Rectal pain, Anyone?

[seawalker]

I think this is quite uncommon, but it would be nice to know if anyone else experiences neuropathic rectal pain (not from bowel care).

For me, it feels like there is a golf ball, or broom stick lodged in my rectum all day long, I get this feeling only every other day. Very wierd. The neurologist at my SCI rehab said that he had a patient say that it felt like she had a hot poker up there all the time.

It was suggested that I increase my dose of neurontin, which makes sense, but it doesnt help at all. I Know my neurogenic bowel isnt helping this either.

I doubt there is much I can do about it, but it would be nice to know if anyone else has this sensation.

[Curt Leatherbee]

Ya, I have it. I think it is just from the injured nerves in the center of the spinal cord and it simply gives you this sensation since you can't feel your rectum. The central nervous system is a quirky thing for sure. Just try to stay busy and not focused on the pain is the best thing you can generally hope for if meds don't seem to help.

[seawalker]

Nice to know im not alone, the wife may not think im as crazy anymore! I always go to worst case too. Have you guys found anything at all that helps? Keeping my mind off of it has pretty much been all I can do too (had it for almost a year too) but lately the sensation has become more severe and painful its impossible to ignore.

I have found that sitting on a hard surface makes it worse, and have started to sit on one of those donut cushions which helps. I also notice that when my bowels are cleaned out (like after a run with loose stool) I dont have the sensation. I can feel my rectum some what, and I can tell after a bowel movement that there is always a bit of stool that stays in the shoot (to high to remove) Leads me to believe that the stool is irritating and contributing to the problem but not necessarily the root cause I feel like if I could completely eliminate my bowels, the pain would not be as much of an issue. Keeping things soft helps a bit but is not near enough.

[jody]

Ya, I have it. I think it is just from the injured nerves in the center of the spinal cord and it simply gives you this sensation since you can't feel your rectum. The central nervous system is a quirky thing for sure. Just try to stay busy and not focused on the pain is the best thing you can generally hope for if meds don't seem to help.

I can feel mine now, and have tone, that I did not have for five years, but the burning is much worse now that there is not so much numbness.

[fishin'guy]

Yes seawalker, I ahve the pain, it varies from foot to calf muscle to the rectum to the perineium, wow what a zinger that is. lasts about 20 seconds then again in 20-35 seconds it hits again. Gawd if I didn't know any better, maybe treat it like a electro shock to get off, but dang it HURTS! Sympathize with ya , good luck.

[Tim C.]

Count me in to your group of the unlucky SCI. Why do I always seem to relate to these "does anyone else suffer from" threads? Just once I'd like to read one of these threads and say "shit it must suck to be you".
Most of my intense rectum pain follows dig stimming. Though it's more like blinding pain. When I get stimmed I see stars. My daily 15 mins of Hell. It then takes me an hour just to recover.

[Lynne]

This may not apply here but since I can identify with rectal pain I'll chime in. I have rectal sensation and WAS suffering from an anal fissure. The pain was awful. My internist prescribed 0.2% nitroglycerin cream. It's REALLY important to have it formulated to 0.2% and not the standard 2.0%. I applied a DOT of this stuff and the pain was gone in seconds. Supposedly I was having spasms of the spincter which the nitro calmed. It was a life saver for me. Of course one has to be careful about blood pressure when using this stuff. And if you use more than a DOT you'll get a headache. I hope this has some relevance for you.

[Lynne]

This may not apply here but since I can identify with rectal pain I'll chime in. I have rectal sensation and WAS suffering from an anal fissure. The pain was awful. My internist prescribed 0.2% nitroglycerin cream. It's REALLY important to have it formulated to 0.2% and not the standard 2.0%. I applied a DOT of this stuff and the pain was gone in seconds. Supposedly I was having spasms of the spincter which the nitro calmed. It was a life saver for me. Of course one has to be careful about blood pressure when using this stuff. And if you use more than a DOT you'll get a headache. I hope this has some relevance for you.

You really need to apply just a dab of this stuff to get relief. Just a dab on the end of your finger applied to the rectal area and slightly inside. As I said, too much will give you a headache. I used to just apply it and lie down for a few minutes. The pain was gone.

[seawalker]

lynne, thank you. After my doc gave me the 2.0% formula, I went back and looked at your old post. He did not believe me, so I used your info to find proof in a GI medical journel stateting that it needed to be 0.2%. Then he took me seriously. The pharmacy at johns hopkins couldn't make this stuff. What a world class institution! I had to find a compounding pharmacy to make it and am waiting for it to come in the mail. I hope it works. Thanks again. You saved my butt.

[Kathi49]

I have it as well but not daily or even every night; just every once in awhile. Actually, for me, it is Levator Ani muscles. But as Curt said yep, coming from lower spine. Of course everyone is different but it took me 3 years to get it sorted out. I was going back and forth from my spine doc to the Urogyn as I had one test after another. And I don't want to get graphic but what really helped was pelvic floor PT. Having said that, being a woman is quite different than what the men have to go through in regards to this. Even so, just know...men get this problem too. Again, I am not sure if we are speaking of the same thing. All I knew is that I was having gawdawful spasms without knowing why. Seawalker, yes, use the donut cushion and yep, avoid sitting on hard surfaces. But beware of one thing with the cushion. It can also cause those muscles to stretch even farther. I only use my own when I drive. There are also exercises they taught me. I don't know if you can do them. But one of them was squats. And last but not least, what really helps is Valium. I will just cut the pill in half, take it and wait for a little while. Normally about 20 minutes. Also, if you can, get a "lumbar roll" to put behind you. That way you are not sitting on your tailbone. It kind of pushed me up and forward causing me to sit on the "sit bones" and not my spine so to say. Oops, one more thing. This is going to sound weird. But get a microwave "bed buddy". I know, I know, it sounds goofy. But the heat also helps. Okay, enough of me. Like I said, I am not sure if any of this will help. It is just what I have had to do.