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

[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

[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

[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.

[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!

[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

[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?