to crowdsource a diagnosis (getting desperate!)

[snappedandfarted123]

Ok I know this is the wrong place but stuck and getting nowhere with the NHS, just wondered if anyone has experienced similar and could suggest what might be wrong with my poor DH?
He's been ill for 9 weeks. Very bad dull abdominal pain. Originally suspected appendicitis but cleared on ultrasound and sent home. Since then pain pretty much constant, local to upper right abdomen. Plus feeling bloated all the time. he's on Max dose paracetamol and strong codeine to manage it. He's very weak and unable to work (tearing his hair out) or do anything really without being exhausted. But ultrasound, CT scan and all bloods come back clear so both gp and hospital convinced nothing wrong with him. He's lost upwards of 7kg since this started and he was a normal healthy weight before so he's thin now. We're really worried and not getting anywhere. I'm hoping someone might have experienced something similar?
Help!

Oh and one thing, I think the CT did not look at gall bladder as the gp had said he was looking for kidney stones and gall bladder had previously been ruled out on ultrasound.
Ultrasound person told him everything looked really great on his scan. But they couldn't actually see his appendix on that one.

When it comes to having his gallbladder checked, make sure they are NOT just checking for stones. They also need to check it's functionality, which causes the same symptoms. This is what happened to me. No stones, but my gallbladder was basically "dead." Had it removed and I was back to normal after 2 years of hell.

Yes yabu. Online opinions are not a substitute to medical care.

I'm also uncomfortable with all this criticism of NHS care, from people who don't know the whole story.

If you are unsatisfied with your care then feel free to make a complaint via PALS, but online is not the correct forum for this.

In that case, and this is no substitute for medical advice but you can buy ranitidine over the counter. He could get some and try it to see if it helps whilst he's waiting.

Having a gastritis flare up is awful and does make you feel completely wiped out. It's worth going back to GP and seeing if they would consider treating him for it. If he improves then they tend to leave be, they would only regret on if treatment didn't help or other writing subprime (blood etc).

Tbh I'm v surprised they haven't done this already, it's cheap and quick and cam be done under GP only. I suspect there may be something else we don't know that is complicating things.

Ultrasound is commonly used to detect gallstones, rather than CT or MRI.

Get morning cortisol blood tests done to rule out Addison’s disease. It’s very rare but can cause abdominal pain and weight loss and isn’t something doctors routinely test for. It’s very important the cortisol test is done as close to 9am as possible. I’ll let you google the details about it. (I have it, and those were the symptoms I had).

I'd also recommend a full blood count on the count of weight loss and blood sugar check, as type 1 diabetes can occasionally present this way.

Lots of reasons for abdominal pains that are easily resolved but the weight loss and lack of energy should be taken more seriously for more investigations where possible. If you can afford private I'd go straight to consultant there but if not keep at the GP or hospital consultant he is under. If no luck I'd contact PALS sometimes that can help.

I'm not in any way medical so can't offer an opinion on what is wrong with him, but I'd recommend signing up to the online doctors surgery service. That way you get to see results and letters and it makes it easier to understand.

A friend of a friend had similar symptoms and was diagnosed with coeliac disease. Have they checked his bloods for that?

I would be really worried about bowel cancer - like a PP said it was the leading article in the papers yesterday - how so many people are fobbed off with diagnoses of IBS because they're "too young" to have cancer and by the time it's eventually diagnosed it's too late.

Unexplained weight loss, tiredness, abdominal pain and bloating are all symptoms. I don't want to scare you and of course it could be hundreds of other things but I would push for a colonoscopy and go private if necessary.