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[Star55]

Hi, I've posted before just hoping someone has experience of my symptoms. I'm 50, post menopausal (no periods for 4 years. I had a hip replacement last September and have been having digestive issues ever since. I've been told previously I had ibs, but it only bothered me maybe once a week. I have recently had an ultrasound where they found an ovarian cyst, 5cm, a simple cyst, which they have said they'll rescan in April I get constant pain on that side, sometimes in the pelvis sometimes higher up. All bloods are normal, no inflammation found in stool sample. My stomach feels dodgy most of the time. I'm getting a CT scan next Thursday. Could this be due to the cyst? The menopause? Would the cyst show up on the ct scan? I'm trying a lactose free diet to see, but I'm open to any suggestions, I'm so fed up with myself.

[CLKD]

Hip replacement satisfactory?

Peri-menopause can cause digestive upsets 

Maybe keep a mood/food/symptom diary to chart progress.  It could be due to trying a lactose-free diet, R U lactose intolerant?   Some find that digestion alters in that foods once enjoyed become difficult.

[Kathleen]

Hello Star55 and welcome to the forum.

I was just wondering if you were prescribed antibiotics after your hip replacement or perhaps they were given intravenously during the operation? If so your digestive system may be suffering a lack of healthy bacteria and a good probiotic may help settle things down.


Wishing you well.

K.

[Star55]

I've only just started trying lactose free, I don't know if I'm actually lactose intolerant, figured it was worth a shot!
Hip replacement is fine, I have a dodgy knee on the other side though, so thats not helpful 😔
I may have had antibiotics during the op but it was last September, you'd think it would be out of my system by now I take acidophilus every day, don't think they make a difference though.
I tried colpermin yesterday as sometimes it feels like trapped wind, but I had horrendous indigestion about 4 hours later, so maybe they didn't agree with me!

[CLKD]

ABs don't last in the system for long.

As for colpermin - how did you take it?  I was advised to swallow it within an hour of eating my main meals.  I never had a reaction other than it getting rid of upper gut wind. 

[Star55]

I had it about half an hour before my dinner.
I tried another one today, after lunch, and had horrendous stabbing pain in my upper abdomen after dinner. Its eased off but I'm still bloated, maybe I should have tried normal peppermint capsules first.
It's horrible, keep trying to find solutions and get nowhere!

[CLKD]

Colpermin was prescribed 2 me to get rid of upper gut wind.   'Rennies' or 'Milk of Magnesia' suited me for years.

[groundhog]

Hi Star 55
I suffered from ovarian cysts prior to my hysterectomy.  They reached about 11 cm before being drained and at that size did cause discomfort.  It could,be you have adhesions Around the cyst which can cause pain and discomfort.  A cyst will show on a CT but adhesions dont generally
Hope you get some answers soon x

[Star55]

A friend of mine mentioned adhesions the other day, but I've never had surgery on that side, I had a large ovarian cyst removed from the other side when I was 17, it had either destroyed the ovary or it was removed anyway.
Can you have adhesions without having had surgery?

[Kathleen]

Hello again Star55

In 2010 I was diagnosed  with Ulcerative Colitis which has been in remission for several years  thankfully.  At that time I looked on a forum where people with similar digestive illnesses talked about their experiences and there was often mention of gut problems beginning about a year after taking antibiotics.  Obviously this is anecdotal but a similar thing happened to me because I first noticed IBS type symptoms twelve months after taking antibiotics for pneumonia. Now we know a lot more  about the gut microbiome and certainly it can change very quickly in response to diet but perhaps some medications can have an impact that takes months to appear.

Some time later when I needed to take antibiotics for a chest infection I followed the advice of the people on the forum and increased my maintenance medication at the same time. I believe this helped as I didn't develop any  gut problems from taking the Abs.

I hope you find all this helpful in some way.

Take care.

K.

[Star55]

Thanks for the reply Kathleen, hope you are well. It makes you wonder, you just keep taking medication doctors give you and no one really mentions the after effects! The fact that I wasn't even told I was given antibiotics during surgery, no one suggested I should wean off co-codamol either and I wonder if that's also had an effect. I might try and increase my probiotics to 2 a day, but I'd worry that would have an unwelcome side effect!
One thing that annoys me is they gave me peptac to help with possible gastritis (omeprazole didn't help) a side effect of peptac is gas! It's mad🤣🤔

[Wrensong]

Hi Star55.  I had a 5cm ovarian cyst in early perimenopause.  It was diagnosed on ultrasound after I'd had increased discomfort on that side & a gastroenterologist doing an exam in relation to my longstanding IBS suspected he could detect a cyst.  So I'd say it is possible your pain relates to the cyst as you say it's the same side.  I was referred to a gynae who was not concerned & simply wanted to wait & rescan as it looked to be a functional cyst.  After sudden, short-lived, very sharp pain on that side & the loss of some clear fluid, it was found to have resolved on its own at repeat scan & I was discharged.  Whether the pain etc was related to the resolution of the cyst, I don't know.  Postmenopause, I had a smaller cyst on the same ovary (without discomfort) but that one had different characteristics indicating BSO was sensible.  Histology showed it to be benign.

The antibiotics given with surgery are a necessary evil (or a wonderful thing, depending on your point of view!) to minimise the risk of serious infection taking hold.  Having had repeat courses in relation to several episodes of surgery over the past 3 years, the effect on our gut flora is something that's also been much on my mind.  Though the studies cited were small scale, I found the following links interesting and will continue to eat a healthy, varied, high-fibre diet in the hope of re-establishing as good a mix of friendly flora as possible in the circumstances!

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2018/10/181023110545.htm

https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20190124-is-it-worth-taking-probiotics-after-antibiotics

I hope they might help you decide what to do about your digestive health & that your cyst will resolve soon & leave you free of pain.
Wx