Uterine Contractions...

[juliegee]

WARNING: this is WAY too much info for the male persuasion. Please read another topic . Thank U.

Anyone else have uterine contractions? I've been getting these off and on most of my life, even when I was a young girl. I remember that my Mother (back in the 60's) recommended a Tbs. of whiskey (yuck!) when I complained of this.

It's a rhythmic tightening across the lower part of my belly. Sometimes they are seconds apart, sometimes minutes apart, but they almost always have a pattern. I know they are contractions because I experienced these when I lost my first child at 4 months. At that time, they were productive (as my gyn decided to do a D & C rather than have me deliver at home) and I was fully dilated by the time I got to the hospital.

The reason I ask about this, is that I had a particularly awful one the other day. It was VERY prolonged- lasted 45 seconds or more and was extremely painful. I have a large fibroid (that was embolized) and I half expected to deliver it or my uterus at that point No kidding- it was that bad. In the middle of the night I awoke with excruciating nausea, which has persisted since. And, my whole GI tract seems to have frozen up since then. I'm back to 4 doses of Miralax a day just to get any GI movement.

Has anyone experienced anything like this before- the uterine contractions (while NOT pregnant) and have they ever affected your GI motility??? Too weird!

Thanks-

Julie

[Sophia3]

I had something similar years ago. Had very VERY painful periods and the cramps turned into intense pain each month...soon starting before the period and I would have to miss work and take pain meds. Then the pain meds no longer worked. Then wearing tampons hurt....it would feel like somebody was grabbing me inside with pliers and yanking in some rhytmnic torture.

I remember giving some details at one point to my sister (who had had four children) what I described sounded like labor pains.

Well, after one clueless gyne missed it, & suggested a hysterectomy...I got another opinion.

A wise doctor who thought I had something wrong with my pudendal nerve I think it was. after he listened to my give details of the pain. He was able to make it hurt a upon examination. AFTER they scraped me off the ceiling he said he could do laser surgery to fix the problem. Thankfully it DID!! And I just went back to normal painful menstrual cramps afterword.

Not sure that is what you are having but it took three doctors to "understand" what my pain source was!!

I could NEVER find this problem in books in the day (this was late 80s) and when I googled it a few years ago, nothing on the net.

Good luck getting this fixed.

[juliegee]

Zowee, after they scraped you off the ceiling ... Poor Sophia! Glad you got to the bottom of this.

It's usually not so bad for me- just bothersome, until this last episode. The motility issues seem to be improving as days go on. WHATEVER happened shocked my GI tract into freezing up for a spell. I will certainly mention it to my gyn next time I see her.

I was expecting a boatload of "Me Too!" Didn't realize this was so weird.

Thanks for your help-

Julie

[the4richards]

I get this and have had it for about 4 years. Doctors cannot find a reason for it happening.

Mine are mid cycle and the "contractions" can last on and off for 5 days. They can happen anytime of the day but most typically happen as I'm going to bed and wake me up a couple of times a night. They've been so bad that I've thrown up (yuck..sorry).

I've considered a hystorectomy but I'm 48 and pray every month for menopause, although I'm just starting peri so I doubt it will be very soon.

Meanwhile, I use heated rice bags, and tighten my muscles as much as possible with mini-crunches (it seems to tire the muscles out faster).

I'm on an ovulation pain website where a lot of the women talk about "knife like" pain and other colon issues when they get their pain.

[juliegee]

I get this and have had it for about 4 years. Doctors cannot find a reason for it happening.

Mine are mid cycle and the "contractions" can last on and off for 5 days. They can happen anytime of the day but most typically happen as I'm going to bed and wake me up a couple of times a night. They've been so bad that I've thrown up (yuck..sorry).

I've considered a hystorectomy but I'm 48 and pray every month for menopause, although I'm just starting peri so I doubt it will be very soon.

Meanwhile, I use heated rice bags, and tighten my muscles as much as possible with mini-crunches (it seems to tire the muscles out faster).

I'm on an ovulation pain website where a lot of the women talk about "knife like" pain and other colon issues when they get their pain.

I wonder if yours is ovulation pain- I used to get that too. You're right it's rhythmic also, but a little different than the contractions. If that's what it is, yours should go away soon with menopause .

Weird thing for me is that I am no longer having periods. I guess I am menopausal, but I'm still having contractions. Grrrr. Seems like I would have "delivered" by now .

Julie

[kerrilyn]

I had that for many years, would bring me to my knees and take my breath away. I always thought it was linked to endometriosis, but now I'm not do sure. I think more likely it involved pelvic floor muscles. It's interesting that Sophia mentioned the pudendal nerve. I'm having more nerve pain now. The pudendal nerve is linked to Interstitial Cystitis / Painful Bladder Syndrome and Vulvodynia. I've had symptoms of vulvodynia for many years, before docs knew what it was and the pain 'must be in your head' sort of thing. Now they realize it's a neurological disorder, but many docs still have never heard of it.

The pudendal nerve and vulvodynia are mentioned here: http://www.obgyn.net/women/women.asp?page=/cpp/vulvodynia

I think there is also a hormonal component to these contraction like pains. Since I started using bio-identical progesterone cream, my intense period cramps (including these really horrible contraction ones) are gone.

(((I'd would have included quotes in the thread, but I haven't figured that out yet)))

[lieze]

This might be what I'm getting too.

Mine is painful like a contraction but it just seizes up and it feels as if it's right at the point of my cervix. It's horrible pain and usually lasts about 20 minutes or so, at times it feels like it moves back towards my rectum and up closer to my urethra. Sometimes I go and try to urinate to relieve the cramp and no urine will come out because I am just in a solid cramp down there.

I have been experiencing this for the past 5 years at least. I've wondered if it wasn't from birth trauma. I had third degree tears with at least the first 3 kids? Took an hour of suturing after all 4 births and I had episiotomy's with at least the first two. I also had a forceps delivery first baby. I just know that after my first I guess I felt pain running down a nerve into my buttock so I don't know if there was damage to that nerve. I feel the pain going down that same pathway when these cramps start. I probably have about a dozen a year. And the heated rice bag helps, bearing down feels like it helps, and last time I rocked back and forth and I don't know if the rocking helped or just helped me deal with the pain til it let up. My pain is so intense that I cannot feel it letting up until it entirely stops. It almost has a lingering feeling even after the cramp is gone.

The last time I got it I also felt nauseated. First time ever for the nausea.

[Kaila]

I know this is an old feed but was just wondering if they ever figured out what was going on with you lieze? I'm going through everything you described from the pains in the front to the rectum area to not being able to stand to feeling it after it's gone. My doctors keep telling me nothing is wrong but have never looked just felt my stomach and bladder area is all. I need answers. It really causes a lot of problems and is starting to effect my already horrible anxiety. I don't like to go anywhere or do anything out of fear that it will come about while I'm in the middle of something. Tia

[Schwimmin]

I have the uterine contractions, i was in a doctors office fir 7 hours, she would not give up on me like one of our major university hospitals.

She was trained by older mds and newer ones with training in robotics.

The end result being i also has uterine contractions but could not get surgery because I already have painful scar tissue.

result: she prescrbed me vaginal suppositories made of diazapam, I felt relief for first time ever. i used to get the pain when i was about to menstrate. now i get them all different times.

so you may consider asking your doctor for a script. it does not effect your brain or make you tired.

it just relaxes your muscles.

someone stated that contractions make it hard to have a stool.

This relaxes your muscles so this may not be good for that. a relaxed muscle does not help produce a stool from what i was told.

i hope i was a help to someone.

bless you all.

Schwimmin.