Lower left abdominal pain

[Lellyloulou]

Any ideas what this is? Achy and cramps pain on lower left side radiating into groin. Had it a while ago and GP suggested IBS but my understanding of IBS is that it is intermittent. This latest pain I have had for a week. It is low down and extends into my groin.

When I initially went GP I was referred for an ovarian scan which was fine. Also bloods were all fine.

I have a docs appt booked but struggling but a bit concerned. I have no other symptoms tbh. Weight is constant, appetite fine. Toilet habits haven’t changed.

I am Coeliac but upsets related to gluten don’t normally last this long.

Any ideas? I have no fever btw.

Have you ever had any surgery? If so it could be adhesions. I get pains in my lower abdomen/groin which have been diagnosed as adhesions after various investigations.

Or could it be muscular?

IBS should only be diagnosed once other conditions have been ruled out, but I expect most other bowel conditions would have been ruled out when you went through the diagnosis process for your coeliac disease.

My other suggestion would have been ovarian cyst, but I see that will have been ruled out already.

To be honest there are all sorts of possibilities so it's probably just a case of waiting and seeing what the doctor suggests, though I know that's frustrating. When is your appointment?

I hope that it improves soon

Thanks. Not had surgery. Coeliacs biopsy and investigation was about 4 years ago.

I am. Is I define kidney stone although have no other symptoms.

You’re right I will just have to wait for doc. Appointment not for a week! If pain gets worse I will go to walk in Centre.

Thanks agai.

Sorry for typos. Meant to say.......now thinking about kidney stone.

Hernia?

I think diverticulitis is often on the left?

I was thinking diverticulitis. Have no fever though.

Will look into hernia too.

Thanks both. I have terrible health anxiety so am trying not to stress!

Is lower left pancreas related?? (Coming from fellow health anxiety sufferer with vague google knowledge)

Kidney stone is a possibility. Correct position.

Diverticulitis is indeed mostly on the left (in Europeans/Caucasians at least) but if acute would normally be accompanied by fever and could be expected to have shown up in bloods with elevated CRP at least & possibly also leukocytosis.

However you can get chronic diverticulitis which looks relatively benign from a bloods & temperature point of view, but there’s low-level inflammation all the time with intermittent flares of feeling much worse. It can cause a lot of damage - I ended up obstructed and perforated & needing emergency colectomy and ileostomy, though that was (I am assured) a rare case! You’re not in anything like that territory if you have normal appetite & bowel habits.

Do press for proper investigation though and don’t hesitate to escalate to urgent care if the pain becomes severe.

*benign was the wrong word to use, since diverticular disease is always a benign rather than malignant disease, but I hope you understood what I meant.

Ovarian cyst?

Thanks.

My bloods showed slightly elevated inflammation. It was at the top of the new normal range? That was all.

Not a cyst as had ovarian scan.

Think pancreas is upper left?

Thanks all. I just dread the doctors. They can’t know. They will send me for bloods and possibly tests nd I hate anything like that. Ugh.

Too low for pancreas. My best guess would be diverticular disease.

Thanks Alexa. That’s what I’m thinking, will see what doc says.

Had all of this. Ovarian scan normal. Wasn't my stomach. Bladder scan normal. They then said as a last ditch thing they'd scan my kidney - and it was a 1cm kidney stone.

I shan't tell you the absolute agony that followed (I had three lots of lithotripsy to get rid of it) but it sorted it in the end.

I know the tests are no fun, but it will hopefully be worth it to find out what is going on and sort it out

None of it is any fun - agreed. But it is important to find out what is going on and get it dealt with. I was stoic for too long and now, in addition to my remodelled plumbing, I have troublesome post-surgical and inflammatory adhesions, and a fistula, as consequences of severe diverticular disease (which of course may not be of any relevance to you, but just an illustration of what inflammation can do if left to its own devices).

Good luck with it all and whatever it is I hope it is soon resolved

may not be of any relevance to you OP that should have been. Anyway. What I mean is that I agree with Leslie*, who was much more succinct

Sorry, not sure what it is but just to reassure you pancreatitis pain is upper abdominal not lower (I had acute pancreatitis years ago - ouch).

Ugh Lark that sounds nasty.

Yes I will definitely follow it up. Still sore this morning. Feels like I am bruised down the side. 🙄. Have taken a Buscopan and will see if that helps.

Thanks everyone.

@Lellyloulou hey! Know you posted about this many moons ago but I’ve been suffering for ages with lower left sided pain and wondered whether you ever got to the bottom of what was causing it? Thanks x

did you find out what this was I have this left side and into back usually have a ibs flare up. I thought maybe diverticulitis doctor keeps saying Ibs, only had fit test and stool sample done and all fine minus mild inflammation in stool sample

Not really. Had a few tests then concluded it was either IBS or muscular. Still get it!