Colon/rectal Pain

[trents]

This probably doesn't connect with my celiac disease but who knows!

For several days now I have had significant pain in my colon and/or rectal area. It feels like my colon is distended and there is tenderness when I push on my abdomen midway between my belly button and my pubic area. The tenderness is not to the left or right but in the middle. Along with this are occasional episodes of shooting pain in my rectum so sharp it takes my breath away. This sharp rectal pain usually comes on in conjunction with the approach of a BM but is relieved by defecation or passing gas, though I don't really have a lot of gas. My bowel movements are normal. Not constipated. No blood, mucous or diarrhea. Sometimes when I sit down in a chair and generate some vertical compression force I feel a little pain, I think in my rectal area, but its hard to tell.

I couldn't get an appointment with the GI doc sooner than November 30 so I went to urgent care on Friday evening. The PA did a digital prostrate exam and some blood work to check for bladder infection since those two organs are in the mid abdomen area. And when the PA did the digital exam there was no rectal pain or spasms like I thought there would have been if the problem were an anal fissure. They were negative. Well, actually, my monocytes and eosinophylls were elevated but my eosinophylls are historically often elevated. The PA's conclusion was that I was experiencing spasms due to some lower GI nerve inflammation of unknown origin. He prescribed 800 mg. of ibuprofen 3X daily. And you know, that has helped. The pain is better except for the occasional sharp pain leading up to BMs.

Oh, yes, I am reasonably certain I have not been "glutened" lately. I am very careful about that and nothing has changed about my diet lately. Besides, I historically have been the asymptomatic type of celiac.

Anybody else experience anything like this? Any input?

[spunky]

How long have you been gluten free?

I'm only self-diagnosed, because I cannot stand and distrust doctors too much to mess around with them, so I don't have any official x-rays, mris, or expert opinions about what my guts look like. But during my healing time gluten free, I had frequent pains as you describe.

Now I'm almost two years gluten free, and don't really have these types of symptoms anymore.

So for me at least, this seemed to be something that happened as I was getting better.

[trents]

I've been gluten free about four years.

[spunky]

Possibly other intolerances, maybe?

[bluejeangirl]

All I can say is I've had this sharp shooting pain in the rectum but it doesn't happen often enough were I'm worried about it. Usually 3 or 4 times a year. Followed by a BM thats harder to pass or has something sharp in it like an undigested peanut. I also have a hemorroid so I figured I was causing pressure pain irritating it or causing it to swell up.

I hope they find out for you what it is. Are you going to get a colonoscopy? Fun

Gail

[trents]

I neglected to say in my initial post that this has happened about three times in the last three months. It seems to begin with some tenderness in my lower abdomen, usually toward the left flank. Then the sharp, shooting rectal pains develop later. These cycles have lasted 3 to 6 days.

Steve

[gailc]

  On 11/20/2007 at 1:29 AM, trents said:

I neglected to say in my initial post that this has happened about three times in the last three months. It seems to begin with some tenderness in my lower abdomen, usually toward the left flank. Then the sharp, shooting rectal pains develop later. These cycles have lasted 3 to 6 days.

Steve

I hope you are still watching. Would like to see your update on this matter. I had this every time for a year or so, cramps and sharp pain, burning afterwards. It went away in a week when I went gluten-free. Maybe you are missing a hidden gluten. I just found your post by googling to see if anyone else had it.

gail