Hi, been on here a few times and always had good feedback from kind people, just asking does a ct scan check the bowel area and other organs in this area too? I need to get some answers why ive more or less had my leftsided lower abdomen pain for 7 months now, had blood tests, stool checks, two ultrasounds, inside check in thus area and all ok apart from a small fibroid and gas, h ad coloniscopies in 2017 and end of 2019 and ok but had lots of gas they said, t his pain seems to progress more during the day and bloated. A
Any answers?
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Calamity64
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Thanks, yes my gastro consultant has forwarded me for a ct scan of the abdomen and pelvic area, just still a worry and I know I've had loads of other tests over ladt few years with the pain in the same place being on and off since late 2017 but over last 7 months been more or less every day.
V much feeling for you…lik3 many here, have had an adult lifetime managing mouth to exit GI Tract issues. So have been through a lot of diff types of tests including various imaging methods
Re upper GI ‘i’ve had barium swallow + gastroscopy viewing & taking biopsies stomach & duodenum.
More relevant to your question re the abdomen/lower GI:
When my most recent set of investigations began, approx 7 years ago, the nhs started with sigmoidoscopy re the tail end, then colonoscopy re large bowel., Then video capsule endoscopy to see into my small intestine, & then, because I can’t tolerate the contrasts given for abdominal CT scanning, I had a MRI Enterography (aka MRE) to examine the small bowel.
Oh gosh…these varied. Aside from major haemorrhodectomy in my early 30s for teen prolapsing strangulate piles, the NHS considered my GI stuff non-urgent. So, when they FINALLY got round to me on waiting lists, I’d often managed to damp down signs & sympt9ms via intensive self help/lifestyle management (I have infant onset lupus & am 68), ) my GI tract’s progressive debilitation avoided acute episodes until my 50s, so I was never considered an urgent case…although, typically, at one point early in my 50s the upper GI stuff did become acute, but the nhs dawdled & sent me to ENT which is the usual pathway, but took so long that my husband agreed I needed to go private which resulted in prompt gastroenterology investigations & clear diagnoses of typical Immune dysfunction & connective tissue disorder upper GI conditions:
- chronic oesophagitis + metaplasia of gastric type found in oesophagus was labelled prebarretts
- gastroparesis + gastritis + duodenitis ( later found to be aggravated by SIBO due to increasingly severe slow transit dysmotility constipation & visceral hypersensitivity)
Lower GI/abdomen took a lot longer to figure out & all proved caused by my underlying lupus + Sjogrens + vasculitis + hypermobile Ehlers Danlos + primary immunodeficiency disease:
Of course, the first conditiins all ando investigations are hoping to exclude include gynaecological, &/or urological probs…& also something to do with major organs (liver, pancreas,gallbladder er) or due to obstructions eg tumours etc, bowel malformations like volvulus etc etc.
Once investigations found these weren’t involved in my case .( which took years) , we settled on these diagnoses (because my abdo signs & symptoms were so early onset, progressively severe, constantly present although slightly fluctuating I never got labelled with IBS) :
- Visceral hypersensitivity, possibly partly due to a hEDS Mast Cell Activation Disorder
- Chronic Intestinal Failure ( aka CIF, failure of small intestine)
- Chronic Intestinal Pseudo-obstruction (aka CIF)
- long sigmoid loop, indicating predisposition to volvulus
- oh, & 😉 of course stuff like internal haemorrhoids & dysfunction due to that haemorrhoidectomy
Crikey, that is alot of diagnoses! How do you cope?! I suspect I have upper GI connective tissue issues but getting my healthcare practitioners to acknowledge my concerns and grant my request for a CT/MRI is proving so difficult. I've got a full coloniscopy scheduled for tomorrow due to a FOB score of 1499 micrograms per gram of stool (threshold is 10!), so am anxious about that, but the majority of my symptoms are upper GI. I suffer with chronic IBS-C, extremely slow gut motility, Fibromyalgia, extreme visceral hypersensitivity, allodynia and reflux. My big fear is that they will order an endoscopy next, but the only way I could have that is if they knock me out. Conscious sedation hasn't worked for me previously and I have had panic attacks. I know they can't take biopsies or anything but would a CT with contrast or MRI be able to reveal if I have a hiatus hernia or connective tissue disorder? A person on a Facebook group I'm a member of advised me to look into hypermobility. My inflammatory markers are negative and I don't get joint pain as such but I have always been able to bend over and put my palms flat on the floor in one move. My daughter also has Fibromyalgia, joint hypermobility and chronic fatigue so I'm really wondering if there is a hereditary link.
You seem v well informed tome! Everything in your reply makes sense. I guess I’ve coped cause have always placed listening to my body, self help & complimentary therapies first which means that keeps me busy while waiting for establishment medicine to get in with their side of stuff😆…also, like anything in life that’s early onset, I got used to it all…it all became my normal years ago 🤷🏼♀️…finally, my husband & his sister have early onset Crohns Disease which has always helped me keep my GI stuff in perspective.. just as attending reliable, legit support group community online forums does now. But before the internet, understanding my issues was harder because info wasn’t as accessible - & we live deep in the countryside too. Finally, about 12 years ago all the stuff all over my bod segued into so much worse that I got taken into tertiary care by top immunology, rheumatology & gastro teams .+ a better eyes & spine team, all of which have me on treatments that are helping LOTS so I actually feel Lucky, believe it or not…just a bit distracted & worn out cause I have a lot of prescrip DIY home nursing protocols constantl6 on the go…so not much time & ‘spoons’ for anything else …wishing you every best wish 💞💞💞💞
Him, I have the same pain in the mid to lower left abdomen, it started a few months ago , intermittently but is pretty much everyday now . I’ve had a colonoscopy , which was a couple of years ago , which showed nothing & a CT scan more recently, the consultant said he could see some diverticula, but that was normal for someone my age , I’m 57 . I get a lot of trapped wind in that area & constipation also in the same place . I’ve asked for another colonoscopy, which will be in the next few weeks , just to check all is okay .
I think a lot of the pain is gas & stool that hasn’t passed , but I don’t know why it seems to stop in the same place all the time , I also think it could be cramping caused by anxiety .
Sounds just like me,but I’ve had this for 10yrs,and the pain is gradually getting worse. I believe most of it is through stress,because if I relax and fall asleep,it never wakes me. But once I’m arousing out of sleep the pain begins all over again. I won’t go into it,but I’ve had every test available.
I always sleep well too & likewise my pain starts of quite often in the morning as soon as I start thinking about it , I’m sure it’s to do with anxiety. I’ve started on a low dose of Sertraline to help with it , unfortunately I don’t tolerate it very well so can only take 1/2 of a 50mg tablet , but I think it’s helping & I’ll gradually try increasing to 1 tablet to see if I can relieve some of the anxiety, I think if I can then it will help me to relax & I’m hoping will in turn ease the pain . Have you tried any anxiety meds ?
Actually I take Diazapam for anxiety,and have done for years,it works well for me because you can take as needed,which means some days I don’t need it. I didn’t want anything I had to keep taking everyday.I also try to fit in some meditation music for about an hour a day,I don’t always get the chance,but when I do it’s so relaxing. Put ear phones on so you can’t hear nothing,it does help a little. I’ve been told it’s down to stress,anxiety and a general way of life,and it’s nerves,to be more pacific Perineal & Prudential nerves,I did have a nerve block but it didn’t help. But to be honest I feel in this day and age you just have to cope as best you can,because I feel the care we once had in OUR N.H.S. Has gone. I feel for you all going through daily pain.😢
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