Advice on organ prolapse pessary for exercise

[Madmussells]

Hi All, I've had uncomfortable stage 2/3 prolapse for a couple of years now. NHS physio told me to ask my GP for a pessary so I could continue running and hopefully ease the pain. My GP scoffed at me and said 'oh no, pessaries aren't for you'. I didn't know what to say- My GP is a bit of a cow and I always get nervous speaking to her. I haven't been running since and my fitness is getting worse and worse, making me feel rubbish.

I guess my questions are: does anyone else have a pessary? Should I go back to my Dr and push for one? If pessaries arebt for me, what else can I do?

I feel really helpless to get fit - can't run, can't do any high impact exercise, core exercise or squats. It's getting me down. Any advice really welcome.

Hello, no advice regarding the pessary but would cycling help as a lower impact exercise if running is problematic?

Following as I was wondering about the same thing. I was wondering about buying one of these https://www.stressnomore.co.uk/contiform-vaginal-pessary-82820.html?gad_source=1&gclid=CjwKCAiAq4KuBhA6EiwArMAw1FcDMvSGjE2LJsqmc4mfa2W94oem3pQIeeaxVTO6LRR-UFj59AwbeBoCYBQQAvD_BwE
Does anyone have any experience?

Hi Potatoprimo, I do some cycling when the weather is good but hate cycling in the rain whereas running doesn't bother me! I'm thinking to go back to my Dr and try again.

Thanks for posting. Mine's not stress incontinence - more painful/uncomfortable. I don't know if a pessary would help support a bit?

I have the triple whammy of prolapses - bowel, bladder and uterus. In my experience GPs know very little about prolapses. Every GP I saw said something factually incorrect. I had to educate one GP about one aspect of prolapses and she told me I was wrong. She then Googled it in front of me to prove I was wrong and she said "Oh actually you're right! Well this has been a learning experience for me."
You need to ask firmly for a referral to a urogynacologist. They actually know what they're talking about and can fit you with the correct type of pessary. I personally wouldn't buy one off the Internet. My urogynacologist told me there are about 80 different types and sized of pessaries and people usually have to try several to get the right fit.

I had a repair for a bladder prolapse back in March. Life changing!

@Ikeatears Can you share how it has been life changing? I’m 52 and have recently seen a gynaecologist who has recommended prolapse surgery. My GP nurse has said I ‘wouldn’t know myself after having it’ but my research has only really cast light on the negative effects rather than the positive ones. I don’t overly suffer from incontinence, I’m careful when I exercise and lift so as not to exacerbate feelings of heaviness, but I’m starting to experience difficulties when I start to wee and am concerned they will worsen. I’m also worried surgery will make sex uncomfortable and less pleasurable. I’d really appreciate if you could say how surgery has helped you.

@Madmussells I have seen a Women’s Physio and did a Holistic Core Restore course, both of which helped with the discomfort and improved my pelvic floor strength. There’s a physio on YouTube called Michelle Kenway who has lots videos on Kegels and adapting and performing exercises to protect your pelvic floor. I would perhaps go back to your GP and clarify why she felt pessaries weren’t for you. If a physio recommended them for you, then surely they would be worth a try.

@BeachSeaWaves
didn’t want to read and run but don’t have time to give a full reply. I’ll reply later when I finish work. 🙂

I've had a pessary for the past year and it has helped so much with the dragging and heaviness feeling as well as incontinence issues. Very easy to get used to - and I have it changed every 6 months.

@BeachSeaWaves To answer your question, I was suffering with discomfort, numerous urine infections, urinary incontinence and pain/discomfort during sex.
After the recovery period (realistically, it took about 8 weeks for me to feel completely healed), I've had NONE of these problems. Sex in particular has been so much better. I know there's a reasonable rate of failure with the op but, for me, it worked out really well.

I have a pessary. It's made a big difference to my symptoms. Not gone altogether but I can do a lot more exercise now. Definitely worth a referral to try

@BeachSeaWaves I know you didn’t ask me, but I had prolapse repair (enterocele and rectocele) 6 years ago in my early 40s and it made the biggest difference to my life. My health improved hugely. I was constantly constipated before surgery because I was basically pooing up a hill and round a hairpin bend. Couldn’t wee properly and was almost in retention a couple of times. Was regularly sore after sex and didn’t feel like it anyway. Since surgery all that changed and I feel so much better. I now lift weights and do squats (carefully) and although I can’t do high impact exercise any more, I’m much fitter than I was. It was painful and a long recovery (6 weeks more or less in bed and another few weeks very slowly phased returning to work, and a full year before I felt completely normal) but so worth it.

I have a cube pessary. It only goes in on days when I’m on my feet a lot. It makes a huge difference ; I don’t feel my insides are about to drop out. Very easy to get in but I’ve still to master the removal. 😫The gynae assessed the prolapse as 2 for front and back.

I had a pelvic floor repair 30 years ago. It was life changing. Big op and as I’m now older I’d worry about my body’s ability to heal quickly. Plus, it’s not nearly as severe now as it was then. (Same symptoms as described by @TheProvincialLady )

Just had one fitted (avid exerciser in my 30s) to give me more confidence exercising and to know I’m not making things worse. I’m feeling so happy!

Interested to learn more about this.
i used to run lots before kids. Then three kids in 3.5years and i disnt have the energy, the time or the pelvic floor strenght to run again. Now the eldest is 17, im starting to breathe and would like to go back to running but suffers from stress incontinence. Woman physio said no prolapse. Would a pessary be helpful (alongside woman physio?) tia