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Original poster

Abdominal pain worse at night, can't get a GP appointment, really worried

11 replies

Frankenweenie · 21/04/2023 09:35

I've got upper left abdominal pain, Centre of my left side, just below my ribs. It's there sort of grumbling along during the day and is so much worse at night. A bit better when I'm in fetal position. I call GP every morning at 8am and get told that there are no appointments, call tomorrow. I do the same thing and again, no appointments. I'm going to go in to the surgery on Monday for opening time to try and get an appointment as my mum had agreed to sort out my son's drop off that morning. I'm really freaking out that there might be something seriously wrong. I have a history of pancreatic cancer in my family, but I'm only 32 so desperately hoping it's nothing like that. Has anyone had similar and it been fine? I don't usually have health anxiety but for this I do due to my family history. Anyone?

OP posts:
MrsPelligrinoPetrichor · 21/04/2023 09:36

Ring 111 they will get you an appt.

Original poster
Frankenweenie · 21/04/2023 09:41

MrsPelligrinoPetrichor · 21/04/2023 09:36

Ring 111 they will get you an appt.

Thankfully my mum is taking my son on Monday so I can book an appointment then.

OP posts:
Iloveautumncolours · 21/04/2023 09:50

I have IBS and get this. Lots of grumbling and gurgling throughout the day (amongst other symptoms). At night I am often woken by the gurgling and can not get into a comfortable position.
I think, for me, it’s a lot of activity within my digestive system causing it and trapped gas and acid as I also have functional dyspepsia (I have had lots of tests and scans).
I had a huge worry over pancreatic cancer last year and got in such a state that I ended up going to a local baby scanning centre (many also offer health scans too) and paid £100 to have my upper digestive organs scanned!
Have you tried taking anything to try and ease it? Buscopan is good, it relaxes the digestive muscles and could help and is easily purchased off the shelf in supermarkets. Try gaviscon advanced too.
Good luck, I hope you get a gp appointment soon

Original poster
Frankenweenie · 21/04/2023 09:53

Iloveautumncolours · 21/04/2023 09:50

I have IBS and get this. Lots of grumbling and gurgling throughout the day (amongst other symptoms). At night I am often woken by the gurgling and can not get into a comfortable position.
I think, for me, it’s a lot of activity within my digestive system causing it and trapped gas and acid as I also have functional dyspepsia (I have had lots of tests and scans).
I had a huge worry over pancreatic cancer last year and got in such a state that I ended up going to a local baby scanning centre (many also offer health scans too) and paid £100 to have my upper digestive organs scanned!
Have you tried taking anything to try and ease it? Buscopan is good, it relaxes the digestive muscles and could help and is easily purchased off the shelf in supermarkets. Try gaviscon advanced too.
Good luck, I hope you get a gp appointment soon

When I say grumbling I don't mean it's a grumbling noise, I mean that it's grumbling along as in a nagging kind of pain. Sorry should have made that clearer.

OP posts:
Hannahthepink · 21/04/2023 10:05

It sounds to me like possibly gallbladder issues based on the position and that it gets worse at night and makes you want to curl up. Ring 111 next time you get bad pain, if you have a gallstone obstruction you need to be scanned/blood test before the gallstone moves, in my experience this was the only way to get seen quickly enough.

Original poster
Frankenweenie · 21/04/2023 10:17

Hannahthepink · 21/04/2023 10:05

It sounds to me like possibly gallbladder issues based on the position and that it gets worse at night and makes you want to curl up. Ring 111 next time you get bad pain, if you have a gallstone obstruction you need to be scanned/blood test before the gallstone moves, in my experience this was the only way to get seen quickly enough.

Isn't your gallbladder on your right?

OP posts:
GayPareeee · 21/04/2023 10:19

yes it is.

Could it be reflux, that's often much worse at night.

Hannahthepink · 21/04/2023 11:01

Mine wasn't on my right, it was just a central sort of pain below my ribs. At a scan I was asked if I'd had children as I was a bit jumbled up! Apparently it's really common for bits not to be exactly where they should be, and another reason why it took a bit longer to get diagnosed.

Original poster
Frankenweenie · 21/04/2023 11:15

Hannahthepink · 21/04/2023 11:01

Mine wasn't on my right, it was just a central sort of pain below my ribs. At a scan I was asked if I'd had children as I was a bit jumbled up! Apparently it's really common for bits not to be exactly where they should be, and another reason why it took a bit longer to get diagnosed.

I know a lot of things can present as central pain when they're not related to central organs (I had this when I had my appendix out), but I'd think it unusual for something on the right to present on the opposite side of the body.

OP posts:
Swg · 21/04/2023 11:18

It's called referred pain - your body grabs the pain signal and sticks it somewhere not quite right. I had it when my gallbladder started acting up. It is awful though.

Felicity42 · 22/04/2023 22:06

Sounds like reflux or excess stomach acid which is gastritis. That grumbling gnawing almost hunger pang type pain.
Try Nexium over the counter to see if that helps.
If it goes away after eating something or is worse when tummy empty it's probably that. Your GP can prescribe something to ease it.
I take a Losec tablet every day which eliminates this pain.

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