Talk:Proctalgia fugax/Archive 1

Misconceptions corrected
Occurrences can be several times a month, not just 6 times a year. Length of episodes can be as much as 1hr 45 mins each not just up to 30 minutes. Episode comes at anytime during the day or night, not just at night.

Standing up and moving around increase the pain, not decrease it. This is not a mental issue, it is intense pains that starts in one area around the anal area and can move around the area of the anus to the complete opposite side during on episode.

Albuterol inhaler does seem to help decrease the pain and duration, sometimes.

I hope someone out there has a cure. If so, let us know to save us from this horrible problem.

Corrections Concurred:

Can and will occur at any time of day. Like right before you leave for work... when you don't have time to deal with it. Can also last for a couple hours, though, but usually doesn't if you have the time to sit still on the toilet while keeping your bowels open (trying to defecate). That really seems to help more than anything else imagineable, and keeps the pain much less sharp.

Corrections contradicted: For me, it is often best to get up and pace during a episode. For 6 years I kept a diary of my episodes. I could not correlate them with foods eaten, or stress level, or mood... not anything that I could detect.

Corrections also contradicted: For me, the symptoms described in the article are exactly dead on. They always occur in the middle of the night, 3 to 6 times a year, lasting 20 to 30 minutes in duration. I also have found no correlation with any event or behavior. But I have found that I can reverse the growing pain by a method of contracting and relaxing the muscles of the pelvic floor in a kind of thrusting, erotic way (masturbation included at times seems to help because it contracts the same muscles and increases blood flow to the area). This is not a joke, this really works for me. I have to continue the exercise until the pain is gone (usually about 5 to 10 minutes) or it will start climbing right back up again. Peacefulwarrior1 (talk) 23:53, 16 June 2008 (UTC)

Additional remedies
Many discussions on medical and/or sexual health forums, state that the only way that they have gained relief is via masturbation/orgasm. my experience with this condition usually last for 10 or 15 minutes and sitting on the toilet trying to defecate or just keeping the pressure on the bowel definitely helps. i have been getting these pains for approximately 25 yrs and have only just discovered what they are ...

Addition to above remedies:

I agree. I have found that I can halt in its tracks and reverse the growing pain by a method of contracting and relaxing the muscles of the pelvic floor in a kind of mild, thrusting, erotic way (masturbation included at times seems to help because it contracts the same muscles and increases blood flow to the area). This is not a joke, this really works for me. I have to continue the exercise until the pain is gone (usually about 5 to 10 minutes) or it will start climbing right back up again. Peacefulwarrior1 (talk) 23:53, 16 June 2008 (UTC)

Yes I too am a sufferer of this insidious condition. It usually wakes me up around 2.30am. Condition last for about 1 hr. attacks on average twice per month. I have kept a diary as to when and what I eat and on my personal feelings at the time. I find it follows a stressful period, an argument but not necessarily on the same night. All ive ever done is a stinking hot water bottle and I pace the floor and try to watch T.V to concentrate on something else. I am a hypertensive person so for me I believe it is stress related. I havent tried any drugs, but prefer not too. There must be a natural product out there???? Ill try the self gratification next time and let you know if that works for me. Margie. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 210.49.42.228 (talk) 02:26, 6 January 2009 (UTC)

I am going against my own request at the top of this page, but will join in on this personal observation, that the ONLY remedy that has consistently worked for me is masturbation when an episode occurs. My belief is that the redirection of blood flow from the sphincter to the penis alleviates the pain. Ljmajer (talk) 07:36, 15 October 2008 (UTC)

Corrections Concurred:

Pain is too bad for orgasm to be attempted. I agree with trying to defecate, but sometimes digital pressure directly on the area externally from the perineal area.

It occurs with me within two hours of falling asleep. It starts out where I feel the pain in a dream and it wakes me up. I have only had this happen once during the daytime. This is not encouraging to know that this will continue to occur and no cure exisits except for trying to defecate to help relax the muscles. I usually take a couple ibuprophen to help ease the pain. The pain usually lasts 20-30 minutes. It also helps me to practice those breathing exercises I learned in my child birth classes to help myself focus and relax.

Additional comments/remedies
Perhaps we should start a survey about this condition? I've noticed that my instances are coupled with intense low-blood pressure, I wake up and break out in a cold sweat and feel like I'm going to pass out. I'm a 28 y/o fit male.

I am not sure how to contribute here, so bear with me. I am another person who has been unable to sleep from this. I have tried several of the suggested remedies with only fleeting relief, or in the case of medication, relief just took far too long. However I have found what gives me IMMEDIATE relief. Simply insert a suitable lubricated dildo. The pain went immediately and I was able to sleep. Some time later I awake with mild discomfort from the dildo, remove it, and immediately fall asleep again. What a discovery! So for relief I can recommend going to a sex shop and buying a suitable "but plug" and lubricant. I'm serious. Can somebody add this relief option to the main Wiki article; I don't know how. Thanks. Garamut (talk) 00:36, 7 April 2008 (UTC)

Surprisingly, the dildo thing actually works immediately. Although I just use a sharpie marker and some KY jelly. The object does not have to be very wide at all. It just needs to keep the colon from fully clenching. At first I was little embarrassed but when you are in that kind of pain you do what you got to do. Someone should add this as a treatment because it really is the fastest way to relieve these spasms. Maybe use more tactful wording then I could. -AF —Preceding unsigned comment added by 76.184.112.126 (talk) 04:01, 23 December 2008 (UTC)

Confirming above Dildo Remedy:
I have suffered from this for my entire life now. My cramping episodes always follow a very large bowel movement, however when I was younger I would often experience this as a quick sharp pain that would go away after about 45 seconds - but the pain would make me arch my back off a chair. Now the cramps that I get following a BM just ache really intensely. I have sometimes ended up curled up on the floor. I can ALWAYS (and I mean EVERY TIME) cure this, by lubricating a dildo and slowly using that to massage i.e., "stretch the cramp out". It may cause discomfort for the first few moments, but it's better than 40 minutes of agony. I was caught out this past weekend, because I was away from home camping when I had an attack. I didn't know what to do and it was a bad one. I had been standing for the entire time, and leaning up against things to try and calm myself...didn't work. What finally worked was laying flat on my back and just forcing myself to relax. After 5 minutes the pain went away. 67.212.18.224 (talk)

I have had the occurrence of this pain for about 15 years now. It seemed to begin after a bout of salmonella, but that could just be a coincidence. However, I am pretty much guaranteed an episode a day or so after having had a bout of diarrhea, and therefore having cleaned out my bowels and will occur during the day (sorry, for the details). However, 9 out of ten times it does wake me from a sound sleep (often accompanied with a erection), lasting for around 15 minutes. On at least 3 occasions the pain was so severe that I passed out which was very scary. I have learned to get through these episodes through relaxation techniques and by heating up a heating pad and placing it on and around my abdomen (the kind of heating pad that is filled with beans and you can microwave). I also recommend getting a prescription for Xanax which I will sometimes take 1/2 tablet to relax and get back to sleep faster. I have mentioned it to at least 3 doctors, and they had never heard of Proctalgia fugax.

Bigrhed 17:02, 23 August 2007 (UTC)

I have found great help for this terrible condition by drinking a large glass of ice water when I get an attack. I believe this activates the gastrocolic reflex, which moves stool from the colon down to the rectum, stretching out the levator muscle, the same way one relieves a cramp in a leg muscle by stretching it. A high fiber diet in general will help facilitate this. I believe this explains the experience of another discussant, who experiences attacks after episodes of diarrhea, which would empty out the colon.

I have also found that pacing will make an attack more bearable, whereas lying or sitting will increase the pain. 76.183.119.161 02:39, 19 September 2007 (UTC)

I have the pain for about 6 years. I have to lay down and take all my cloths off during the pain. I had attacks during all hours of the day, one time when I was riding my motorcycle to work. I got some pills from my doc, I'll try them and write back if they help.

I get the attack also after having sex, and it can last up to 3 hours on and off. I get one attack for every 3 months in avarage.

—Preceding unsigned comment added by 216.103.247.242 (talk) 22:28, 3 December 2007 (UTC)

Women vs. Men
The article said that a study had shown the condition to be more common in men, but the |cited source actually found 69% of patients to be female. I went ahead and made the change. Calindigo (talk) 13:37, 19 March 2008 (UTC)

Help for Proctalgia Fugax
I don't know if this will help you, but I have suffered for 30 years with this condition...it would absolutely double me over...do me in...believe me...I have tried EVERYTHING...I have read some of your comments and I have tried all of those and then some. Well...this one worked. My wife of 28 years suggested that I try her nerve pill..Wellbrutrin XL...she takes it for a spastic colon...and since proctalgia fugax is a spastic muscle, I thought I'd try it...THANK GOD I LET HER TALK ME INTO IT...IT'S GONE...ALLLLLL GONE. For the first time in 30 years I don't have to worry about it anymore. I tried 150mg. and it worked but I could still feel a slight ache...my doctor suggested I try 300mg. and it's gone...allllll gone. Try it...the worst thing that could happen is that it doesn't work...but it's worth a try.Crappiekiller (talk) 02:31, 21 March 2008 (UTC) I started taking Wellbutrin 30 days ago, and I've just developed this condition within the last week. I've never felt it before. Maybe I should stop taking the Wellbutrin. I'll talk to my Doctor Monday.64.235.140.170 (talk) 05:14, 21 March 2009 (UTC)

---Just found out-- I just got out of the hospital yesterday having gone in for horrific pain and stayed in a week. A colorectal surgeon made the diagnosis. I have been fighting pain on and off for about a year, and it got de-abilitating within the last two months, and finally went to a doctor. They currently have me on oxycodone, flexiril and a fentanyl patch. These take the pain away, but leave me to loopy to function. I am going to ask my doctor about alternative medicines that do not make me loopy! However, my pain without the meds is between a 7 and a 9. I have episodes of pain for 3-4 hours at a time and AI have these 3-4 times a day. Have them both at day and night. Can anyone recommend anything that they are taking?

Scott —Preceding unsigned comment added by 216.152.182.116 (talk) 01:59, 13 May 2008 (UTC)

Effexor worked for me. I had monthly episodes of P.F. for many years, then it went away. I didn't realize that it was the Effexor that made it go away until, after 5 years of taking it, I stopped the effexor and the P.F. came back. But effexor has side effects, especially on withdrawal, so consider the recommendation above for wellbutrin. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 67.241.23.251 (talk) 05:35, 15 May 2008 (UTC)

proctalgia fugax
I have suffered with this condition for 15 years. Lots of doctors later with no help, I was prescribed Zoloft 300mg for Depression. It actually stopped my frequent attacks of fugax! I stopped taking the Zoloft for six months and fugax returned. There is the proof for me that Zoloft works for this truly horrible sufferance. I truly hope this helps someone. Itsawful (talk) 01:07, 19 November 2008 (UTC)

help for proctalgia fugax
In the last entry i mentioned the dose of Zoloft i took to stop fugax occurrances was 300mg Zoloft. I have to say this dose was a gradual build-up starting at 50mg. A higher dose may be necessary as was the case for me. Itsawful (talk) 05:58, 19 November 2008 (UTC)

I Thought It Was Alien Abduction
After another sleepless night, I looked up my symptoms and found all of you. Thank you Thank you Thank you. I've been dealing with this weird pain for about 10 years now. A psychic pal told me it was alien abduction probes which is kinda believable when doctors can't tell you what it isLorac58 (talk) 18:37, 13 January 2009 (UTC)

Anal Cramps
I too have had this really unpleasant condition for many years, but due to it's infrequency and delicacy of topic, was never really sure what was going on. For me, the majority of attacks occur at night whilst in a deep sleep and initially presented as a need to evacuate my bowel - this attempt only worsened the pain - not unlike giving birth to a rather large 'brick'! This would invariably be followed by this intense pain spreading right around all my 'girly bits' accompanied by lots of sweating.

I am very grateful to have found this topic so well covered and that it is a legitimate condition with many possible ways to relieve it. I now do see a strong correlation between these attacks and the state of my bowel - constipated the day before but then followed by a satisfying movement the next day.

For me now though it has somewhat embarassingly dawned on me that these 'bum attacks' occur after having the equivalent of a female wet dream - seems that having an orgasm whilst asleep results in the cramping of the anal/vaginal muscles - some may say that that seems a reasonable price to pay, but I can really do without all the agony that follows the ecstacy!

I will talk to my wonderful GP now that I have a name to give him other than saying my bum aches at night and let you know what recommendations he may have.

In the meantime, I wish you well in the event of your next 'episode' and for myself, I shall think of you all whilst pacing the floor at 2.00 in the morning waiting for that damned post-naughty cramp to go away!

Rickie Saw

Gets better as you get older
If there's any consolation to getting older, it's that the frequency and severity of attacks decrease as you age, contrary to line above about onset starting at mid-age. (at least in may case, anyways - and other anecdotal evidence I've come across online). I'm 45 and suffered my first attack in my pre-teen years. I consider myself a severe sufferer of this condition, and had no idea what it was until I came across a reference to proctalgia fugax in a Robertson Davies novel when I was in my 20s. I've had attacks that have lasted up to two hours. I've had some that come on while walking down the street and forced me to stop, buckle over and sit down for a time. I'm now down to about one attack every two months or so, and most last less than 10 minutes. Many came on after orgasm when I was younger, but now most just come on at night. The best rememdy for me has always been regular bulky bowel movements and lots of fibre in my diet. There seems to be some evidence that long bulky stools 'stretch' the sphincter muscle and prevent the onset of the cramps. —Preceding unsigned comment added by Mrfalbo (talk • contribs) 01:09, 23 May 2009 (UTC)