Sore bottom ruining my life

[Agonydownbelow]

Hesitated about posting this for fear of being accused of being a troll. But I’m so desperate for help I don’t even care about anything anymore. I’m a regular poster etc but obviously any concerns feel free to report etc

I go through spells where my rectum/anus is excruciating. Like I don’t just mean a bit stingy, I mean absolutely excruciating. It’s bad when sitting and walking about but particularly bad when passing stools. It feels like I’m being torn apart and I sometimes wake up from sleeping because of the pain of it. I get bleeding on wiping too (usually red) The painful flare ups last anything from a few days to a few weeks. I’ve been checked for piles and anus fissures during flare ups and it’s been neither. I’ve also had a sigmoidoscopy which was clear. Even though fissures have been ruled out, I still tried things like anusol and other treatments which didn’t help either.

today it was so bad that I was screaming whilst going to the toilet and gripped the wall so hard that 3 of my acrylics and my own nailbeds were ripped off. I didn’t even notice the pain of it because i was in so much rectal pain. I also woke up during the night last night with the area throbbing in pain and I’ve had more red blood on wiping. There’s no obvious irritation externally and piles and fissures have been ruled out by the GP

I’ve been to my GP 14 times for this.Been referred to gastro 3 times. Clear bloods and calprotectin fine. They said everything serious has been ruled out and won’t accept another referral for me, but equally the GP cant help either and said I need to learn to live with it myself (how???) I also can’t afford to go privately for at least 2 years until I save up :(

I’m not constipated (usually the opposite problem) but I tried stool softeners anyway- again no, help. I don’t eat spicy foods or foods that might cause irritation when passing.

please tell me has someone else experienced this and have any advice or things I could try to help this? Im not being melodramatic when I say it’s ruining my life

Oh sorry, we cross posted.

@Agonydownbelow oh bless you, how awful

Id just like to add that endometriosis pain does not just occur around your time of the month necessarily

Is to worth looking at Benenden? I think they gave a waiting time before you can use them, and I don't know if it would cover your issues so you'd have to check, but they are very reasonably priced so worth checking out I think.

Proctalgia fugax is eye-wateringly painful, much as you describe and it is just possible that you have internal piles (hence the blood) that might trigger this. When it next happens lie on your back on the floor and roll your knees up and clutch them with your hands - stay in that position till it subsides.

Have you considered pruritus ani? Have a look at pranicura.com. Their cream is pricey (comes from the US) but a pot lasts over and year really works

Also try using Vaseline after every bowel movement and when it's particularly bad try an anti histamine

It's hideous and every sympathy to you

Who develops crippling arse pain due to stress and anxiety?!

It makes me so fucking angry how womens' pain is dismissed like that.

So sorry OP, I hope you can get help, it sounds absolutely dreadful.

Using an inhaler can stop that horrendous javelin arse pain. In its tracks.

Right?! We don’t know what it is so ….

If your GP can't help then they need to refer you again as you cannot go through life like this. Ask to be referred to a colorectal surgeon.

Metanium is the cream a PP couldn’t remember the name of.

I second the suggestion of endometriosis ‘javelin arse’. Endo can be excruciatingly painful or silent so you may not have other symptoms.

Is it still possible to pay for a one off specialist appointment just to get a correct diagnosis then be referred back to the gp?

Another one saying rectovaginal endometriosi:

"The pain may be aggravated by movement, such as walking or turning over in bed, and may be interspersed with pain that is described as sudden ‘sharp’, ‘stabbing’ or ‘shooting’ due to nerve and/or adhesion involvement. There may be such shooting pains up the rectum and/or vagina. Sitting for any time is often painful"

"Painful sex is common, especially with deep penetration, with pain often persisting afterwards. This is due to pressure on tender nodules behind the cervix. Internal examinations can cause the same effect. Bowel movements may be infrequent and painful with constipation and pain on expelling wind.:

"Much of the pain is commonly present throughout the menstrual cycle since nerve and adhesion pain is not caused by oestrogen but may be exacerbated before and/or during a period. Pelvic pain can be severe enough that conventional pain relief medication is ineffective."

"One helpful distinguishing point is that with involvement of the rectum by endometriosis, patients frequently have pain with every bowel movement during the month, whereas patients with cul-de-sac or uterosacral ligament disease without rectal disease may complain of painful bowel movements only with menses."

Whaaaat?! Why didn't I know this! Thankyou!

It's not really the inhaler that helps, it's exhaling strongly and bearing down a bit, as if you're doing a poo. You don't need the inhaler bit for it to work.

I use the blue ventolin inhaler, works like magic.

It is. I don’t bear down. I often get woken up by this excruciating pains and half asleep and in agony does not equate to ‘bearing down’.

Ok, well it works for me and I don't own an inhaler 😁

Try it Seas164, don’t take my word for it 👍

Have you treated for piles with a cream and suppository even though they cant be felt?

Is the pain only when having a poo?

So sorry you are having such an awful time! And I can’t believe you’ve never seen a specialist - that’s awful.
There is a specialist nhs bowel hospital in London called St Marks. One of my mum’s friends used to work there as a physio and I know she specialised in anal pain. She’s now retired. https://www.stmarkshospital.nhs.uk/
is it worth seeing if the GP would refer you there? I really hope you can get it sorted out! Hugs xx

So you don’t know if the inhaler works then? What a strange little conversation we just had…..

I used to get sudden onset proctalgia and it is horrendous. Eventually it all settled down, not sure why it came and then went. I was only in my 30s at the time. As for poor you, I’m not sure what to suggest. As others have said try a different doctor, but yes, I do feel you should insist on further investigations. Perhaps an in depth letter to your explaining how this is ruining your life? I do feel for you. You are entitled to a further specialist opinion.

I'm saying that IME it's the action of exhaling that eases it; it was a tip I read on Mumsnet actually if I remember rightly.

I had loose stools that led to pain (not anything like what you describe though), and it turned out it was because I was low in vitamin B12. Might be worth checking out? If you eat a largely vegan diet, or are 50ish+ it's more common.

My other symptoms were a scalloped tongue and higher than normal (but not worryingly so) hair loss.