Back pain with prd

[Ladyparts]

Hi. Does anyone get lower/mid back pain when your bowel flares up? My hips, glutes and hamstrings also ache like hell. It's as if the muscles spasm and tense up pulling on everything around them. I am in the process of working through some things with my gp, but suspect I have colitis/proctitis going on as a late radiation effect. It tends to come in bouts.

[Stilllooking]

Oh yes I can relate to that there is very rarely a day when I am pain free. I try to grin and bear it but sometimes I can get soo down Regards and have a good Monday 🥰💖

[Ladyparts in reply to Stilllooking]

I'm sorry you know what I mean Reassuring as it is to think it might be 'normal' for us, its still a horrible thing to deal with isn't it x

[Skellige Community Pioneer]

Yes! I get lower back pain when I’m having an attack, it’s a regular symptom I’m familiar with, as all my attacks tend to follow a well-worn pattern. Sometimes it’s quite severe, others it just lasts,half,an hour or so. I use a hot water bottle to ease it, swapped back and forth from a bloated gut!

[Ladyparts in reply to Skellige]

Yes, it's kind of like bad period pain. Horrible! I want someone to design a heatbag that stays hot! Maybe that can be my new career - permanently hot heatbag inventor

[Skellige Community Pioneer in reply to Ladyparts]

I’d buy that like a shot! Actually I’m sure I’ve seen a plug-in one somewhere, but I make do with wheat-bags and hot water bottles. It needs to be a nice, even warmth. I guess it helps relax what feels like a giant ball of rubber bands inside (or one of those expanding garden hoses which slowly contract when you switch the water off).

[Ladyparts in reply to Skellige]

Yes, that's what it's like!

Fyi I did look up the heatpacks and you're right - you CAN get plug in one's!

[Blue_Hawaii]

Yes I’m constantly in pain, finally next month I’m MRI scan I’ve been complaining for years, yes it’s worse when the bowel plays up

X

[Ladyparts in reply to Blue_Hawaii]

I'm glad you're getting it seen to. Best of luck and do let us know how you get on x

[RoseTyler]

Yes it feels like menstrual pain! Damn cancer did away with that annoyance, but PRD left me with the cramps/back and leg pain! 😜🙄

[Ladyparts in reply to RoseTyler]

Yes it does! So hard to get rid of once it sets it too. I find I have to ride it out for days/weeks and use a wheatbag until it passes. Ah side effects. I guess when they poison and fry you the body isnt all that happy afterwards!

[Mariecapp]

I can sure identify with you. I'm so depressed from all of this. I'm getting to the point where I'm afraid to eat. My gastro and urogynocologist just say it's late effects of pelvic radiation, but no one helps me. I'm a very active senior, I run all the time but my bowel problems pose a real problem and some days my energy level is next to nil. I even hate that I had stupid cancer. I'm 4.5 yrs cancer free but I feel like a prisoner.

[Ladyparts in reply to Mariecapp]

I'm so sorry to read this. It's not fair. I hope you are able to find better support. It's just not right that we are left with this x

[RoseTyler in reply to Mariecapp]

I feel that too! I'm only 42 but am a competitive Horse rider, mountain hiker, and I work as a Seasonal Ecologist and in the Film industry; all impacted by my stupid bowels kicking off at the most inopportune times! I get that I'm afraid to eat, afraid to go and try to do anything fun, and when I do go to work, I have to take tonnes of Loperamide and not eat all day. :/ It's making life a misery and even when I have good days or weeks, I'm always waiting for my bowels to kick off again and can't fully enjoy the 'good days'. It's rubbish!!

[Ladyparts in reply to RoseTyler]

Man, that sucks! Makes 'living your best life' a bit tricky doesnt it?! I have to say I'm impressed with all the things you are doing. Life goes on, just in a very uncomfortable way!

[RoseTyler in reply to Ladyparts]

lol it's not that impressive compared to what I used to do before stupid cancer/PRD ruined everything :/ .

[Perido in reply to RoseTyler]

Me too

🙄x

[accidentalcarnivore in reply to RoseTyler]

You sound remarkable! Congratulate yourself for your tenacity in the face of adversity! A hero!

[Renee1964]

Oh yes !! I have rectitis actinica caused by radiation. Hot water bottles,loperamide and pain killers. My colon is thick and very scarred and more or less every few days it brings me down. My doc said paracetamol , loperamide , heat and rest.Sorry for what you are going through but it does get eorse and more frequent. 😪

[Nerual_W]

I get terrible lower back pain most of the time, not especially related to when my bowels are bad, and it's getting worse and extending into my legs now, with shooting and stabbing pains. I've had several CT scans, a full body bone scan, and two spinal MRIs, which show no malignancy nor spinal cord compression, and my team, although lovely and very sympathetic, seem to be happy that as it's not malignancy or spinal cord compression, I just need to get the pain under control. I've been on the waiting list for the pain clinic for most of the last year.

The spinal MRI does show two small fractures on one of my lumbar vertebrae. Apparently this can cause very similar sounding pain but usually in athletes and young people. I'm definitely not an athlete and I'm 40, so don't really fit either of those categories. But it seems a bit of a coincidence, and the descriptions of this particular problem sound really familiar. 40 seems a bit young to be suffering with degenerative spinal issues and we have no family history of it, so I assume it is connected to my treatment but my oncology team don't seem to think it is, but they have organised a neurology referral which should be in mid Feb.

My GP has been great at trying to find the right combo of medications to help, and I'm taking a whole cocktail of medications to try to get the pain under control, and I have a TENS machine that helps a bit. She has just referred me to an MSK specialist too, so fingers crossed!

[Fennecasie]

I really feel you. I do too, plus swelling. Lymphatic tights helped me out a lot as they improved the circulation.