Hi all

My recent bout of pain has lasted around 6 - 7 weeks now. I've posted a couple of times on this forum now, so please forgive me if I'm repeating myself. I've been experiencing anal pain for a year and a half now. It first started after a hemorrhoid which was treated with ointments and disappeared. However, ever since I've been experiencing a variety of pains which have ranged from excruciating (following a spasm) to just a bit irritating. I have visited several drs and two specialists who haven't been able to find the cause of the pain. The thing is the pain I get is more of a soreness, which sometimes feels like a twinge in the muscle down there. The pain feels as though it's further up (about 4 - 5 cm by my reckoning) and always presents itself on my left hand side. It's very frustrating because I feel like I've tried everything, made even more frustrating because the drs can't seem to find the source of it. After 7 weeks of this latest episode I'm starting to feel like this is never going to get better, and it's really affecting my quality of life. Don't get me wrong, most of the dime I'm not in agony, rather I feel uncomfortable. I have another check up with the specialist in the new year, and I'm just wondering whether anyone has any words of advice, or any clues what's causing this? I don't want to live my life like this, I just want to get better and stop thinking about my anus for 10 minutes

Hi Moogdog2013

I sense your frustration in not being able to pinpoint whats going on down there. The other
times I have seen people come in here with similar symptoms, it sure sounded like perhaps
it was their pelvic floor muscles or they're Levator-ani acting up. Yes these seem to be very
new ailments so that many Doc's will not readily be familiar with it. Hopefully they will have better
treatments and diagnostics soon.

So, look this info over and see if it fits you, then on your next visit, mention it to your Doc, they may
refer you to someone more "in the know or at least know than plan of attack to take."

GL to you.....


Levator syndrome:

Definition

Levator syndrome consists of pain, pressure, and discomfort in the region of the rectum, sacrum, and coccyx, which appears to be aggravated by sitting.

This is also known as coccygodynia, levator ani syndrome, levator ani spasm syndrome, proctalgia fugax, and proctodynia.

Description

Gluteal discomfort and high rectal distress usually occur. Tenderness and muscle spasm affecting the levator ani muscles are the principal symptoms of this disorder.

Causes

The etiology is unknown.

Symptoms

Most patients complain of a dull ache high in the rectum. There may be a feeling of constant rectal pressure and occasional burning. Some patients complain of feeling like they are sitting on a "ball" or that there is a "ball" in their rectum. The pain can be made worse by a bowel movement when the stool presses against the levator ani (muscle) as it is being expelled.

A variant of the levator syndrome is proctalgia fugax, a feeling of severe pain in the rectum which generally occurs at night and which will awaken the patient from a sound sleep.

The term coccygodynia was often used in the past for this condition, but few patients actually have coccygeal (tailbone) pain.

http://www.healthcentral.com/encyclopedia/408/373.html

Also note:

Precipitating factors for this disorder include anxiety, stress, heat, cold, or fatigue (Thompson and Heaton, 1980).


http://www.aetna.com/cpb/medical/data/600_699/0679.html

For Pelvic Floor Dysfunction:

http://www.ichelp.org/page.aspx?pid=361

Hi there, thanks for taking the time to reply. Hmm, certainly sounds like it could be Levator syndrome. At the very lest it's something to ask the specialist next time I see her. When I do get to the bottom of this (no pun intended LOL) I will be sure to post an update on this forum. I must say this forum has been a bit of a life saver for me over the last few weeks. It's given me some hope, and also an outlet as it's v difficult to talk about this to non sufferers.

Moondog,

Do you have any updates?