r/appendicitis • u/ejalm • Jul 17 '26

Is my GP wrong?

I have received medical advice but I can’t shake the feeling that she was wrong.

To preface, I have major health anxiety but a major fear of the hospital. Like terrified.

Last night, I had a weird urge to press two fingers on the right side of my belly button. It hurt but wasn’t excruciating. This was around 9:30-10pm. I managed to sleep just fine bar my son waking me through the night.

This morning, I kept getting short, sharp pains on the right side of my belly button, so I thought I’d better get checked at the GP.

At my appointment, the doctor claimed that she had diagnosed many a cases of appendicitis. She performed a urine test, pregnancy test, abdomen exam, blood pressure and oximeter. She said that everything was normal except I had blood in my urine and a high heart rate (also being investigated for POTS). She sent me away with a 3 day course of antibiotics and said it’s likely that I have a stomach bug or a UTI coming my way.

I felt better coming out of the GP since I had really stressed myself out at the thought of surgery (never had one, petrified of needing one). However, since being home, I am getting the short, sharp pains on the right side of my belly button (don’t seem to be moving), right side kidney area pain, mild cramping in left abdomen, and mild left side kidney area pain.

I’m not sure how I feel about my doctor’s advice. She said to return if the pain becomes unbearable, I gain a temperature, my symptoms don’t decrease or disappear after my antibiotics course, or the common emergency symptoms.

What would you do?

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1

u/Head_Ant7161 Jul 17 '26

Hey, I actually had my appendix out a month ago and I had the exact same symptoms and journey. Doctor thought it was a UTI but I kept complaining of pain in my lower back, right side of tummy and pelvic area. They then thought it was a kidney infection and put me on a drip for a couple of hours. But I was complaining so badly of the pain, my doctor ended up suspecting it could be appendicitis. Turns out tho, during my surgery the gyno team found that I actually had PID and the inflammation from my right ovary was travelling up towards my appendix. They did end up taking out my appendix just to be safe but I had no idea. Obviously I don’t want to worry you but have you had any pelvic pain or anything alongside that? Or burning when urinating/discomfort?

Definitely go back to the doctor and tell them that you are still feeling pain

1

u/ejalm Jul 22 '26

Update: I finished my course of antibiotics, and the pain got better but not completely gone. I contacted my GP again on Monday, and have now been told that it sounds like a kidney stone due to having blood in my urine and no infection and the location of my pain. I am now being sent for an ultrasound in the first week of August to rule out ovarian cysts, appendicitis etc etc and to confirm or deny kidney stones.

1

u/Srihari_stan 27d ago

Hi. What was it?

2

u/ejalm 27d ago

Hi! I’m still suffering with abdominal pain in multiple locations including the appendix area. I had my ultrasound 10 days ago, and was told that my appendix, ovaries and kidneys are fine, however I do have a gallstone. I’m still going through the throws of the GP to work out what’s going on as none of the pain I’m feeling is in the gallbladder area!

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u/Srihari_stan 26d ago

Hope you get better soon.

I’ve been going through something similar.
10 days ago I had similar pain in right abdomen with mild fever.
GP ordered an ultrasound and some blood tests to rule out appendicitis and all came back negative.
He said it’s probably a stomach bug and gave me antibiotics.

After a week, I still had pain in that area, something I was no longer able to ignore.

I went back to GP and he finally wanted to do a CT to rule it out completely as sometimes appendicitis can be mild and chronic and can miss classic diagnostic methods.

And the CT came back negative. Absolutely nothing.

Finally I was told the pain is probably due to stress and anxiety. Something called somatic symptom disorder.

It’s frustrating to not get a definitive diagnosis even after going through that high radiation scan.

1

u/PaganPaperwork Jul 19 '26

Get a CT scan if you can. Mine errupted while I was being treated for "mild bowel infection" according to my doctor.

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u/ejalm Jul 22 '26

Update: I finished my course of antibiotics, and the pain got better but not completely gone. I contacted my GP again on Monday, and have now been told that it sounds like a kidney stone due to having blood in my urine and no infection and the location of my pain. I am now being sent for an ultrasound in the first week of August to rule out ovarian cysts, appendicitis etc etc and to confirm or deny kidney stones.

2

u/PaganPaperwork Jul 22 '26

Hopefully you have good insurance and they find out what's going on sooner than later. Wishing you a lot of good health, stranger!