"PROCTALGIA FUGAX"...Sudden,Sharp Rectal pains?

Hi,
I'm a 28 yo male from Romania and been suffering since I was 5 at a rate of 1-2 episodes a month.
I had a number of investigations, sadly none of them conclusive. Doctors came with no solution. :((
My pain is 70% of times severe (about an year ago I passed out in the kitchen and hit my head on the floor).

What works for me:

1. Walking back and forth in a room within a range of 3 meters. I guess this relaxes the rectum muscles. The pain will not go away but will considerably diminish it.
2. Applying cold compresses around that area helps allot. The pain will go away faster and will will be considerably diminished.
3. Sitting on the margin of the bathtub and washing that area with hot water. This doesn't always work for me.

If the episode occur during night time, get up immediately and start step 1.
If at any time you feel any kind of dizziness, immediately go to bed and lie down face down, because you can pass out or vomit because of the acute pain. Also ask someone close to you to apply cold compresses on that area and change them regularly once they start warming up.
If the episode occur during day time at you're job, that means you're sitting down a chair most of the times. The chair is not a reason for the episode. Get up immediately and start step 1.
Do not go walking on the street, you CAN pass out. Before you pass out, you're sight will go brownish from the exterior to the interior. If that happens, sit down immediately. This has happened to me on rare occasions, 2-3 times in my file.
When ever you start feeling the pain, do not panic, stay as calm as possible, control you're breathing to calm you're hart beats.
A peaceful lifestyle will help you. Try not to get excited or stressed too much.
Pain killers don't help at all.
The muscles relaxants make sense. I will talk about Symax with my doc.
This condition has haunted me for many years and probably will for many to come, but I'm glad that I found I'm not the only one.

I found out today that I have Proctalgia fugax from my daughters doctor. He has had it for years. Me, my mother and my grandmother have suffered with it for years also. It was a relief to have a name to go along with this horrible pain. By trial and error we have found that an enema with very warm water works 99.9 percent of the time, thank God. Before we did this I would get up in the middle of the night drenched in sweat. I would get to the bathroom and almost slide off the toilet I would be so wet. Then I would see spots, very heavy breathing and almost pass out, then cold sweats would start. Please try the enemas. I promise they work. 

I can't say I've ever been woken up by this, but the pain is definitely horrible. Actually, I just had another attack, hence me going online and Googling for 10 minutes before finding this site!

I haven't been officially diagnosed with IBS yet (mainly because I'm a baby to pain and discomfort and some of the tests I'd have to go through don't sound too comfortable -.-). However, I have had at least 2 doctors that have said it's probable that I have it.

I'd describe the rectal pain as the feeling of the internal muscles trying to move something through to be passed and failing miserably. As in, succeeding for a bit, then PAIN!! and the sensation of whatever it is going back again, accompanied by the feeling of having to go and not being able to. I can't sit down normally, changing position hurts like hell, standing up triggers a stab of pain, leaning forward when I'm on the commode also triggers one. So far, it seems to be gas getting hung up that's causing the pain, so I'm not really sure what it is.

Typical attacks last 20-30 minutes, occur maybe once every couple of months, and are NOT continuous. It's a cycle of PAIN- PAIN-PAIN-fading-no pain-accidental shift-PAIN-PAIN-PAIN and so on. Also, while they typically happen in the evenings, I've had attacks at other times of day, too.

Does this make sense?

I've had this problem for more years than I'm willing to count.

I would normally just get out of bed and go sit on a hard surface. It would usually abate within a minute or two.

Lately, I just realized that I haven't had an attack in ages and the only thing I can attribute it to is the magnesium I have been taking for my anxiety and back problems. I know that magnesium is a muscle relaxer and wonder if it might be my answer. I found that I would get attacks when I was in high anxiety mode. Just a thought. Feed back always appreciated.

I'll weigh in here. I've been dealing with PF for probably seven or eight years. I have an episode probably four or five times a year, usually lasting 10-15 minutes. The only reason I signed up for this today is I had an episode last night. Of course, I never tell my doctor as this is pretty infrequent.

After reading this, I wonder if stress does trigger an episode. I'm not sure when it all started, but it may have been when my late wife was first diagnose with breast cancer. Lately, my life have been pretty stressful.

Now that I know what might be going on, I'll pay more attention to the occurances, and record what I can.

Im a Paramedic, 47 year old male, very fit, never had any serious illness or disease ever in my life.

Last night had a really great sex session with me girlfriend. Two hours later (after sex) went to bed fell asleep fast as always. Within an hour I instantly woke up with this excruciating pain like I had to have a BM. Got up and went to the bathroom. I noticed I had a very hard erection also which was weird. I sat on the toilet and the pain almost brought me to tears. It was super dull and aching! this huge pressure and I could not have a BM at all nor did I need one.

Then the sweating started which really worried me. First thought I had...Colon or prostate cancer...this is how it starts... f#$k me!

Next thought was I know caffiene makes me crap within 15 mins but I did not want to be up all night since I drink coffee only in the morning. So I didnt do that. Pain got worse. I then thoght about a hot bath...nope didnt do that either. Finally I took two extra strength Motrin and I could actually feel the pressure releive within 10 mins. I was so freaked out then fall back to sleep.

First thing I did when I woke up..Google search...Severe Pain in Rectum. Found you guys. Still seeing the Dr. but this happened once before two months ago but not as bad.

Just thought I would let ya know that the Motrin worked fast! Worst pain I have ever felt and I have been shot!

Ronster65

 

I am not sure that I'm experiencing the same thing as Proctalgia Fugax, so I'll describe it. If anyone can point me in the right direction as to what this is, I would appreciate it.
20 years ago I broke my tailbone and that pain felt like a broomstick shoved up my rear end. It is a dull but intense radiating pain that feels like it's at the back or top of my rectum. I healed of course, but ever since, sometimes when I'm in bed and many times asleep, I get that intense pain. And, sometimes I think I get it after an orgasm (embarrassing). I try to walk it out or it also feels like I need a bowel movement, but there is nothing there. I take Ibuprofen and it goes away. I don't know if this is some kind of muscle spasm, or if I sit a certain way that sets it off or what. If it's from sitting, why does it show up suddenly when I'm laying flat? Any thoughts? If I knew what sets it off, I can take steps to prevent it.

I'm a 34 year old male and I'm commenting here to relate my symptoms and to state what remedies I tried, and what ended up helping me.  I have been experiencing sharp lower pelvic area (anal, bladder, parineal) pain on and off for about two years, sometimes suicidally exruciating and sometimes very mild.  I believe mine was more a diagnosis of severe levator ani syndrome then proctalgia fugax because the episodes were longer (usually a few hours) and radiated to more areas of the pelvic floor muscles.  I visited an MD once and had blood work and a CAT scan done.  The doctor found nothing wrong with me and just recommended a proctologist.  I then took it upon myself to research every natural cure that I could find, massage, meditation, streching, supplementation (magnesium, calcium, vitamin D, potassium, etc.) and nothing worked, although the supplements increased my energy level so I must have been a little defficient.  Anyway, what ended up helping me was so simple and natural; Deep Breathing or "Belly" breathing.  After reading an article about deep breathing I began to explore it more on the internet and after trying it for a few days, and conciously making it a more normal style of breathing for myself, I began to realize that for a portion of my life I had been tensing, now unconciouslly so, the muscles in my lower abdomin and upper pelvis.  I don't know exactly how this tensing started but it could be partially due to the sucking in of my stomach as I gained a few pounds over the years.  In America today flat stomachs are enviable and the "in thing" so there is a lot of stress for a 30 year old male, like myself, to have a six pack, especially when dating.  So anyway, after just a week or so of deep breathing and slowy breathing into, and relaxing, these now subconciously tight muscles down there I noticed that it was like a domino effect and all the mucles of my lower abdomen and pelvis began to slowly relax.  I hadn't even realized that I was tightening these muscles for years, it had become subconcious.  It has been a month since I began the deep breathing and it has only gotten better.  I still get occasional hints of pain, which I attribute to maybe little knots still in the muscles from years of tighting, but I am much better.  My life is back to normal.

I just wanted to share that because I know how f'ing terrible and deppressing it can be to live with this sort of pain.  In the end I believe if nurtured and given our concious attention (to release tension) our bodies will work well, heal well, and remain pain free.

Best wishes to everyone.

Post Edited (Fred215) : 1/31/2012 1:44:57 PM (GMT-7)

lilken said...
I think it makes sense that one might be a little dehydrated at that time, or perhaps the surging hormones just exacerbate it.

It started with me 3 years ago when I was 52. Middle of the night. Scared me to death! Now it happens about once a month or so, usually during the day but sometimes when I'm asleep. I think the dehydration thing is really something to take into consideration. I know I don't drink enough water. It's happened to me 3 or 4 times when running and I just have to stop. I have found that squatting down (hold on to the sink or table if you have to) and spreading your knees and kind of sticking out your butt helps. Just hold that position until you feel relief. There's no rhyme or reason for this to me. It's happened when sitting on the sofa, while working and on my feet a lot, driving, eating out. I'm so happy to have found this forum - I didn't realize there were so many of us!!