Proctalgia fugax? Anal/rectal charlie horse

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SMD15
SMD15 Member Posts: 32
in Anal Cancer #1

Has anyone had this happen? I am two weeks post surgery and that experience came out of nowhere.  I do not remember that much pain for a very long time, a definite 10.  Lasted about 15 minutes, had to sit in a hot tub, take a pain pill and a muscle relaxer.  Worried for quite a long time after that as to how I would get to the ER if it happened again and would not subside.  It's nearly an hour drive from where I live to the ER, so it's just something we never consider. 

If you did have it happen, what did your doctor recommend? 

 

 

Comments

  • TraceyUSA
    TraceyUSA Member Posts: 316
    #2
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    Sorry

    I have not had this happen to me. 

  • pializ
    pializ Member Posts: 508 Member
    #3
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    TraceyUSA said:

    Sorry

    I have not had this happen to me. 

    Pain

    I am sorry, but I hadn't heard of this before. Maybe you can have a muscle relaxant prescribed so that if it happens again, you can self treat until you can be checked out?

    Liz

  • eihtak
    eihtak Member Posts: 1,473 Member
    #4
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    SMD15......

    Hi, I am not sure if thats what I had or not but sounds familiar. If so, I have only had it 2 times in the last 4 years. Just like you said...out of no where! I was driving and literally pulled over and twisted on my side to massage my butt! Fortuinately I had some aleve in my purse and took a couple right away. When I told my doctor at the next appointment he said there can be a sort of anal/rectal cramping whether ever having been treated in that area or not and that it is very random as I described. He also said it usually is brief, mine only lasted about 10 min. (of PAIN) and then subsided. Very weird though. The next time I was at home, took aleve again, tried to  relax and it went away pretty quickly.

    Hoping this is not a regular occurance for you, I, or anyone else, .........keep us posted.

    katheryn

  • jcruz
    jcruz Member Posts: 379 Member
    #5
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    This has happened to me in

    This has happened to me in years past.  I really can't remember how long ago I had these.  Usually in the middle of the night, excruciating pain for several minutes.  I never knew until now that it had a name and I never asked a doctor about it.  I'm now 2 1/2 years post-treatment and haven't had one in that time.  

    Last September when I asked my surgeon to try doing an anoscopy in his office (all of my follow-ups have been under anesthesia) he prescribed valium to take at the time of the exam and topical nitroglycerin in the event that I had an anal muscle spasm after the exam.  Unfortunately he was not able to do the exam in his office so I will continue to have EUAs.

    I would suggest asking your doctor about the topical nitroglycerin.

  • SMD15
    SMD15 Member Posts: 32
    #6
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    eihtak said:

    SMD15......

    Hi, I am not sure if thats what I had or not but sounds familiar. If so, I have only had it 2 times in the last 4 years. Just like you said...out of no where! I was driving and literally pulled over and twisted on my side to massage my butt! Fortuinately I had some aleve in my purse and took a couple right away. When I told my doctor at the next appointment he said there can be a sort of anal/rectal cramping whether ever having been treated in that area or not and that it is very random as I described. He also said it usually is brief, mine only lasted about 10 min. (of PAIN) and then subsided. Very weird though. The next time I was at home, took aleve again, tried to  relax and it went away pretty quickly.

    Hoping this is not a regular occurance for you, I, or anyone else, .........keep us posted.

    katheryn

    Whoa driving!

    Driving would have been a bit too much for me, but I guess you really don't have a choice of where and when you get them.  I'm glad you made it through that okay on the road.  eeek!  I was paranoid I would have another one all day yesterday and before bed.  I tried to call the nurse yesterday to see if they had heard of it before and what to do but I could not get through to anyone.  Ending up sending a message on their online patient portal.  No reply yet.  I am happy to report I did not, but I still have pressure down there which is how this started.

    Thank you for your reply!

     

  • SMD15
    SMD15 Member Posts: 32
    #7
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    jcruz said:

    This has happened to me in

    This has happened to me in years past.  I really can't remember how long ago I had these.  Usually in the middle of the night, excruciating pain for several minutes.  I never knew until now that it had a name and I never asked a doctor about it.  I'm now 2 1/2 years post-treatment and haven't had one in that time.  

    Last September when I asked my surgeon to try doing an anoscopy in his office (all of my follow-ups have been under anesthesia) he prescribed valium to take at the time of the exam and topical nitroglycerin in the event that I had an anal muscle spasm after the exam.  Unfortunately he was not able to do the exam in his office so I will continue to have EUAs.

    I would suggest asking your doctor about the topical nitroglycerin.

    Thanks jcruz

    What does the topical nitro do?  I have never heard of it before.  I did read that valium before bed was helpful, although I would hate to use that all the time.  I already had difficultly going to sleep at night, so adding this newest fear was not something I wanted. 

    I had done a bit too much that day, nearly two weeks post surgery, so I thought maybe some muscle strain is what caused it.  I had finally gone to the grocery store and walking/pushing a cart in those football field size stores seems to use those muscles more than I would have guessed. 

    I have noticed I am not getting a lot of post surgery information.  Just the usual for any surgery.  Take it easy a few days, don't sign anything or make any big decisions.  Sitz baths.  If it were not for the internet and this forum I would be completely lost on what to expect.  

    Thanks for your reply, thanks to all of you.  You all are really a big help to me.  Smile

  • jcruz
    jcruz Member Posts: 379 Member
    #8
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    SMD15 said:

    Thanks jcruz

    What does the topical nitro do?  I have never heard of it before.  I did read that valium before bed was helpful, although I would hate to use that all the time.  I already had difficultly going to sleep at night, so adding this newest fear was not something I wanted. 

    I had done a bit too much that day, nearly two weeks post surgery, so I thought maybe some muscle strain is what caused it.  I had finally gone to the grocery store and walking/pushing a cart in those football field size stores seems to use those muscles more than I would have guessed. 

    I have noticed I am not getting a lot of post surgery information.  Just the usual for any surgery.  Take it easy a few days, don't sign anything or make any big decisions.  Sitz baths.  If it were not for the internet and this forum I would be completely lost on what to expect.  

    Thanks for your reply, thanks to all of you.  You all are really a big help to me.  Smile

    topical nitroglycerin

    What I find online is mainly about using it for anal fissures.  What I remember my doctor saying was that it would relax blood vessels if I was having muscles spasms after the anoscopy.  The muscle can spasm from the trauma/pain of an anoscopy.  He told me to apply it at the first sign of a spasm.

    It's worth asking about.

    Janet

     

    WebMD: Nitroglycerin is in a class of medications called vasodilators. Nitroglycerin ointment prevents angina by relaxing the blood vessels so that the heart does not need to work as hard and therefore does not need as much oxygen. Nitroglycerin ointment treats anal fissure pain by relaxing the blood vessels, which reduces the pressure in the anal tissues.

    National Institutes of Health  http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/7736873 A report on use of topical nitroglycerin for benign anal disease

  • SMD15
    SMD15 Member Posts: 32
    #9
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    jcruz said:

    topical nitroglycerin

    What I find online is mainly about using it for anal fissures.  What I remember my doctor saying was that it would relax blood vessels if I was having muscles spasms after the anoscopy.  The muscle can spasm from the trauma/pain of an anoscopy.  He told me to apply it at the first sign of a spasm.

    It's worth asking about.

    Janet

     

    WebMD: Nitroglycerin is in a class of medications called vasodilators. Nitroglycerin ointment prevents angina by relaxing the blood vessels so that the heart does not need to work as hard and therefore does not need as much oxygen. Nitroglycerin ointment treats anal fissure pain by relaxing the blood vessels, which reduces the pressure in the anal tissues.

    National Institutes of Health  http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/7736873 A report on use of topical nitroglycerin for benign anal disease

    Thanks Janet!

    I'm definitely going to ask about this. 

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