. It might help pending medical investigations.

I'd suggest speaking to the practice manager and making a complaint about being fobbed off. He definitely needs to be seen, if not referred for further tests. There are lots of things that can cause those symptoms and these can be easily solved. However, it could be signs of cancer and it needs to be taken very seriously. It happened to my Dad last year and he was fobbed off until it had gone too far. Hopefully it will be something along the lines of Coeliac disease (definitely ask about this), IBS, an infection or numerous other conditions.