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What Causes Extremely Painful Bowel Movements Post Vacuum Aspiration Abortion?
Question: 21 year old female G1P0A1 status post Vaccum aspiration abortion x1 week. Since the procedure I have been experiencing extremely painful bowel movements. At first I thought I was just constipated. I increased my intake of probiotics, fiber, and water. My stools have been normal not pebble like or unusually big but the pain is sometimes unbearable. I find myself straining, it's almost as if those muscles do not work anymore. I have not experienced any bleeding rectally. Do I just need to wait it out? Any advice?
Brief Answer:
It may be a side effect of the Methergine but monitor closely just in case
Detailed Answer:
Hello, and I hope I can help you today.
I am assuming you may have some medical training or background because of the way you described your parity- so I will spare you general background information about MVA's. I am also assuming you were in your first trimester for the procedure and that there were no known complications at the time.
I also assume you are feeling pain in your anus when you pass stool, not in your
abdomen or pelvis.
At only a week since the procedure, your uterus will still be cramping, especially because of the methergine you have been taking. Your rectum is in contact with the back wall of your uterus, and you can interpret your contractions as feeling like you need to make a bowel movement... when in fact your rectum may not be full at all.
You also may have developed a hemorrhoid during the pregnancy which can also cause pain with defecation.
I would begin taking an over-the-counter stool softener (like Colace) and applying hydrocortisone cream with a tissue externally after every bowel movement to decrease any anal inflammation.
Rarely, women can have injury to the back wall of the uterus by the procedure itself. This can cause an abscess to form in the back of the uterus above the rectum. Be on the lookout for fever, worsening abdominal pain, foul-smelling vaginal discharge or worsening uterine cramping, and if you have any of those you should call you doctor or clinic.
You should have a follow-up appointment 2 weeks after the procedure and mention these symptoms to your doctor in case they want to repeat an ultrasound to check for any problems.
I hope I was able to adequately answer your question with the information you provided. If your pain is pelvic or abdominal that might be something more serious; in that case I would ask you to provide more detail about your symptoms- where the pain exactly is, the quality of the pain or any other associated symptoms.
Please do not hesitate to contact me again if you require any additional information or have further questions.
Best wishes, Dr. Brown
It may be a side effect of the Methergine but monitor closely just in case
Detailed Answer:
Hello, and I hope I can help you today.
I am assuming you may have some medical training or background because of the way you described your parity- so I will spare you general background information about MVA's. I am also assuming you were in your first trimester for the procedure and that there were no known complications at the time.
I also assume you are feeling pain in your anus when you pass stool, not in your
abdomen or pelvis.
At only a week since the procedure, your uterus will still be cramping, especially because of the methergine you have been taking. Your rectum is in contact with the back wall of your uterus, and you can interpret your contractions as feeling like you need to make a bowel movement... when in fact your rectum may not be full at all.
You also may have developed a hemorrhoid during the pregnancy which can also cause pain with defecation.
I would begin taking an over-the-counter stool softener (like Colace) and applying hydrocortisone cream with a tissue externally after every bowel movement to decrease any anal inflammation.
Rarely, women can have injury to the back wall of the uterus by the procedure itself. This can cause an abscess to form in the back of the uterus above the rectum. Be on the lookout for fever, worsening abdominal pain, foul-smelling vaginal discharge or worsening uterine cramping, and if you have any of those you should call you doctor or clinic.
You should have a follow-up appointment 2 weeks after the procedure and mention these symptoms to your doctor in case they want to repeat an ultrasound to check for any problems.
I hope I was able to adequately answer your question with the information you provided. If your pain is pelvic or abdominal that might be something more serious; in that case I would ask you to provide more detail about your symptoms- where the pain exactly is, the quality of the pain or any other associated symptoms.
Please do not hesitate to contact me again if you require any additional information or have further questions.
Best wishes, Dr. Brown
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Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Arnab Banerjee
Answered by
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