Rectal spasm relief

[SeekingHelp6708]

Hello,
I am asking this question on behalf of my husband. For the past couple of years he has been suffering with rectal spasms, pain/soreness and pressure after he has a bowel movement and this lasts for hours almost into days.  He has tried cyst baths, suppositories and Preparation H creams...nothing seems to work.  The doctors we've seen don't help any  because they haven't given us anything that relieves it.  I would greatly appreciate any feedback or help that could relieve him from this.

Thank you,

SeekingHelp6078

[loveislife0601]

I've been experiencing the same thing for almost a year after hysterectomy. Anal and vaginal pain. Diagnosed with Pelvic Floor Dysfunction. Saw numerous doctors and tests. See a Pelvic Floor Therapist weekly who does vaginal and rectal internal therapy. Advised not to sit for extended periods of time. Sit on ice pack as needed. Use vaginal valium as needed to relaxed muscles. Pudendal nerve is irritated by surrounding muscles.  Pudendal Nerve has 3 branches. One of them goes to the rectum.  That can get compressed woke sitting of it's already irritated.

[thanksgiving]

I've had the exact problem and it started after my hyst, also. It has been 16 yrs now of H---. I first thought it was all vaginal, but have realized that it is both vaginal and anal/rectum. I do know my vaginal tissues are involved but it is also the other. I know I have a kink in my colon at times and it feels like I need to have a bm, but nothing there. I have been splinting for yrs.(this is inserting your thumb into your vagina and pressing down to help with the bm) but there are times when I can tell that the stool is not down there so it is hopeless. Just horrible. It is not just pain but horrible pressure.The pain is worse after the bm, and the pelvic floor muscles have fore shortened and this is part of the pain problem. I have read EVERYTHING on the pelvic floor dysfunction and I haven't been to a colon/rectal dr. but about 30 other specialists, at least 2 of each kind. Had 2 colonoscopies and the first one did say I had a kink and could only go so far because of it.They gave me something to relax the colon to get the job done, but the second one said no problems in there. I've had a prolapse repair, it helped a little but I still have the pain. I could go on and on, but I've told this story so many times I don't have the energy (am 67, had the hyst at 51) Did the physical therapist help you? I've thought all along that I had a compressed nerve, and I have studied all about the Pudental nerve and pelvic floor neuralgia and everything else down there. I have also discovered that I have a connective tissue disorder and these problems can go along with all this. I would love to hear back from you if possible. I know this is an old forum, and I have not been here before so I don't know if this can be followed.  

[ohtime7]

Is that all you ate for 7 months?? I'm thinking about doing the same thing you did. Also, should I still be mindful as to how long I sit or stand when I change my lifestyle?

[Tuckamore]

This post is very old. Unfortunately Seeking Help is no longer active in our community. I encourage you to begin a new thread/question.

This may be more suited in our Gastroenterology Forum. Here's the link:

http://www.medhelp.org/forums/Gastroenterology/show/68

Thank You,
~Tuck

[Mehrdad94]

I'm from Iran, Sorry for my poor English
I'm sorry to hear your husband suffers a symptom like me  
Many doctors referred, rarely are sensitive to these kinds of rare problems and not much updated especially in Eastern countries
I started a deep study myself and found the final solution to my problem
Most of these symptoms are related to our mind and unconsciousness
IBS, IBD and many other gastrointestinal problems are aroused from industrialized busy under pressed life styles of us and the most important from "Emotional traumas"...
Many moral and sentimental pressures inside our mind cause unsensable STRESS, long term and recurrent stress will find a route into most vulnerable parts of our body like Gastrointestinal track
My key is beside classical treatments of fiber, psylium, laxatives, tracking,  Librax, Diazepam... pouring some accumulated stress out of your mind through variant severe emotional physical activities, in most cases the best is martial arts exercises, Boxing for example... even weight lifting and body building will gradually help you to pour some major parts of your sentimental loads accumulated through different accidents in your life out of your mind  and so nervous system, just some examples of the case:   http://gut.bmj.com/content/45/suppl_2/II55.full
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3218134/
It seems strange but i managed to completely heal a 1.5 year chronic anal and rectum spams with its subsequent symptoms of constipation, pain, inflammation, proctatitis... with just purchasing some Boxing material and having 3 times exercises weekly in home.
Less doctors in the world may offer you such a kind of psycho therapy but i'm assured it may be beneficial to a large population of psychosomatic patients.
Athletes are healthier :)
Wish you all perfect health
Mehrdad

[MissyKissy]

You would first have to have fiber in your diet and maybe a stool softener (I use them together occasionally). I take them (Ducosate) twice a day. Before I have my bowel movement (if I'm lucky it's once a day if I can clear my colon) in the morning I will lather up with lidocaine jelly followed by Vaseline or desitin diaper rash cream to coat what I felt like a fissure and two hemorrhoids and a skin tag where I believe to be the site of the fissure. I went out of town and left all of my usual bathroom hemorrhoid supplies (creams, witch hazel, and a stool not to mention they only had showers in the hotel no baths) I couldn't eat there and couldn't bring myself too eat while on vacation so I became constipated and came home sore and afraid to poo and pass gas. As stated previously when I came home I immediately lathered up with Vaseline and  desitin diaper cream because it is so thick and it could coat the already raw hemorrhoid and anal fissure and allow me to heal without it being further damaged by passing feces. After I had my bowel movement I wipe with witch hazel soaked tissue then immediately jump in the hot bath awaiting me. (I like mine hot even in the summer because the heat just relaxes the entire body including your butt). I then push the hemorrhoid back in because even through the painful process of pushing it back in it is worth it because it hurts less when it's in. So I will soak for about 1-2 hours (I am afforded the time to heal) 30 mins. May be all you need. Make sure you clean the area well not using drying soaps or perfumed soaps. Afterwards dry the area well,using lidocaine jelly, Vaseline, or desitin diaper cream, try to insert a anti-inflammatory suppository. At one point it burned so bad and I could my butt swollen I had to break them in half and insert them by pieces. But they helped and I healed with a week of treating them properly. May I add that I do squat over the toilet with the help of a stool that brings my knees to my chest. It adds more comfort and lines your colon up to make it easier to expel your poo. I pray you all feel better as I too know the pain and doctors only tell me my option is surgery. I'm looking for better ways. Keep your heads up ppl. It will get better.

[clerst]

I have been having same issues for 3 years.  Being a male it was cutting off urinary function.  Although I did not have a swollen prostate I was on multiple prostate meds and antibiotics I gave up and did my own research.

I have no fissures or hemorroids  or bleeding, just spasming.

PELVIC FLOOR DYSFUNCTION   from below the belly button to rectum.  

I talked my urologist into the idea and he gave me the referral I needed.  I found a local physical therapist who deals with this.  There a few books out there also, if you cant find a therapist.  We first started with anal biofeedback.  I was told normal relaxed state is 3 pushing is 6.  My relaxed state was 8.  I manage with particular exercises, massage - interior and exterior and about to try rectal valium  (it is referred to on drugs.com).  I am now off all of the antibiotics and prostate meds.

[WorstPainKnownToMan]

You are most welcome. I just hoped someone, anyone, could be helped by hearing about how I survived my extremely painful extended ordeal while what receiving virtually no help from the available medical experts (Edmonton, Alberta, Canada). It has been 4 years now since my ordeal started and I am now fully convinced that my problem with rectal fissures, hemorrhoids, and then the unbearable spasms, were entirely due to over consumption (for me) of alcohol and in particular RED wine. I know that not everyone is affected the same way by alcohol... I still very much enjoy a cold beer (up to 3 a day, max, and maybe 7-8, or so, per week; and a glass of wine with meals, but I try not to have more than 2 glasses in a day, of white wine, or one glass of red. I do still get minor rectal bleeding (very minor) after drinking more than a glass of wine, but then I will cut out all alcohol for at least week, or so, after to ensure bleeding has stopped.  As I wrote in my earlier post, for about 30 years I suffered intermittently about twice a year, for several weeks each time, from hemorrhoids and a bleeding rectal fissure, but since I have limited my consumption of alcohol I have not suffered from those conditions for about 3 1/2 years now, let alone the spasms, and I am extremely thankful for this nearly every day!!

[painfulcondition]

That is a very inspiring story for all suffering from the condition, thank you for your post

[shinty]

This is an ancient post. Start a new one if you have information, or need information. You will get much better results.

[NellieBofMN]

Going crazy.....practically!  I have been having rectal pain for almost 3 months.  I thought it was hemorrhoids, doc prescribed suppositories.....still had problems a couple weeks later, saw a PA, who had a colon and rectal surgeon look. Surgeon saw a fissure....following all his recommendations still had pain....saw him for a follow up 3 weeks later.  At that exam, he said "no fissure"....see you back in 6 weeks! Week later...excrutiating pain, another doc...ct scan...no fissure, no abnormalities found in ct scan....still in pain and couldn't WAIT 6 weeks for specialist, and couldn't get in any sooner.  Called another specialist....been in twice in 1 week!  I'm tired of pain, tired of feeling like the med professionals think I'm "overreacting" to the pain!!!  Was prescribed Valium....which knocks me out for HOURS!!  Tired of not being able to function just because of a pain in the a$$! Does anyone have an idea of what to take for the spasms besides Valium?  I use lidocaine jelly, Diltiazem ointment, alternate Tylenol and ibuprofen every 3 hours, use metimucil 2x's a day, take sitz baths 2-3 times a day! Any advice!  My husband and my kids have all refused to hit me over the head with a hammer!! Lol!  Thanks!

[Katie4170]

I get rectal spasms....having one right now. I am sitting on a heating pad.these things hurt so much..I am almost crying.I was told to massage my rectum too.

[shinty]

I sent a message to your inbox.

[ange274]

I did see a doctor at the emergency room and he asked me to see my regular doctor for a follow up, which I will.  I am just hoping that the spasms go away soon. I cannot deal with the burning sensation and discomfort. Thank you

[ange274]

I am having the same problem, went to the emergency room with severe burning sensation, the suppositories given are not helping.  Is this going to last very long?  I had it for a few days but it is extremely uncomfortable and cannot wait for it to go away. Kindly advise.  Thank you

[ange274]

I am having the same problem, went to the emergency room with severe burning sensation, the suppositories given are not helping.  Is this going to last very long?  I had it for a few days but it is extremely uncomfortable and cannot wait for it to go away. Kindly advise.  Thank you

[WorstPainKnownToMan]

I had severe rectal spasms that started in June 2010 and lasted for almost 3 months. Pain occurred immediately after a bowel movement and was so severe that I could not even stand up for 15 to 20 minutes after the BM. I was diagnosed over 30 years ago as having an "fissure" in my rectum. For over 30 years I have had bleeding and hemorrhoids, about 2 times per year, for 2 or 3 weeks at a time, but never had the rectal spasms until 2010. The spasms started after one of my "bouts" of rectal bleeding and hemorrhoids. I was using "Prep H' suppositories for pain and these seemed to help at first but then the pain just started getting worse. I went to a medi-centre and the GP prescribed a stronger suppository. I used these for about 2 weeks but started getting the rectal spasms. I was traveling away from home for about a week and the spasms and pain kept getting worse. I started taking 400mg IBUPROFEN 4 times per day for the pain. This was exceeding the recommended dose. I went to see my GP after returning home. He prescribed a muscle relaxant, a pain medication, and an ointment, none of which seemed to help much. He also referred me to a specialist for examination, etc. I decided that since that spasms occurred after a BM that I would reduce my food intake as much as possible and change my diet. I cut out ALL MEAT and BREAD. For breakfast I had 2 glasses of soy milk with fruit juice and 3 or 4 prunes. For lunch and supper I had one or more of the following: fruit, spinach salad, vegetables, lentil/vegetable soup, or hummous with corn chips, Avocado, and 2 more glasses of soy milk. I started taking metamucil daily to try to ensure easier BMs. My goal was to reduce the amount of food ingested, reduce the amount that had to eliminate, and ensure that I was not constipated. I also cut out ALL ALCOHOL! My BMs also became very painful for over 2 months it felt like I was passing glass shards. Unfortunately side-effects of the muscle relaxant and the pain killer that the GP prescribed included constipation!!  I did a lot of reading on-line to see how others had dealt with rectal bleeding and spasms. I found a number of recommended herbal supplements etc which I tried. My new daily routine included taking the muscle relaxant at 4 AM, then getting up at 5:30 and doing yoga exercises to try to get my bowels moving so that my BM would occur by 6AM, then I would have about 2 hours for the rectal spasms to subside before I started work at the office at 8am. I could relieve the pain of the spasms somewhat by massaging my rectum, externally! This ordeal of unbearable spasms after each BM lasted for almost 3 months, but did gradually subside. I still had extreme pain from the hemorrhoids for about another 3 months after that. I gradually reduced the amount of muscle relaxant and pain medication as my symptoms diminished. I was almost pain free after about 7 months of my new diet and I lost about 25 pounds or so due to reduced calorie intake. I believe that the extremely painful hemorrhoids, rectal bleeding, and RECTAL SPASMS resulted from drinking too much wine, particularly red wine. I was tasting a large selection of wines for about a month before the spasms started because I was going to choose and buy the wine for my daughters wedding reception! I have now pretty much gone back to the diet that I had before the spasms and drink much LESS ALCOHOL than I did before. I have not had any rectal bleeding, or hemorrhoids for almost 3 years now, whereas in the past I had these about 2 times per year for almost 30 years. I have no doubt that my improved health is due to reduced consumption of alcohol!

[Meformom]

Help. My mom is suffering from these rectal spasms and I feel powerless to help her. She is 83 years old. Can Lanacane help with the pain?

[tman667]

I am going through the same ordeal and I agree that after the initial diagnosis of a Fissure it became obvious that the spasm after a Bowel Movement is the cause of the fissure being unable to heal.  I am being treated with Nitroglycerin 0.2% and it does help with the spasm but I have yet to find any kind of permanent disclosure for the problem. I was at first treated with Hydrocortisone suppositories and cream with no results at all when after three weeks I wound up at an Emergency Room and was told there that Hydrocortisone was the wrong treatment and when I was started on the Nitro. I was also advised to use Nupercainal cream for the fissure pain which works pretty good.  It all takes the edge off and it has been 6 weeks for me.  The pain is nothing like I have ever had but I am keeping faith and trying to remember the adage " Time heals all wounds"
  Good Luck to all of us in this ordeal

[bbob772]

to complete my thought... so it seems in a lot of cases to be more a problem of keeping the spasms from happening than of treating the tear/wound/skin tag directly.  Does anyone agree/disagree?

I'm not seeing a doctor, but will if needed. It's incredibly painful at times but has been just 3 weeks.

I read somewhere that 20% of people, and probably more than that who don't own up to it, get anal fissures in their lifetime.  

I wish you all well!

[bbob772]

I've been experiencing this as well and I find from reading that it's the spasms that do most of the tearing and keeping the fissure from naturally healing, so long as you're keeping stool soft, with laxatives, fiber, etc. But the spasm is hyper constricting the smooth muscle above the rectum (the part with damn too many nerve cells that leads to the anus).  When the one smooth /unnerved muscle hyper tenses continually or in a spasm- that tears at the fissure.  That's how I understand it, and am absolutely willing to be corrected.  However, the trick seems to be in stopping the spasm/tension.  As I understand it- this can be done procedurally with botox or by cutting/incising the muscle in such a way that it doesn't basically yank on the fissure way down near the opening.  I guess that's also the point of the sitz bath- to calm the muscle around the lower colon.

[hambone428]

Sorry to hear about your husband. I currently have an anal fissure and am suffering from anal spasms. I find they usually start an hour or two after a bowel movement and have noticed not as bad with softer stool. Have cut back on red meat and to much protein and take a daily fiber supplement to help with softer stool. Also doc prescribed PROMOXINE HCI 1% cream to help heal the fissure but once I started using it after BM's I think it helps with pain and spasms. Hope he finds something soon cuz it is not pleasant

[BOK2Bjan]

Hi - my sympathies.  I can relate to his difficulties and pain and it is no fun.  I have had a prolapsed rectum, which required major surgery.  I had part of my colon removed and also did a repair of the rectum.  There are several tests that can be done - none of them fun, believe me - to diagnose the problem.  There are GI Motility specialists as well as general Gastroenterologists and Colo-Rectal Surgeons.  They can take x-rays of the rectum and anus expelling stool (fake stool) in a lab and measure the contractions and determine if there are abnormal spasms taking place.  When I first entered this world, I thought I'd die of embarassment just getting on their "tilt-table", where you have to "bear down" while they examine you.  Then to hear about this passing stood test - well!  But you just have to do what you have to do - and besides - this is what they chose to do for a living - so - as my internist says - you have to just picture him or her having to go through it with you.  There's a great Colo-Rectal Surgeon song I'll have to find a link to for you - it's very funny - and humor helps with these situations.

Tell your husband that there are many out here who can relate and to seek help sooner rather than later.  If he saw a doctor who doesn't normally deal with this area of medicine it is easy for them to just pass him off, ignoring the possible seriousness and discomfort for the patient.  I wish him well.

Blessings, Jan

[Tuckamore]

A proctologist more often referred to as a colorectal surgeon, is a medical professional who specializes in diseases of the colon, rectum, and anus.

A gastroenterologist deals with the diseases and disorders of the gastrointestinal tract such as the stomach, small and large bowel, etc. They are two different practices but can work often together.

[SeekingHelp6708]

What is the difference between a Gastroenterologist and a Proctologist?