Desperate for diagnosis

Hi, I  am 70 years old grandmother. Something is very very wrong but I can't get appointment with GP.

In December I was having awful wind and constipation.  By January changed to no wind and diarrhoea.  Low abdominal pain just before pooing.

I put myself on Immodium on advice of daughter who has Ulcerative colitis. She also recommended eating eggs.

This helped somewhat. Not entirely.  Then a few days ago my oesophagus problem flared up. I have had GERD for years. I have omeprazole for it. I also have difficulty swallowing  at times.

The flare up was awful. I had a bowl of tomato soup for tea. Something I've eaten all my life. On this occasion it was like I had eaten  fire.  I can't  describe the pain in my whole oesophagus,  which continued for about 5 hours.  I tried to ease it with cold water.

I feel like my whole digestive system has gone mad.

Then I read that Ovarian Cancer can cause nearly all my symptoms!  Still can't get a dr in the flesh or on phone!   I don't want to go to A & E but I need help.

I stopped the immodium for one day, now the diarrhoea is back.  What shall I do?

  • So glad you got to see a great GP today who really listened and is doing all the tests. That is one huge step in the right direction. 
    I just wanted to note that I too have been having terrible GI issues, I had a camera down my throat a few weeks ago and an abdominal MRI, this picked up a mass in my pelvis. 
    fast forward a few months and it’s been diagnosed as a large (size of a large orange) dermoid benign cyst. Everyone tells me it’s unlikely to be related, however I had an ultrasound for my stomach problems last week and this too was clear. 
    I am very surprised your GP is thinking cancer from what you have written in here. With no tests or scans. However better they take you seriously and think worst case scenario and work down I always think! 
    bloods will test for CA125 levels. This can give you some more info too. Is he sending you for some scans? If not and you are able, it might be worth looking for a private scan. When I looked it was approx £700 but was very lucky that I got mine within 3 weeks on the NHS. 
    good luck and try stay off google, I know what that’s like, I lived on there for months. Keep in touch. 

  • Oh I also wanted to add - my poo sample was positive for h pylori, make sure they are testing for that! I’m sure they are 

  • Hi Jenny, that's  interesting...so you didn't have ovarian cancer....but what were you diagnosed with in the end?

  • Hi Cloudy, thanks for your insights,I was a bit taken aback when my GP didn't  beat round the bush, but there are other symptoms that I just didn't list on my original post...and he had a good feel of my abdomen too.

    I know Ovarian cancer is tricky to diagnose, and yes he said one of the bloodtests is for CA125. I actually think he is trying to rule out the ovaries, and is more concerned about the bowel situation, anyway time will tell....

    My blood test appt is quite soon, 6th March, on that day I hand in my poo samples....lovely....and I  will get a date for appt to go back to him.

    He said we would take it from there. He is very well thought of, so I'm just going with the flow. I don't feel scared or worried just feels like it can't  be true!

    I  have a seriously ill adult daughter and a grandson with  a debilitating but as yet mystery illness, so I'm focusing on them more than myself really. If I use Google I stick with the nhs sites as much as possible! hope you have a good day....

  • I never found out what caused weight loss and chronic diahrrea and a positive fit test , all they found was Diverticulitis polyps and internal hemorrhoids ,I had 2 Colonoscopies a Hysteroscopy and a CT scan ,they found a problem with my lungs but not cancer .

  • Forgot to add that I had a positive ca125 as well ,it was such a worrying time for me so you can imagine the joy afterwards .

  • hi Jenny is it rude to ask what diagnosis you finally got as it wasn't  ovarian cancer? 

  • I'm so relieved on your behalf and that gives me a lot of hope too. Sorry about your  lung problem,  I  have copd stage 3....I  really hope you are ok.

  • It was just that Diverticulitis that was causing the bleeding the polyps were nothing sinister but since all of this in 2023 ,I've had a repeat of everything so had to have another Colonoscopy then they requested a CT scan that was around 3 months ago but yet again nothing sinister .

  • Hi...thanks for kind advice..unfortunately where I live is a small fishing town where the banks have all gone, most shops in town closed, we have 2 surgeries with one gp each,  getting an appointment is a miracle....lol but thankfully I saw him at last, lovely man, really listened but cut straight to the chase and has got the ball rolling investigating things.I  feel happier and safer now I don't  feel so abandoned and cut off.Even just being spoken to with kindness makes a difference.