I want to start off by saying i am very appreciate of having free healthcare as i live in england and it isn't my intention to mock this service and that im aware is a financial struggle for most people.

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I have been having awful pain in my abdomen for 3 days, which has led to me being in the emergency room twice now (a&e in the UK, i will be referring to it as this ) the first time it was well over a 5 hour wait and i was seen at 3am in the morning, and i was told that is was just period pains and it will go away. (I somewhat expected this) so i was turned away from any kind of scans even though he mentioned it could be cysts on my ovary or that my ovary could be twisted as my symptoms are common of a twisted ovary, though i was refused an external ultrasound or any kind of scan to confirm this he told me its probably period pains. (This day i could hardly move, my boyfriend practically had to carry me in as i was leaning so heavily on him every step was agonising to me, and causing a numbness followed by a sharp stabbing pain on the left of my lower abdomen. We went home and i took the strongest pain killers i could get my hands on (codine of my fathers who gets the strongest dose he can on prescription, though i know this might be frowned on and unsafe i just wanted to add it it to show that a painkiller to treat his double knee arthritis was having no effect on the 'period pain') the next day rolls around and its somehow worse, every small movement produces the numbness and a sharp stining/pulling pain in the same spot, i had to stay in bed pretty much all day and was again taken to hospital after calling 111 (a service in the UK to suggest medical care, they adviced me to attend a&e urgently within the next half an hour to an hour) and after another 5 hour wait i was assessed, bloods taken, urine tested yet again, a different doctor came to the same conclusion, period pain. I felt like crying at that alone, again he refused to do any tests because this was period pain and will pass (i have the pain tolerance of a stone, ive broken my tibia and still managed to hop off the trail we were on so my boyfriend could pick me up and drop the dogs off at home safe before i go to the hospital, of course this did hurt a hell of alot and the pain im experiencing now is not as painful but i can tolerate pain) but this pain has me bed bound. The doctor told me that if i wanted a scan, i have to go to my GP to book an appointment to get a referral for a scan.

Its now day 4 and it hurts exactly the same as yesterday, and i just managed to make a doctors appointment, hopefully i will be able to get a scan to see the issue.

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It upsets me how doctors are so quick to pass off any kind of pain in a woman around the stomach as period pain, this has happened to my close friend and she ended up having appendicitis, im hoping that the doctor won't brush me off as well 😔

oh im so sorry your going through this :(

WHen I was living in the UK, I went into the emergency room because I had shooting pains all through my stomach, and like you, they told me it was just period pains and that it would pass, they didn't give me any scans or do anything, just told me to take some paracetemol.

It was appendicitis 🙃

I hope you get well soon, all my love <3

Im so sorry dear I hope you will be able to get treatment soon and feel better

There is unfortunately a long history of doctors/medicine practicers dimissing women or AFAB peoples pain as just period pain or them being 'dramatic'. We sure love misogyny dont we 😐

Anyways please please be insistent! Dont give up! Annoy the shit out of them, and get those tests/scans done

Or try a different emergency room if there is one nearby. I know in the US some are much better than others.

Sending hugs

Thank you both, bit of a positive update, i have an ultrasound...

In 3-4 weeks... 🤦‍♀️ they refuse to give me one any sooner and was told i was being difficult when i insisted on a 'wasted' scan, but im considering going to a different a&e to see if i can get some help there, thank you both <3

I had a male doctor tell me my stomach pains were female problems when I was in the ER a few years back. I told him I wanted an ultrasound done immedatley since the pains weren't normal for me. He said no. I told him if it wasn't done he'd have to have a testical retrival, meaning I'd kick him in the balls, and at the time I was wearing steel toed shoes. His nurse knew me from school, and told him I have a high tollerance level for pain, and if I'm in the ER crying then something is very very wrong with me. He paled ordered scans and everything. Turned out I had a ruptured cyst on one of my overies. Had to have emergency surgery for it. Keep annoying them, and go to another one if they are dragging their feet.