Severe Anal Pain

Oh, that doesn't sound right! I finished my treatment for anal cancer in April, and it's been a terrible, painful recovery but I"m definitely coming through it now. Occasional bad pain but most days are good, with no or only low levels of pain. 

Have you been back to your oncologists? Or tried a gastroenterologist? It doesn't sound as if your GP has enough tools in their kit to help you. Anusol was useless.

2 piles, a skin tag and ulceration means you need actual treatment, not to be handed a tube of OTC cream. 

I sure hope you find relief soon. I want you to be able to get back to your life!

Hi Bess68 when it was found I had a abnormal growth in my anus I had surgery to cut it out and they had hoped they would get sufficient out for me to not have to go down the chemo radiotherapy route. After I had this don it looked like I had a big ugly blue grape poking out of my bottom. It was very uncomfortable and I had to have six weeks treatment. This grape shrunk but left a big ugly skin tag that would be painful every time I opened my bowels. And month after treatment it was starting to get smaller and I would lubricate with a natural balm I bout off Amazon. I did experience a large fissure from getting constipated and that was really painful and I felt when I walked I had something bearing down like it was going to fall out. It takes time and now a year later every has gone back to normal with no tags. So I suppose time is a great healer and down there looks great if you can say that! I think from six months onwards I started to really turn a corner. Julie

Hello mate I’m in the same situation . The only time it doesn’t hurt is. When I’m asleep . Which is a task in its self , one month after treatment for stage 2 anal cancer chemo radiation therapy. Sore as hell through treatment managed to get through it all some how was in bed a lot of the time really badly sick shaking sweating shivering coming out both ends , admitted to hospital twice once with a water infection felt like I was peeing pins and needles out , excruciating pain when passing a bowl movement, opioid pain relief causes constipation which can be a nightmare squeezing and pushing for little to no result, lots of mucus, discharge , etc. afraid pain seems to get worse before it gets better rear end really hurts 90 percent of every day ? Hurts to sit , unless i lay on my side which is causing a dead leg . Cannot walk far , pretty much every thing is a nightmare , hoping times a healer and things improve , it hurt a lot more then it does now to wee so the inflammation of that area seems to be carming down . Still pain full tho . Seems to be a lot of seepage leakage after the treatment compared to what was happening before . Smelly Aswell so quite self conscious having to shower five six times a day and change underwear multiple times . I think the best pain relief is distraction techniques , I’m prescribed oxycodone I take 30 mg morning 30 mg evening and I have 5 mg to take as and when required. Can cause constipation tho which is not good , I refused the stoma . Also ended up with a perianal abscess which was drained twice so ended up with a three inch gash on my bum cheek so that was painful and still is . Diareah is a nightmare for me during treatment now constipation is a problem which causes considerable pain . Unfortunately in my case I think I’m in more pain now month after then any period during this process . Hot baths helped me a bit . 

Hi Bess68

This doesn’t sound right at all. You should not be in so much pain so long after your treatment. You should definitely go back and see your oncologist or gastro team. It may be a fissure (which can be agony) and there is a fantastic cream they can give you for this called Diltiazem 2%. But whatever it is you need to get seen soon. Don’t suffer in silence. I’m afraid GPS are not equipped to cope with this. You need a specialist and an urgent referral. I don’t think you should be using anusol and other things which may potentially exacerbate this. There are also regimes of other pain killers that may help that won’t be constipating  

This could be something that may be easily rectified so please keep us posted how you get on. 

best wishes

PPR x

Hi Victor18, I can tell you a month after I finished treatment was also quite painful as I was dealing with the constipation versus diarrhoea and developed a fissure which was mega painful. My doctor prescribed diltiazem which he did say can in some people cause migraines and I was one of them! In the end as I was sensitive to a lot of creams I tried baby Vaseline for sensitive skin which helped. Time is a great healer and some of us just take that bit longer. I hope you turn your corner soon.

Hi Viktor18 you sound to be having a terrible time and you’ve had some good advice already. I just wanted to add that you can get a special cushion to sit on from the District Nurses ( contact your treating team or your GP to access them). This enables you to sit down without lying on your side like you’ve described. They also have mattress toppers which help make things more comfortable until things start to heal. These aids are free.  Bev.