Please help: DD in hospital with mystery abdominal pain.

[Stath]

DD (16) has had what we thought was a UTI. She felt generally unwell and has had lower right abdo pain that’s been increasing for a week.

Ended up being admitted to hospital as she couldn’t keep any meds/fluids down so given iv antibiotics and fluids plus antiemetics.

The pain has been getting worse. Her bloods have shown a decrease in infection (her uti weeing symptoms disappeared after a couple of days) but an ultrasound and now an mri haven’t found anything dodgy apart from enlarged lymph nodes (so maybe Mesenteric Adenitis?)

Pain relief hasn’t stopped it. She’s on paracetamol, ibuprofen and tried oral morphine and then tramadol. The last two had the effect of making her ‘still feel the pain but being so out of it she didn’t care’.

Now been given oxycodone which makes her feel off her face but still has breakthrough pain and doesn’t seem to last very long.

Needless to say, she’s absolutely fed up. Gynae are seeing her tomorrow but I understand that if it’s endometriosis then it can only be definitely diagnosed through a lap not imaging.

Ruled out an ectopic pregnancy and now she’s responding to antibiotics they don’t think it’s appendicitis.

Does anyone have any knowledge or advice? She’s desperate to be home and back to normal but the pain is literally doubling her over 😞

Cheers.

So the drugs probably bunged her up and the diarrhoea will be overflow from around the 'plug'. Has she passed the plug yet?
I'm aware of older people who come in to ED with abdo pain, and it's 'just' constipation.
I hope she gets sorted. And soon.

Definitely not appendix? I've read stories on here of it being missed on imaging but later found to have been very bad once operated on
this is exactly what happened to me after being misdiagnosed with a UTI. I would assume they've checked it's not her appendix though?

This. My dd at 16 had this as the cyst had burst and she was in agony. Thought it was appendix when GP sent her in. Surgeon said she must have been in horrendous pain.

Another one to suggest you push for ultrasound to check appendix. Same happened with my son his ruptured and formed an abscess before it was finally spotted on the scan.

A give away sign that’s rarely mentioned is temps- does she have a low grade (ie not super high) fever that ‘swings’ from normal to low grade fever every so often? D&V also a sign. Xx

I had a gallbladder infection and the pain did go down to the lower right quadrant, but was also in the upper right and upper centre of my abdomen and into my back.

i really hope you and your poor DD get some answers soon!

Wow! I’ll ask about that today. Thanks

How did they rule out the ectopic, has she had her ovaries scanned? I think I’d be thinking cyst or torsion there next. Keep us posted x

Thank you all you gorgeous vipers for sharing your ideas, experiences and get well wishes.

She’s still feeling rotten and I’m going back in after the school run. DD has ASD and had the added fun of feeling absolutely overwhelmed and panicked with the noisy MRI yesterday.

I’ll keep the thread updated. I know how useful mystery illness/health threads like these can be as I’ve found answers, support and reassurance from them.

🍦x a million to you lot.

M y dd in terrible pain for a week maxed out on painkillers. Kept telling us it was ovulation pain. Bloods normal. Was appendix couldn't see it till they did Ct with contrast.

This is worse than googling your symptoms: asking strangers for their medical opinion 🙄

This is what came into my head. A friend has it and was only telling me a few days ago how she was diagnosed. She was constantly fobbed off, first of all they said she had anxiety, then they thought she had an eating disorder. By the time she was finally diagnosed her organs had started shutting down - they said another couple of hours and she would've been dead.
Like the PP has said it is rare but if they have no idea it's worth asking.

DD had similar although she is much younger. In hospital a couple of times with suspected appendicitis but it wasn't. Now has chronic abdominal pain for which she takes meds. No cause found as yet. They may still take appendix out as apparently that can sometimes help.

I had a burst ovarian cyst at 19 and it was excruciating pain in a similar place. It was awful x

Sympathy for your daughter - but her medical team with access to her test results and medical history are likely to have more idea than a bunch of random people on the internet wh haven't even met her?

Following with interest because my 23yo DD was in A&E last week with severe pain in the lower right hand side. I automatically thought appendix. She was feeling nauseous and could barely walk. They did bloods and urine test. Ruled out pregnancy and ended up giving her antibiotics for suspected UTI. When I brought her home she ate and then vomited, and lay curled up on the sofa. The pain continued for a few days. She'd be ok sitting or lying down, but as soon as she got up or walked it would flare up again. After a few days it eased off. This is the second time in a number of months that it's happened.

Burst appendix with sepsis - I had that about fifteen years ago. Responded well to antibiotics (for the sepsis) and then came back with a vengeance. It took over 18 months to get to the point where the hospital would actually take me seriously and operate. Infection everywhere inside, removal of some bowel and two weeks in ICU. Oh, and to top it off, the breathing tube that was supposed to go into my trachea was actually passed into the oesophagus and then reinserted, meaning that some stomach acid was indirectly transferred to my lungs causing some scarring.

It either sounds like an appendix or ovary issue. Either way I hope she gets some answers and gets better soon!

I’m not ‘asking strangers for their medical opinion’, I’m asking for experiences to be shared.

What the fuck do you hope to achieve with your rolly eyed glib comment?

This isn’t a thread where the OP is at home and not getting medical help. This is a worried parent asking for others’ experiences as women and girls are the demographic notoriously ignored/misdiagnosed/fobbed off due to endemic misogynistic attitudes and systematic faults in the holistic care of women.

My child is in hospital being cared for by a bunch of amazing people who are rushed off their feet.

DD is scared. Really fucking scared.

I’d appreciate it if you took your comment and FOTTFSOFAWYGTFOSM.

My son was like this with Mesenteric Adenitis. The only thing that really helped with the pain (apart from fentanyl) was a hot water bottle. Constipation made it worse too.

I was similar to a previous poster. Same pain as your daughter. Imaging didn't show appendix. But a dr eventually touched that area and I nearly jumped off the table.
They took out my appendix and it turns out it was wrapped around my bowel (I was told I had IBS previously. Turns out it was just the appendix so when that was taken out all symptoms stopped immediately).

Hope the hospital get it identified and sorted soon. Sounds awful for your DD, and you.

Thanks for the sympathy. The staff that are looking after her are puzzled too. They’re also mithered left right and centre.

I suppose the point of this thread isn’t to get a Mumsnet diagnosis (we’d all be dead/have hidden disabilities/be logging everything with 101 if we followed that 😊) but to enquire about shared experiences to help a worried mum to perhaps have a more global outlook on a situation.

A previous poster said a similar thing but, proving the old adage of ‘it’s not what you say but the way that you say it’, your post is polite and not featuring a sarcastic rolly eyed emoji.

Needless to say, I appreciate your sympathies and everyone else’s kind wishes 💐

It’s bloody horrible, isn’t it? How long did your son’s MA last? Has it ever come back?

I had these symptoms when I was 15 and was diagnosed with crohns disease.

I had all these symptoms at the same age, could never find what it was. Kept coming and going over the years putting me in hospital multiple times through my life.

Years later was diagnosed with ehlers danlos syndrome (effects your organs and collagen), fibromyalgia, IBS and esophagitis.