bowel problems...any ideas?

[fireheart]

Last night and today (Australian CST btw ) I kept having this very infrequent pain in my left side near my navel. It was like a brief stabbing pain.

Anyway, I saw the doc today and she said that it was a bowel-related problem. (I did have a pregnancy test as well, it's negative) She's put me on a plain diet which IIRC, was to cut back on the greasy stuff, soft drinks and dairy products.

Basically, what I'm wanting to ask is, what else shouldn't I be eating and anything I can do to help ease the pain?

[Aethian]

You sure it's just not ovulation? I know mine hurts....it sounds high but then sometimes pain just radiates from where it originally starts.

[fireheart]

It could be....I have been getting a brownish discharge as well. Both of these actually, are fairly new to me. (usual period symptoms are maybe some slight incontinence followed

the doc showed me where gynaecological pain radiates from and where bowel-related pain came from.

I actually freaked out though when I read up on the symptoms and they said it might be ectopic pregnancy
Unless it's impossible to detect by a pregnancy test....

[draggar]

As hokey it sounds it could have just been gas (yes, I've had gas that bad before).

Are you on any new birth control pills? One my wife was on years ago used to make per pee orange (which is very close to brown). But - old blood can also be brownish in color which would bean either the "monthly" is mixining in with your urine or you have / had some internal bleeding.

If it doesn't clear up in a day or two I'd go back to the doc.

[Ree]

It would depend on what type of pregnancy test they did.
Sometimes, an ectopic can give a false negative.

Wonder why they didn't just do an ultrasound.

When you gave the doctor your symptoms, did you mention the brown discharge and brief bouts of incontinence? Cysts can cause that too.

Not to alarm, but ovarian cancer can also mimic bowel issues, especially with the incontinence .

Physical symptoms of ovarian cancer include:

* abdominal discomfort or pelvic pain
* bloating
* difficulty eating or feeling full quickly
* frequent urination
* fatigue
* backache
* nausea, indigestion, loss of appetite
* weight loss
* change in bowel habits
* gas
* pain during intercourse
* abnormal vaginal bleeding (rare)

I'm assuming your doctor took everything into account before the diagnosis, though.

We aren't doctors here...we just play at it in the forums.

[fireheart]

I'm not entirely sure why the doc didn't do an ultrasound, but I'll keep that in mind.

I didn't mention the brief bouts of incontinence as my period is due next week and on occasion, I have been getting brief bouts of incontinence the week beforehand. The discharge I also failed to mention...I'll do a follow-up though with the plain diet.

She did feel my stomach and noted that the pain was widespread.

I'll do another test tomorrow. (the one at the clinic was urine)

The pain hasn't been as severe as yesterday. The stabbing pain still does come occasionally, but it seems to be more or less a stitch than anything else.

[fireheart]

And bumping back up for an update.

So I went and saw another doctor at the clinic (the appointment was originally for the Implanon, but I haven't filled the prescription yet) and he narrowed my pain down to two things:

1) A UTI or Cystitis (pee sample)
2) Something else he's unsure of.
3) Weak pelvic floor muscles.

So now I'm having a kidney and pelvic ultrasound. Is there anything I should be expecting in regards to the ultrasound? The referral sheet said to drink a litre of water before I have the appointment, to finish an hour before the appointment, but is there anything else I should be made aware of?

We can most likely eliminate ectopic pregnancy since I have had my period, but I'm still a little unsure.

[Aethian]

I had a coworker who had that type of pregnancy and kepts having her periods although they were lighter. So don't automatically rule that out until your told that it isn't that for sure.

I remember the gel stuff making that part of my skin get oily and then dry afterwards, so lotions are good after you can wash the skin afterwards. And before you head in take a real good shower and maybe use some EVOO on your skin while still wet, will hold in some moisture.

[Supermarket Slave Girl]

As for getting the Implanon, I personally am not a fan of it, my coworker had it and for the entire 12 months she had it in she bled every day until she demanded to have it removed (and she also wanted a baby)

She did fall pregnant very quickly after it's removal but had a miscarraige because the lining of her uterus was not thick enough due to the year long bleeding.

Just discuss it with the doctor before getting it. I've got the Mirena ans it is very awesome

[fireheart]

Just discuss it with the doctor before getting it. I've got the Mirena ans it is very awesome

I've had three appointments to discuss contraception with the doctors, all different ones (one at the clinic near home, two at the uni clinic). All three of them supported Implanon, and recommended either the pill or Implanon for me.

Thanks for the advice Aethian. I'll keep that in mind. My periods haven't changed very much, rather the location of the cramps. I've mentioned that to the doc, which I think is what prompted him to book the pelvic ultrasound.

[MaggieTheCat]

So I went and saw another doctor at the clinic (the appointment was originally for the Implanon, but I haven't filled the prescription yet) and he narrowed my pain down to two things:

1) A UTI or Cystitis (pee sample)

I am, unfortunately, becoming quite familiar with UTIs. Generally the pain is not as high up as my bellybutton (for me, anyway), but it would explain any blood in the urine. Generally they should be able to catch UTIs pretty easily with a urine sample, though?

As far as a bland diet goes (I know it's been a week or so now since they told you to go on one, but just in case you still need it,) basically avoid anything with fat or grease in it. Plain, lowfat meat like chicken, pork, very lean ground beef, etc. Rice, bread, oatmeal. Some fruits and veggies are ok, but when I was on a bland diet, too much fiber irritated my gall bladder (more on that below.) Avoid cheese, ice cream, fast food, spicy stuff, anything that could upset your stomach, like yogurt.

Getting back to gall bladder issues...have they checked for gall stones? I had abdominal pain when I had gall bladder attacks, and it was NASTY. Mine started on my right side initially but would go all the way around my abdomen and into my back.

Hope you get better soon!

[fireheart]

I'll ask about the gall stones when I have the ultrasound.

I've booked it and discovered that because I'm a student, they bulk-bill! (basically, medicare (Australian public health) pays a certain amount regardless of whether they bulk-bill or not. If a place bulk-bills, then they'll accept whatever medicare pays them without the person having to pay anything. Most places however, will charge a certain amount, but you get that back from medicare) So it's in two weeks time.

[AdminAssistant]

Getting back to gall bladder issues...have they checked for gall stones? I had abdominal pain when I had gall bladder attacks, and it was NASTY. Mine started on my right side initially but would go all the way around my abdomen and into my back.

The pain from my attacks was much closer to my sternum and accompanied by severe nausea. But it doesn't hurt to have them check it. Gallstones are nasty little buggers, best to just have it taken out and not worry with it.

[Seshat]

With the incontinence: our major cities have continence clinics. It's well worth getting a referral to them.

Yes, it's awkward, some of the tests are uncomfortable, and they ask embarassingly detailed questions. But they tell me incontinence never goes away on its own - and it's quite possible that all you really need to fix it is a few sessions with a continence physiotherapist! Painless, simple, straightforward, and utterly noninvasive.

Also, Medicare will pay for some amount of continence supplies if you need it - but you don't find that out unless you go through the clinics (or have a very on-the-ball GP).

[Aethian]

Another meat for low fat is ground turkey. I have a wonderful recipie for ground turkey in a slow cooker...Somewhere in this computer of mine anyways.