Weird and embarrassing problem--anyone got any ideas?

[sallye28]

This is the weirdest symptom, so much so that I haven't told anyone, not even my doctor.  It is a problem with air bubbles in the area just below my tailbone, which, when pressed on, expel anally.  When the air bubbles are there, they are uncomfortable usually feeling like pinpricks and sometimes itchy.  Once I press on the area, sometimes with my fingers or just with sitting down, and they expel, the discomfort goes away temporarily but is soon back again, usually within minutes.  This is of course very distracting and tiring and is making my very busy lifestyle difficult.  I would appreciate any feedback.  I've searched many websites and am unable to find an answer.  A little history:  Approx. a year and a half ago I began with severe vaginal pressure which was diagnosed as a sx of ovarian cysts, which eventually resolved on their own.  At about the same time, I became severely constipated and also developed low back pain with referred pain in my legs and feet.  It has taken a long time to recover from the back and leg/feet pain issue but with osteopathic manipulation tx I'm much better.  (I know, I'm sounding like a "professional patient" but other than what I'm typing here, I'm extremely healthy and active--please bear with me:)  Anyway, back to the constipation issue, I developed very bad anal pain with bowel movements and suffered for about a year with what I thought were hemorrhoids until, since nothing over the counter worked, I went to a surgeon.  He said I didn't have hemorrhoids but probably benign fibroepithelial polyps and he could find no fissure in his office, so he wanted to further assess under anesthesia, do a colonoscopy, and take a biopsy of the itchy anoderm area.  He did this, and found the internal sphincter to be too tense, so did a sphincterotomy.  I'm soooo glad he did that as constipation and anal pain are gone now.  The biopsy showed subacute eczematous dermatitis.  During the time I spent with constipation and feeling of hemorrhoids, I did go through a short time (a few weeks) with this air bubble problem, but this time it has lasted since about mid-Jan. and is not improving.  I had the surgery in Dec. of 2011.  Does anyone have any idea what might be causing this?

[sallye28]

Thank you for responding.  I thought maybe it was the polyps that might be trapping gas; I hadn't thought of scar tissue .  It's weird that the air bubbles don't pass like gas would, and give the feeling of needles at times--it really hurts.  I haven't called the surgeon since it is soooo embarrassing, but I suppose at some point the discomfort will overshadow that and I'll call.  I keep thinking maybe it will go away on its own.  I really don't want another surgery.

[sweettems]

It might not even be related. I don't know what it's called, but I've had family members who had spaces underneath their tailbones that just "didn't close up" or something. One ended up in a lot of pain because it filled up with "matter" that had to be removed. Maybe you have the same problem, but with air?

[Ricobord]

If gas is getting trapped, I wonder if you have any scar tissue from your previous procedures.  Or perhaps the sphincter is loose enough not to cause constipation anymore, but still tight enough to stop gas, leading to a build up.  Since you have had plenty of time to heal, you should definitely go back to your doctor and explain what is happening.