Pelvic congestion... Treatment by interventional radiologist...

[Romama5]

Has anyone treated their Pelvic Congestion with an Interventional radiologist? Looking for input. I have an appointment coming up and I don’t know anyone who has had anything done like this!

Any stories, even anecdotal will help!!!

I have vulvar and pelvic vericosities from major fibroid removal and pelvic traumas... six months ago the pain came back, my lifestyle changed around that time, on my feet more than usual. The pain is getting worse every day. I need a solution but I don’t know much about this so I need some feedback, please!

[charlee4]

I am unfamiliar with your diagnosis, but I do think going to an Interventional Radiologist is a good move. I had an injection by a radiologist which helped a while with the pain, but the injections are usually done for diagnostic purposes. It seems some of them are knowledgeable about Pudendal Neuralgia and pelvic issues. I hope that helps.

[svaillantkenn]

I saw two interventional radiologists—one of whom recommended a stent for my iliac vein and coils for my varicose veins and one of whom didn’t think this course of action made sense since my main symptom is pain with sitting not with standing. In other words he felt the varicose veins were not the main source of my pain but rather an irritated pudendal nerve, I.e. pudendal neuralgia. That said, the varicose veins can irritate the pudendal nerve as can tight muscles. What are yr main symptoms?

[Romama5 in reply to svaillantkenn]

Thank you for your response. The pain grows the more I stand or sit upright (driving, etc.). However, there are days that the pain carries over, and I wake up with it. As it is I have a very angry and tight pelvic floor. I feel like I need to pee (like UTI pain and urgency), aching and throbbing pelvic area, extreme pain during and after bowel movements (I have hypoparathyroidism due to trauma from a total thyroidecyomy so my movements are usually soft/loose), pain after sex and especially during orgasm. Headaches.

The vericosities have been diagnosed via CT scan, but there is such little faith because the docs are all washing their hands of it. The Interventional radiologist is the only one really wanting to explore.

[svaillantkenn in reply to Romama5]

If he is a good interventional radiologist, he'll listen carefully to your symptoms and decide whether or not coils make sense in your case. I also experienced urinary symptoms similar to yours--I've discovered that these can be due to either pelvic congestion syndrome or pudendal neuralgia. Because standing doesn't increase my pain, but sitting does, the second interventional radiologist I saw advised against coils. Before doing anything, I would go to a physical therapist to deal with your tight pelvic pain muscles. Tight muscles can cause a sensation of aching in the pelvic region. If you continue to have pain after your muscles spasms and trigger points are dealt with, then you might proceed to coils depending on your symptoms. Just keep in mind that pelvic pain is often caused by more than one issue and surgery should be avoided until you know for sure that the problem being fixed is the chief source of your pain. Hope this makes sense.

[Konagirl60]

I to am unfamiliar with your ailment. I was diagnosed with this once but I did not really have it. What are the steps a doctor takes to diagnose this?

Hormones play a key role in sex hormones and pelvic function. Could a Naturopath or Integrative doctor help prescribe a natural pain supplement and vasodilator?

Make sure you live a stressless life as usual, exercise at least five times a week ( long walks ) . Can you have sexual intercourse or masturbate? I would think an orgasm now and then would calm the area.

I am so sorry I cannot help you more. It sounds uncomfortable. Is there a special seat that might help?

[Romama5 in reply to Konagirl60]

Unfortunately, right now my nerves are on edge. Sometimes an orgasm does cause some release of the glassy nerve pain, but when I’m in a phase like this, an orgasm is eye-rollingly painful. Like blackout painful.

I’m open to all roads of treatment, natural included. I made the mistake of trying Topamax and it reminded me how sensitive I am to meds of that nature. I do pelvic physical therapy, which helps with my pelvic floor, but does nothing to help with the congestion pain.

To diagnose this they need to rule everything else out, send you to your gyno, urologist, general practitioner, psychiatrist, etc.... after all of that you could be referred to a vascular surgeon who ordered a CT scan with contrast dye, which showed a cyst on an ovary and vessels that were larger than normal. So now, an interventional radiologist will do a venogram.

[Konagirl60 in reply to Romama5]

Good luck. I pray you can return to a life with no pain and where you can sit again. We are not meant to stand all day long. I did waiting for surgery and my legs are exhausted!

[costagran]

how were you diagnosed?

i just got results of an MRI telling me thats what i had after 7 years undiagnosed pain.

trouble is gynnos dont know much about it so its the last thing on their minds when looking for a diagnosis..i'm also in the dark but i typed in pelvic congestion syndrome forum and joined.

i'm still in the dark but most of the women say not to have a coil fitted as you end up in worse pain.

i'd love to know what your intraventional radiologist ses.

[Mjangel]

This is my story...

healthunlocked.com/endometr...