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What Causes Burning Sensation After Bowel Movement?
Question: Just yesterday afternoon I began experiencing a burning/itching/ pain after I had a bowel movement. It has been going on ever since. It is a very uncomfortable feeling and it has disrupted my sleep the past day and I cannot sit without feeling this burning/itching sensation. It will come about every 20/30 seconds and last for only about 2 seconds. It has been going on for over 24 hours. At first it seemed it needed to be itched but it seems more of like a burning/like I'm being cut with a small piece of glass pain for just a second or two. I do use the restroom (passing bowel movements very often) but this has been this way for years. I have never had this type of issue before and it is starting to scare me. I literally cannot sit or stand or do anything without this happening every 20/30 seconds. I went and bought some tucks at wal mart, vaseline, episom salt, and preparation H. It feels like on the right side of my anus it is kind of sore/raw. The burning/itching/glass pain feeling seems to come from the right side of my anus. I have no idea what this is, but I'm a bit worried and hope it is not something serious. Do I need to see a doctor? I have read various things on the internet, herpes, hemroids etc. The tucks, babywipes and vaseline have seemed to help a little bit, but the burning/glass cutting feeling continues all day! Do I need to see a doctor ASAP?
Brief Answer:
For the moment you don't need to see a doctor...
Detailed Answer:
Hi and thank you for asking!
I read your query and understood your concerns.
You are experiencing recently a burning/itching/ pain after you had a bowel movement. These symptoms seem typical for patients with anal fissures. Anal fissure is in most cases self-limited and will heal within a couple of weeks and you don’t need to see a doctor immediately.
If I were your treating doctor I would recommend as follow:
1. Continue using preparation H, Vaseline and Episom salt after using toilet.
2. Use sitz bath (i.e. Sit in a tub filled with a few inches of warm water for 20 minutes) 2-3 times a day.
3. Use plenty of water, a liquid diet and stool softeners (like lactulose) to avoid constipation.
4. Avoid any form of anal sexuality because this may aggravate your symptoms.
5. Keep your perineal area dry and clean.
In case that the symptoms persist after two weeks of treatment or they seem to get worse you should consult a proctologist immediately.
Hope it will be of help!
Wish you health!
Dr.Klerida
For the moment you don't need to see a doctor...
Detailed Answer:
Hi and thank you for asking!
I read your query and understood your concerns.
You are experiencing recently a burning/itching/ pain after you had a bowel movement. These symptoms seem typical for patients with anal fissures. Anal fissure is in most cases self-limited and will heal within a couple of weeks and you don’t need to see a doctor immediately.
If I were your treating doctor I would recommend as follow:
1. Continue using preparation H, Vaseline and Episom salt after using toilet.
2. Use sitz bath (i.e. Sit in a tub filled with a few inches of warm water for 20 minutes) 2-3 times a day.
3. Use plenty of water, a liquid diet and stool softeners (like lactulose) to avoid constipation.
4. Avoid any form of anal sexuality because this may aggravate your symptoms.
5. Keep your perineal area dry and clean.
In case that the symptoms persist after two weeks of treatment or they seem to get worse you should consult a proctologist immediately.
Hope it will be of help!
Wish you health!
Dr.Klerida
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
This is an answer I got from another doctor. I'm trying to compare to see what you think. I would like to go more with your diagnosis...My symptoms have gone away over past 24 hours, they lasted about 24 hours or less. I have used the tucks, vaseline, episom salts and that has seemed to take care of my issues. I have not had anymore symptoms and they have seemed to go away. Below I have posted what another doctor thinks it could be. Do you think this is the case. What I'm getting from his answer- is procto colitis is in reference to chlymidia? Is he saying I have a STD? I will say, I am sexually active and do get tested 1 time per year or more, do you think this is the case? This has me a bit spooked. Here is his response.
Hi.
Thanks for your query.
Read and understood your history.
Yes, you do need to see a Doctor ASAP.
The burning/itching/pain after bowel movement, sufficient enough to disrupt your sleep, making it unable to sit without same feeling, occurring as you explained indicates that there may be associated infection and needs clinical evaluation, examination and confirmation of what exactly is the problem as you symptoms are quite unusual.
Feeling of being cut with a small piece of glass and that too just for few seconds, occurring for the first time in spite you have habit of passing bowel movements adds to the problems.
I think you should not use Vaseline, tucks or epsom salt at the moment as it changes the character of the lesions and in fact may not help at all.
You have got more of feeling on the tight side.
Herpes can occur only if have such a contact from another person.
Piles are self evident.
It is possible that you are basically suffering from procto-colitis for a long time but showing these new set of problems for the first time, hence the need to see a specialist and get proper investigations done:
Tests of blood, urine and stool.
Ultrasonography/CT scan of the abdomen.
Colonoscopy.
Proper antibiotic, metronidazole, probiotic cover and rest of the medicines as per the findings.
Hi.
Thanks for your query.
Read and understood your history.
Yes, you do need to see a Doctor ASAP.
The burning/itching/pain after bowel movement, sufficient enough to disrupt your sleep, making it unable to sit without same feeling, occurring as you explained indicates that there may be associated infection and needs clinical evaluation, examination and confirmation of what exactly is the problem as you symptoms are quite unusual.
Feeling of being cut with a small piece of glass and that too just for few seconds, occurring for the first time in spite you have habit of passing bowel movements adds to the problems.
I think you should not use Vaseline, tucks or epsom salt at the moment as it changes the character of the lesions and in fact may not help at all.
You have got more of feeling on the tight side.
Herpes can occur only if have such a contact from another person.
Piles are self evident.
It is possible that you are basically suffering from procto-colitis for a long time but showing these new set of problems for the first time, hence the need to see a specialist and get proper investigations done:
Tests of blood, urine and stool.
Ultrasonography/CT scan of the abdomen.
Colonoscopy.
Proper antibiotic, metronidazole, probiotic cover and rest of the medicines as per the findings.
Brief Answer:
Following answer to your queries.
Detailed Answer:
Hi back,
Thank you for providing more of your medical data.
After I read the other doctor answer I can say as follow:
1. The fact that your symptoms have been relived within 24 hours of treatment shows than nothing serious is going on.
2. Procto-colitis is often associated with diarrhea and blood in stools. This is why I don’t think that it is your case.
Your symptoms are typical for anal fissure that may be related to constipation. The fact that the symptoms were self limited (lasted around 24 hours) is suggestive for anal fissure.
Please keep in mind that procto-colitis from clamidia isn't self limited and it usually require antibiotics to be healed.
However in order to clear your doubts especially if you have changed recently partner I would recommend to do the test for STD.
Hope this was of help!
Wish you health!
Dr. Klerida
Following answer to your queries.
Detailed Answer:
Hi back,
Thank you for providing more of your medical data.
After I read the other doctor answer I can say as follow:
1. The fact that your symptoms have been relived within 24 hours of treatment shows than nothing serious is going on.
2. Procto-colitis is often associated with diarrhea and blood in stools. This is why I don’t think that it is your case.
Your symptoms are typical for anal fissure that may be related to constipation. The fact that the symptoms were self limited (lasted around 24 hours) is suggestive for anal fissure.
Please keep in mind that procto-colitis from clamidia isn't self limited and it usually require antibiotics to be healed.
However in order to clear your doubts especially if you have changed recently partner I would recommend to do the test for STD.
Hope this was of help!
Wish you health!
Dr. Klerida
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Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
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