what could it be

[moorey7]

Hi doctor,

I have had ache in lower left abdomen for nearly 3 months. Doctor referred me to hospital who on inspection said they cannot see anything wrong inside rectum but have said I will have a sigmoidoscopy just to be sure however the doctor was saying she does not think it is anything serious.
What could be causing this permanent ache (it appears to be an inch left of belly button) as it is making my life a misery!
I was reffered for sigmoidoscopy as a non urgent case so it could take weeks!
I am worried they have missed something- how can they be sure it is nothing serious

Moorey7

[boron]

Theoretically it is possible that a hard mass you feel is a benign tumor like fibroma that presses on the intestinal wall or some vessel thus causing the pain. Ultrasound would maybe show something, but CT or MRI of the abdomen would be needed to get a clear picture. Sigmoid colon runs more on the left, so it's a question if it's connected with your pain.

Pressing on the buttock somewhat changes pressures in your stomach and could slightly move the painful mass.

Hard to speculate.

[moorey7]

Cannot feel hard mass on other side and on left side is only if i feel really deep. Pressing on left buttock does produce a feeling of relief and I dont feel my abdominal ache as much.  Doctors have all felt abdomen and cannot find anything so I assume me pressing so deep is feeling internal structures? Hospital ordered a sigmoidoscopy but they said they doubt they will find anything wrong and so it is a non urgent referral which could take weeks. Would they have known if it was anything serious straight away. I am scared i have cancer !

[boron]

This is typical for IBS: alternating diarrhea and constipation, symptoms often appearing right after the meal, and releaved right after the bowel movement.

The hard mass is also on the other side?

Ultrasound of abdomen is safe and quick investigation, it should show such a mass, I guess.

You've said "I find that applying pressure to hip or left buttock bone makes me feel better but I dont know if this is just in my head"...try this again, and make some conclusion - does it help or not.

I'm not sure if a constant abdominal pain always on the exact same place is just from being anxious. Allow the doctor to press on the painfull site, ask about ultrasound...

[moorey7]

Hi,
Pain is no different however I move my body. Lightheadedness is worse when I am not doing anything- if I drive I dont think about it!
Only other symptoms are going to pass a stool more often but never more than 3 times a day but because I am concious of my stools now I get nervous about it.
3 different doctors have felt lower abdomen and can feel nothing wrong however if I press really deep when lying down I can feel a weird mass that seems to be originating from where my ache is (only felt with lying down, doctor says when you are lying flat you can feel all sorts of things inside your body)
Maybe my anxiousness is making it worse- could it be IBS ?

[boron]

Colorectal cancer is really rare before 40, and small intestinal cancers are rare in general.

If it was skin, it would be tender to even slight touch
Muscle would be tender to a slight pressure
Intestinal hernia would be felt as a soft mass, like a sponge
Benign tumor would be felt as a hard mass.

Bulging disc in the thoracic spine that presses on the nerve where it comes out from the spine culd be the cause. Try to find out if certain body positions - sitting, lying, standing, bending forward and lateraly to te left and right, twisting your upper body and such affect the pain.

Lightheadedness? Any other symptoms? Are you drinking enough?

[moorey7]

Thanks.
Is worrying about it more likely to cause worse symptoms? I feel tired but dont sleep particularly well and I am lightheaded a lot but I then start to think it is something serious so probably makes it worse.
The ache is constant but not painful and I dont feel any nausea or fever.
What are the chances of it being cancer?

[boron]

One inch from the belly button is not likely something in colon. Colon runs verticaly on the both sides of the stomach and horisontally below the lower ribs.

Pressure on the hip or buttock changes the tension of your muscles in abdominal wall. So there may be something with the muscle (tear), a hematoma in muscle, or maybe a "peri-umbilical" hernia (a part of a small intestinal loop protruding through a cleft in a muscle). Anyway, this pain would likely change with the body position, or with pressure on the site...

Any nausea, low grade fever, skin rash, mouth ulcers? This appears in Crohn's disease that may affect only small intestine, only colon, both, or various parts of the gut. They are blood and stool tests for Crohn's and also celiac disease...

[moorey7]

Thanks for replying.
I am 29 year old male and no blood in stool. I had mucus only stools on 2 occasions in last 3 months which I told doctor. Stool colour is sometimes dark brown but not constant. I get loose stools sometimes but I am finding that worrying about being seriously ill makes my symptoms worse.
The pain is more like an ache and is permanent roughly an inch to left of belly button.
I would say the skin is a little tender but maybe because I am always feeling that part of abdomen to see if any lumps etc.
I find that applying pressure to hip or left buttock bone makes me feel better but I dont know if this is just in my head

[boron]

How old are you? Any blood in the stool, changed stool color, mucus?
Bloating, nausea? Constipation?

Is pain constant, is it like a cramp, is it relieved by bowel movement? Are the skin or abdominal muscles tender?