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[Vlad101]

Hey,

I'll try to keep this short.

I'm 21 years old with a  history of gastrointestinal problems (IBD) and would like some clarification on a recent onset of symptoms...

First of all, I've had both urinary incontinence and anal leakage for quite some time now (used to alternate) but recently I've been experiencing more problems from BEHIND with a sort of wetness and (recently) a light feeling of something stuck in my rectum (though that, my doctor assured me, was an inflammation of the skin around the rectum)

(The urinary problems, though, are barely noticeable now..)

Also, I have a sort of numbness in my inner thighs which extends from my knee and up to my upper thigh. But that occurs only when I walk and (for the most part) if I wear jeans... it's less (if at all) noticeable when I'm wearing loose pants (Note: I did not mention the thigh numbness to the doctor's mentioned in the next paragraph)

Well, my gastrointestinal did not really bother to do anything besides giving me pelvic exercises (which don't seem to do jack ****) while the urologist did some tests and told me he couldn't find anything. He then referred me to a neurosurgeon, worrying about my spinal cord (I did a brain MRI and it turned out fine)

Now, my question is: I've been to a spinal specialist before, and he did a quick examination, ruling out a serious back problem. Could he had been wrong about my spine?

P.S. I have heard about Cauda Equina syndrom but I know that it's characterized by severe lower back pain which I don't have whatsoever. I have tingling in my upper back but the spine specialist told me it was related to the shoulders..

P.P.S. (yeah I went there...) I've had an EMG along with nerve conduction and they couldn't find anything neither. My B12 and D levels are a bit on the low side but I've been taking vitamins for about 4 months now with little noticeable improvement...

Thank you and sorry if the massage is a little messy. I'm in a rush... :-)

[Dr. Kokil Mathur]

Hi!
I am sorry to hear about your medical problems. If there is no fecal incontinence, and the rectal discharge is only watery or whitish (mucopurulent) then this could be due to lax anal sphincter or due to infection of anus and rectum (proctitis—bacterial or fungal) or due to food intolerance or due to inflammation as seen in various inflammatory bowel disorders like Crohn’s, celiac, ulcerative colitis etc.  

You need detailed investigations by a gastroenterologist and a colorectal surgeon to find the exact nature of IBD. Also, if you have lax anal sphincter then this needs to be corrected.

I also feel that your problems are unlikely to be due to the spine. It may however be entrapment of pudendal nerve, which needs specialized diagnostic tests. Please ask your spine specialist or neurologist regarding this. Take care!

The medical advice given should not be considered a substitute for medical care provided by a doctor who can examine you. The advice may not be completely correct for you as the doctor cannot examine you and does not know your complete medical history. Hence this reply to your post should only be considered as a guiding line and you must consult your doctor at the earliest for your medical problem.