Any amateur doctors want to try diagnosing me? The real ones have given up.

[VivaLeBeaver]

I've been suffering with abdo pain for the last two years. Constant low grade ache, not affected by cycle. I did have heavy periods though so presumed it was related and went to the gp two years ago. They did a urine dipstick while I was there and it was positive for leucocytes so they said I had a uti and give me antibiotics. Also referred me to gynae.

Lab wee test came back negative for a urine test. Gynaes ended up a few months later doing an endometrial ablation. That didn't make any difference but at least I don't have heavy periods.

Pain still the same, I go several times to gp. Each time get antibiotics which do seem to help, I always have leucocytes in my wee. I wonder about interstitial cystitis and get sent to see the urologists. They do some sort of internal bladder scan tell me it's all normal.

By now I'm on antibiotics every day. In fact I've now been on antibiotics constantly for two years. I have trimethropin on rpt prescription and take it nightly.

I went back to the gp a cople of months ago who shrugged, sent off another urine test to the lab. This one didn't actually have leucocytes in it and the lab test came back clear. I seemed to correlate this flare up and previous ones with forgetting my antibiotics for a cople of days.

I'm in a lot of pain the last few days. Even though I've been taking my antibiotics. Symptoms are terrible abdo pain with the focus been central , massive bloating, bad wind, stabbing pain up the arse. I had a sandwich at lunch and the stronger abdo pain seemed to come on after I'd eaten.

My thoughts on possibilities are now,

Celiac disease
Ibs
Ovarian cancer

It's ot endometriosis, the gynae dr was very clear i didn't have any. I keep telling myself if it was cancer they'd have noticed when they did the ablation.

Is it worth going back to the gp and asking for a test for celiac disease or are the tests you can buy online any good? I think gp thinks I'm imagining it all so am loathe to bother him again.

I did notice too that when I followed a low carb diet, my wind and bloating symptoms disappeared.

I've just taken an IIBS buscopan tablet so will see if that helps.

When I get up and walk it feels like there is a heavy bowling ball in my lower abdomen.

I'm sure ovarian cancer would present with continuous bloating.

Sounds intestinal. Agree about the antibiotics upsetting your gut.

Thanks for all the advice. Will give a few things a try over the next few weeks and if no luck go back to the GP.

Try taking digestive enzymes too.

I think the bloating and wind is also to do with the bacteria traveling wrt the link between cystitis and bis. So may still be linked. Defiantly look for that thread.

Ibs not bis

I used to regularly get that stabbing pain up the bum. It's awful.
Mine was related to ibs and an intolerance to dairy. I stopped taking my before work tall skinny latte and my 10 o'clock skinny latte and ta da! no more issues. I don't take much dairy at all now. Self diagnosed though, not dr.
I hope you get a resolution. My only suggestion is to keep an accurate food diary and try to work out what you are eating when you get the symptoms.

If its a wheat/gluten problem I'm going to struggle. I must admit I eat a lot of carbs.

Weetabix for breakfast, either salad or sandwich for lunch and then something on toast for tea

Your DH may well be right!!
There are loads of wheat-free alternatives now. You'll amaze yourself at how soon you stop missing it if you find that cutting it out helps you.

When I stay off wheat I feel so much better in myself. I just need to be organised and have non wheat stuff in the house. I eat lots of baked potatoes and rice

I don't have coeliac disease myself, but my three DDs do - in adults the symptoms are often mistaken for IBS - bloating, tummy pain, bowel issues, lethargy. I would certainly ask the GP for a blood test for coeliac disease. I would also be tempted to stop taking the antibiotics - if you've been taking them for that long, your body will almost certainly have built up a resistance to them and they'll be doing your gut no good whatsoever. You'll need to build up the good bacteria in your gut again, as the antibiotics will have killed them along with any bad bacteria - you can get acidophilus (sp?) from health shops which will help.

Having looked at your regular diet, I would gently suggest that, even if you're not coeliac, perhaps you need a bit more balance and variety in your diet... And if you do have to cut out gluten, you can still eat sandwiches and toast, you'll just have to have gluten-free bread (you won't be able to have the weetabix though ).

cornflakes for breakfast, soup or salad for lunch and baked potato for tea

right that is WAY too much wheat. if i eat weetabix my stomach goes berzerk.
you have to have a go at cutting it out, all of it.
go cold turkey for a few days, see what happens. no "i can't do it". you have to.

omelette for breakfast, or granola with yoghurt etc..
jacket potato, or soup, or salad for lunch
lean protein and vegetables/salad for dinner
you have no choice about this.

That is a LOT of wheat in your diet.
I really think it might be worth trying a day without it.
I just spend ten days in France and the delicious French bread really upset my stomach (bloating, pain, constipation, nausea). When I stopped eating it, all symptoms disappeared.
It is a quick, cheap and easy experiment to rule it out

Good luck and hope it is something this simple

OK, I've downloaded some free Good Food books for diet inspiration.

Wheat free?

Yes, will look at the wheat free stuff. Hallomi and quinoa, etc.

You could try eavesdropping over in the low carb forums, lots of recipe ideas and alternatives to wheat based meals over there

Low carb forum on mumsnet I meant

Thanks, didn't realise there was a low carbs forum. Obviously, as I haven't really ever thought about low carbs! Will go and find it.

Oatcakes, rice cakes, rice noodles, buckwheat noodles, barley.
Let us know how you get on.

Look in the big/slim/whatever section - I think there is a Bootcamp thread