Lower right sided pain on and off for months, what could it be?

[Mrsmulder]

I have had pain in my lower right abdomen for months now. I have been back and forward to the doctors, had a scan on my ovaries and trans vaginal scan which was normal, the last time she gave me peppermint oil capsules and tested me for coeliac which was negative and the pepermint did nothing. I have periods where it doesn't bother me and then pain every day for about 2 weeks. It does seem to be worse in the week before I am due on and during my period plus a few days after. It's making me miserable and stressed. It's always in the exact same spot and usually starts once I get up in the morning, even if I haven't eaten. It feels like period pain as in it builds up to a peak and then goes and then builds up again. This could last for hours and then it just goes and doesn't bother me again until the next day.

Any advice would be appreciated, it's really worrying me. I have booked another GP appointment but it's not until next week

Is it possible you could have endometriosis? Has that been discussed? It wouldn't necessarily show up on the scans that you've had.

Did they do any blood work?

Sorry you are going through this.

Also - Have you been on any antibiotics recently?

Thanks for replying. They haven't done any bloods and I haven't been on antibiotics for years. I suppose endo is a possibility but it's not been mentioned by the GP.

I am just hoping it's nothing serious as it sometimes does not bother me for a few weeks and then seems to start up again. Doesn't help that I suffer with anxiety too so whenever I get the pains it's also the stress and worry that goes with it that seems to make it worse

I know it may seem odd but you might try taking 2 Imodium to see if it helps - you may have an area of your bowel that tends to get irritable and cause pain and if the Imodium settles the pain then it would lead towards it being bowel related.

Imodium slows down the contractions of the bowel - it is usually given for diarrhoea but it can also settle some types of irritable bowel problems. It's a long shot - don't think you have to try it, just a thought.

If it's any consolation, you can have some pretty bad GI pains and still nothing too sinister be going on. I am sure the anxiety does make the pain worse - do you have anything that can help with the anxiety?

Maybe a plan next time you have an attack to take pain meds, hot water bottle or hot bath, mint tea and whatever you find relaxing - i.e. music, reading, resting, telly. Having a list of things to do when you have an attack may help you feel more in control and mitigate some of the stress of the unknown.

You also might try keeping a daily record of the attacks along with your menstrual cycle and see how it correlates which could help with endo dx.

Hopefully the doctors will have already ruled this out, but could it be a grumbling appendix?

Is it ovulation pain ??
Google mittelschmerz
I get awful pain when I ovulate.

Could be barking up the wrong tree, but have they looked at gastro issues rather than ovaries? The fact that it worsens with stress and comes and goes it sounds like it could be ibs. Keep a food diary, as well as a period diary. Keep a record of what you eat, and your toiletting and then when the pain occurs.

I had similar pains, when through all the gynae stuff and finally saw a gastro guy and it turned out the i have ibs.

Grumbling appendix?

Thanks, I will keep a diary this month for food and cycle. I think taking pain killers is a good idea. I am really bad at this and tend to suffer which probably makes the anxiety worse and leads to a vicious cycle!

I don't think it's ovulation pain, I am due on on Tuesday and I have had these pains just over a week already.

I think last time I went she was thinking along the lines of ibs but wanted to rule out coeliac. I think that's why she gave me the peppermint oil capsules. I will give a low dose of immodium a try next time to see if that helps. I don't get diarrhoea though, I suppose sometimes I might get slightly constipated but nothing significant.

No idea if they have ruled out grumbling appendix or not, I will google that now. They felt my stomach both times and listened with a stethoscope. She did say my bowel was a 'bit more noisy' in that area which is probably why she gave me the peppermint oil.

Thanks for your responses, I feel like I can be a bit more organised and know what questions to ask at the appointment

I had this type of pain, coming and going for a while only I didn't bother going to the doctors.

It escalated on Christmas Eve and I was admitted into hospital on Christmas Day. It was my appendix, described to me as 'leaking', rather than having burst. Have to say I am not entirely sure what the difference is.

I used to have a grumbling appendix as a child, very similar.

Is there anything that can be done for a grumbling appendix? Other than surgery obviously

Actually, maybe my pain wasn't entirely similar in that it built during the day/time spent on my feet and subsided at night, until the last few nights when it kept me awake and I couldn't sleep on my right side.

Have you got an IUD? I had similar pains, and the doctors had no idea. They said it couldn't be the coil, but I had it removed anyway, and hey presto, no pain since.

When I was a child I used to be given something on prescription, a fizzy powder of some sort. Nowadays I think it is surgery, keyhole if possible.

I will give a low dose of immodium a try next time to see if that helps. I don't get diarrhoea though, I suppose sometimes I might get slightly constipated but nothing significant.

The Imodium will settle the bowel - it decreases the movement/contraction of the intestines - so, if the contraction/movement of the bowel are causing the pain (as in IBS), the Imodium may settle it. I just meant it as a test to see if it brought any relief because even without loose stools the bowel can still be irritable and cause the type of pain you are experiencing.

The other suggestions are great. Do look into them all.

Hope you feel better soon.

I get ovulation pain, but it can hurt on and off until I get my period, so it could be gynae

The tips you've been given to determine if its bowel related are also great advice

Yes, lots of great advice on here, thanks.

itmustbe I do have the copper iud but have also been told it's not that. I have had the position checked when I had my ovaries scanned and it was ok. You could be onto something though because I don't remember having the pains before the iud.

Ds is back from nursery now so won't get chance until tonight but I will look at all the suggestions on here and make a plan to try and work out if it looks like gynae or ibs.

I am tempted to get the coil out and see if things improve but I don't get on with hormonal contraception so would be a bit stuck if I couldn't have that

Thanks again for all your replies, I feel a bit more reassured that I will get to the bottom of this

I too would vote for maybe the coil. My mirena gives me sided pain especially in the week before my period. Dr says it's not possible but the pain wasn't there before

That's exactly what happened to me - copper coil, the doctor said it couldn't be that, I had a scan and they said the position was fine.

My pains were becoming more frequent until i could feel them most of the time, then I had the coil out and instantly, no more pain.

It's been three months now, with absolutely no recurrence.

Oh, and I went to a gynaecology specialist doctor to have my coil out, and she said it could be the coil - it can scratch and dig in slightly on one side. I thought ovaries from the position of the pain though.

My coil had to come out
I had very bad cramps

You could be unlucky & it might be a series of things together , coil pain, ibs , ovulation pain.

Thanks everyone, it's looking like getting the coil out would be a start to see if that's the problem. At least it seems like the simplest thing to rule out. Going to have a think tonight as to what to do contraception wise if I do get it taken out as I don't really have many other options

Just an update in case anyone else suffers from similar. I had my coil taken out 3 weeks ago and have had no pain since so it is looking like the problem was related to that.

I am a bit annoyed that my GP said it Couldn't be the coil though as I have had months of pain that could have been easily sorted. Not to mention blood tests and scans that were unnecessary.