Relief from back pain when opening bowels

[doejany]

I have nasty back pain for which I have taken co-codamol and diclofenac for many years. They do not help much now mostly due to tolerance probably. Just recently I have really bad ;ower back pain and also radiating around to my right side. Strange thing is that it is relieved somewhat once I open my bowels. I have no problem with constipation btw. Quite the opposite in fact. But if I dont go at least twice daily I have more back pain. Any ideas anyone?

[8sandylou]

Maybe there is less pressure on the complex nerve endings etc, when your bowels are relatively empty. I've had chronic back pain all my life ending up with two failed Radical Spinal Fusions. And I agree if the bowel is working well, there is less peri feral pain. Hence I have taken good care of my diet and bowel health, having been on Codeine for over 30 yrs now. Always pays to run your finds and experiences by your primary health professional, as the taking of long term pain treatment, can mask other conditions from being diagnosed.....and you do not want that. Good luck and best wishes, Sandra.

[RAYJAYC]

I agree with 8sandylou, there's a lot of nerves packed into a small space down there; they probably do get irritated when the rectum is full thus is slightly larger.

On occasion, I too have increased pain when I've needed to empty my bowels. The pressure needed to evacuate them can aggravate pain as well.

I've always just assumed that as my back is really sore & sensitive to any movement, an empty rectum relieves any extra pressure!!

RJC

[Hidden]

Try using Laxido - as the meds you are on are opioids and lead to constipation- which can lead to back pain and your stools become compacted. Good luck 🤗

[grace111 in reply to Hidden]

be careful with those laxido. iv used them myself and still do but if you take more than three a day they affect kidney function. thats what it says on the patient information leaflet which i alway read.

[Hidden in reply to grace111]

Thanks for concern but I would never use Laxido more than twice a week-certainly never in same day!!! :))))

[grace111 in reply to Hidden]

i hope you didnt mind me telling you as you might not have know. love grace xoxo

[doejany in reply to Hidden]

Thanks for your reply Anni.. I really have no need for laxido. I go around 3 times a day anyway

[johnsmith]

You could have a posture problem. If the centre of gravity is not between the front of your heels you will get tight muscles. If the head is not balanced on top of your spine your will get tight muscles.

Try and see what an Alexander Teacher can do for you.

Hope this helps.

[Handg]

I had a similar experience with improving back pain after taking moviprep for a colonoscopy a few weeks ago , like you no experience of constipation. I mentioned it to my GP who said that it was possible the bowel was adding to the pressure on the nerves in the back and the sudden frequency of movements caused by the meds many have temp relieved the area. I can confirm it has only been a temporary reprieve as I am back to same levels of pain. Best wishes handg

[earthwitch]

That is definitely something to mention to your doctor. There may be an innocent reason for it, but it may be a sign of something else going on that needs to be investigated further.

[doejany]

Thanks all so much for your replies to my post. I have been back to gp today, I have mentioned the bowels and the association with relief when empty but she was not impressed. She did not seem to think there was a link. My pain has now progressed into my groin and down the front of my leg. More painful than ever. She is refering me to physio.

[doejany]

Just a quick update, I have received my letter to make appointment for physio. Sadly have to wait until 22/11 but at least I know it will happen at some point. The pain is now much worse and i have been back to the walk in centre who advised that it sounded like a nerve which runs from the back, buttocks, groin and down the leg. but not the sciatic nerve. my right leg is now going numb but even so feels like it has been in a perpetual cramp state but just come out of it.. very strange and painful sensation. I am now just like a stumbling junkie due to the pain and so much medication. I am still managing to work through it though. Am saving my sick time in case it gets worse. I am the breadwinner at home.

[Aouch in reply to doejany]

Maybe this will find you 3 years later, what were the results? I hope you got the help you needed and are pain free!

[doejany in reply to Aouch]

Afternoon Aouch, Firstly I can hardly believe this is 3 years ago!, where do I start?? I ended up with 6 rounds of physio, the usual exercises and then a couple of goes of traction...roll forward another year and I FINALLY have an mri and they discover I have degeneretive disc disease, which is basically causing some crumbling of discs which is pressing on nerves, roll forward another 6 months and I am offered a laminectomy op, which is chipping away at some of the bony growth that they reckon is pressing on nerves causing all the pain. this was in January last year. sadly this operation did nothing at all to alleviate the pain and in fact I do think i am worse than ever. I think it is just going to be pain management now. I still feel that they need to look closer at the way this all started though, as an injury from carrying heavy water while emptying a fish tank.. I was not too bad until that time but they seem to have dismissed that and said no slipped disc or anything. I even had a second scan which showed no difference after the op which I thought was a puzzle?

[WilliamRamsay in reply to doejany]

How are you now? I'm in agony and in a similar boat but no further forward from physio that brought it on again.

[doejany in reply to WilliamRamsay]

Hi William and thanks for your interest. I can hardly believe that people are still reading my posts from so long ago! Sadly no change for me I am afraid. I have now accepted that there is not going to be any miracle cure for me that I can see going forward. I have been doing my best to lose some weight, slowly, to try and help and a bit of a change of diet to include more bone friendly foods ect. Not that this is making any difference but willing to try anything. The worse part for me is that the pain relief, morphine, was just causing so many bad side effects, mostly skin irritation, that I had to stop taking it, so the little relief I was getting has become worse. Just co-codamol for me now. I cannot take ibupfofen or Naproxen as they irritate my stomach so much.. but I have started taking some dispersable asprin every so often, but always with food and I find that these have been giving me a certain amount of relief. I make sure I take my Lansoprazole regularly though. The best thing I have found it to avoid certain things which cause the pain,, so no heavy lifting, not sitting too long, not standing too long. The usual. I thank the lord, or whoever, that I am reasonably comfortable in bed as I am a tummy sleeper and I manage to get a good 6-8 hours a night which is amazing. Oh I have recently had another hip xray which discovered I had a hip dysplacia issue, which had probably been there since birth.... I am now 60.. no idea why this was not picked up on before with all the xrays and mri and ct scans but hey ho.

[WilliamRamsay in reply to doejany]

Wow, mine is very similar tho it comes and goes with no pattern. CBD oil could be with a go. Good luck.

[Hidden]

Sounds like similar symptoms to me. I also noticed the effect of clear bowels. My explanation is that it gets rid of trapped gas. Especially as the motions aren't always a proper whole but blobby. (sorry if that's a bit gross)