Uncaring GP ??

[4seasons]

I’ve been having terrible cramping pains and upset bowels for 6 months. Various tests done .. blood tests , ultra sounds , colonoscopy. Colonoscopy showed extensive diverticulosis . Gastroenterologist said that was probably why I was suffering… so drink lots of water , eat high fibre foods , take antispasmodics, Paracetomol. I genuinely have always eaten lots of fruit and vegetables, make my own sourdough , had oats and porridge for breakfast etc. So quite miffed that it was assumed I didn’t already do this !! Anyway …. ended up in A& E with pains bending me double …just felt real despair. Doctor did bloods , urine , physical exam of abdomen. I was told I had an inflamed bowel and also a UTI. The doctor was lovely and said it was bad luck I’d got them at the same time . I was prescribed a 3 day course of Nitroferantoin and told to see my GP or go back to A&E if the UTI wasn’t better.
I saw my GP today as my bladder is still aching etc. He did a dipstick test ( which I know are not sensitive) and declared me infection free and refused any further antibiotics. Also happily told me that the bowel presses on the bladder so that was probably why it still hurt and that sometimes it sticks to the bladder and requires an operation.
I’m not sure what responses I’m expecting to this post really. Has anyone else had this issue re bladder / bowel condition? I left really totally dismissed and wanted to cry… but didn’t. Didn’t even examine me . Just quick dipstick test and bye bye !!

inflamed bowel can cause bladder irritation though. Hopefully the ED doctor will have sent a micro sample off before giving the antibiotics - that might give the answer re whether there was a UTI in the first place.

The GP should send a sample of your urine to be tested. I'm sorry your GP was so insensitive.

Yes l have adhesions. My bowel/ bladder/ colon/ intestines are all stuck together.. from previous operations .. l also have diverticulitis and IBS.. I'm waiting to have my prolapse bladder operation.. so if l get a UTI it causes pain in my other organs. If l have a IBS flare or diverticulitis this causes pain in my bladder also.. I've suffered this for 30 years plus.. back then when l had gynaecological operations for Endometriosis it wasn't like today with the mesh etc.. so the more operations l had more adhesions formed.
Its a nightmare.

@moier has mentioned endometriosis: I had symptoms like this going on for years (and also got fed up being told to drink more and eat fibre given my then diet), as well as extremely painful periods. I didn't think the two were connected, but now know that endometriosis can cause IBS and intestinal issues. Worth considering whether this might be involved - GPs are still really bad at diagnosing endo or recognising less obvious symptoms.

Oh god , I am really sorry to hear about other people’s awful health experiences. Makes me feel a fraud. But no medical person, including the private gastroenterologist has given me any advice other than eat lots of fibre / drink lots of water !
I joined an online diverticulitis group on Facebook… most posters seem to be American . Stories on there are pretty scary and there is so much conflicting information eg eat low fibre until gut heals. If I did this I would get terribly constipated and make the diverticular disease worse ! Also , they all seem to be taking lots of different medications and suggesting various stuff from health shops or the internet . According to one poster putting castor oil in your belly button was curative.
Tonight I feel very sorry for myself but also guilty because others are / have suffered much more. I hope all of you have better health in the future… and thank you for responding.

OP don't be hard on yourself, you're suffering and confused and don't know where to turn with it. That's very valid. Yes other people have been through/live with some extremely challenging health conditions but you don't need to feel bad about that, they're just sharing their experiences. Hopefully there'll be some grace in your situation soon and you'll get some helpful answers from any health professionals you encounter, and proper support to recover/manage your symptoms. In the meantime, the worst thing you can do is beat yourself up, you're not well!

https://gutscharity.org.uk/advice-and-information/conditions/diverticular-disease/

In 6 months you’ve have had a raft of investigations and a diagnosis.
Do you struggle with health anxiety usually?
Are you relatively proactive in managing your symptoms?