Lower Back and Rectal Pain Post-Colostomy: Hernia Related?

Hello friends. I've got a question concerning some pains I've been having over the past week. I'll give a brief history of my condition... I had a colostomy done in '07 due to rectal cancer (stage III), went through chemo and radiation, and also had the rectum removed. All tests have come back looking good with no signs of cancer. I have a hernia on the side of the ostomy. Last year, my surgeon told me it was not large enough to do anything with at the time. I have had different pain with it and was told by my ostomy nurse that the sharp, little, tingly pains mean the hernia is growing. Last week, I started having a dull pain in the lower back (first time I have felt that pain) and pressure in the rectum... as if something was in it. I have felt that pressure before whenever I have overexerted my body (which does not take too much to do anymore). I rested over the weekend and was feeling better until today, and apparently, I must have done something I should not have, and pain started again. This time I had sharp pains in the rectum, which I had never had before. What I'm wondering is, could the lower back pain and the rectal pain possibly be associated with the hernia, or could it be something else?
I sure appreciate all of you and am grateful that I can ask a question and know that if someone has gone through it, they will be glad to answer. Thank you, Debi

Hi Debi!
I have no experience in this subject, but I tend to err on the side of caution since all the crap I've been through.
I would honestly go see your doctor and have him/her check it out.
You can't be too careful.
Good luck & let us know! Love ya...Hannah

Hi Debi .... certainly, my hernia does give me awful lower back pain with the strain it takes to 'carry' it, as it were. However, the pain in the ass, no..... so I agree with Hannah Banana, check it out, my lovely, just in case it is something unrelated - the doc can have a look at the hernia too! Let us know, Rach xx

Debi, how are you feeling today?

Rach, Hannah Banana?? LMAO, love you, how are you feeling??? xoxoxo

And how are you 3 lovely ladies today? I'm sorry I don't get a chance to chat anymore, but work leaves me exhausted and with achy feet. I still want to know how you are doing, so please keep me informed. Love and hugs to you.

Living with Your Ostomy | Hollister

And how are you 3 lovely ladies today? I'm sorry I don't get a chance to chat anymore, but work leaves me exhausted and with achy feet. I still want to know how you are doing, so please keep me informed. Love and hugs to you.

Hannah, Rachel, and Steve... You all are so caring. Thank you. I am doing better today. Like I said, I believe this has something to do with overexerting my body. Everything had been going fine, and now I'm feeling this, and I don't understand what I have done differently that would cause the lower back and rectum to have pain. Anyway, the call is in to the doc for my referral to see my surgeon. I did have some slight bleeding too that I am unsure of. Just a bit of info to anyone that has gone through radiation for rectal cancer, approximately one year after radiation, I had to see a urologist because my urine was like cranberry juice. It turned out to be radiation cystitis, and after talking with a nurse on Friday, I found out that you can continue to have flare-ups. Once again, I don't know if the bleeding was from that or something else. Anyway, my sweet friends, thank you for being here for me!
Lots of love! Debi

Aww sorry Hannah, I can't quit. I enjoy it too much.

And Debi, I'll always be around for all of you, well, when I can get on and think straight, lol.

Hi guys and gals... I have finally had a good day (yesterday), the first since before Christmas, I reckon. However, instead of not being able to keep my eyes open, I found I went to bed and couldn't sleep! Today was pretty good too until my Harley machine decided to run out of puff and not get me up the hill, so I am now in quite a lot of pain after walking my dogs. Hopefully, I will sleep tonight in readiness for the doctor again tomorrow with more blood results, which of course will be negative as they always are! Oh, to be normal again............ xxxx

Hi there, Debi. Although we've had different surgeries, I have an ileostomy, and before surgery, I had severe back pain and herniated discs. After surgery, I had a whole new set of back pain, completely different from previously. One of the answers I found out was that after these abdominal surgeries, they are in the Cauda Equina area (rough translation, horsetail) where resides a massive nerve supply, and any little thing can set them off, causing pain almost anywhere. It seems without rhyme or reason and can take a few days to present, and by that time, you can forget what the hell happened. I've also had my colon removed, but my body just doesn't understand that, and sometimes I just have to sit on the toilet until it passes. More nerves just acting up, as with my left leg. Now, there is a really big pain in the ass, just a figure of speech, and no surgeon wants to even look at me because of prior surgeries. All of this is to let you know we have to put up with a lot of crap. When I showed my doctor my hernia, after three seconds, nothing was said except surgeons don't like to operate on hernias for numerous reasons. I guess the message was just live with it. Thanks a lot, Doc. Hope this little screed doesn't bore you too much. Hang in there, Ed
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Actually, it might help to Google Cauda Equina Syndrome.

Hi Debi
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I wish I had some advice or experience of some sort to share on this... I just hope you are feeling better now! Your body has gone through so much; sometimes it's hard to say what causes certain pains.
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We care about you, girl!
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~Your Doe

Rachel, I am so glad to hear you had a good day yesterday and part of one today. I do hope you can find something out from the doctor tomorrow. I did not hear back on my referral today, but hopefully, I will hear something tomorrow. By the way, Rachel, what is normal? I'm beginning to believe our abnormal is actually our normal now. LOL!
Ed, thank you so very much for sharing the information on cauda equina syndrome. I had never heard of this and did end up googling it. I am glad to have this info before my visit with the doctor. I have had to deal with neuropathy, numbness, and pain in the feet, ankles, and legs from the radiation. Thanks once again.
Sweet Doe, thank you too for your continued care and encouragement!
You are such a fine group of friends.
XOXO, Debi

Hi Debi, if the pain is that bad, go see your doctor.  Mike B

Hello, you guys

Regarding lower back and rectal pain, at the moment I have the very same thing going on right now and I've been seeking answers to the problem through doctors and consultants.

Scan of the pelvic area showed up significant fibrosis in my pelvic area and also the little tail has been strung along with it; this all seems to be the result of my surgery 30 years ago, so I am told.

The urologist has deduced that my prostate has also become slightly enlarged and I am on medication for this as well as some procedures to empty the bladder which I am stopping as results of my tests seem to differ from hospital tests.

Rheumatology
The outcome of this was that I have wear and tear of hip joints and lower spine, nothing which would cause rectal pain. Remedy: Tramadol/amitriptyline



From what I can gather, the fibrosis may be encapsulating nerves and sending out all manner of strange feelings and sensations which sometimes can keep me awake for hours during the night. I still cannot get my head around as to why thirty years later, but I may be paying the price for surgery way back then.

Also, I have been told that it's nerve damage and that's why other problems regarding the prostate and bladder have gone haywire.
I did pin hopes on the rheumatologist giving me an answer and a solution, but I am afraid not and have been feeling down ever since.

My gastroenterologist is going to write to surgeons regarding the possibility of a surgical procedure to rectify, but I am not holding out any hopes. Surgery has come a long way since I was 'done' all those years ago, so you guys may well be different internally than I and not have the same outcome in years to come. Sometimes I just wish I could slip my hand in my rectum and give the mysterious pain a good yank and pull it out... because it's a pain/sensation you cannot touch




Colin