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Your symptoms and diagnosis

Scaredmummyof2
Offline

Hi,

I was wondering if anyone would mind sharing what symptoms they had and how they got diagnosed? Appreciate that everyone’s symptoms would be different.

5 years ago I had an endoscopy and colonoscopy done and was told I had erosive gastritis and was put on a course of ranitidine (ranitidine has since been banned/recalled due to increased risk in cancer in animals :neutral:).

There was no follow up and any stomach pain that I did experience after and went to the GP about was put down to gastritis and was prescribed omaprazole. They said I was too young for it to be anything more sinister.

Fast forward to 5 years, the stomach pain is now constant, it wakes me up at night or I find it hard to sleep. I ended up in A&E 2 months ago and they thought it was to do with my bladder/liver/pancreas so had an ultrasound and X-ray. They gave me a course of antibiotics and some metroniprazole and painkillers to take home whilst I waited for results. However all it showed was a lot of trapped wind?

I finished the medicine but the pain hasn’t gone away, I just woke up from it (2am). Sometimes when I press down I can feel some gas bubbles? I am due to see a consultant on Tuesday but am fearing the worst. What if they missed something 5 years ago and it has been festering since? 

I have been reading so many of your stories on here and other forums and people who are similar in age or younger were diagnosed and early detection was always key.

I’m feeling really scared and my heart hurts every time I think about my two girls (4 and 6) potentially growing up without a mummy :cry: I have no one to share these fears with so ended up writing a post here - I hope you don’t mind.

Can an endoscopy alone detect whether you have stomach cancer?

  • Offline

    I can only tell you about my experience if it helps.

    About 8 years ago I suddenly started with pain in my chest and upper abdomen - I too was prescribed Ranitidine which helped for about 3 years and then, when it stopped working, it was changed to Lansaprozole. About 2 years later it got bad again so I was sent for an endoscopy - nothing was found. A year later I began to suffer from terrible pain in my upper abdomen, right side, and in my chest - it always started when I went to bed. After a few months I suddenly became very ill, was being sick and had high temperature. Taken into hospital and was found to have a very infected gallbladder containing lots of stones. It was so infected I was kept in and it was removed 3 days later.

    For the next 9 months I felt great - still took lansaprozole but didn't feel I needed it. Then suddenly started with awful pain again - this time in the centre of the upper abdomen. Hospital found I had a stone stuck in my bile duct! So endoscopy was arranged to remove the stone which was done successfully. Unfortunately, the procedure caused me to be back in hospital a few hours later with pancreatitis and pneumonia! A year later I'm pain free except for the long recovery from pancreatitis!

    So I don't know if they've considered your gallbladder to be the problem?

    Good luck, I hope you can get to the bottom of it,

    Angie

  • Offline in reply to AngieT

    Hi Angie,

    Thank you for reaching out and sharing your experience with me. I'm glad you were able to get to the bottom of it and it wasn't anything sinister!

    Unfortunately it's not gallbladder, it was something they checked when I was in A&E and ruled out.

    All that's really left to be checked is my stomach and colon :sad:

    Trying hard to think positively but failing miserably as I am in constant pain. Hopefully it doesn't take too long to be referred for an endoscopy.

    Hope you have a smooth recovery from your pancreatitis! xx

     

  • Offline in reply to Scaredmummyof2
    I very much doubt you have cancer based on symptoms that started 5 years ago you'd most likely know or not be here to post this.

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