Uncomfortable (literally) Question

[Sweetfudge]

Ok, I've got this problem, and I'm starting to think it might be gluten-related.

I've been living gluten-free for almost 2 months and last week accidentally ingested some. Had my stomach, gas, bloating symptoms, but I've also had another symptom which makes me think this correlates.

I have this horrible irritation around the outside of my colon (sorry, trying not to be gross about this). It's insanely itchy, and when I go to the bathroom it feels like I'm trying to push a cactus out (OW!).

I told my husband and he thinks it's hemmroids. But after reading about hemmroids, I don't think it's that. There's no bumps or blisters that i can feel.

Dr gave me suppositories which are basically hydrocortizone. I tried those a couple of times but it just made my underwear feel sweaty/damp. I'd rather just use the cream if that's the solution.

I thought it just came and went randomly, but maybe it has to do with gluten irritation. Because I can't remember having the irritation since I went gluten-free, until this week.

Wanted to know if anyone else suffers like this....

Thanks

Sorry to gross everyone out

[Rikki Tikki]

Your husband is probably right. They can be inside the colon.

[Canadian Karen]

Don't worry - we talk about this stuff all the time! It's kinda hard to gross us out....

That happens to me quite regularly also, regardless of getting glutened or not. But then again, I have continuing "issues" even though I am gluten free (like going to the bathroom 30 times a day, which makes it quite understandable in my situation......) I didn't think it was hemmroids either, but when I had my last colonoscopy, the doctor said they were up there......

Karen

[elonwy]

This is gross, but appropriate, just throwing up a warning.

When I get glutened, and before I knew to go gluten-free, I got these fun things called anal fissures. These are tiny little perforations kinda like paper cuts, that occur right around the sphincter. They're really hard to see, they itch like hell, and it hurts like blazes to go to the bathroom. My doc isn't sure why, but this is a definite gluten symptom for me. Sounds alot like the same thing. Basically you just have to wait for them to go away.

Elonwy

[BRUMI1968]

I got the fissures too, from extremely hard stool, when I first went gluten free (was always on the C side of things). Now I find it itches down there when I've got a yeast problem going on; and if I quit all the sugar and fruit, it gets better.

Good luck.

[Canadian Karen]

Can anyone explain to me why the doctor would see hemmroids in me when I have had nothing but diarrhea for the past decade???? Seems odd to me, I thought hemmroids were from having to push out a hard bowel movement.....

Karen

[ravenwoodglass]

If you lived in Europe they would biopsy a bit of your rectal tissue to confirm the celiac. Gluten effects the mucous membranes. If everyone with hemmies went off gluten they would in most cases be gone. What you are feeling is the mucosal tissues reaction to the gluten passing out of your system. This effect can also be caused by gluten contamination through femine hygine products like perfumed pads or the adhesives in panty liners. This will pass after the gluten is out of your system completely and no longer being excreted in your stool. I know this doesn't help the irritation you are experiencing and I wish I knew something that would. I got CC last week working with a colored cement for stained glass garden stones and am still doing the booty scoot. I avoid using anything other than a cool bath with NO bath products.

[Sweetfudge]

Thanks for replying everyone . So whether they're fissures or hemmroids...what can I do to ease the discomfort? Use cortizone cream? Neosporin? Or do I just have to suffer? lol! I was going crazy last night in bed and finally got up and put a little witch hazel on a cotton ball and applied that. It helped, a bit. Anyway, thx again!

[loraleena]

Anal itching can be caused by candida overgrowth down there.

[jerseyangel]

Can anyone explain to me why the doctor would see hemmroids in me when I have had nothing but diarrhea for the past decade???? Seems odd to me, I thought hemmroids were from having to push out a hard bowel movement.....

Karen

I don't think I've ever been constipated in my life. Seriously. My problem is very much the opposite--imagine my surprise when the gastro found internal hemmorhoids during my colonoscopy last year.

When I get glutened, or eat certain foods that I'm intolerant to, I get the same burning and itching.

I don't use anything for it, I find cool/lukewarm water as good as anything else.

[BRUMI1968]

Use Cottonnelles instead of TP - that will help. Or any kind of flushable 'baby wipe'

[Lymetoo]

Check this out ...maybe it will help.

Candida diet and elimination:

Open Original Shared Link

Open Original Shared Link

[jenvan]

Thanks for replying everyone . So whether they're fissures or hemmroids...what can I do to ease the discomfort? Use cortizone cream? Neosporin? Or do I just have to suffer? lol! I was going crazy last night in bed and finally got up and put a little witch hazel on a cotton ball and applied that. It helped, a bit. Anyway, thx again!

Vaseline! And Prep H--not the cooling one though--yikes, that hurts! Hopefully as you continue to be gluten-free, the hemmies will be fewer and farther between. If not, you might want to explore dairy. It is a big cause of this for me.

[mle-ii]

Some of your symptoms sound like Proctitis. An inflamation of the rectum and lower colon.

[jnifred]

HOLY MOLY....I was just looking into this yeterday for my son......he has very similar issues that youa re describing. He is getting scoped both ends in a little over a week. All his blood tests came back fine, but since I eat gluten free, they eat very little gluten. I was wondering if it was possibly related to gluten. He has had anal fissures and due to that the strep bacteria that lives on everyones skin got inside and he has been fighting peri-anal strep allllllll year. We get rid of it and it comes right back.

Hemmoroids can be internal from all the "stuff" passing through, sort of like overuse.....not necessarily from pushing too hard, just from being used to much.......KWIM???? I've used suppositories and some cream that you shoot up there, both work great for me....but I like the cream better.

and use vaseline when you wipe and soft toilet paper. we have a septic and I've asked several septics guys and they all say I can use the soft stuff. Not had a rpobelm yet, and we've had the tank cleaned out several times since we moved here.

GOOD LUCK!!!

[Felidae]

This is gross, but appropriate, just throwing up a warning.

When I get glutened, and before I knew to go gluten-free, I got these fun things called anal fissures. These are tiny little perforations kinda like paper cuts, that occur right around the sphincter. They're really hard to see, they itch like hell, and it hurts like blazes to go to the bathroom. My doc isn't sure why, but this is a definite gluten symptom for me. Sounds alot like the same thing. Basically you just have to wait for them to go away.

Elonwy

I used to get those all the time too before going gluten-free.

Can anyone explain to me why the doctor would see hemmroids in me when I have had nothing but diarrhea for the past decade???? Seems odd to me, I thought hemmroids were from having to push out a hard bowel movement.....

Karen

You can get hemmroids from diarrhea too. At least I think I read about it somewhere. I'll try to remember where and post it.

[hineini]

Oh man, I have BEEN THERE! And fortunately am not too embarassed to talk about it ;-P

I thought I had hemmorhoids, due to itching and burning and pain around the anus, pain while going to the bathroom, and also sometimes blood on the toilet paper. However, I got a flexible sigmoidoscopy (with totally clean results) and the doc said what he thinks is that I have "anal fissures"... Small tears inside. I use hemmorhoid pads (they're such a godsend!) for the external discomfort, and the doctor has now given me hydrocortisone suppositories that I use twice a day to bring down the swelling and promote healing, plus hydrocortisone cream for around the external area. It's helping a lot. He also has me doing "sitz baths" (sitting in hot water) daily, which is soothing, and taking lots of fiber supplementation.

Yes, you can get fissures and hemmorhoids from diarrhea, not just from constipation. Diarrhea often burns as much as constipation does when I'm going to the bathroom, due to the fissures.

The other thing I find helpful is baby wipes. I buy unscented baby wipes in BIIIG boxes at Target, and use them instead of toilet paper when I have a #2. It is way less irritating than toilet paper.

[TinkerbellSwt]

I also have this same problem. Mine is from C, just as much D. I use the prep-h when it gets bad. That helps me alot. I also use the Cottonelle moist wipes, which help too. The bath with no products in it too, helps. I hope you feel better soon!

[ms-sillyak-screwed]

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