I started having pain in the lower left side of my abdomen/pelvis in December. The pain is reminiscent of a menstrual cramp, but is different in the fact that it is all concentrated in one area (I can draw an X on the spot where the pain always occurrs) and has a predictable pattern. It starts out mild and has an intense sharp, crampy climax, and then releases. The whole process takes 10-15 minutes. There is no predictable time of day when it comes on. I have it when I'm driving, in the middle of the night, watching TV, at work. Some days it happens 5 days, some days not at all.
When it first started, I chalked it up to ovulation, despite having an IUD. I went to Urgent care and then to the ob/gyn. my gyno suggested ovarian cysts, a diagnoses that made sense to me. She prescribe Zovia (birth control) where I never take the placebos, therefore no periods and no ovulation. Later that month I went to the ER. In the ER I had a CT scan that indicated there was fluid in the pelvic cul de sac. They told me it was likely that a cyst had ruptured. I accepted this diagnosis as well, that is until the pain returned. I had read that IUD's could cause cysts, so I opted to have it remove. During the removal I was given an ultrasound. No cysts were visible. I am now doubting this diagnosis because if I had follicular cysts, they would not have formed while on the pill. They would also be visible on US. I further reject this diagnosis because the pain is always on the left side instead of alternating as ovaries do during a menstrual cycle. It also appears that the IUD was not the cause of my pain.
The next doctor I spoke to suggested endometriosis. She told me she would not do exploratory surgery to make the diagosis. She wanted to treat me for six months with drugs that would cause menopause and all of its glorious symptoms. If my pain reacted to treatment, then endometriosis was the cause. I didn't like this answer. I have decided to seek a second opinion from another practice. I also don't know that endometriosis is the culprit as it seems the birth control pills would have some effect.From what I understand, the nature of my pain doesn't really sound like endo either.
I have also seen a GI specialist. He was the first to suggest bloodwork (seemed like a no brainer to me, but the others disagreed) and it showed inflammation in one of the markers, but not the other. Thyroid function and iron were fine. I will be receiving a colonoscopy on Friday to investigate causes on that "avenue".
One thing I have noticed is that I often have the pain in the morning after a hot shower or bath.
All doctors say that they "believe" me and wish they had answers. I'm frustrated as I see no end in sight and the pain actually causes me to feel depressed and anxious. I have a husband and two small children as well as a job and feel that all of these suffer with me. If anyone has received a diagnosis for a similar condition, please share.
Thanks
I can relate to the constant pain you are having and I am sorry to hear that you are going or went through constant pain too. The last week of January 2012 I started getting really bad stomach pains on the right lower side with swelling. I thought I had the flu, I was running low grade fevers and feeling very nauseous. I threw up at work and I never through up when I am sick so I knew right away something was wrong. I took a pregnancy test to eliminate that possibility (it was negative) and booked an appointment with my family doctor thinking it could be my appendix, he poked around (it hurt a lot) decided it wasn't my appendix and sent me for blood work and a urine sample. I didn't hear anything back for a week...I continued working (but had to keep leaving early) and going to the gym with my boyfriend's sister. The pain became too much to bare so I went to promt care (which is an emerg., walk in clinic in an old hospital). The doctor that saw me thought is could be an ovarian cyst. They booked me an ultrasound on January 30th 2012 (which was a few days later). The pain got worse everytime I sat down or had a bowel movement and wiped it felt like something was moving in my side, felt weird, and hurt everytime I did either of these things. I had the ultrsound and left work to get it done with plans to return back to work afterwards (I also still hadn't heard anything from my family doctor about my bloodwork and/or urine sample) however the ultrsound technician made me promise to stay and get my results which made me freak out. I kept my promise and stayed, I called my boyfriend who then left work to be with me and wait for the results, parents and work. Once I saw the doctor he told me I had a large cyst on my right ovary and that they were going to admit me into the hospital where a specialist would see me. There I found out that I had a cyst that was 6.6 by 4.3 cm, the doctor said it was likely caused from the birth control I was taking. I used to take "Alesse" which is a low dosed contraceptive(20mg) and about 8 months prior to my cyst a walk in-clinic doctor switched me to the generic version of this pill which is not guaranteed to offer the same amount/combination of hormones (he told me it was exactly the same and it would save me money, I believed him.) which wasnt strong enough to stop me from ovulating. The specialist I saw did not want to do surgery because I am only 27 and my boyfriend and I want to have children and there was a risk by removing the cyst it would damage my ovary and he would have to then remove it. He also told me that generic version of Alesse should not be on the market because with it there is also an increased risk of bold clots. I stayed in the hospital for observation and to make sure that the cyst had not/was not twisting my ovary or had a blood supply for 2 nights and 3 days. I was never told what kind of cyst I had. As treament I was given pain medication and a stronger birth control pill (30mg) with hopes to shrink it on its own (no surgery) and stop me from ovulating. I was also told I would need a plan to become pregnant because I would most likely get more cysts. I was sent home with orders to do nothing but rest and continued to have a lot of pain and constant pain. About 3 weeks later I had another ulrasound and followed up with the specialist. My first period after the change in birth control was abnormally light and for the first month on the new pill I was constantly nauseous which I told the specialist about he said that was normal. The cyst shrunk to 5.8 by 1.7cm. He told me it would be gone in 2 weeks tops continue to rest but walk around a little. The pain continued after 2 weeks time so I went back to the specialist he gave me a week more off from work. It continued he told me it was just gas and I need to work through the pain and swelling. I was still swelling geting pain when I would walk and having constant aching pain in the same spot. I tried to go back to work. I worked a 6 hour shift and was soooo sore and swollen that I went to my family doctor the next day asking for help and to see someone else, he gave me an anti-imflamitory. I asked to get referred to another gyno and he said no you are fine. I filled the prescripton and tried to get into my boyfriend and I's pick-up truck and had the worst pain I had this whole entire time. I couldn't move or breathe it hurt so bad, I cried in the parking lot of shoppers drugmart. Three days later I was still in pain and swollen. I tried to go to work again. My boyfriend's sister saw me at work swollen and in pain and dragged me to the emergency. On a side note this was also the week of my period and it started the same day I had the really bad pain. The emerg., was crazy so they had me come back for an ultrasound the next day. It showed the the cyst was gone. They told me it most likely burst and I should have come in when I initially had the really bad pain and told me to follow up with my gyno. So I did after he returned from Cuba and he told me I was fine and that the cyst has resolved itself. He basically told me to get on with my life and ignored the fact that I am still having pain. I called my family doctor and again asked for a referral to another gyno, and that I really didn't think I could work a long shift at work yet. He said no to the referral and to talk to the gyno that was treating me. I am still having constant pain and if I do too much around the house or walk too far I swell. I have still had nausea off and on. It is now April 3rd 2012 and I am sooooo incredibly frustrated. I stared looking on line to see if anyone else had ongoing pain as well and what they did.
Kinda late with my post, but i am having the same symptoms. I have had it before, and just ignored it. But now i am having pains while urinating and we cant find anything for it to go away. I am really frustrated and OVER this. The 1 time i went to the ER when i was like 15 i am now 19, they said i was constipated. I have abdominal pain all over and than it moves to the right, than back all over and also in the left, which makes me fearful of appendicitis. I am have had 2 sex partners in the last 3 years, so i hope no chance of anything related to sex. If any of you get a diagnosis post it! I would like some answers too. I am gonna try and go into the doctor tomorrow.
Hi! I totally relate to your pain; however my sharp pain in the left side abdomen area was discovered three hours after I had taken some prescribed medication. After three days of taking the medication in addition to the left side ab pain, I begin to itch on the third night and the following morning had the blistering of the lip which was an idicator to me of an allergic reaction. I stopped taking the meds and gradually(over the course of two weeks) the pain begin to lessen in the left side abdomen but not quite ceased. Naturally I want to associate my ab pain to the allergic reaction to the medication. I am in the process of a more acurate diagnosis.
I have had the same symptoms in the left side by my pelvis and sometimes the pain also radiates to my left back. This symtoms used to come and go and I was able to function doing my day-to-day activities and then there would be 2 to 3 days where the sofa would be my friend along with various meds.
My GP has done blood work, urine testing, ct scan, ultrasound, xrays ...nothing. Went to ER a few times as pain was not subsiding with T3s and the ER doctor prescribed Oxy - it just made me high but did not take the pain away. Saw an obyg (very sterile doctor)-she did the laperscopic surgery...couldn't find anything. She tells me that I will just have to live with the pain. This pain has been constant since late May. There are a few days in between I feel that I am to function to do some chores around the house, but then the pain returns and I have to sit down and drug up. I try not to take the pain killers unless absolutely necessary. I go to see a gastroentologist next week...see how that goes.
I have been dealing with the same type of pain for quite a while now. Around the age of 14 I began getting abdominal pain and infections including H. Pylori. During that infection they began finding ovarian cysts. It took over a year to rid the infection and even after I faced a lot of stomach inflammation and irritation. However over the last year new problems have occurred. For more than a year I have been having intense lower left abdominal pain and doctors can't seem to find a reason even after multiple tests. I have had 2-3 CT scans, multiple ultrasounds, pelvic floor physical therapy, been seen for possible joint injections, countless visits with doctors and gyno, and constantly have to take muscle relaxers to try and see any relief. However nothing has been determined as the cause. They find cysts on my ovary, always the left one, but assure it is not the cause of the pain. On top of that I have had multiple bladder infections and kidney infections(again always on the left side), that have sent me to the hospital from dehydration. I've been treated with many rounds of antibiotics yet infections keep recurring. In addition to all of that I have been put on birth control because I have become very irregular in my cycles to the point of not having one for 2-3 months at a time and becoming very painful when they do come. I experience extreme pain in my abdomen and pelvis, always on the left side as well, sometimes constant and others it will come and go. I get an irritating dull ache most all the time and when the pain flares up it get sharp pains that get to the point where I can't hardly move or continue with daily functions. It causes my whole abdomen to spasm and feels as though my hips are being crushed. When it has been a bad day of pain even laying down to sleep is nearly impossible due to my lower back tensing up from such intense pain. Any information on what direction to head in next would be greatly appreciated. Being only 23 and never have been pregnant doctors seem lost as to why I have been having these symptoms to this extreme, and had left me with an open-ended reason for serious pain.
That relieves the pain? My husband and I want to start having kids and I'm terrified to go thru this pregnant.
I have been having same thing going on for about 7 months. My doctor told me that it may be a Femoral Hernia.
Have you been tested for a femoral hernia? That is what my doctor told me I have and I have the same issues you stated above.