Experiencing Rectal Pain Years After Ostomy Surgery

I have had an ilieostomy for about 8yrs now and was told that I would no longer feel anything in the rectum. For awhile now I have had a lot of pain there. There are times I cannot sit down or lie on my back it hurts so much. I had a siegmoidoscopy in July and it showed a major inflammation inside there...the doctor didn't understand how...since I don't even have my rectal stump or anything.he gave me a special foam to put inside 3x a day. It helped at first but it has come back with a vengeance.

Is there anyone out there that has gone through this? I take my gabepentin and Advil and the foam and nothing is helping! I'm out of ideas to try to get relief and I can't stay on my side for the rest of my life lol! Thanks in advance!

Hello Tink75.

Thanks for your post which is somewhat reminiscent of my own P in the A.

Fortunately, I have a very good idea of what is causing mine as I had the problem before the stoma op. Mine was a prolapsed anus, which was extremly painful and they said this would go away when I had a stoma. -They were wrong! I think my anus is still prolapsed  and therefore causes pain but it is not aggravated now by faeces pressing against it to make it even worse. However, my pain is infinitely worse, when the excessive mucus builds up inside and acts in precisely the same way as faeces would , putting pressure on the prolapse and causing pain.  ( I have a way of irrigating and resolving that particular problem) 

Your post confuses me a bit because, if they have done a siegmoidoscopy and given you stuff to put up there, then I would have thought that you would still have a rectal stump.

There is always a chance that it might be something simple and mechanical like in my own situation. If this is so, then I can give you a tip as to how to possbly identify whether this is so.  A prolapse, as the name implies, works on gravity so that the anus simply collapses downwards and causes pain. In my younger days, what I did to relieve this pain was to stand on my head, so that the gravity force was working the other way.  I am far too old to be doing that now but I have a bed that lifts my lower half to at least a 45 degree angle, which is enough to have the same effect. This gives me almost instant relief from the pain, which also confirms my beleif that my problem is simple and mechanical, rather than complex and medical.

The doctors have agreed wth my logic and diagnosis and say that the only thing they can do is remove the anus altogether (I believe the term is 'Barbie-bum'). They tell me this is a major operation and I will be incapacitated for some time during convalescence. Because I can get temporary relief in the upside-down position,  I made the decision that I would put off this operation until I retire or am forced by painful circumstances to reconsider.

I hope you find these comments helpful as I know only too well how debilitating this pain can be.

Best wishes

Bill