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Odd cramping after orgasm and bowel movements
This is quite odd but I experience an uncomfortable cramping in my lower abdomen after I have an orgasm or after a particularly intense bowel movement. It's somewhat painful but definitely more on the uncomfortable side. Occasionally I will also feel the cramping when I get sexually excited. It doesn't last for too long, a few minutes at most but I was curious if anyone else had experienced something like this.
Thank you for your feedback.
Thank you for your feedback.
Oh, and in case you are wondering exactly what I told the RN in the above post, the following is what I told her:..............................
About 2 weeks up until my period starts, I will wake in the middle of the night, (or morning) after a sexual dream, which causes me to orgasm, instantly I get menstural like cramps, which build in severity over the next 20 minutes or so......during this time I usually have about 3 bowel movements, spaced about 5 minutes apart each. Sometimes when this happens, I dont know if I am going into shock or what, but I start hyperventilating. Usually the pain lasts no longer than 30 minutes....but when its happening its so painful I can hardly stand it, and nothing makes me comfortable. Anyone know what this is? I think Dr's think I am nuts as they always dismiss it by saying its commom for cramps to happen after orgasm. But these cramps are so much more severe than any other cramps I have had. Help please ! This has been going on for about 15 years, and dont know how much more of this I can take. This happens several times a month. Sometimes I hate going to sleep afraid this will happen. Its cruel.
(39 years old, never had kids, never been on birth control. I think I have endo, and pretty sure I have IBS.)
About 2 weeks up until my period starts, I will wake in the middle of the night, (or morning) after a sexual dream, which causes me to orgasm, instantly I get menstural like cramps, which build in severity over the next 20 minutes or so......during this time I usually have about 3 bowel movements, spaced about 5 minutes apart each. Sometimes when this happens, I dont know if I am going into shock or what, but I start hyperventilating. Usually the pain lasts no longer than 30 minutes....but when its happening its so painful I can hardly stand it, and nothing makes me comfortable. Anyone know what this is? I think Dr's think I am nuts as they always dismiss it by saying its commom for cramps to happen after orgasm. But these cramps are so much more severe than any other cramps I have had. Help please ! This has been going on for about 15 years, and dont know how much more of this I can take. This happens several times a month. Sometimes I hate going to sleep afraid this will happen. Its cruel.
(39 years old, never had kids, never been on birth control. I think I have endo, and pretty sure I have IBS.)
I just posted this question on another site,(about the painful cramping/bowel movements after erotic dreams/etc etc...here is the reply I got from an RN:
Dear CrampMcCrampster: As you have correctly stated, many women will have strong uterine, and even anal, contractions during orgasm. In some women this contributes to the perceived intensity/pleasure; for other it can induce an intolerable pain. Yet usually bowel stimulation is not a part of uterine contractions from orgasm. Moreover you mention that these cramps are worse than other uterine cramps (eg menstrual cramps?).
Your surmise about probably having IBS may offer some clue. Bowel spasms can be very severe---such that people end up in an ambulance to the ER because they cannot be comfortable in any position. Giving a medication which can relax bowel spasm can help sort out what is pelvic pain vs bowel pain. Here is a good overview of IBS, including treatments:
http://digestive.niddk.nih.gov/ddiseases/pubs/ibs/#treatment
It is hard to know why orgasm during sleep (with probable pelvic muscle and uterine contractions) would trigger rapid, multiple stools, or initiate bowel spasms. If orgasm included release of prostaglandins THAT could explain the cramps and increased bowel activity.Multiple literature searches at the National Library of Medicine site did not yield any good answers.
If you have already raised this issue with your GYN to no avail, perhaps you might want to consult with a gastro-enterologist.
Dear CrampMcCrampster: As you have correctly stated, many women will have strong uterine, and even anal, contractions during orgasm. In some women this contributes to the perceived intensity/pleasure; for other it can induce an intolerable pain. Yet usually bowel stimulation is not a part of uterine contractions from orgasm. Moreover you mention that these cramps are worse than other uterine cramps (eg menstrual cramps?).
Your surmise about probably having IBS may offer some clue. Bowel spasms can be very severe---such that people end up in an ambulance to the ER because they cannot be comfortable in any position. Giving a medication which can relax bowel spasm can help sort out what is pelvic pain vs bowel pain. Here is a good overview of IBS, including treatments:
http://digestive.niddk.nih.gov/ddiseases/pubs/ibs/#treatment
It is hard to know why orgasm during sleep (with probable pelvic muscle and uterine contractions) would trigger rapid, multiple stools, or initiate bowel spasms. If orgasm included release of prostaglandins THAT could explain the cramps and increased bowel activity.Multiple literature searches at the National Library of Medicine site did not yield any good answers.
If you have already raised this issue with your GYN to no avail, perhaps you might want to consult with a gastro-enterologist.
I have been hoping to see a posting from you as to whether having a hysterectomy helped your pain with orgasm, as I am considering this procedure myself.
Would really like to hear from you
71st
Would really like to hear from you
71st
My symptoms are as follows:
I get really horny, my colon starts spasming, and I feel like I really need to have a bowel movement as soon as possible. Once I have the bowel movement, which is usually more liquid than normal, my colon muscles finally relax, and I also stop being horny.
Could it be a temporary hormone imbalance? Or some sort of allergic reaction to something I ate?
The first time it happened I was in a business meeting and had to excuse myself to go to the bathroom. It was embarrassing.
Other times it has happened to me in the car.
I have noticed that if I try to relax my mind and not think of anything stressful I can sort of calm the spasms, which gives me time to reach a bathroom if I am driving.
It's very frustrating to not be able to pinpoint the cause. I am thinking of keeping a journal of all my food, to see if I can detect a pattern.
I get really horny, my colon starts spasming, and I feel like I really need to have a bowel movement as soon as possible. Once I have the bowel movement, which is usually more liquid than normal, my colon muscles finally relax, and I also stop being horny.
Could it be a temporary hormone imbalance? Or some sort of allergic reaction to something I ate?
The first time it happened I was in a business meeting and had to excuse myself to go to the bathroom. It was embarrassing.
Other times it has happened to me in the car.
I have noticed that if I try to relax my mind and not think of anything stressful I can sort of calm the spasms, which gives me time to reach a bathroom if I am driving.
It's very frustrating to not be able to pinpoint the cause. I am thinking of keeping a journal of all my food, to see if I can detect a pattern.
Checking in:
My pains are for about two weeks out of the month and I am smack in the middle of that time period right now. Lately, at the worst of it, I will vomit uncontrollably while in the worst part of the cramping. It isn't the same as feeling sick to my stomach and throwing up.. it is more like the spasming is so strong that it radiates up to my stomach and the vomiting is a byproduct of that. Whereas when I am sick, I can often control if I vomit or not, when my spasms hit to the point of throwing up, I have no control at all. My mouth will start to water and I know it is imminent. I was explaining to my partner last night that it is like a cat heaving up a hairball.. you can see the gut rolling and wretching. Nice, eh?
I have had this issue for over 20 years and I am now 45. I hate it.. I really really do, but after 20 years and three children (two of them natural births at home), I am able to handle the pain better than when I first would get it. After reading much of this forum from beginning to end, I feel very validated. Before I began having children, I would get the pains 100% of the time, all month long, after every single orgasm. Often I would have to sit under a scalding shower until it passed. Every time.
Having children changed the pain schedule for me. The pains went away early in the pregnancy (maybe 3 or 4 months in) and stayed away until the baby was around a year old (I am guessing around the time my menstrual cycle kicked back in). When i was finished having children, the pains came back, but not 100% of the time anymore. They also began happening in conjunction with brisk activity. At that time, I was a part of a dance group and a spasm would trigger during/after a particularly strenuous dance.
From that point and for a few years following, the pains came at unremarkable incidents. I hadn't noticed a pattern until about 4 years ago or so. Now, they only come 1.5 to 2 weeks before my period begins getting progressively worse until I begin bleeding in earnest. In the last year, the day before my period started to the day it does start, the spasms are at their worst and the involuntary vomiting began.
I have seen at least seven medical professionals about this, some working with me over a course of time trying to find an explanation or something that makes it less horrible. My experience has been that at first, they are interested and drawn in, but when their toolkit of answers all fall to the ground with no effect, they no longer wish to treat me for it and suggest I see someone else. This is mostly since I began requesting pain meds to help stave off or take the edge off the spasms.
I started off taking Bentyl (Dicyclomine) for bowel spasms. It has no effect. About 3.5 to 4 years into this, I had a laparoscopy since the GYN assumed I had endomitriosis. I didn't. I did have two very small fibroids on my uterus. One they removed, the other they left because it was attached to where my fallopian tube met my uterus and the tube was functional.
I have been put on birth control pills multiple times. No effect. I had a second laparoscopy in 2005 (16 years into this), this time a gastro surgeon participated with the GYN (a different gyn this time) to see if I had any adhesions or if there was something visibly wrong with the gastro organs. They found nothing.
I then had a colonoscopy. Nothing. My first child was born via C section, so I am assuming they had a good look inside while delivering him. Nothing. My other two children were born naturally and at home without pain meds, so one can reasonably assume I can handle intense pain/sensations successfully.
I have taken uterine spasm meds (can't remember what I was given for that) and more recently over the past few years, back to bentyl and Hyoscyamine (Levsin/Hyomax). Sometimes if the planets align perfectly and the right number of factors are in place, that will work and I will be pain free for an incident.
My gyn wanted me to take birthcontrol nonstop (allowing no periods) because she was convinced that it is my period causing this and if i no longer have a period, I will also no longer have any pain. Reading many many testimonies here, I see that is not necessarily true. Her last ditch effort with me was suggesting I have a hysterectomy. I refuse to do that, so she is no longer interested in working with me on managing this. Also reading many many testimonies on here, I see that a hysterectomy is not necessarily a fix it either (although I did see that it worked for one woman. I wonder if that remains true?)
I was referred to a pain management clinic, but I haven't followed up on that because I didn't want to be reliant on narcotics half the month. That said, now that I have begun vomiting at work after having a movement in the restroom, I can no longer ignore anything that might help life run smoother.
So in summation: Seen at least 7 medical professionals including three or four family practice primary care physicians, two gynecologists, one gastro enterologist, two nurse practioners (one gastro, one family practice). I have had two laparoscopies, one colonoscopy, many ultrasounds while pregnant, a C section where the insides could been seen clearly, tried over the counter analgesics, metamucil, miralax, uterine antispasmotic med, two different colon antispasmotics, three different birth control pills and mild narcotics for pain control or relief. After 22 years, nobody has any clue whatsoever this could be and has offered no solution. In fact, it seems to cause medical professionals to want nothing to do with helping me since they can't figure out what is wrong.
The colon anti spasmotics do help sometimes.. but not every time. Last month, I tried to take the bentyl a few times a day making sure i took one an hour before hand and then one sublingual levisin immediately before sex along with a half of a vicodin which i chewed up to have a faster response. I was spasm free that time. But then last night, I took two sublingual hyomax before sex and i had one of the really really bad spasms that I was not able to simply relax and breathe through and had to run for a scalding shower and go back and forth between hot water and vomiting in the toilet.
What is worst for me, aside from the blinding pain, is that I feel uneasy discussing this issue with most people. How do you explain to your coworkers that you had to run from your desk before you puked simply because you had a bm which triggered spasms.. or to explain "no this is not IBS because IBS does not make you have horrific pains after an orgasm."
I am incredulous there are so many of us scattered around the world with this strange unknown malady and no medical professional has taken this cause on with the intent to SOLVE, CURE, or find a satisfactory TREATMENT. As others have stated, you can bet your @$$ is this was a male issue where men had blinding pain after orgasm, there would already be a myriad of pills on the market to fix or treat it.
That's my rant for the day.
My pains are for about two weeks out of the month and I am smack in the middle of that time period right now. Lately, at the worst of it, I will vomit uncontrollably while in the worst part of the cramping. It isn't the same as feeling sick to my stomach and throwing up.. it is more like the spasming is so strong that it radiates up to my stomach and the vomiting is a byproduct of that. Whereas when I am sick, I can often control if I vomit or not, when my spasms hit to the point of throwing up, I have no control at all. My mouth will start to water and I know it is imminent. I was explaining to my partner last night that it is like a cat heaving up a hairball.. you can see the gut rolling and wretching. Nice, eh?
I have had this issue for over 20 years and I am now 45. I hate it.. I really really do, but after 20 years and three children (two of them natural births at home), I am able to handle the pain better than when I first would get it. After reading much of this forum from beginning to end, I feel very validated. Before I began having children, I would get the pains 100% of the time, all month long, after every single orgasm. Often I would have to sit under a scalding shower until it passed. Every time.
Having children changed the pain schedule for me. The pains went away early in the pregnancy (maybe 3 or 4 months in) and stayed away until the baby was around a year old (I am guessing around the time my menstrual cycle kicked back in). When i was finished having children, the pains came back, but not 100% of the time anymore. They also began happening in conjunction with brisk activity. At that time, I was a part of a dance group and a spasm would trigger during/after a particularly strenuous dance.
From that point and for a few years following, the pains came at unremarkable incidents. I hadn't noticed a pattern until about 4 years ago or so. Now, they only come 1.5 to 2 weeks before my period begins getting progressively worse until I begin bleeding in earnest. In the last year, the day before my period started to the day it does start, the spasms are at their worst and the involuntary vomiting began.
I have seen at least seven medical professionals about this, some working with me over a course of time trying to find an explanation or something that makes it less horrible. My experience has been that at first, they are interested and drawn in, but when their toolkit of answers all fall to the ground with no effect, they no longer wish to treat me for it and suggest I see someone else. This is mostly since I began requesting pain meds to help stave off or take the edge off the spasms.
I started off taking Bentyl (Dicyclomine) for bowel spasms. It has no effect. About 3.5 to 4 years into this, I had a laparoscopy since the GYN assumed I had endomitriosis. I didn't. I did have two very small fibroids on my uterus. One they removed, the other they left because it was attached to where my fallopian tube met my uterus and the tube was functional.
I have been put on birth control pills multiple times. No effect. I had a second laparoscopy in 2005 (16 years into this), this time a gastro surgeon participated with the GYN (a different gyn this time) to see if I had any adhesions or if there was something visibly wrong with the gastro organs. They found nothing.
I then had a colonoscopy. Nothing. My first child was born via C section, so I am assuming they had a good look inside while delivering him. Nothing. My other two children were born naturally and at home without pain meds, so one can reasonably assume I can handle intense pain/sensations successfully.
I have taken uterine spasm meds (can't remember what I was given for that) and more recently over the past few years, back to bentyl and Hyoscyamine (Levsin/Hyomax). Sometimes if the planets align perfectly and the right number of factors are in place, that will work and I will be pain free for an incident.
My gyn wanted me to take birthcontrol nonstop (allowing no periods) because she was convinced that it is my period causing this and if i no longer have a period, I will also no longer have any pain. Reading many many testimonies here, I see that is not necessarily true. Her last ditch effort with me was suggesting I have a hysterectomy. I refuse to do that, so she is no longer interested in working with me on managing this. Also reading many many testimonies on here, I see that a hysterectomy is not necessarily a fix it either (although I did see that it worked for one woman. I wonder if that remains true?)
I was referred to a pain management clinic, but I haven't followed up on that because I didn't want to be reliant on narcotics half the month. That said, now that I have begun vomiting at work after having a movement in the restroom, I can no longer ignore anything that might help life run smoother.
So in summation: Seen at least 7 medical professionals including three or four family practice primary care physicians, two gynecologists, one gastro enterologist, two nurse practioners (one gastro, one family practice). I have had two laparoscopies, one colonoscopy, many ultrasounds while pregnant, a C section where the insides could been seen clearly, tried over the counter analgesics, metamucil, miralax, uterine antispasmotic med, two different colon antispasmotics, three different birth control pills and mild narcotics for pain control or relief. After 22 years, nobody has any clue whatsoever this could be and has offered no solution. In fact, it seems to cause medical professionals to want nothing to do with helping me since they can't figure out what is wrong.
The colon anti spasmotics do help sometimes.. but not every time. Last month, I tried to take the bentyl a few times a day making sure i took one an hour before hand and then one sublingual levisin immediately before sex along with a half of a vicodin which i chewed up to have a faster response. I was spasm free that time. But then last night, I took two sublingual hyomax before sex and i had one of the really really bad spasms that I was not able to simply relax and breathe through and had to run for a scalding shower and go back and forth between hot water and vomiting in the toilet.
What is worst for me, aside from the blinding pain, is that I feel uneasy discussing this issue with most people. How do you explain to your coworkers that you had to run from your desk before you puked simply because you had a bm which triggered spasms.. or to explain "no this is not IBS because IBS does not make you have horrific pains after an orgasm."
I am incredulous there are so many of us scattered around the world with this strange unknown malady and no medical professional has taken this cause on with the intent to SOLVE, CURE, or find a satisfactory TREATMENT. As others have stated, you can bet your @$$ is this was a male issue where men had blinding pain after orgasm, there would already be a myriad of pills on the market to fix or treat it.
That's my rant for the day.
It is so dissappointing to find out that there are so many sufferers of this horrible problem and there doesn't seem to be any medical help out there.
I started with these pains after orgasm about 4 years ago. After the orgasm subsides the pain starts creeping up, starting off mild and increasing until so severe, I thought I was going to die the first time it happened. Since then I realised that it does start to disapate after 20mins approx. I get hot and cold, light headed like I could pass out, my mouth waters like I'm going to be sick and I usually need to the toilet for a bowel movement, which eases the pain slightly.
I concentrate on breathing in and out slowly, like yoga relaxation, I find this helps me cope with the pain while it is happening and maybe it helps it to ease quicker.
I only get this pain after orgasm from masturbation, not from sexual intercourse and so avoid this but I have a high libido.
I have had ultrasounds and examinations and seen both a gyn and a gast specialist and they say everything looks fine.
I have been on dianette for about 16 years and sometimes run the packs of pills together but have been told by several medical practioners that this is safe to do this.
I have always had trouble urinating after orgasm since being a child and don't know if this is related or even normal for women. I have had an abortion 10 years ago but doubt that this could be related. I have not injured by coxcyx (not sure how you spell that). I have never tried vitimins but have been prescribed antispasmodics before but not tried them as you have to take them at least 30 mins before and I'm just not that organised when it comes to sexual activity.
I really hope that people in the medical world will investigate this on behalf of all us women and their partners that are experiencing this horrendous pain. I pressume that because of the sensitive nature and the possible embarrassment that people have kept it quiet from their doctors ans therfore it has not been such a known problem to warrant research and prevention. Please seek medical help - the more they are aware the more likely we are to get some answers.
All i know it this can not be normal to feel this kind of severe pain. Pain is the body telling you that something is not right. We need to find out!
Any news on things that work - please keep us informed - thanks
I started with these pains after orgasm about 4 years ago. After the orgasm subsides the pain starts creeping up, starting off mild and increasing until so severe, I thought I was going to die the first time it happened. Since then I realised that it does start to disapate after 20mins approx. I get hot and cold, light headed like I could pass out, my mouth waters like I'm going to be sick and I usually need to the toilet for a bowel movement, which eases the pain slightly.
I concentrate on breathing in and out slowly, like yoga relaxation, I find this helps me cope with the pain while it is happening and maybe it helps it to ease quicker.
I only get this pain after orgasm from masturbation, not from sexual intercourse and so avoid this but I have a high libido.
I have had ultrasounds and examinations and seen both a gyn and a gast specialist and they say everything looks fine.
I have been on dianette for about 16 years and sometimes run the packs of pills together but have been told by several medical practioners that this is safe to do this.
I have always had trouble urinating after orgasm since being a child and don't know if this is related or even normal for women. I have had an abortion 10 years ago but doubt that this could be related. I have not injured by coxcyx (not sure how you spell that). I have never tried vitimins but have been prescribed antispasmodics before but not tried them as you have to take them at least 30 mins before and I'm just not that organised when it comes to sexual activity.
I really hope that people in the medical world will investigate this on behalf of all us women and their partners that are experiencing this horrendous pain. I pressume that because of the sensitive nature and the possible embarrassment that people have kept it quiet from their doctors ans therfore it has not been such a known problem to warrant research and prevention. Please seek medical help - the more they are aware the more likely we are to get some answers.
All i know it this can not be normal to feel this kind of severe pain. Pain is the body telling you that something is not right. We need to find out!
Any news on things that work - please keep us informed - thanks
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