Symptoms and worry

[Chrisb1985]

Hi all. I hope this is okay to post on here- I've been suffering from abdominal pain since before december, but it was December by the time I went to the doctor about it. I had various other symptoms at the time none of which I thought were anything. I've since then had blood tests, urine tests, absominal and scrotal ultrasound, endoscopy and all of it has come back clear.

I'm still having pains and my doctor thinks it is ibs. I'm 32 and never had a problem with this before. I'm getting a lot of indigestion, I'm tired all the time, have a rash on my face along with itching and my stools have become less regular. I'm the same weight as I was in January and still have a good appetite. My worry is pancreatic cancer but doctors don't want to entertain it because of my age, the fact I'm not losing weight or going yellow and my bloods and ultrasound were clear.

I know pancreatic cancer is hard to diagnose, I'm back at my GP today to ask for a ct scan or more blood tests but I know he will tell me I don't meet the NICE guidelines for referral. My Aunt died of PC a year and a half ago so I know all too well what this can do to people. I don't know where to go now, everyone tells me this is anxiety but the pain I'm having is real!

I know the odds are that at 32 this isn't pancreatic cancer but I can't help the symptoms and what they point to. I told my GP that my Aunt passed away from it so he thinks that's where this fear has come from. It sounds really stupid when I write it down but I've been having some dental issues recently and on the causes (on cancer research and nhs sites) for pancreatic cancer it has gum disease as a risk factor. It seems such a silly thing now but I'm almost convinced that's what has happened here..

[PCUK Nurse Rachel C]

Dear Chrisb1985,

I am sorry to hear that you are experiencing some worrying symptoms at present and that you have found yourself on this forum. Although we cannot actually diagnose, I do hope that we can provide you with some reassurance that may alleviate some of your concerns in relation to pancreatic cancer.

My name is Rachel and I am one of the nurses that works for Pancreatic Cancer UK and please do not hesitate to email me directly via the nurse@ email address below.

I am also sorry to hear that your Aunt died from pancreatic cancer, so I do understand your concerns in relation to your own health issues.

I guess that you may have already researched your symptoms on the internet and often you have to be very careful when doing so, as search engines often come up with the worst case scenarios…unfortunately! I just want to reassure you that the symptoms that you describe can also be symptoms for some less serious conditions, such as irritable bowel syndrome, celiac disease or even diverticular disease.

It is reassuring to hear that your weight is stable and that your appetite is also good. Again, by the fact that your blood tests, ultrasound scans and endoscopy are all normal, this is also a very reassuring sign.

In relation to family history, usually if there are 2 first degree relatives (such as a parent or sibling) who have been diagnosed with a pancreatic cancer, then this may increase your risk of also developing a pancreatic cancer, however, if you would like to explore this further with us, then please do email us directly.

I hope you consultation with your GP went well today and also thank you for sharing your concerns, as I am sure it wasn’t easy to post on the forum.

As aforementioned, please do not hesitate to contact us directly,

With kindest regards,

Rachel (Convery)

Pancreatic Cancer Specialist Nurse

Support Team

Pancreatic Cancer UK

email: nurse@pancreaticcancer.org.uk

support line: 0808 801 0707 (Monday-Friday: 10am-4pm)

[paige_smith]

Hi Chris

Did you eventually get a diagnosis? If you don't mind me asking