‘I was so bloated, I looked five months pregnant’: 29-year-old claims doctors made her believe she had IBS for two years, when the real culprit was painful hormone condition endometriosis

A woman who looked ‘five months pregnant’ has claimed doctors ‘gaslit’ her after dismissing her endometriosis as IBS for two years.

Sarah Mahon, from London, suffered from heavy periods as a teenager.

But in 2022, she suffered from painful cramps that left her feeling nauseous and sometimes unable to walk or bedridden for hours.

Sudden bloating, which lasted for up to three days, also caused the 29-year-old’s stomach to become ‘hard’.

Despite visiting seven different doctors, five believed her symptoms were “digestive related,” she claimed.

Sudden bloating, which lasted for up to three days, also caused the 29-year-old’s stomach to become ‘hard’. Despite visiting seven different doctors, five believed her symptoms were “digestive related,” she claimed

It wasn’t until she went private in February that she was diagnosed with the condition. Recalling her ordeal, Ms Mahon, who works as an animator, said: “Four of the doctors told me I had IBS and another said I had irritable bowel disease (IBD).”

It wasn’t until she went private in February that she was diagnosed with the condition.

Recalling her ordeal, Ms Mahon, who works as an animator, said: ‘Four of the doctors told me I had IBS and another said I had irritable bowel disease (IBD).

‘I felt like they didn’t believe me about my symptoms. I felt so rejected about the whole thing.

‘One of the worst parts of this whole experience was the gaslighting I received from doctors.’

She added: ‘I had asked (doctors) about endometriosis and told them my mother had it, but they said it was related to the digestive problems and they just wouldn’t test me.

“I was told it would take a lot of resources for them to test me for something I didn’t know I had. I was rejected over and over again about it.

‘I didn’t know what to do at this point. I was googling my symptoms and everything matched up with endometriosis.

‘Some mornings I couldn’t move my arms and legs because I was so tired – the fatigue was so bad.

‘And showering was so difficult. Washing my hair was such a hassle that I was exhausted afterwards and had to take a nap.’

Ms. Mahon also stopped having sex with her boyfriend “because it wasn’t worth the pain,” she said.

Her ‘crazy’ bloating, which could be caused by something as small as a cup of coffee, forced her to wear baggy clothes.

‘My friends all said I looked completely pregnant. It was all inflammation,” she added.

Ms. Mahon also stopped having sex with her boyfriend “because it wasn’t worth the pain,” she said. Her ‘crazy’ bloating, which could be caused by something as small as a cup of coffee, forced her to wear baggy clothes. ‘My friends all said I looked completely pregnant. It was all inflammation,” she added

Now Ms Mahon is urging others to demand answers from their doctors and ‘don’t give up’ on getting a diagnosis. She said: “I tell other people, don’t give up. “I was really lucky to catch mine before it did any more damage.”

Endometriosis occurs when cells similar to those in the uterine lining are found outside the uterus.

Each month, these cells react in the same way as those in the uterus: they build up and then break down and bleed.

Unlike the uterine cells that leave the body during menstruation, they cannot escape.

Symptoms include pelvic and abdominal pain, extremely painful menstruation, pain during sex, difficulty in conceiving, having a huge impact on the patients that may also lead to depression.

There is currently no cure for endometriosis and treatment is designed to control symptoms, often using keyhole surgery to remove or destroy excess tissue.

These procedures can provide pain relief for months or years, but the problem often returns.

In the most severe cases, a complete hysterectomy may be recommended, but even that may not completely resolve the condition.

It is thought to affect around 1.5 million women in Britain and 6.5 million in the US.

But despite its prevalence, many women struggle to take their pain and symptoms seriously and may be forced to wait decades for a diagnosis.

IBS can cause similar symptoms, with patients often struggling to find effective treatment for the pain, cramps, bloating and diarrhea, leaving many housebound and in pain.

There is no cure, but diet changes and medications can often help control symptoms.

Annoyed by her repeated diagnosis, Ms Mahon booked a private consultation at a London clinic earlier this year.

Scans later confirmed she suffered from the condition and in April she underwent a £7,500 operation to remove the excess tissue in her pelvic wall and between the uterus and rectum.

She said: ‘The pain after the operation was nothing compared to what it was like. The pain has completely disappeared. I have so much more energy now. I feel like a new person.

‘I was told that my body was constantly trying to repair itself and was constantly inflamed. My doctor told me that I had performed the surgery just in time before the disease progressed.

‘The operation went very well and the doctor told me that my ovaries are not affected and that I should be fine when it comes to trying to conceive. I try to stay positive about the future.

‘It’s a cruel irony that the condition can give you a bump and cause fertility problems.’

Now Ms Mahon is urging others to demand answers from their doctors and ‘don’t give up’ on getting a diagnosis.

She said: “I tell other people, don’t give up. I’m really lucky I caught mine before it did any more damage.

‘If you can, try to consult a specialist straight away and contact people in similar positions.’

It comes as a damning report from March also revealed that women are having to wait almost a year longer before receiving an endometriosis diagnosis than before the pandemic.

It now takes an average of eight years and 10 months for doctors to identify the painful disease, an increase of 10 months since 2020.

Most women made at least one emergency room visit and almost half required ten or more GP appointments before being diagnosed.