I'm in the U.K., 71 years old. Last year I suffered a lot of rectal pain, ended up in hospital several times. I had numerous tests, including a sigmoidoscopy, two MRI scans and a CT scan of my pelvis. The doctors were unable to give me a definite diagnosis, but all emphasized that everything was "benign" - i.e. no cancer present. My GP took a stool test for calprotectin, and it showed a relatively high reading of 343. But of the specialist consultants I saw, none thought this was especially significant. I was seen on several occasions by a urologist and a colorectal surgeon, also by a gastroentrologist. None of them wanted to "claim" me for their special area of expertise - I was shunted from one to the other. In the end, a doctor I saw at the hospital told me he thought the source of my trouble was anxiety, and suggested a course of psychotherapy. Yet the sigmoidoscopy revealed a couple of healed fissures, and my GP after examining me confirmed that there was an active fissure at 6 o'clock. He prescribed diltiazem, but it gave me a rash.
A pain specialist said if the pain got bad again I could have another sigmoidoscopy and, if a fissure is the problem, a course of Botox injections. I'm reluctant to have the sigmoidoscopy because of pain in my lower legs and feet which began after the first one.
For several months I decided to live with the condition, and stopped consulting doctors and specialists. This was the situation until recently, when the rectal trouble started to flare again, with a sharp increase in pain. I'm prepared to admit that I'm anxious about it - there is again likely to be no proper diagnosis. But anxiety can't be the sole factor at work - there is clearly something physically wrong with my back passage and pelvic area. It's awkward for me to walk, and as stated before I also have pain in my lower legs and feet.
Wondering what to do. There seems to be a lot of guesswork.