Proctalgia Fugax

Posted , 123 users are following.

I have had this problem since my late teens or early 20's. As I get older (now 56) this pain is coming much more frequently.

The pain generally comes when I am sitting or in bed, which is fortunate since the pain is so severe it is very difficult to do anything until the pain subsides. Each episode lasts 5 minutes or so (never actually timed them)

Since my early 20's I have brought this up to my Dr. and have been fully dismissed. Over the alst 10 years or so I never bother mentioning it when I change Dr's because I have not expected an identification.

While watching the Dr. Oz show on TV this morning this was brought up during a question period. This was the first time I heard of others having this and an identifying name for it. I now am able to do research on the internet and decide on further action.

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  • Edited

    : Kurt Karlsson - Canada Guest

    Post date: Mon Dec 28, 2009 9:33 pm

    Post subject: My relief from Proctalgia

    --------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    On my last post dated, Nov.19 2009, I forgot to mention something else that eases the pain away. I learned in the

    Canadian Army that if you have pain, especially leg cramps,( but any

    other pain also ), there is a way to ease it away.

    Pinch the portion of the skin ( between the nose and top of the lip, tight ),

    Sounds wierd, but it works, it has something to do with the nerves in that area.

    So last night when I had another attack of \"Proctalgia\", I used the

    \"Noxema Cream\" and pinched under my nose, hard.....pain was gone

    in 3 min. It seems it just stops the progression of pain from compleating

    it's cycle.

    Try pinching that area for any pain and see if it works for you. Let me know if it helps..........If it works, why suffer, won't hurt to try.

    • Edited

      Kurt, you are my hero. I've had this for 30 years and sitting in a hot bath has been my only remedy. I've had 3 episodes start in the last couple weeks and the nose pinch has worked every time.

    • Posted

      I have suffered fisures and PF for 10 years. At the start of a PF episode last night I tried applying pressure to the pressure point just below the nose and above the lip. I had relief within 5 minutes. This usually lasts at least an hour! Thank you! The same pressure point is often used to lessen urinary urgency so it's interesting that it has 2 benefits now 🙂

  • Posted

    I am almost certain that PF is a result of unusual cardiac activity. This could be stress or activity related. In my own case, I noticed that intermittent episodes of arrhythmia always correlated with episodes of PF. As I grew older, arrhythmia attacks became more frequent, and were always accompanied within a day or so by PF attacks. Once I had been cured of atrial fibrillation (by ablation) the episodes of PF ceased completely and have never returned. If you suffer with PF, do get your heart rhythms checked out. Don't listen to GPs who claim not to know about PF. Some do, but very few have heard of the link with heart rhythm abnormality.
  • Edited

    suffered from this since my early 20s. (male, 35 now). normally always came after orgasm. i've had a few episodes where it has came on during sleep by itself (most recent one was this)

    pain unbearable at times and can last about 20/30 mins.

    i used to try and go to the loo due to the overwhelming sensation, but if possible i don't recommend this, i think it intensifies the pain. i find it hard to lie down though, i tend to walk about slowly, crouch, lie , get up again.

    i'm pretty fit and eat as well as i can.

    just one of those things, i can live with it. just pray it never gets more frequent. i maybe get it 10 times a year max. defo not something i look forward to. but hey, it makes us stronger right? if we can bear this we can bare anything :p

    • Posted

      Hey, I'm 17 and I've had this for about a year now. Unfortunately however I seem to experience this more often then I should. The pain comes every few days and I can't get to sleep because of it. The GP prescribed me cream.

    • Posted

      May I ask what the name of the cream is and if you have found it to work?
    • Posted

      Good luck anxiousemu. Welcome to living hell. And gp's have no clue about this nightmare. It's so rare.

    • Edited

      Has anybody else tried the pinch method? (Pinch just above the upper lip really really hard!) It cures my attack instantly, every time, and the attack doesn't come back after I stop pinching. It's seriously been a miracle cure for me, FREEDOM!

      I'd like to hear if this works for others!

    • Posted

      Wendy, I've had this since I was 13. I'm 42 now. My episodes come every 6 weeks in the middle of the night for 2 hrs of the most extreme pain to where it knocks me unconscious. Nothing has ever worked. My last 2 episodes I did the "pinch above the lip", & w/I 30 seconds my episode was completely gone. So you are right. This sight was a godsend for me because I finally found freedom. Thank God for the person who referred the pinch method on this site.

    • Posted

      My episodes are very similar to yours. I've had this problem for 10 years, I am a healthy 32 year o

    • Posted

      My episodes are similar, try chewing two 325mg Aspirin. This cuts the duration in half for me, making the duration last about 5-10min. Its terrible but this is the only thing I have done that works!
    • Edited

      What works for me is taking a magnesium supplement. Haven't had any episodes since I started doing that. As soon as I try to go off, they come back. It's what works for me lately. I would get a attacks 3 or 4 times a year and then the last 3 years started getting them a lot. Sometimes twice a day and at work instead of just at night. Also started having leg cramps. Decided to try magnesium as I knew it would stop the cramping in my legs and it worked for the PF as well. Worth a shot anyway. Nothing to lose if it doesn't work.

    • Edited

      I have suffered with this since my early teens (am now mid forties). Over the years I have tried many different this (pain killers, baths, massage, applying pressure on area, etc..) , but the one thing that works 95% of the time is to go for a walk. For me it helps relax things down there and as I walk I feel the pain subside gradually. It can take 20-30 mins sometimes, but I generally start to feel the benefit after a few minutes.

      As to what causes the pain - I have tried all kinds of elimination with foods. I thought it was too much gluten, but that proved incorrect. Not enough water, but that wasn't the case either. I could never get a clear pattern. These days, I think it is just one of these things, or maybe stress related. Or something unique with how our bodies break down/process food. More studies are needed.

      Hope this helps.

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