Please help me someone...

[spy33]

I am a 33 year old male...going crazy over various symptoms that gastroenterologists have said not be alarmed about...Here goes...
In December I felt abdominal discomfort all aroung for 8 hours...I had the exact same feeling following a cold i had end of january...
lately my stool have a dark brown colour...but what i fear the most is that i feel an almost continuous discomfort (not pain) right below my right ribcage
going all the way down until the pelvic area...it feels like a fullness (but on the side) - i dont think it radiates from the intestines...

Please...any help would be most appreciated

[NWgirl]

All we can really do to help is to encourage you to see other doctors until you will find one who will listen to your concerns and find a way to diagnose what is causing you this discomfort. If one doctor doesn't listen, go to another; and another. Unfortunately many of the folks here found that the first doctor they visited with concerns of symptoms didn't listen. You have to be your own advocate with your health care issues and keeping searching until you find the 'right' doctor who will work with you.

Best of luck.

[VerusX]

I can confirm my PCP and first Gastro guy ignored my symptoms. See another Gastro right away.

[alphagam]

I can only agree with NWgirl. Keep bugging your doctors until there is an answer!

[dianetavegia]

Please ask your doctor for an ultrasound of your gall bladder. My gall bladder attacks felt like muscle spasms in my back.

The color of your stool is no big deal. Unless it's bloody, black as tar or a very pale clay color or white, it's probably caused by foods, dyes in foods you eat, vitamins or drinks (a friend's son drank Kool Aid at a day care and she had major anxiety when his poo was lime green).

[Peabody5422]

Over the years I have ended up in surgery 4 times after being told to go home and take anti acid tablets or the biggest joke was "what, you think you have a brain tumor every time you have a headache". That turned out to be walnut size bilateral kidney stones and gall stones also. I wished he could have tried to "pass" with those suckers. I was passing out with pain before I ended up in the ER. Ouch! My foot was broken but it was dx: as arthritis for 3 months before a resident decided to x-ray it. Surgery again.

Keep going to drs until you get an answer. Some people do not have symptoms of what they really have.

Rectal Cancer
DX: 11/22/11
Micro Surgery: 12/21/11
Chemo & Radiation: 1/24/12
T1 N1c MX

[jjlist]

only way to diagnose things is to get tested,
cat, pet, scopes etc.
we can not diagnose you
good luck

[spy33]

Thankyou all for your replies...
Problem is I have gone to 4 different gastro's...the following tests were performed:
1. ultrasound of abdomen - clear
2. ultrasound of bladder and kidneys by urologist - clear
3. complete blood count - was fine
4. iron and ferritine levels - good
The last gastro said it was spastic colon - but how can he diagnose that just by doing an abdominal ultrasound? and gave me meds as treatment...

[alphagam]

I was diagnosed with spastic colon or Irritable Bowel Syndrome. I was blessed and when my cancer was found it was only Stage 0. The only way to make sure is to get a colonoscopy.

Kathy R

[Peloton]

Spy -

The first thing to remember is that your symptoms could be anything. So don't rush to conclusions. Also, as others have said, we are not doctors. We can't diagnose you.

However, you need to get scoped. I was 30 when diagnosed and had symptoms for a good 6 months or so before finally getting a scope - which revealed a stage 3c tumor in my rectum. I was given all the typical answers from various doctors, e.g., hemorrhoids, a fissure, lack of fiber in my diet, lactose intolerance, etc. They all dismissed cancer due to my age. I had to insist, to the point of begging, to get a colonoscopy.

So if you are really this concerned - to the point where you are posting on a message board intended to provide support for people who already have been diagnosed colorectal cancer and their loved ones, then you need to get a scope. Insist on it. If your current docs won't order one, find one that will.

[frugal]

Even they thought I had IBS, my primary and my gi docs were all for doing the colonoscopy. My primary said flat out, it was the best way to see what's going on inside. If it had been some rare colitis or other malady they'd have been able to take tissue samples for testing. It doesn't have to be cancer for the scope to be useful. Push for the colonoscopy, hopefully that will help you find some answers and peace of mind.

[NWgirl]

Have any of the docs ever suggested a colonoscopy? That's the best way to see what's going on inside your colon. I believe an endoscopy is where they run the camera down your throat/stomach/small intestine - you could have both ends done (not sure if they can do both procedures at the same time or not). If they haven't brought it up then it's time for you to suggest - even demand it. A colonoscopy and an endoscopy will either reveal what's going on in there or rule out a whole lot of stuff that could be causing your symptoms.

[Kathryn in MN]

They can do both at the same time - my husband had both done at the same time two years in a row.