Abdominal pain for nearly 5 months

Digestive health
1

This very long story started of roughly 4 and a half months ago when I began to get very sharp, stabbing pain in my abdomen. I went to my gp and was urine tested (came back negative) and blood tested (positive for H Pylori). Took all the medication prescribed. 

Once the course had finished I still had the same pain which was getting worse. Went to local A&E and was told it is an inflamed muscle so take Ibruprofen & paracetamol and if it doesnt get better come back. 2 Weeks later no luck and went back and was told it is my appendix. Had Laproscopic Appendisectomy on the 27th of May. During this time I was also in urinary retention and so had to have a catheter in place.

Once discharged I was given medication to take as I had severe medication. 

Week and a half later I was admitted by my doctor as an emergency for urinary retention and bloody stools. Had catheter in place and discharged two days later. Few days later again admitted as an emergency or urinary retention and this time I was sent home with a flip flow catheter which was removed 2 weeks later. I am now eating foods and going straight to the toilet. Roughly 8-10 times a day. The bowel motion has some mucous present and sometimes blood.

Abour 2 weeks ago I went back to the hospital and complained about the continuing abdominal pain and was told that I need an urgent colonoscopy which will be performed this Sunday. 

In the meanwhile this pain is beginning to get worse and spread from my right side to the left. Any clues of what is can be? Doctor yesterday said it is not inflammation/IBD due to the blood tests showing nothing. 

Also why if the colonoscopy doesnt show anything, What should I do?

2

A colonoscopy is the best way of identifying IBD.  You are better to wait to see what it shows up.  If you are passing mucus only, this is a symptom of IBS.  Having your appendix out can also trigger Irritable Bowel. If you are passing blood, it could be haemorroids, fissures or IBD.  

3

Very sorry to hear your story.

With that kind of pain and symptoms you do need a colonoscopy. No blood test can rule out IBD/inflammation in guts. Your leucocytes, CRP, ESR can be normal and one can still have an ulcer, IBD in the intestine. This is absolute no 100% to say 'it is not' as well as you noticed anyway: why would they then think to do a very quickly scheduled colonoscopy. Sure often IBD comes with elevated blood inflammation markers, but not always.

(have you had 'calprotectin' test in stool? That shows inflammation/IBD to about 94% correctly positive, 6% false neg)

I think colonoscopy is the way to go to start with. Ultrasound not a mistake either.

With strong sharp pain it is good to know, that it cannot be the appendix anymore, that peace of mind.

As to mucus: it is a very general protection symptom of the guts. It can be simply down to constipation or dehydration but also be due to inflammation (IBD), ulcers, infections or IBS. Unfortunately just a very general symtom that does not say, how severe the underlying issue is.

All the best!

4

Many thanks for this response. 

I have had a stool sample test undertaken which also came back negative. Ultrasound & X - ray was also done when I was admitted the second time. 

I guess I just have to wait for the colonoscopy. 

Many thanks

5

Oh good. May I be nitpicking pls: stool test for pathogens or calprotectin?