Ongoing rectal pain 5+ months

[Unregistered]

I started with pain and throbbing/muscle spasms for up to 2 hours after a bowel movement. When it didn't clear up for a week I went to a clinic. They suggested anal fissures and put me on some corticosteroid cream. I used this for awhile and did some research on the condition. It seemed to fit... however after several more weeks the pain was still the same.

I went back to the clinic several times and in the mean time started my own regiment of Metamucil, low fat, no cafeeine or alcohol, lots of water, etc. Eventually I was referred to a surgeon. He performed a digital exam but didn't see anything. He still suggested I have a lateral sphinctorotomy but I eventually declined since I wasn't too sure if this was indeed my condition.

I have since asked for an anoscopy or sigmoidoscopy to confirm it's a fissure.
However he is referring me to a proctologist with the warning that it may take months to see one. The surgeon put me on the famed 0.2% nifedipine + 5% lidocaine cream that normally works wonders for fissures. It's been 1.5 months of using the cream 3 or more times per day while continuing my regiment and if anything the pain is WORSE. It's now constant, and much worse when sitting or lying down on my back. I sleep on my side and avoid sitting when I can but the pain doesn't seem to be improving. The lidocaine doesn't seem to offer any relief, and the pain feels like it is deeper inside than I can apply the cream.

I'm starting to question if this is in fact a fissure or something else. My very first time to the clinic after a week I asked about a rectal abscess but was told it's rare and most unlikely, but now I begin to wonder as the condition worsens with time and medication instead of improving.

I find myself a lot more flatulent in the last few months but concluded this may be because of the nifedipine ointment. I have also on occasion notice some abnormalities using the washroom... but not often.

Two or three times in the last 5 months I've noticed dark green in my stool. My reading indicates this may or may not be anything to worry about. I've also found on a different two or three occasions a black gummy substance on the toilet paper when I wipe. Is it possible these are both pus from an abscess? What's the normal timeline for an abscess to reach critical mass?

[Unregistered]

I have a very similar problem for 2 years now. I have been told it is a fissure by one doctor. I have been on all kinds of topical meds and even had a botox shot for it and nothing has help. I believe that it is a deep abscess. I have pain everyday. Some days it is absolutely horrible. I take sitz baths, use ice packs and heating pad just for a little comfort. My life has totally changed because of this. I have told every dr. that one day last march in the midst of my pain I stooped down to fix my shoe while I was at the mall and a small discharge of liquid came out of my tush into my undies and every single bit of pain and pressure left. I could hardly believe that I was pain free and how wonderful it was. I left the store to get to my truck and call my husband to tell him that the pain was gone and by the time I got out there the pain had built back up from a 0 to a 10. To me this sounded like an abscess. I have yet to find a dr. who will agree with me and help me out.

[Unregistered]

i had rectal cancer surgery sept. 05. dr.told me cramping i had would go away once they removed my temporary ostomy bag. when it continued i was told to eat more fruits and vegetables. my primary physician said to try metamucil. i found an article that mentioned taking valium to relax muscle cramping and i just picked up my prescription. iwill let you know if it works. in the meantime i take a hot bath and 2 advil which takes some of the edge off . ..

[KenM]

Original poster here with an update.

Christmas time with rectal pain wasn't fun, but with time off of work and get more rest I found my pain improving. By the end of Januray I really felt like I was healing and about 95% of the way back to normal with only mild discomfort occasionally.

At that point I *finally* managed to get an appointment to see a Proctologist. I had a Sigmoidoscopy and Anoscopy performed which the doctor said revealed nothing. I wasn't as concerned because I had been feeling almost normal for a month and thought I was out of the woods. He said the remainng discomfort was probably related to mild external hemorroids.

However, two weeks later the pain started again and is back to the previous level. I'm continuing to use Nifadipine ointment and Metamucil, Sitz baths, etc.

It's very frustrating since I thought I was clear. It's made me short tempered at work, too. While applying my nifedipine I've found a small cut/lesion about 2 inches inside on the roof of my rectum (anterior?). It feels jagged and hard like an ulcer of some kind. My symptoms could also indicate a rectal ulcer I guess. I'm going to wait another 6 weeks and then try to see the proctologist again if situation continues. I regularly get mouth ulcers (no specific cause) so I'm familiar with the sensations and I would not rule it out at the opposite end of my digestive tract.

Your problem does sound like an abscess, and I had a similar experience where after a particularly nasty and discoloured bowel movement I found my pain and swelling went down almost immediately. However, sadly it was also temporary. Even if you did have an abscess, they almost always recurr without surgery.

I've also tried using Advil to take the edge off the pain. It doesn't help much but it's better than nothing. The nifedipine ointment (well, mostly the 5% lidocaine in it) also provides moderate pain relief since it's an anesthetic. Unfortunately applying it with my finger deep inside probably aggravates any healing since my pharmacy can't seem to make it into a tube with an applicator.

[Unregistered]

i had rectal cancer surgery sept. 05. dr.told me cramping i had would go away once they removed my temporary ostomy bag. when it continued i was told to eat more fruits and vegetables. my primary physician said to try metamucil. i found an article that mentioned taking valium to relax muscle cramping and i just picked up my prescription. iwill let you know if it works. in the meantime i take a hot bath and 2 advil which takes some of the edge off . ..

i have been using the valium/generic name diazepam and i seem to be doing better. i take one 5mg. tablet 3 times a day and i seldom need to take advil any longer.not only has it helped the cramping but i have stopped taking fiber capsules.i had also had problems with multiple bowel movements sometimes 10 or12 tiny ones accompanied with cramping and now that has also greatly improved.i have scheduled a colonoscopy for next month.hope this can be of some help to someone.

[Unregistered]

Original poster here with an update.

Christmas time with rectal pain wasn't fun, but with time off of work and get more rest I found my pain improving. By the end of Januray I really felt like I was healing and about 95% of the way back to normal with only mild discomfort occasionally.

At that point I *finally* managed to get an appointment to see a Proctologist. I had a Sigmoidoscopy and Anoscopy performed which the doctor said revealed nothing. I wasn't as concerned because I had been feeling almost normal for a month and thought I was out of the woods. He said the remainng discomfort was probably related to mild external hemorroids.

However, two weeks later the pain started again and is back to the previous level. I'm continuing to use Nifadipine ointment and Metamucil, Sitz baths, etc.

It's very frustrating since I thought I was clear. It's made me short tempered at work, too. While applying my nifedipine I've found a small cut/lesion about 2 inches inside on the roof of my rectum (anterior?). It feels jagged and hard like an ulcer of some kind. My symptoms could also indicate a rectal ulcer I guess. I'm going to wait another 6 weeks and then try to see the proctologist again if situation continues. I regularly get mouth ulcers (no specific cause) so I'm familiar with the sensations and I would not rule it out at the opposite end of my digestive tract.

Your problem does sound like an abscess, and I had a similar experience where after a particularly nasty and discoloured bowel movement I found my pain and swelling went down almost immediately. However, sadly it was also temporary. Even if you did have an abscess, they almost always recurr without surgery.

I've also tried using Advil to take the edge off the pain. It doesn't help much but it's better than nothing. The nifedipine ointment (well, mostly the 5% lidocaine in it) also provides moderate pain relief since it's an anesthetic. Unfortunately applying it with my finger deep inside probably aggravates any healing since my pharmacy can't seem to make it into a tube with an applicator.

There is a soap called Miracle Soap that does something to neutralize what ever the problem may be..check it out on Google.

[TheBlueBowl]

i have been using the valium/generic name diazepam and i seem to be doing better. i take one 5mg. tablet 3 times a day and i seldom need to take advil any longer.not only has it helped the cramping but i have stopped taking fiber capsules.i had also had problems with multiple bowel movements sometimes 10 or12 tiny ones accompanied with cramping and now that has also greatly improved.i have scheduled a colonoscopy for next month.hope this can be of some help to someone.

YES, VALIUM HELPS!!
I've got some sort of prolapse going on down there, only when I 'go', then I push it back in, but often then have pretty bad pain in my *** (pun intended) all day, especially since I have a sit-down job. Have been trying everything to self medicate this, dreading going to proctologist because I think I'll need prolapse surgery...but worse than that is the pain, when it hurts, nothing makes it better. The lidocaine/hydrocortisone the doc prescribed made my pain worse, too, (as another poster said), sitz baths make it worse, ice helps very temporarily (as soon as i take the ice off, it hurts again). I have found that valium (diazepam) DOES HELP. I take the tiniest bit (because I am very sensitive to drugs), I take a quarter of a 5 mg pill (that's 1.25 mgs!!) and it has helped tonight tremendously, I may have to take another dose, but anyway....valium is a muscle relaxant (among other things). If this is what I need to continue to take to make this better, then I will DO IT. I was interested and happy to see someone else found relief from similar symptoms from valium--the lesson here is that sometimes what helps is NOT what you would THINK...like the lidocaine etc etc...that only made it worse. And another thing--no doc suggested the valium, I came up with that on my own. Usually is the case!!

[Unregistered]

I have been in pain for 1 1/2 years. It took 6 mos. to diagnose me with Adenmyosis (much like Endo). I had sever pelvic pain, Xrays, MRI, ultra sounds, Ct scans...they found nothing. Anyway...I had a total hysterectomy Sept 2006, by Oct I was off the morphine patch that was semi controlling my pain. I was still feeling surgical discomfort and mild pelvic pain when I started having rectal pain. The OBGYN told me "You shouldn't be feeling that pain" (Well DUH!!!! ) "I needed to give it more time". In July I saw a partner OBGYN and she told me that it sounded like it was Chronic pain but she thought it should clear up. Confused I Went tomy Gastro Dr. He did a digital rectal exam and I was told I had a fissure (his words " a small tear inside"). He told me he was going to give me a cream and left the room. I was sure the man was not hearing me. I had constant life altering sever pain what was a creme going to do???. With depression and frustration I saw a GP and she listened. I started valium to relax muscles and hydrocortisone suppository for fissure. Diagnosis: Proctalgia and Levator ani syndrome. If this doesn't work..next stop Colon-Rectal Surgen. Atleast I again have some hope.

[ambrnicoles]

About two months ago I began feeling a pain in my rectal area that was uncomfortable but bearable. My grandma had gotten into a bad car accident and I had been spending a lot of time at the hospital. I thought it was because of stress and sudden bad eating habits. One night I had a bowel movement that left me unable to move. I stayed up all night crying, but was too embarassed to tell anyone. Finally, I told my mom when the pain did not let up at all. She made an appointment with my general practitioner. She told me I had a hemerrhoid, prescribed some suppositories and stool softeners, then sent me home. Nothing she prescribed gave me any relief. After three days of endless calls to my doctor (who would not call me back until she realized I wasn't going to stop calling) I had an appointment with a specialist. The specialist said I had a "tender hemerrhoid" and sent me home with a cream. The pain seemed to start to ease up for a couple of days. However, the pain came back even worse than before. I went back to the "specialist" who turned out to be a general surgeon. He told me if I did not feel any better in a week he would schedule surgery. He didn't want to cut the hemerrhoid b/c he had seen plenty of them and it did not look thrombosed. That day I made an appointment with a colo-rectal surgeon. He took one look at me and said I had a thrombosed hemerrhoid that had ruptured and some infection. He scheduled surgery for the next day. After crying, worrying, and pooping (for the surgery) all night I went in for the surgery. After I woke up, I was told I had an abcess that had ruptured on its own and a fistula (which was an abnornal tunnel that had developed to drain the abcess). I also had two hemerrhoids which he did not touch because he said I would not be able to handle the pain. He said he didn't know how I could have stood the pain. He opened the fistula up, drained the infection, and left me with an open wound which he said would heal from the inside out. The pain and bleeding were uncomfortable, but I think the fear of having pain was worse than the actual pain. Mostly bowel movements hurt (but not as bad as before). After three weeks, I went back for a check up and it turns out my wound healed into a fissure. He prescribed the nifedipine/lidocaine ointment and said if I did not heal I may have to have surgery again. After a week I have experienced releif. However, I feel like I'm just waiting for the pain to come back. I now have a fissure and hemerrhoids and I pray that the fissure will heal and that the hemerrhoids will not bother me. These past two or three months have been a nightmare of pain. I feel ten times better than I did before the surgery, but still live in fear. I just wanted to share my experience b/c many of the stories sound familiar. Pain that persists and not knowing the source of that pain is extremly depressing. I am only 22 years old and have never felt so much pain in my life. I also have an anxiety disorder which I feel adds to these feelings. When I woke up from my surgery and was told what was wrong with me I had the worst panic attack in my life. I see my friends and boyfriend enjoying life and seeming to have no worries and just want to cry. You feel like you will never get better and that your whole life revolves around the pain. If your pain does not ease at all, keep bothering your doctor. Research doctors and find somebody you feel you can trust. Nobody should have to feel that bad, when there is a solution out there.

[RectalPain]

I experienced severe rectal pain for about 10 months several hours a day. Went to my Internist and two gastrointerologists. Had a colonoscopy. None were able to diagnosis my problem. Not sure they really took me seriously. They prescribed different creams and sent me on my way. A couple months ago I started a regimen of Miralax one day, and Exlax the next. Repeating each every other day. I've also been eating Sunsweet Gold Label pitted prunes every day, and Activia Light Fat Free yogurt several times per week. Of course, I eat other foods too. But adding these things into my diet seems to have done the trick. I have been pain free for almost two months. It makes such a difference NOT having rectal pain several hours each day. If you try it, I hope it works. If not, I hope you find something that will stop the pain.