Hi!
Please suggest who I may direct this question to. I have had 5.5 years of rectal itching and am searching for a forum that
deals with this issue, also known as pruritis ani. I have had all sorts of
negative stool samples for parasites, rectal swabs, vaginal swabs, blood
work, allergy testing, food sensitivity testing, biopsies, etc. Countless
different specialists. Creams, oils, soaps, non-soaps, unbleached this and
that, dietary changes, you name it. The only time it has completely gone away was in
pregnancy (pseudo-steroidal effect). The itching is everyday. Is there a
group you know of to help me with this? Thanks so much for hearing it! An
isolating issue! Warmly, Lauren

Lauren -- so sorry to hear you have been dealing with this for 5.5 years....no doubt you are fed up and looking for answers. I wish I could direct you somewhere specific but I dont have that info -- have you used our great search function (in between FAQ and Portal on the tool bar up top) to search key words. My guess is that others have written in over the years about their itching issues...I know I have seen a bunch of posts related to same on this site.

So I am no doctor -- but have a thought that may or may not be helpful. You mentioned that the only time your itching issues subsided was during pregnancy -- and that is was some sort of pseudo-steroidal effect...perhaps it was something different. Perhaps a specific hormone (or other chemical produced by your body) that was produced by your body at that time was the key to preventing the itch...I wonder if you could speak with a gynecologist or your family doc about this phenomenon and get some ideas as to which hormone(s) are unique to pregnant women and perhaps you can try and identify the element that helped you??
Please keep us posted on your search -- there are many here who deal with an itch...some times intermittently and some times for long stretches.
All best - Canadabum

Strongly suggest you see a colo rectal surgeon and get it checked out. Could be some internal haemorrhoids and they can deal with those (I have had that done, recovery can be slow/painful) the haems drag down on the mucosal lining of the rectum so that it protrudes very slightly from the anus (you wont really see it, it just looks and feels moist all the time and itchy. Canesten cream helps this) when they deal with the haems they can pull up the mucosal lining and kind of hook it into place. Prepare for a slow and rather painful recovery from that procedure and dont book any social occasions for a few weeks. Defecation can be painful, sudden and er...spontaneous with enough gas produced to save your entire winter heating bills for a year. It may also be or may instead be an anal fissure and they itch like hell and cause blood spotting. How do I know all this? I have had all three. I have had a colonoscopy to rule out anything sinister and because I am in the high risk age group (64) while there had haems ligated 2nd procedure had skin tags removed (they cause perianal itching too) and doppler guided ultrasound dearterialisation of the arteries feeding the haems. Now in recovery, it seems I now have a fissure. I have been through 2 procedures and all that recovery and still have blood and itching. I've had enough. I want a bum transplant next. I put up with anal itching like you have for some years too and I tell you what, going to a doctor for a Referral to a colo-rectal surgeon was the best thing I did because I discovered there are so many things it could be (and I had all of them) but gradually we are getting to the (wait for it....wait for it... Drum rolll....) bottom of things and removing all of them gradually. I now have a compounding pharmacy script made up for diltiazem (calcium channel blocker, relaxes the external anal sohincter) to deal with the fussure but - and here's the real bummer, I seem to be allergic to it and now have a bad case of contact dermatitis in and around my bum crack and labia. I also am dealing with a torn rotator cuff shoulder ligament and inflamed bursa so I am not a happy bunny. Standing staring transfixed at a set of approaching headlights is looking like an attractive prospect right now. My advice: get a referral to a specialist, find out which of these many possibilities yours is and get it treated. Help is out there. Good luck! :)