# Constant, Dull, Burning Lower Abdomen, Pelvic Pain



## 18907 (Mar 8, 2007)

Does anyone get a constant pain midway down between you belly button and your groin? Any guys out there care to respond? It feels like a deep muscle pull through the bladder. I am IBS D. I have been checked for bladder infection and they so no bacteria present. Any ideas?


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## overitnow (Nov 25, 2001)

No, but I did used to get an intermittant so sharp you couldn't touch it pain right behind my belly button. It did disappear once the D stopped, so it was obviously related.Mark


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## SpAsMaN* (May 11, 2002)

Yes.It look like interstitial cystisis sometimes.Could it be that diarrhea is irritating?????


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## 18907 (Mar 8, 2007)

Just came back from Cleveland Clinic today after seeing GI and Urology. Urology mentioned IC as a possibility, but they are actually leaning more toward a functional spasm in my colon/abdomen/bladder area. He thinks I may be in a constant state of spasm following my physical exam. I seem to get the pain regardless of D or C, or day I say, a normal day. Plus I have been seeing my urinary stream reduce slightly as this IBS wears on. Bentyl helps but is not a solution I can live with.So, I am going to spend three days in Cleveland seeing a physical therapist about pelvic issues, and then getting uro testing done including an ultrasound of my prostate. I am also getting the camera pill, SIBO test, and a few endocrine related tests. I am also seeing internal medicine for a full workup.I am very impressed with their plan so far. Much more thorough and multi-displinary coordinated than anything my local rookie docs have done. And since they saved my wife's life in 2000 with an unrelated bone marrow transplant for Non-Hodgkins Lymphoma, I already know how good they can be. I'll keep you all apprised.


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## SpAsMaN* (May 11, 2002)

Funky,that is amazing that they try to help you.This is really important.You may want to get a barium enema.This is a very good test.Defecography is also interesting.The recto-sigmoid may also be very close to your problem.The SIGMOID has a bend in the pubic area,very problematic.


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## 18907 (Mar 8, 2007)

Hey Spas,It is amazing they are trying to help, but I have only good things to say about Cleveland and their expertise. Your are right, it is important they are trying to help!My local docs are a bunch of heartless incompetents. They were quick to take my money but none of them offered any solutions or relief, nor did they speak with one another to develop a game plan. I feel like they all graduated at the bottom of their classes. The Defography has been discussed with my GI doc in Cleveland. I will know more about doing this test once I meet with the physical therapy docs on Thursday. They are also having me swallow the pill cam for safe measure. My grandfather had UC, but I am pretty sure I do not have IBD. Have tested for that pretty extensively.I will mention the recto-sigmoid to the doctors in Cleveland. Thanks for your insight. I think we are getting close. If all goes well, I'll tell you which doctors to see. Stay tuned.


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## SpAsMaN* (May 11, 2002)

If you STRAIN a lot to evacuate,there is good chance they will find pelvic muscle dysfunction on the defecography.Been there.HOWEVER,even if this is an interesting finding,this is STILL a debatable diagnosis in term of the whole constipation issue.If you have a defecography,ask them to fill the first part of the sigmoid(near the pubic bone).It mean they may have to put a lil' bit more Barium to reach the sigmoid.This will allow you to see the PUBIC AREA as well as your rectum in action.This is really important that the barium fill in the sigmoid because that is where the bowel "spasm".They didn't fill my LOWER sigmoid and i'm still wondering about this anatomy part.


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## 18907 (Mar 8, 2007)

Hi Everyone and Spas,Back from a week at Cleveland Clinic. Here is what they have come up with so far.1) I have a bladder infection that my local docs missed, twice. So now I am on a 7 day antibiotic for that. I think they were looking harder for other, atypical infections.2) The GI Docs were very thorough. I don't know the results of my camera pill endoscopy yet. I think they will be negative. 3) I have weak bladder muscles per urodynamics. Add that to the abdominal pain and the tension the Uro doc felt upon exam, sent me off to Physical Therapy.4) Physical Therapy said my pelvic floor does not drop at all. It is pretty severe. They put some some sensors on me, etc. and should me that my bowels are in a contstant state of tension or spasm. They performed a few therapies on me that got some of my pelvic floor action back. At least I recongized that feeling again, albeit slightly. I never would have guessed this problem would have become so severe due to IBS but it makes sense. So, I return in over a week to Cleveland for 3 days to start physical therapy for the tension and pelvic floor issues (36 muscles to work on). I think this will help.5) I asked my GI doc about Defography and at this point, she doesn't feel it is warranted based upon what PT found. But it is not ruled out.6) My adrenal function was tested and is fine. I am repeating a malabsorption test. I am not allergic to dairy. And I had the Mark Pimental SIBO test performed. Results were negative for Small Bowel Bacteria overload.It is Saturday as I type and I started my antibiotics yesterday. So today I don't feel so hot. When I return to Cleveland we will re-culture my urine. Not sure what else will occur at this point. But I did feel much better in my abdomen following my hour visit with Physical Therapy. The difference was significant. They have seen this before and know how to help. I have three exercises to perform several times per day to relax my spasms and get my pelvic floor working again.That's all for now.Rich


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## SpAsMaN* (May 11, 2002)

What is the exercises at home?Is it Kegel(tighning/untighning of the ass)?Also,i'm curious about the 30 muscles,that seems a lot of muscles in this rather small area.Hopefully your PT really know about pelvic floor "dysfunction".But why attempting this if there is a bladder infection?IF YOU THINK THE BLADDER PAIN HAS CAUSED YOUR CHRONIC PELVIC PAIN,THEN THERE IS GOOD CHANCE THAT THE DYSFUNCTION ORIGINATE FROM THERE.PERHAPS INTERTITIAL CYSTITIS.BLADDER INSULT--->PELVIC SENSITIZATION


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## Guest (Mar 17, 2007)

Can you tell us the gist of the 3 exercises you're doing for the pelvic floor? Very interesting!! ~Charlotte


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## 18907 (Mar 8, 2007)

Let me see if I can answer all of the questions since my last post.Spas, my Uro doc is working with PT. When he examined me he noticed the extreme tension. I have heard this many times over the last several times from several independent physicians. I have a couple things going on, with the bladder issue creeping up over the last couple months or so. That has made me feel worse indeed.I have a rectal issue and a pelvic disfunction issue. They showed me on a model all of the muscles down there. Not all of mine are problematic. My next visit will determine that.They discussed cystitis but at the moment, I am very tense in my abdomen so we are going after that next. And I did get relief after my first session.I agree that bladder insult can cause pelvic sensitivity and so do they. But I apparently express a couple issues they want to address. And since no one has helped me yet, I letting them go to town.My PT demonstrated to me that the last thing I should be doing is Kegel exercises. Again, this is specific to my case. I have a rectal resting pressure that is very high, and it can be seen through my muscles on my buttocks.Now the 3 exercises are as follows (I will summarize):1) I am supposed to lie on my back about 5X per day, put my head flat on the floor, and draw my knees (shoulder width) up to my chest about half way. Then I place my finger tips on my knees and only use my knees to press moderatelt into my finger tips for a count of 5. Then I relax for a count of 5. If I do this correctly, I can feel the relaxation in my rectum.2) I have to squat down with a mirror under my crotch so that I can exercise my pelvic floor. I am supposed to draw it up and relax it with similar timing as the first exercise. This one is tough for me.3) When I am finished urinating, I am supposed to immediately attempt to drop my pelvic floor and hold for several seconds and then release. I just got the hang of this today.Again, my issues may be different from others but I do feel the relaxation in the specific muscles they identify via biofeedback, and simple, a DRE when doing these exercise in Cleveland. You would think I would be embarrased by I have dealt with this severity for well over a year, after a severe bout of food poisoning.It would be great if addressing my bladder issue fixes my other problems. But I don't think that will be the case... could be wrong. Plus, I still have multiple BM's of varied consistency (mostly loose) that are worse in the AM. That, they tell me, is my IBS. And still an unknown at this point as to how to address. But as I tell my wife lately, I long for the days when all I had to deal with was the uncertainty in my bowels. It is the pain and discomfort down low that is really impacting my life right now.Hope all this helps. Stay well!Rich


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## SpAsMaN* (May 11, 2002)

Pelvic Sensitization is something who get more and more attention from the IBS researchers.It could explain the pelvic muscle tightness that many have here.One detail that doctors don't ask is:-HOW DID THE PROBLEM START?-WHERE DO YOU HAVE PAIN/DISCOMFORT?-WHAT TRIGGER PAIN/DISCOMFORT?LETS KEEP IT SIMPLE RIGTH!?However,if they don't know how to treat it,why to bother asking question?


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## SpAsMaN* (May 11, 2002)

You may want to try a bladder instillation and see if yours symptoms disapear."Numbing" the nerves directly,in a attemps of desensitization locally.Then if it fail,you go another direction. Register for freeelvic pain/IC/bladder instillation:http://www.clinicaltrials.gov/ct/search?te...nt+cystitis.y=5Sensitive pelvic nerve--->pelvic spasmsYou need a plan B if PT fail.Of course try the best you can but you always need a plan B anyway.


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## SpAsMaN* (May 11, 2002)

You have a private message.


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## 18907 (Mar 8, 2007)

Hello All,Sorry about the delay. I am back from Cleveland Clinic. Spent yet another week with them, mostly doing physical therapy for pelvic floor relaxation. My internal medicine and urologist both agreed to also prescribe low doses of elavil for me. They said it would help me sleep.After about two weeks of PT and the exercises they have me do at home, I find that my pain in reducing substantially. Also, I had an almost normal BM this AM. I was thrilled. I know it is still too early to celebrate, but with my pain reducing as well, I think I am on to something that works for me. It is a lot of work, but so worth it.My PT assigned my 4 more home stretching exercises last week. I think I have a total of 10 exercises I do 5X per day.Having suffered with IBS and pain for over a year, this is the first time where I have had diminished symptoms. I am praying this keeps up.


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## SpAsMaN* (May 11, 2002)

Are you talking about anal dilatation at home?Sorry i'm kinda curious.I've tried biofeedback where you try to evacuate a balloon.The clinic is far away from here tho.I didn't had the envy to return.


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## SpAsMaN* (May 11, 2002)

Or maybe your home excercises is Kegels?Kegels:They ask you to squeeze and unsqueeze the pubic muscle.


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## warrior4488 (May 19, 2012)

Bumping a really old thread.
I have IBS, and pain in the abdomen, pelvic region, fatigue, headaches, body pain,nausea - the whole package.

What causes great discomfort in this burning and pain that can be felt in the entire pelvic region. The anal region burns and so does the part diretcly on the other side. The pain can be felt in the bladder as well.The entire pelvic section feels very vey weak and saggy. I use a Q-tip to apply an ointement inside my rectum and I can feel a concentric circular region (sphinctre muscle ?) that feels somewhat rough and burns like HELL. The pain can be felt in the testicles. The urethra also burns sometimes. I have had times when my urine has been whitish,thick and concentrated and it burns while passing causing huge amount of pain in the pelvic region that lasts for hours. I have also had cloudy urine that may or may not burn.

This seems very embarassing, but I will go on to so. I masturbate everyday, and some times after doing it, I have had burning while passing urine.This again exacerbates the pain in the whole pelvic region.There is burning in the urethra, in the bladder.It sometimes even provokes my IBS-D.Can exessive masturbation cause damage to any tissue or gland in that region.

What is it ? A bladder, prostate infection ? The inflammed spinctre muscle, Interstital cystis, weakened pelvic floor ?
Can kegel execersize help.

Please Please reply so I can get some relief from this pain.


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