I want these stomach aches to STOP!

[Flamesparrow]

I have been tested for everything under the sun.

I am not pregnant.

I cut out caffeine and they stopped, until today when it started up again before me having eaten or drunk anything which rules out the food/drink related ibs theory that I would have leaned towards (I was thinking "Oh, it must be something as well as the caffeine" then realised about the lack of food).

The rest of the family have had a stomach bug, am thinking it could be that but it not actually doing anything as I am slightly constipated (far tmi I know... tis a different pain from constipation).

So, I have spent the day with period type pains, getting steadily worse, now radiating down my legs, and I can't crawl into bed when DH gets home because I did that several times last week with various issues

Someone take me out and shoot me.

Oh dear . Where is your pain exactly? Have you had a ct scan at all?

You need to take something for the pain. What have you tried? Can you describe tha pain?

It is lower abdomen, radiating down my thighs - just like period pains. No scans - i was meant to go back if it continued (doctor was baffled), but we seemed to have cracked it with the caffeine so I didn't bother.

I have taken paracetamol but it doesn't touch it, tried some zantac too. Codeine based things are what work, but then I get constipated and it is a vicious circle

I would go back to the GP and ask for an untrasound scan Do you get the pain at certain times of the month?

It could be Endometriosis but you would need a laparoscopy to diagnose this for sure. My endo pains used to radiate down my legs and make them ache and this was all of the month, not just at the time of my period.

Also the Endo would affect my bowels abd would get Diarohhea (sp) during my period. What I'm trying to say is that the symptoms can be unusual and you may not put them together.

Pain seems to be fairly random - was having it a lot, then had next to none for the 4 weeks without caffeine. A bath has helped tonight.

I went in originally with a huuuuuuuuuuuge list of symptoms - the pain, sore breasts, weight gain, bloating tummy, very tired.

Since going on antidepressants (a whole other issue!), the weight has dropped off.

The bloating and pain had stopped with the caffeine, and the breasts sort of drifted away too.

Sorry you are suffering so much Flamesparrow. It's horrible when you get pain and no one seems to know why.

It sounds like your hormones are going bonkers, which could explain the sore breasts, tiredness, bloating tummy. I would ask him to do some blood and hormone tests to see if anything shows up. I would also ask him for an ultrasound scan and a referral to a gynaecology. The pain that you are experiencing does sound odd, it can travel down your legs via the nerves, it may be a transferred pain, which is a pain coming from somewhere else. I don't know about the caffine to be honest, it may be that your tummy decided not to be so painful so you thought it was because of the lack of coffee.

Your GP should refer you, they do not know everything and it sounds as though this is out of his remit. Ask to see a Gynae first, if it is not a gynaecological problem then they can refer you to someone who can help. I really do hope you are feeling better soon. Take the painkillers.

They've done loads of blood and hormone tests Plus wee, poo, and even hcg just in case I had a freak non-urine showing pregnancy!

I need to go back I was so pleased that I thought I had found a reason

Flamesparrow

Not many GPs would recognise endometriosis if presented with a classic case (as mine was and it went unrecognsied by the GP) and thus it is very much undiagnosed. Endo is the second most common gynae problem seen in women after fibroids (put my GP right on that one when he told me that endometriosis was not common!!). This problem needs specialist advice from a gynae - please get referred asap to a gynae and don't put up with it!.

All your symptoms to me are highly suggestive of endometriosis. Not surprised to see that paracetamol did not touch the pain - it won't.

Would also add that NONE of the tests you've had done to date will show up endometriosis deposits if they are there (and I've had all these tests too). Its only diagnosed usually through a keyhole surgery operation called a laparoscopy - that is when it is seen.

Pains down the legs are symptomatic of endometriosis; have had that myself and its truly awful. It can affect the sciatic nerve. It can also cause havoc with the bowels as such deposits can also get onto the intestines (endo is often mistaken for IBS). This can also cause rectal problems too in temrs of pain.

Any symptoms that are cyclical in nature should be investigated further to see if endometriosis is acftually the cause.

I would insist on a referral to a gynae and do not settle for anything less than this.
www.endo.org.uk is a good website and has lots of information on it.