# Severe pelvic pain and bloating



## cherry_ash (May 12, 2007)

Hi all!I've had IBS alternating with D and C for a few years now, but a few months ago my symptoms changed and the last few weeks the symptoms have gotten really bad.A few months ago my symptoms changed from nausea and upper abdominal pain to getting lower abdominal cramps and pelvic pain frequently, along with the nausea, which sometimes lead to severe diarrhoea attacks, sometimes just gas, and sometimes nothing at all. These seemed to get worse after I had some colon hydrotherapy sessions as recommended by my doctor, which may be conincidence, but I'm not too sure..I also had the cramping during the sessions. But my doctor keeps insisting that it can't be to do with that. I'm really confused as well because I've been following a very strict diet with no red meat no onions, garlic, spices etc. and I've been getting more diarrhoea than I did before. The pelvic pain would come and go, so I just put it down to my menstrual cycle. My doctor felt my lower abdomen and said the pain could only be related to my bowels and not my womb or ovaries. I've seen him a few times and I keep telling him the pain is different to my usual ibs symptoms but he keeps insisting that it is my bowels. He suggested I try the contraceptive pill since I have very painful periods as well as an irritable bladder.Since about 3 weeks, the pelvic pain, cramps, nausea and bloating have been constant with no let up at all. I started the pill 2 weeks ago, and the last week has been the worst. I don't have any appetite and find it very hard to walk or even move at all. I have a constant aching in my legs as well. I saw a doctor on monday and he still just put it down to my ibs. I asked if the pill could have made it worse and he didn't think it could have. He wouldn't do any kind of gynaecological examination because he thought that it couldnt be related to that since I haven't had sex with a man before (I'm gay)...which I found very strange!! I asked if there was no way I could have a scan or something to check my womb and such, but he said I should first try buscopan for the cramps and domperidon for the nausea for two weeks. The buscopan hasn't been working yet for the cramps, the bloating is still really bad, The pain is hard to describe but it is like a very deep pressure on my pelvis and abdomen, a feeling of a lot of trapped gas or stool, and also sort of like a menstrual cramp just when the bleeding has started. This pain is there all the time, and then sometimes I get severe and sudden cramps as if I need to go to the toilet, sometimes these can last for 2 or 3 hours and again sometimes some gas is released, sometimes I get D and sometimes nothing happens and it just calms down a bit. The cramps are not relieved by buscopan and painkillers don't take away the constant pelvis pain. I also have a low back pain, and very frequent need to urinate, which seem worse than my normal ibs levels. Edited to add: I've also been having hot flashes on and off for the past few months, and these have also gotten worse the past few weeks. I'm 24 so it is not related to the menopause. I would be really grateful for any help/suggestions about what this could be and what I should do next.


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## Kathleen M. (Nov 16, 1999)

What did you add in to make up for all the things you took out of the diet.Some people really don't do well on an all bland starch all the time diet. The new symptoms do seem to sound much more GI related than anything else. IBS causes a lot of pain and people with functional dyspepsia (the upper GI symptoms you used to have) are a lot more prone to get IBS than people who do not have FD.The pain can be from the body misinterpreting normal movement of stuff in the colon. It doesn't have to be from actual cramps and if it is in the nerves more than the muscles the antispasmodic (a smooth muscle relaxer) can't do much for that.Some women do seem to find that BCP make things worse, but others find they make things much better so it is hard to know if they are really the cause.I think colon hydrotherapy can, in some cases, mess up the colon flora. After all they can find changes in colon flora from a colonoscopy prep and I do think shoving water into a colon that is painful when anything distends it can be uncomfortable.Have you tried a probiotic? Have you tried Imodium for the diarrhea or Calcium carbonate?I hope you find some relief soon. If your GP won't do a GYN exam it may be worth getting a gynecologist. Life long virgins can get problems with the reproductive tract so it isn't impossible something is going on with that even if things all feel find when felt through the abdomen.


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## cherry_ash (May 12, 2007)

Thanks for your reply Kathleen.I haven't added anything into the diet...I've still been eating white meat and fish and veggies just taken out irritants like spices, red meats and such. It is pretty plain though yes...Yes I did try a probiotic for about a month or so right after I had the hydrotherapy, but it didn't seem to help much..maybe I didn't use it for long enough though.I haven't tried immodium since the diarrhoea usually just comes in one big attack and then it's over...I mean it's not that i'm going to the loo 10 times a day with it. I also feel quite constipated (even with the diarrhoea) and don't want to make that worse with the immodium. Unfortunately we're not able to see a gyn. doctor here unless the GP makes a referral (i'm in europe)... so I guess I'll have to wait it out and see how it goes. It's just vey frustrating that nothing is giving me any relief and the pain is just always there..never had that before.Thanks again for your reply!


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