Hi,
I've read a lot about sphincter/anal spasms on this board; everywhere really where there is talk about fissures. In my attempt to find out if I indeed have this condition I would like to know if there's a way to describe these 'spasms'. I've never been quite sure what people mean by them.
What exactly is this spasm and what does it feel like, and when does it typically occur?
Ive been suffering from persistent rectal discomfort and pain, especially while lying down (in any position) and sitting. Spreads to the buttocks and sometimes will produce the feeling of having-to-go constantly. Could that be a spasm?
Doctors haven't been able to help me much. They say "internal hemorrhoids" but I doubt they could inflict so much pain 24/7.
Thanks if you can be of any help.

For me they start after a BM, even a "smooth" one. It is intense pain, worse when standing. It is a combo of pressure and pain for me. I can feel the burning pain of the fissure, an open cut. And the pressure pain of the spasm. Almost like I have to pass gas, but with rectum pain. It is not like a spasm in your calf or something, it is horrible! I have to soak immediately after a BM in a hot bath, 10-15 minutes. It will help the spasm from being so bad. Sometimes I can't "get on top" of it,and it will ruin the whole day. On those days it's an endless cycle of bath, toilet (no action-just feels like it), Nitro Cream and Tylenol.
I thought for sure there was a tumor or something very serious going on. I hope this help!
Feel better!

For me they would start 45-1 hour after BM, start with a burning kind of pressure and just get worse. Almost like a charlie horse in my butt, my butt would get so tight and draw up and feel like a softball was in it. Advil, hot soaks and massage helped take the edge off. Totally miserable. Hope this helps

Hi there , my spasms would start after an hour after a BM sometimes its a sore sharp burny feeling , then comes the tight uncomfy feeling that can last for the rest of the day. Its the last feeling that i hate cannot get comfy at all , it feels like a ball is up there . I have had all the creams now its off to the colo-rectal people in 3 weeks time...

Andyioudt, I'm glad you brought this up, because I also wondered what the 'spasm' was, although I had suspected it was the feeling that others here have described.
When I feel like I'm about to have a BM, I get an intense, sharp pain that almost feels as if someone is jamming a railroad spike up my backslde. The transition from standing, to being seated on the porceline god can be excruciating. The bowel movement itself can only be described as pure torture at times. At times, I have sat, one hand on the toilet seat, the other trying not to tear off the shower door handle while both legs tremble, feet coming off the ground, as I evacuate.
It is extremely painful to wipe and sometimes I have to do that in a couple of stages.
Now, somewhere between fifteen minutes and a half hour (in my case at least) after this a burning sensation begins to occur and my hind end will tighten. When this starts, there is no comfortable position. Lying flat on my back reminds me of the feeling I experienced after breaking my tail bone in my back. Sitting you can forget about, and for me at least, laying on my left side is more painful than the right, although I believe that is due to a herniated disc in my lumbar spine.
My doctor prescribed Nucynta ER, 100mg for the pian after Norco 10-325s weren't even phasing it. Most times even this only takes the extreme edge off. My Colo-rectal guy is giving it two weeks, and then, if things aren't markedly better, LIS is in my future.
BTW, in my experience, the treatment for internal hemmoroids is quite different, and the suppositories usually prescribed can actually worsen an AF. Best thing you can do is see a specialist on this. Good luck and hang in there.

My definition of spasms:
I only get them after a BM.
It is an involuntary contraction of the interior sphincter, the one that we cannot control, and as I tried to explain it to my husband, it is as though someone has taken hold of an imaginary small neck and is squeezing and releasing it. With that squeezing comes pain, which if you imagine that neck, is inside and against the inside. To cap it all, it does not stop for at least an hour for me, and then the sensation is that I have a tennis ball left behind which hurts me the rest of the day.
In a nut shell...HELL!!

Thanks for the replies everyone. I definitely recognize most of this. Luckily I've never had noticeable pain during a BM.
There can be a strong pain afterwards lasting for about 30 minutes, but if it goes down the uncomfy, tight, dull ache sets in and remains present for the rest of the day.
"Lying flat on my back reminds me of the feeling I experienced after breaking my tail bone in my back." <-- this sounds VERY familiar.

Yes andyioudt, that sounds like the way I was with my first AF. This second time around has been much worse. The other night I actually laid writhing in pain after an extremely bloody BM wondering if 13 Nucyntra ER tablets would put me to sleep for good. If I'd found the answer to that question, I probably would not be making this comment now. It can get THAT bad!

I'm sorry to hear that. I should feel lucky it's not that bad for me (yet).
Stay strong.

Really sorry, rasmith3530, that you felt so bad. This is hellish. The pain is difficult to explain, being on a part of our anatomy that we don't show to others.
I have made many changes in my life in order to handle the pain, but sometimes no matter what you do you are just hit with it seemingly for no rime or reason
Anyway, hang in there.