Proctalgia Fugax

I suffer from elevator ani syndrome (similar to PF). Most excruciating rectal pain lasting hours in the middle of the night. It wakes my sleep with a sensation of full bowel pain. Immediately I take pain/anti inflammatory meds. A wide crouch position around the corner of bed for 5-10mins helps, or lying in face down crouch position in bed - head down, tail up. I will try out the top lip pinch method. I'm a fit 49yo female (maybe too fit! Haha just kidding). Dr seems to think childbirth was a cause. My triggers are.... magnesium supplements, licorice.

I've been dealing with this, on an infrequent basis, for many, many years. I read in one forum (perhaps this one?) that a cold water enema offered immediate relief. I tried to try this, but couldn't manage to get the thing in there, sufficiently. I ended up just shoving a little piece of ice in there. Voila! Pain is instantly gone. It's much quicker and simpler than dealing with an enema thing, and is much easier to insert. I'd call this a miracle cure, but as I didn't get a prescription for an ice cube, I don't want to get in trouble with the FDA.

Next time you're awoken in the night with horrifying pain, get a piece of ice from your freezer and melt it down under a thin stream of water until it's about the size of an almond, with no sharp edges. Then go into the bathroom and just stick it in your hoo-ha. You don't want the ice to be so large that you get frost bite, for obvious reasons. It should melt within seconds, and for me, anyway, the pain goes away instantly.

This has worked for me about a half dozen times. It's so reliable, my butt has become trained like Pavlov's dog -- just hearing the sound of the ice dispenser makes me start to feel better. Having re-read this, it kinda sounds silly, but it is the most quickest and most effective thing for me. After just a tiny piece of ice, I can go right to bed with no discomfort. The only downside is no awkward conversations with the doctor and no co-pays, but I can live with that.

I recently saw a gastroenterologist about this problem. He gave me a prescription for Diltiazem mixed in a cream that works quite well. When the pain starts I apply it around my rectum and it does decrease the length of the pain which can last up to an hour. He also suggested Nitroglycerine ointment that would basically do the same thing, bring increased blood flow to the area. I do like the idea of a topical rather than internal medication. May be worth a chat with your MD or NP.

So, I'm sorry that others on here are suffering from the same pain I have, but I'm glad I'm not alone. I'm a 37 yo male. I don't have medical insurance, but that's changing when I get married this year. Anyway, I had an episode of PF for the first time 3 years ago when I was constipated and over exerted myself. I felt dizzy and naseous and severe pressure/ pain in my rectum. I also felt pain in the bottom of my feet. It lasted probably only 10 min or so, but it felt like an hour since it was my first. It's happened a half a dozen times since then, a couple of times strangely enough after a water or dry fast.

I was having another episode just now when I tried the pinching upper lip technique. I have to give it some credit as the pain has mostly subsided. I still feel pressure down there, but Thank God, the pain is gone. I'm going to try magnesium supplements as someone on here recommended.

I feel so bad for everyone who suffers from this horrible condition and I want to share my experience. I’m a 46-year-old female who has had attacks for the last 16 yrs. They are bad enough that I pass out from the pain sometimes and attacks can last up to 45 minutes. Until recently, I used “poppers” which is the inhalant drug amyl nitrite. It’s a vasodilator that relaxes the anal sphincter and can stop attacks very quickly and / or significantly reduce their duration. Unfortunately they've started to trigger anxiety for me so they’re now out of the picture. What does work is injected Buscopan. I've injected myself 3 times now and I have never experienced such fast and complete relief with any method before. I inject 1mL of 20mg/mL Buscopan into my belly and it stops the most excruciating attack within a minute!!! MAGIC! I keep a syringe kit and Buscopan ampule at work now, too, as my attacks also occur during the day. My insurance didn’t cover it so I paid $71 CDN for 10 ampules and that is money well spent! I will also add that when I have a relatively "mild" attack, using a Salbutamol inhaler (at least 4 puffs - waiting a few minutes after each puff) will sometimes work for me. I have tried everything over the years - stretching, "punching", pelvic floor physio - and nothing works for me except prescriptions, such as Buscopan or Salbutamol. Poppers worked for years but I can't handle the anxiety they now trigger.

Order a squatty potty

Next time you feel this coming on sit on the toilet with your feet on the squatty potty and the pain will subside without you having to go through the full pain cycle.

i had this since I was 25. Am now 50.

Since I learned about the squatty potty I have not gone through the full pain cycle once.

i used to almost pass out.

now with the squatty potty method the pain subsides before it gets bad every time

once i was on the road and i had an episode, I put my feet up on my carryon bag while sitting on the toilet and it worked

Hi, I just found this group today. I am 43, and ugg, the change has begun.. I've been suffering for 2 years now. only when I start my period, and it lasts for sometimes a week after mensie ends. It hurts so bad, I can not urinate, sur, stand, sleep. Went to the er for the first time in my life last April because pain was so bad. All they did was pump me full of morphine and insist I had a UTI and sciatica. I actually had an ovarian cyst rupture on top of it all. Both of my doctors say Im fine. My Chiro actually understands, but cant really help with anything but stretches. I'm living on ibuprofen, I need some relief badly!!