For about 10 days now I have had significant rectal pain. Last weekend I saw an emergency room doctor. Its not hemmorrhoids which I have had in the past. Its not sever constipation. Two doctors have said its an infection of the prostate. I'm on an antibiotic but its doing no good. Here five days after started said course I'm back to uncontrollable pain with over the counter medication. I'm at my wits end with this looking at another weekend of uncontrollable pain. How would you proceed?

There are general surgery specialists that have expertise with bowel and rectal problems...they're called colorectal specialists. I would suggest you see if there is one in your medical system or community.

Hope you feel better soon.

I had a similar problem. Turned out to be a cyst the size of a grapefruit. They said the infection was so bad, after three more day's, there would be nothing they could have done. I spent the next two months as an inpatient and two additional months as an outpatient.

My father also had severe rectal pain. It turned out the second doctor's second opinion saved his life by removing cancer the size of a lemon.

Do Not sit back and wait for it to get better on its own. Do you have a fever? Is the pain intermittent or constant? These things can get serious, fast. I realize men have the tendency to not go in and have their butt poked and prodded. It's embarrassing, troubling, and one hopes the problem will go away in time. This kind of common thinking kills!

I'd get second opinions and further testing asap. Do it. Do it now.

H&K-Guy

quote:

Originally posted by m.tenenhaus:
There are general surgery specialists that have expertise with bowel and rectal problems...they're called colorectal specialists. I would suggest you see if there is one in your medical system or community.

Hope you feel better soon.

Yes you need to see a specialist.

Depending on the issue... either a colorectal specialist (rectum, colon, bowel, etc) or a urologist (urinary tract, prostate, etc).

The reason you want a specialist is their focus on conditions like yours. A General Practitioner might see your issue a couple times a year... The specialist likely sees patients with your condition several times per week and has a better idea of what might work or not.

Good luck!

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Was your urinalysis abnormal? Do you know if your white blood cell count was high? Any fever? At this point a CT scan sounds prudent. Could be an abscess.

Be the squeaky wheel. Do not take no for an answer.

If you can't get a referral to a specialist through your PCP go to a different ER for the pain in order to get a different set of doctors looking at it.

No fever. Urinalysis was fine. Yes, my doctor mentioned a specialist. He said I can double up on the meds I'm on now which I have done. The pain is constant.

Not likely a prostate infection then-at least not one severe enough to cause that much pain. If you're miserable hit the ER again and get a CT. If that's normal I'd suggest a general surgeon or gastroenterologist for exam and colonoscopy

If you can get to Denver, DR Nelson Mozia. I was hurting so bad I would get tunnel vision.

Now you tell me. I was in Denver last weekend when this got really bad. As long as I take 1000mg of ibuprofen every 4 hours it manageable as long as I stay off my feet. Just shot an email to my doctors office asking for a referral.

1000 mg ibuprofen every 4 hours will kill your kidneys!! Please don't take that much!! 800mg every 8 hours is really the max. See if your doctors office will call you in some Tramadol until you can be seen Monday!

Update. Primary guy said go to the emergency room. Kinda pissed about it at the time, but it worked out for the best. They did a CT scan found an abscess as the surgeon described it about the size of my thumbs put together. The surgery was the easy part. Spent a night in the hospital. I'm whacked up on two different antibiotics. The worst part is the wound has been left open to drain and packed off. Yesterday that packing had to be changed. That surgeon put three feet of that stuff up there and every single inch was white hot searing pain coming back out. The guy repacking in only put a foot back in. This need to be done every day. Not looking forward to it at all.

Glad you found out what the problem was and had it treated. Best of luck with your recovery.

What a pain in the ass, but glad you got the issue resolved.

quote:

Originally posted by goose5:
Update. Primary guy said go to the emergency room. Kinda pissed about it at the time, but it worked out for the best. They did a CT scan found an abscess as the surgeon described it about the size of my thumbs put together. The surgery was the easy part. Spent a night in the hospital. I'm whacked up on two different antibiotics. The worst part is the wound has been left open to drain and packed off. Yesterday that packing had to be changed. That surgeon put three feet of that stuff up there and every single inch was white hot searing pain coming back out. The guy repacking in only put a foot back in. This need to be done every day. Not looking forward to it at all.

You think it's bad now? A wound clinic will repack that black spunge material every day, and it will be very painful every time. Do you have it covered in what they call draping (plastic sheeting to cover the wound)? Do you have to have the drainage machine plugged in and pulling out fluids from the wound?

This is what I had to do, for months. Very Painful. I do not envy you. It's a pain I wouldn't ask to fall upon my worst enemy. If the pain is too much, have them use local doses of Lidocaine. And if you do, may sure they use a blunt syringe, not a sharps!

Thoughts and prayers sent your way.

H&K-Guy

Thanks H&K-Guy. From what they are saying I'll have it repacked from 1 to two weeks. Repack today was painful but not as bad as the first time. They say it will get a little easier. But, you are right this is the most painful thing I have ever had done. Today the nurse used a smaller size so it was a little easier. No one has mentioned any type of machine just a pad to catch anything. The cavity today was swabbed down with Lidocaine but it still hurt.

quote:

Originally posted by goose5:
Thanks H&K-Guy. From what they are saying I'll have it repacked from 1 to two weeks. Repack today was painful but not as bad as the first time. They say it will get a little easier. But, you are right this is the most painful thing I have ever had done. Today the nurse used a smaller size so it was a little easier. No one has mentioned any type of machine just a pad to catch anything. The cavity today was swabbed down with Lidocaine but it still hurt.

I feel your pain. I had a grapefruit size cyst removed, but the real damage was cutting all of the dead flesh away.

I had to be rendered unconscious do to the pain the first week they did the repacks. Being hooked up to the wound vac was no fun. Eventually I got a portable one I could carry in a backpack. Be very thankful if you do not require this.

And now for some encouragement. This will get better. A year from now, the only thing you will have is some scaring and a few bad memories. Hang in there. It looks like they got to it before your life was in danger. Others have not been so fortunate. It sounds like your going be be just fine. It WILL get easier.

I can't stand morphine, et all. I usually don't like pain killers either, as I have an addictive personality. But if you can use them wisely and sparingly, by all means stay medicated.

Keep us in the loop, and may you have success.

H&K-Guy