Ultrasound scan, now referred for MR scan, its not Gynae related, could be bowel??

[lookbutdonttouch]

I will try to be brief without drip feeding too much.

I am under a gynae consultant as I have history in that region, thought I had another dermoid cyst as the pain and symptoms were exactly the same, if not worse pain wise. Had scan - transvaginal (nice) - for it on Tuesday and scan lady couldn't see a cyst (although previous scan had shown one - odd), she could see something which looked like a big grey blob to me. She gets a colleague and they go all quiet, whisper a lot, get my history up on screen while I am lying there legs up etc and then refuse to say anything and say my consultant will have report in time for my appointment today.

I ask if they think it is another cyst, they say cant be sure what it is, will need further investigation, doesnt look like another dermoid to them. They were behaving all vaguely when usually they say what they see, have in the past.

Today I see the consultant who says that gynae wise I am beautiful according to the scan, my periods are a little confused and messy and he orders blood tests to check hormones but nothing needs to be done surgically.

Scan wise, he says the ultrasound ladies saw loops of bowel on the right and this could be causing my pain. Ordered an MR scan to be done in a week or so to check out if that is what causing the pain and get more detail on it. Prescribed something anti spasmodic as if the bowel is spasming then that would cause pain. Said it could be IBS.

Now, if it were IBS would it not hurt across all of my stomach? Would I not have other IBS type symptoms?

My symptoms are (leaving out anything gynae as apparently I am perfect there ha ha), pain that feels like it emanates from one lump in my lower left abdomen, I can almost touch it. It hurts there when I have sex. It feels like it spreads from there up a bit to under my ribs and around into my lower back. It spreads into my groin and upper thigh. It def comes from one place only.

I do not have pain on the other side of my abdomen. I do not have diaorrhea (sp?). I occasionally get constipated because I take painkillers, I have movicol for that.

This all started last Sept. Only v recently have I had the first hint of indigestion for the first time in my life and it is v small as in twice. The pain is getting worse and worse and all on one side.

Does that sound like IBS? Or a problem lump? Should I be stressing about the result of the MR scan showing a lump in my bowel? I dont usually stress about health stuff as I have things wrong with me and I dont scare easily but I am concerned about this and oh my goodness does it hurt a lot now.

Is that the longest OP in this section?!?

I would seek a second opinion.

Deep pain during sex is highly indicative of endometriosis being present, also I see you have bowel involvement (certainly not unheard of with endometriosis either and this can get misdiagnosed as IBS). Also endo if it is there is not picked up on any scan. It is usually only diagnosed through a keyhole surgery op called a laparoscopy.

Thank you for your reply Attila.

The consultant I saw today was the one who did my dermoid cyst removal last May and he said there was a trace of endometriosis then but barely any.

Would endo (worsening of) show up on an MR scan?

It honestly feels like there is a great big lump in lower left abdomen that is pressing on everything else. It did feel like a repeat of the cyst which is why I was sent off for gynae consult and scan!

I honestly dont know whether I am more scared of them finding a big bowel lump on the MR scan or being told it is clear and prob IBS and please dont darken our door again.

I'm not sure how much help I'm going to be as your problem sounds similar to mine. I can really understand how frustrating it must be though, to have the same symptoms pop up again.

I too have had two cysts in the recent past, not dermoid but chocolate cysts caused by endometriosis. I've had laparoscopies each time and on both occasions the cysts were on my left ovary.

Guess what I now have pain on the left side. It's been going on for a few months and I've tried to ignore it as I'm not sure whether it's related to my foot. This is another subject but I'm due to have a foot operation on Mon and because of pain in foot I have been walking differently which may be causing pain in my pelvis. The pain is a background pain and is aggravated by movement such as hoovering and sometimes driving.

Anyway I have an ultrasound appointment for April and am fairly sure tbh that I have another cyst. If it is I think I will get my left ovary removed because I really don't want to keep having to have surgery once a year.

Sorry to go on about me. I really hope you can get some answers and both of us don't have anything more sinister going on.

Good luck x

Hi lookbutdonttouch,

Endo is not normally picked up on a MRI scan.

It does not look like the endo that was seen last May was dealt with in any way.

Would still suggest you seek a second opinion; in this area some gynaes are far better than others. I would ask this person outright how much experience has been obtained in treating endometriosis patients.

Do not let them tell you its IBS without ruling out endometriosis as a cause first. I know of too many women who have been told their symptoms are IBS when infact they have endometriosis.

You will need to be persistant in order to get answers. I hope you and orangeflutie receive some definite answers soon. Orange - chocolate cysts can certainly recur.

Thank you both for your replies.

Orange, I do believe that we know our own bodies. You can prob tell the difference between pain from ovaries and that area and pain brought on or referred by a different gait which would feel different. I have a back problem and I can tell what is that and what is this. Sometimes I think doctors struggle to see that we know our own symptoms!

Atilla thank you. I won't give up. Will see what the scan says just in case there is a bowel problem and if not will pursue endo . I certainly have the symptoms.

Thanks again.

Hi, I was told for quite some time that I had Endo/ovary pain. I had a lap and it came back all clear and the Gynie suggested a bowel cause. After various tests inc an MRI it turns out I have Crohns disease, IBS and now GERD too, so it could be totally unrelated as mine was.

My crohns hurts during nookie, and is far worse at that time of month, it also hurts more on one side (I have terminal ileitis, which is inflammation in the end of the small intestine) so it was easily confused with womens stuff.

I hope you get sorted soon!

Hi, I was avin a nose on the sight 2 c if anyone has-- anorectal angle does not straighten normally- and i came across this page.
Lookbutdonttouch I av IBS, YOU DO GET CRAMPIN IN THE ABS, its the muscles tightenin. Caused by stress. Ive been put through hell to be finally diagnosised. Its The loops of the bowel, that caught my eye Av they explained what that actually is? A twisted bowel???? Just a guess. That might cause constipation, that causes fecal impacation/ full bowels.Personally i would ask 2 b referred to see a coloctral surgeon, they know about the bowels. You can also b reffered 2 c a gynaecologist as well if needed. You can have as many 2nd opinions as you want. Ive been 2 3 hospitals, 2 proctogram tests. tHE FIRST result said pelvic floor, stating i av 2 moderate rectocles and weak pelvic floor. The 2nd 10mths l8 at a different hosptal, gave the correct readin- as above the vagina all clear rectum rectocele. My symptoms av been the same for 3 long suffering years. In between the 2 tests i saw 3 gynaecologists and all said vagina all clear. I strongly beleive that the camera does not lie it was the reading of the radiologist. Its getting the right person who knows there job. A coloctral surgeon i saw told me after he examined me that i had a prolapse,, 2 proctogram tests said no prolapse!! A rectocele and prolapse r 2 different things. I was being driven mad as i was going by the 1st protogram results and the gynaies werent listening to me. Now i have the 2nd results and hopefully this is where it all ends. Im avin to take a medical legal person with me to make sure i get the right treatment. All i can say is dont always beleive what they say or test results. Look out 4 number one good luck 2 u all and i hope all works out well

Like you I have just had a transv scan and I was surprised that all was ok as I had convinced myself the pain I get must be gynae.

I always get pain on my left hand side and its worse at ovulation time, yet all was ok.

My Gp thinks its IBs, yet i have no change in bowel habit etc.

Hope you get some answers soon

Hi, wasnt expecting this to get resurrected!

I have just had the most horrendous (for me) period. I am veering towards the endo suggestion as what happened was this...

Obvious onset of PMT (huge boobs and feeling very stabby and teary) and a poss IBS styley bout a couple days before of unknown to me diarrhoea and then stomach blew up to OMG am I suddenly 4 months pg proportions. It was hard and painful from rib to pelvis and all the way round. Hurt to move, sit, breathe. Period was very heavy and that had its own separate pain iyswim and the pain and bloating went on for the length of the period. No appetite, lots of nausea.

When period stopped, swelling went down.

I am usually constipated - this is not a change for me.

Now the period has gone I am back to the deep right sided burning and occasional stab pain in the low right side.

Maybe it is bowel, maybe a loop has gone funny from being constipated for sssooo long.

I just thought IBS happened when you were stressed / ate something trigger ish and affected you cramp wise all over. Not once a month exactly at period time and then stabbed you in the side all the other times.

Could be wrong though, not a doctor, and may well get written off as hysterical. Huff.

Whiffy - I agree it is all down to the person reading the scan.

Submarine - what are they doing next for you then? (endometriosis doesnt show on an ultrasound you know.....)

I have an MRI booked for end of April.

Good luck everyone.

whiffy2334 , I too kept being told "nothing wrong"/"slight rectocele", "no need for a contrast scan, as the endoscope didn't see anything"/ "no need for me to see you again, there's nothing sinister there, like cancer" (no answer for the pain, poor quality of life, just go away and use manual evacuation for the rest of your life!). I BEGGED for a contrast (MR defecography) scan, for over 2 years, and finally got one in February. My problem started in 1996! They finally found (during the contrast scan) a fold of the mucosa, which (they say) may be cancer, as well as a slight prolapse of the bladder, a moderate prolapse of my bowel, and a rectocele! I have no normal life any more (constant pain, in back, buttocks, thighs, and a need to stay close to a private loo), and am also planning to consult a legal person. I hope it turns out to be a fistula, nothing worse, and can't believe the NHS thinks it's ok to ruin 16 years of my life, just to save the cost of the correct technical scans?!!!!!!! The arrogance, and refusal to listen has astounded me!

Afternoon all

Bumping up my own thread here, not sure if that is terribly bad form....

I had my MRI scan today so now I get to wait some more. Kind of hoping I wait for a long time because that would mean there is nothing serious wrong wouldnt it?

I am concerned though because they said they might need to put the contrast dye in, depending on what they saw. And they did put it about ten mins before the end of the scan (was only in for about 40 mins I reckon).

So does that mean they saw something? Something they needed clearer pictures of?? Trying not to panic but I understood that if they did that it was to get clear pictures of a tumour or mass or something that shouldnt be there...

Waiting..... waiting......

Hey! Did this ever get resolved? Your symptoms are very much what I'm going through now! X