Should I bother the doctor with this?

[ohdaisydaisy]

I have a pain in my very low abdomen/groin. Today it's radiating through my hip. I'm pretty sure it's constipation related (although I do go quite often) because it can ease after I've been to the toilet. It's been there on and off for a few weeks now.

Should I bother the doctor or just try and do stuff to relieve constipation (not sure what though as my diet is quite healthy I think)? Just wondering if it's something other than constipation.

Are you going to the toilet daily? Have you checked it’s a good smooth sausage poo on the Bristol stool chart? If not then I would sort your constipation out first.

Thanks @Changeiscomingthisyear not really, never been regular and mostly lumps (sincere apologies to anyone reading this while having breakfast!)

I'd also tackle the constipation first, as this is what you suspect. You probably need something like movicol to help get you cleared, so a pharmacy would be good to get advice from. Obviously if symptoms worsen, seek medical attention.

Thanks @Swissrollover never had movicol or anything like it. Is it quite gentle (always imagined anything like that to mean I had to stay near a toilet!! 😳)?

Movicol is really good, and gentle.
Try that first, for a couple of weeks, using it diligently. Try two sachets daily at first, then titrate up or down ( up to 8 sachets a day).
I'd make an appt to see a GP ( a GP! Not a PA) now, if you can for 2 weeks time ( or whenever you can get it). If symptoms improve, you can cancel it.
Keep an eye on what you are eating ( don't add or exclude anything during this time).
Alternatively, it may be nothing digestive-related, could be a hip bursitis, for instance, but worth discussing with a GP.
Hope it settles.

I don't know as I've never tried it😊, but hear about it on here a lot, along with Laxido.

I personally use Psyllium Husk capsules to keep me regular, as they can help with relieving both constipation and diarrhoea. I think a pharmacy product might give you more immediate results though, especially if you have a hard stool blockage.

The ones I use are New Leaf Psyllium Husk with Probiotic 4000mg bought on Amazon.

It could be hip-related OP, so be aware of that possibility. It can radiate through the groin area. But definitely check out constipation remedies, I use psyllium husk, you can also try Magnesium citrate which works very well for some folks.

Have you checked it’s a good smooth sausage poo

This really tickled me this morning although I know it's true 😂

If it's not like this and it's smaller lumps op it does sound like constipation. Although ime one of the key reasons for this is often dehydration rather than just diet.

I'd start a step earlier than movicol and similar and spend a couple of days making sure I was really really hydrated first. Then if no change, movicol, then if no change, GP.

How old are you?

If this is a new pain and you haven’t changed anything in your diet etc to trigger it I’d make an appointment to see your GP now - maybe do an e consult. Doesn’t have to be super urgent for today that you see them but I’d get in touch now and let someone qualified assess you.

btw I am a GP and would be very happy to see someone with these symptoms

Thanks everyone, I'll give movicol or similar a try. I drink a lot, many many cups of decaf coffee a day, but never water as I can't stand it. Good idea about the GP appointment @Oneearringlost as that will give me a deadline to act against rather than leaving it thinking it'll get better.

@Violetmouse I'm nearly 50. I have the gene which can increase my risk of ovarian cancer, but this pain feels too low down for that, but it did cross my mind.

I had pelvic pain and turned out to be ovarian cysts. They can affect bowel movements so best to get checked.

Is the pain on the left side or both? I have diverticular disease and the pain you are describing sounds similar to what I had in the beginning, on the left but I do get an occasional twinge on the right.
TLDR I ended up in A&E with suspected ovarian cysts, before being diagnosed.
Some years later I did have ovarian cysts with no symptoms, picked up on an abdominal scan for something completely unrelated to gynae.