"Could this pain be irritable bowel?"

I've had the same pains in my lower abdomen for 18 months now. There is one particular spot that is always very tender and feels as if its bruised, on the right hand side.

After speaking to my GP I was referred to my local hospital for various tests which all came back negative. The GP then thought it was a gynae problem so referred me to a specialist. After having an ultrasound the consultant said I would need a hysteroscopy as they'd found a polyp in my uterus.

I then waited months for even a letter for the op date so decided to go private. I saw a private consultant and had the same ultrasound and a vaginal scan which showed a polyp. I was then admitted within 3 weeks for a hysteroscopy. However the op went wrong and they perforated my uterus, so I ended up having a laparoscopy.

They couldn't find the polyp that they saw on the scan, and then made another incision to have a good look around my digestive organs. They found that my gall bladder was inflamed but found no stones. They said the pain I was getting was in the wrong place to be anything to do with my inflamed gall bladder.

However, I am now out of hospital and have the same pain back again, plus other cramps and pain around the rest of my gut. I also suffer from the urge to go to the toilet but once seated cannot go without some difficulty. I go back to the gynae consultant in May for a follow-up appointment. I have a lot of questions to ask him and hope he will refer me to the gastro-intestinal consultant.

I am assuming I have irritable bowel syndrome as this was diagnosed some 7 years ago by another consultant, but the symptoms seemed to eventually disappear. I am under a great deal of stress at work (more and more work to do) and when I get home (looking after demanding elderly mother) and therefore I do believe that I have IBS.

Do others think this is the cause of my symptoms? Would sedatives help? Any help gratefully received as I am starting to get very depressed about it all, and of course that doesn't help!