Private scan for ovarian cysts?

[User415373]

I'm feeling so desperate after days of pain and sickness, I'm considering paying £150 for a private pelvic health exam.
Background, normal periods my whole life (though barely any in my 20s as I had back to back implants). Had a baby in 2021 and one in 2022, finished breastfeeding in 2023. No hormonal contraception since. Periods seemed to get worse but I figured I barely remembered a proper period so thought it was normal. 2 months ago (July) I had awful pain like labour, then sudden and severe abdominal pain during my period. Dr suspected either burst cyst or appendicitis so sent me to a and e. I waited 10 hours for them to send me home with a ultrasound booked in a few days. By the time I had it I was feeling much better but still bleeding (day 5 of cycle). Ultrasound was normal. I also had a CA125 test which was apparently normal but I don't know what the result was. I didn't see the Dr again but got a referral for gynae in the post which has a 7 month wait list.
August period was fine.
September is awful. Last week my breasts were so sore and I felt so sick I thought I must be pregnant (I'm not). Period started and has felt like constant labour, I have also been feeling very nauseous. Bleeding has stopped today after 5 days but pain is still there, cramping, back pain, sickness are the main symptoms. I feel stupid going back to the GP (what can they do now I've been referred?) I am curled up all the time and basic tasks are a struggle.
Is it posible that a cyst was missed, or that one has burst and was therefore not visible? Could another develop in 2 months?
I'm generally not a worrier and have a high tolerance for pain, but the last few days have been like labour (like a 5/10 contraction but constantly).
Should I just wait for the referral?

Thank you. I will be seeing my GP as soon as I can get an appointment and will ask. I think I tried an antispasmodic in the past as I was also investigated for gastro issues but didnt have much success but may ask to try again as that was quite a while ago and the pain has worsened.

So I very very stupidly took 2 doses of naproxen on Tuesday on an empty stomach. I just felt so sick and awful I took it straight away without realising how severe it is on the stomach. Yesterday I was in agony, with stomach pain and discomfort and lots of trapped wind. Today has been severe diarrhoea (sorry tmi) and stomach pain BUT the period pain and labour feelings have gone. I'm wondering if it's the medicine or if I now have a stomach bug (I never normally get stomach bugs and no-one in the house has been poorly). I've got no signs of a stomach ulcer or bleeding so I'm hoping it wasn't enough to cause any major damage.
I'm feeling very stupid and sorry for myself.
It's my best friends wedding on Saturday. I look 6 months pregnant and am at the toilet every half hour. I'm hoping this passes soon. My period has finished so hopefully all symptoms will die down for a few weeks.

Yes I'd try another one, there's loads of them and they do work differently in terms of action and chemical properties so one of them not gelling with you doesn't mean another won't. Ask about some Co-codamol as well.

@User415373 Make sure you get some Omeprazole if your naproxen doesn't have a cote on it to help with your stomach as well. 2 won't cause an ucler on its own, so don't worry, just don't do it again.

Hi all, an update.
GP just got my stool results back which were positive. NHS app says FIT result 90.1, refer for suspected colorectal cancer and I've been referred via the 2WW.
I'm assuming that if I had some kind of cancer then the blood tests would have showed something and the ultrasound would have picked it up? I get very loose stools during my period. This was also the day after I'd taken that first bloody nepraxen so it was probably that.
Feel like it's a waste of time and resources and it's another thing to worry about/make time for. Sorry I realise I sound very ungrateful. I'm tired and fed up.
Anyone else have this with endo?

Naproxen doesn't cause any blood in your stools, even if you took it without food, it's not good to do so, but one use won't have led to that at all - along as you continue with food and omeprazole. Have you gotten on any antiemetics at all (to help with vomiting or nauesa)? Or tried another antispasmodic medication from your GP yet?

Your ultrasound was only transvaginal so wouldn't have caught any bowel cancer etc as it was only in the lower pelvic region and often a higher quality scan like an MRI/CT is needed to spot cancer anyways. It could also be polyps but anything over 10 is a concern, so 90 is very high and indicates there is definitely something that needs further investigation outside of gynaecology remit and in the remit of colorectal surgery and also gastrology. Bloods also don't pick up cancer, they may pick up anemia or high platelets which can happen with cancer (also with lots of other things) but they don't always pick it up and it could be cancer or other things.

Has your GP done anything else? Are you getting a colonoscopy then? Ask for sedation if you can, I don't want to worry you but I do think you are underplaying this too much, and that you are attributing too many issues under one condition when a FIT result of 90 is very suggest of cancer or some issue across your gastrointestinal tract. I hope the further tests and seeing colorectal and likely gastrology will bring up some more answers for you.

Have you had any updates from the Health Harmonie service? Or any updates on your colonoscopy and cervix issues?

Thanks for your detailed reply @TheLivelyViper
That's useful to know about the naproxen - thank you for the info. The scan I had was abdominal as well and the sonographer went right up to the ribcage, though I appreciate that still means it might not have been picked up.
I do have a tendency to downplay things - my mother is a severe hypercondriac and was forever diagnosing us with this or that when we were children, and herself her whole life. This has led to a 'I'm fine' attitude to everything that happens to me! She gets very excited when someone gets poorly.
I got a letter last week from harmonie to say they'd received my referral and I'd have an appointment within 6 weeks. I assume that's just an initial consultation. I'll be tracking any symptoms very closely over the next month in preparation.
I got the FIT result yesterday, the hospital called me in the afternoon to book a telephone appointment with an consultant today to discuss 'next steps' which I'm assuming will a colonoscopy in the next couple of weeks. Appreciate the advice on asking for sedation. I can't find much information online on the scoring , particularly looking for data on whether a higher score correlates to cancer diagnosis rates or whether a high score can ever be something like hemorrhoids (which I've had since having children).

Hemorrhoids if they have been treated or over time are treated, shouldn't cause a FIT result of 90 years after birth. When was the last time you gave birth? It shouldn't cause random blood in the stool, years later, especially since it would have likely been treated or gone away by now. As far as scores, anything over 10 would be a concern and a 2ww referral done, so 90 is quite high in comparison to the baseline of 10. Do you have a date for the appointment with a consultant yet? Did they mention anything about a colonoscopy before, or do you think that will be after the appointment?

It is good that the ultrasound was pretty comprehensive, but it may not pick up on something like a tumour, whether cancerous or benign. A colonoscopy and perhaps an MRI/CT are reliable to cross anything out. I hope it is a load of nothing for you though, and nothing is found.

I'm not necessarily wanting you to panic, but it's good your GP has got on it quickly. Also great that you have the inital consultation with harmoine quite soon, yes defintely track symptoms well and make a good list of things you want to cover etc, I do symptoms, then period symptoms seperately, then any medication you have been taking, and how much you took with certain symptoms happened, also anything you want to try, in terms of medication and the any specific tests etc you want, have any previous relevant test results to easily refer back to etc.

So a colorectal nurse rang me yesterday to explain that because I'm under 50 (I'm 34), that the GP should have also ordered another test that shows inflammation (I can't remember what it's called) and that they can't proceed with a plan until they have the result. This will take at least 2 weeks to come through.
She couldn't tell me much else but said it was good that the ultrasound and blood tests are all clear.
I did have to tell her all about my symptoms and I feel like I've got myself in a muddle with what's a menstrual symptom and everything else. I've been putting all these symptoms down to hormonal changes but I couldn't tell anyone if that's the case every month. I can't remember.
I'm going to try to track symptoms daily and am looking for an easy app to do so (probably just a calendar app will do!)

I'm guessing it's CRP? I'd get in contact with your GP to do that, maybe do a form or econsult etc. It shouldn't take 2 weeks surely, maybe just a week? When have you got the blood test booked for? The results shouldn't take 2 weeks to get processed and get back, a few days to like 5/6 max.

I'd have a look for a good pain/symptom tracker app, record things like how many meds and what specific ones you took and when, how bad the pain was, what you ate for bowel symptoms, how many bowel movements - were they painful or not. Also anything like tiredness fatigue etc.

Yes @TheLivelyViper it's calprotectin. The nurse who called me said she has been waiting over 2 weeks for another patient's results so she's booked my follow up in for Wednesday next week but said it will have to change if no result by then. I had bloods on Tuesday as well. I still feel a bit unclear on the purpose of the test - does a low result mean it likely isn't cancer? If so, will I still need a colonoscopy to investigate the high FIT result? And if so, what's the point in the calprotectin test and won't the colonoscopy be able to tell what the issue is? I've been feeling very worried the last few days. I checked my NHS app for results about 10 times yesterday - not healthy behaviour. I submitted the sample on Friday.
Meanwhile I still haven't got a gynae appointment either!
I am recording all food and symptoms as well now.

Calprotectin is about inflammation in the bowels, a low result means no, anything between 100-250, can be due to infection, other medication you take, blood in the bowels etc. Anything over 250 is very high but it's not directly about cancer, more just the overall health and inflammation in your bowels. That is done through a stool sample though - CRP is something they can test with bloods, they look at similar things though but in a slightly different way.

They colonoscopy is the best look you can get, they use that to take biopsies to identify the tissue and test it, and also to have a good look. Calprotectin just rules certain things more in and others out. It's all used to build a full picture of what could be wrong with you.

What bloods have the tested you for?

You haven't been referred to gynaecology though, have you? Or do you mean that harmonies thing? If you mean the 'normal' NHS gynaecology then you wouldn't get an appointment by now, as you aren't urgent and waiting lists are so long. The colonoscopy and the bloods, Calprotectin stool test are all being done quickly because your FIT test is very high, and they need to rule out or rule in cancer as quickly as possible. So if you do have cancer treatment can start as soon as.

The harmonise thing might be 6 weeks till they give you an appointment date, the appointment may be after that? I'm not sure how many weeks have you been waiting now? Maybe when it gets to 6 give them a call.

Thanks @TheLivelyViper
My CRP blood test came back as normal, as did all the other blood tests which included serum ferritin, ca125 and others as well as a full blood count. Full blood count has come back as 'satisfactory but not clinically significant' - this looks like it's because eosinophil is high and basophil is borderline high.
My calprotectin has come back as 50 today which is normal. It says underneath consider referral to dietetics for IBS so I guess that means I'm now 'off' the cancer pathway and won't be referred for a colonoscopy but the nurse is calling me to discuss on Wednesday.
I have been referred to hospital gynaecology (in July) but the wait is about a year which is why my GP referred me through the other pathway as well. Both referrals are open at the moment and my GP has said to keep it that way until the ball is rolling with either.
I'm due my period later this week so will tracking symptoms carefully.