Background: I have a history of Graves Disease (30 years ago); now medicated for underactive thyroid and have B12 deficiency.
For the last 15 years, I’ve had what I can only describe as ‘flare ups’ of moderate to severe left lower abdominal pain (lasting months with no let up before a period of reprieve of months to a couple of years. It feels like there is some sort of sore inside my lower left colon. The first couple of times it happened, I was scared it was something ovarian and had ultrasound scans which were unremarkable.
This current flare (and the pain is all day and night) has lasted 18 months and is exacerbated by bowel movements. I have bowel urgency and looser stalls but not diarrhoea as such (only go every one or two days). No blood (apart from from a recurring anal fissure I’ve had for 20 years), but I’ve passed mucus before on and off which I thought must be IBS. I sometimes have rectal soreness too. No weight loss and appetite is good.
I haven’t been to the GP because I have a phobia (a real one) of doctors and medical tests and the thought of having to go for a colonoscopy is more than I can bear. I do have a lot of joint pain as well, but the joints aren’t swollen.
Anyway, can you have an IBD present like this with no blood and no severe diarrhoea?