Lower left abdomen pain

[tummytrubble]

Firstly I'm not looking for a diagnosis, I knows it's not possible online but I've been to the docs many times about this and don't seem to be getting anywhere so just wondered if anyone has experienced similar or if anyone with medical knowledge could advise where to go next.

Basically for many years I have had what I can only describe as a twinge in my lower left hand side abdomen. The pain is intermittent not constant and not particularly painful but every now and then I'll have an 'oof' moment. It's not the pain that bothers me but the worry of what might be causing it.

I've had an ultrasound on my ovaries in the last year which revealed no cysts or anything untoward. Doctors have also suggested ibs or cycle pains as a cause. I've always felt it could be bowel related and had a colonoscopy about ten years ago which I don't recall revealing much but I do remember it was so painful and awful they didn't do it for long.

My grandma has recently been diagnosed with bowel cancer and my mind is running wild at the moment. My questions are a) if it was anything sinister would there be more symptoms or more frequent severe pain? B) if I went back to docs and demanded a colonoscopy (would really rather not) am I likely to get one based on my symptoms? C) has anyone experienced similar symptoms and what did it turn out to be?

Any advice gratefully received x

Why do you think it's bowel related?

Is there regularity to when it occurs? Ie is it roughly monthly but not necessarily at time of period?

If so I think you should be considering it may be endo. Which I have, doesn't show on a scan, causes bowel issues, pain when ovulating also for me more left than right side some get it on right side.

@Graphista thanks for replying. I did used to suffer with ovulation pain but I'm on the pill now and it's calmed down a lot. But I do still get the twinges and not usually at regular times of the month.

I'm not sure why I assumed bowel related it's just a feeling I have. In the past I have suffered from ibs symptoms especially when anxious or stressed. I also had a spell of bleeding which was checked out and advised it was piles, nice. I just don't understand why the pain would occur randomly and intermittently but for so long.

Are there any other symptoms of endo that you suffer with?

I used to get this (still do actually!) and it's endometriosis in my case. Doesn't show up on ultrasounds unless you have chocolate cysts.

My symptoms:-

Irregular periods
Periods start with dark brown "old" blood
Excruciating period pain
Stabbing pains in lower abdomen
Painful sex in certain positions
Occasional bleeding after sex (I had endo at the top of my vagina)
Weird pain in abdomen when coughing sometimes
Painful breasts related to cycles

I didn't push for endo diagnosis for years as my periods weren't too heavy and that's often cited as a main symptom.

Oh and diarrhoea when on period - I always thought this was normal but apparently not!!

Gallbladder, the pain usually in the chest, but can’t radiate to other parts. Mine radiates to the same place you describe, does the pain coincide with eating fatty food? It’s extremely common in women also for some reason. The pain would be really extreme though usually.

Please look into diverticular disease. The pain is often in the left lower abdomen. I struggled with it for months on end (years ago), and GP just kept saying I was probably constipated or had IBS, even though I wasn't actually constipated at all.

It was finally diagnosed when I ended up in hospital with a bowel perforation and sepsis.

For me, the pain is intermittent, with twinges mostly on the left, occasionally on the right (appendix long gone, so that's not an issue). After dealing with it for 12 years, I'm now to the point where I can generally "read" my system quite well, which makes it much easier to manage.

@Gingerivy diverticulitis also runs in the family but I would have assumed that the pain associated with that would have been much more severe and constant?

Not for me. I generally just get twinges and such. It's very sporadic - not constant at all. When it gets worse and there's a mild inflammation then it's more uncomfortable, sometimes crampy, especially after eating and first thing in the morning. When it gets quite bad for me, it feels like a huge serving fork has been stuck in my abdomen and is twisting severely.

Hi op not wanting to scare you, for about two years I had a dull stomach ache and on occasion a stabbing pain left/right side, thought the stomach ache was anxiety. Three weeks ago I woke with severe stomach ache across my stomach and took pain relief for a week,by the end of the wk I nearly collapsed as couldn't take pain anymore. I went to a/e and was taken straight to theatre with a burst appendix, maybe your Dr can give you am ultrasound, it didn't cross my mind at all that it was my appendix.

@seriousone oh gosh I hope you're ok now! I am a complete wuss so the first sign of any serious pain and I'd be straight to the doctors or hospital. This isn't constant or painful but it's just a worry as to what is causing it :/

Hi I'm ok now,it could of been a lot worse as my appendix had burst.i don't actually have a high pain threshold I just kept taking pain relief and the pain subsided until they wore off plus I didn't want to let anyone down at work.if I knew then what it was I would of gone to Dr sooner, maybe just mention it to your Dr.

Ugh other symptoms of endo (thankfully not now as on noriday continuous)

Extremely Heavy painful (extremely enough to cause fainting & vomiting) periods
Painful ovulation
Diarrhoea at period and ovulation times plus bowel spasms (learned after surgery there's some on my bowel, it's mostly but not completely been removed) plus arse daggers when pooing
Migraine
Pain in back, thighs and back of thighs
Painful sex in certain positions
Painful boobs at ovulation and periods and sometimes other times too

Yea lovely stuff. Could be other things but this is one possibility.

Do you think your colon could just be a bit narrow in this area? You say that a colonoscopy was v painful and they didn't finish it. Since you've had it so long, I think it's unlikely to be malignant. (But I'm not a doctor.) Perhaps it's just a place where you get a temporary blockage if you've eaten too much fibrous food?

This was diverticular disease when it happened to me.

Hey there, did you ever find the cause? I have EXACTLY the same!

Me too Iv got pain lower left side since June struggling to get a diagnosis it's so hard because so many causes for the pain it's hard to pinpoint what it could be 😔

Yes it’s frustrating isn’t it. Mine is quite intermittent. I thought it had gone but it’s back!

@Pook1204

Mines never gone away. I'm now thinking it's my bowels I'm waiting tests in that department who knows how long the wait will be so miserable feeling unwell with it all the time. I'm thinking hernia caused by pregnancy last year, think Iv literally 'bust a gut' we shall see.

Bless you @Itonlytakesone yes I wondered if it’s previous births at play. It certainly moves everything around down there. I think I’ll have to book to see the gp too. @tummytrubble did you ever get to the root cause? Not easy, especially at the moment. Take care all x

@Pook1204

I know when I was in labour I certainly pulled a muscle in my stomach left side which was obviously never checked after so I'm wondering whether Iv had an underlying problem all this time. I'm due to have a ct colonoscopy soon so it should show anything up

@Itonlytakesone it could just be that it twinges now and again - I keep telling myself it’s nothing too serious as I’ve had it on and off for a while! Hope it goes well x