I had this rectal pain after my RT treatment for prostate cancer but it recurs just as bad every 6 months when I get a cystoscope for Botox injections for incontinence.
The rectum is otherwise fine so I wonder if this is just mixed up nerves or referred pain?
My husband is in the same pain after a radical prostatectomy almost one year ago. He is almost beside himself with the pain and being uncomfortable all the time. There seems to be NO doctors out there that have a clue what it is or even seem to care enough to help him. With my extensive web searching, this is what I think it is - Levator Ani Syndrom. If a doctor does diagnose it, it seems there isn't really a cure or a standard procedure for treatment. (Of course.) We want to avoid more pain killers and drugs if possible. Looks like Stanford University might be able to help.
I had my robotic surgery June 1, 2015, I had no rectal & scrotum pain until post-opt day #27, its now day 91 and its been "horrible pain" every day since! Have had, blood test, urine test, CT scan, cystoscopy all good.
If any of you can share, who you went for help I soooo appreciate it! My doctor just says its part of the healing process, stated I'm part of the 3%-5% club???? Please help? Any Doctor info would be greatly appreciated, I need some help on this one!
"Standing only"
Hi, please post your question as a new post and explain what pain your having.
You guys are not alone. Had my RARP on Deecmber 18 and am having rectal, anus, and distal urethra pain. My Doc says this is "normal".
I'd REALLY like to know how many orderlies had their way with me while I was under anesthesia, or if they enlisted Dr. Pol to reach in up to his armpits to check my thyroid gland. Or, perhaps, they had me propped up on a pole Marquis De Sade-style for the procedure. No, really, it would be nice if some surgeon, ANY surgeon, responded to this forum with an explanation of pain in areas that never(?) even saw a scalpel.
Cortisone cream is of no help, but arnica lotion and cream (external) seem to mitigate much of the pain in all three areas
I am experiencing that very same pain. My prostatectomy was October 2011, and to this day I have intense pain that comes and goes. Sometimes it radiates down the urethra. Has your pain stopped or decreased --I note that you posted back in 2007?
Hi,
I just had my prostate removed last week, and had my catheter removed 2 days ago. Not quite 4 hours after its removal, I was trying to pee and was struck with this indescribable pain in my rectum. It came on gradually and the more I tried to pee, the more intense the pain became. It got so bad I thought I was going to faint. I literally felt the blood drain out of my head and upper body, my ears started ringing, and I barely made it to the bed from the bathroom. I fell asleep and woke up needing to pee 2 hours later, only to have the same pain all over again. I went to the ER to have another catheter installed so I could get the pressure off my bladder (this is what my urologist advised me to do if I should suddenly find myself unable to pee). I had 3 more similar attacks while I was waiting for the doctor on duty at the ER to authorize the foley cath, and at this point was in so much pain, I was literally begging to die.
No one can explain the cause of this pain and yours was the closest I could find to my experience after several searches of the internet. I have not had a recurrence since the foley catheter was put back in place and am now terrified to have it removed. By the way I was not having any pain with bowel movements, but havent had one now in 2 days because I am so afraid of having that pain all over again. I am still waiting on a call back from my surgeon, so I have no idea what to expect next.
Thank you for any advice or comments you might have.
Jeff
Hi' I'd be extremely interested in hearing a follow up to see how you're doing now. I myself was diagnosed with an extremely rare cancer at 19. This lead to massive amounts of intensive chemotherapy and caused my being housebound with chronic pain and disability for the past 13 years. I've just gone 33 and had a radical prostatectomy on the 3rd of February 2011. (This is unrelated to the disability and pains that keep me housebound.) Since my prostatectomy, for the first 5 weeks I had zero rectal pain. In fact, because my enlarged prostate was removed, my rectum and it's function was better than it's ever been......but then suddenly after 5 weeks of a pain free and normal functioning rectum I had a sudden onset of the most horrendous rectal pain. Much worse than anything I experienced due to the prostate problems. So for the last few weeks I've had constant rectal pain without relief and also this is giving me the constant urge to empty my rectum, even when i haven't eaten for a few days and the laxatives have completely voided my bowels, I still feel this urge and pain.
If anyone else has experienced this, i.e. rectal pains weeks after a prostatectomy then I'd love to hear form you.
I had to have the nerve bundles removed to help with potential pain and for other reasons i'll not go into. It's just extremely strange that I had no pain in the rectum at all for 5 weeks post surgery and then a sudden onset for no reason - i had not strained myself or done anything out of the normal. i'm totally bedbound so there's not much movement going on in which I coiuld have done myself damage. In fact, I'd had a good day (for me) up untill this onset of rectal pain at about 10:30pm. Not that the times is improtant. If it was due to internal scaring then surely it would have been a gradual onset of pain, slowly getting worse - not 0 to 100 in one day and indeed in one hour. I'm very concerned and have written to my doctor but if anyone out there can help me i'd love to hear from you!
Jason, did you ever find out what caused this pain...and are you still having it.
You are the only other person besides my husband whom I found on the internet who had this after prostate surgery. My husband had an RPP and 6 months later is STILL having intense pain...and they think it is Pudendal Nerve neuropathy...and he is getting steroid injections in Minnesota for it. Is helping a little...but still in much pain. What has happened to you since this writing?
Hi,
It is advisable for you to take plenty of fluids daily along with a high fiber diet. This could help in maintain the stools soft.
"this morning for some reason I had to push and the result was terrifying pain so intense that I almost fell off the toilet and onto the floor. "
The above statement suggests some rectal pathology - like fissures, but according to gastroenterologist you were found to have no fissures or fistulas. Still it could be a fissure if you are passing hard stool.
Its hard to say if 11 weeks is a long time to recover (though the robot assistant should make recovery less than a month - you were informed that the prostate was large and hence the usual recovery time may thus be protracted), or if you are a slow healer (maybe a little of both). It is good that there are no problems with voiding urine and that there are no fistulas, fissures, and ulcers, these rectal symptoms are more likely going to improve as time passes. In the meantime, perhaps you need to take more stool softeners to eliminate the urge to "bear down".