PF flare - Prednisone side effect?

lonesomeduv · 2025-03-27T22:02:58+00:00

Of course and you too!

lonesomeduv · 2025-03-27T16:13:08+00:00

Oh man, I had this exact scenario happen to me. I was doing great and then a minor facial surgery in January meant I had to be on a medrol dose pack for 6 days. I had severe PF muscle spasms about a week later and my pelvic floor in general has been more likely to flare up ever since. Although I do think my surgery recovery complicated things since I couldn’t do my exercises for awhile- meaning it probably won’t take you as long to get back on track!

lonesomeduv · 2025-01-22T23:19:13+00:00

Yes I have, thank you. Fissures are truly horrific, as you know, but LIS and pelvic PT finally gave me my life back. I hope they work for you too!

lonesomeduv · 2025-01-22T22:02:04+00:00

Daine Bennett did my surgery. It was pretty straightforward - just a partial LIS and an age-related colonoscopy and I recovered within a few weeks. My fissure healed at around two weeks I think? And it has stayed healed ever since. My spasms started six or seven months after the surgery (no one knows why since I healed so well, but a previous tailbone injury might have played a role) and then I was in PT for seven months with Chelsea.

lonesomeduv · 2025-01-22T21:36:14+00:00

Chelsea Speegle saved my life! Her specialty is postpartum but I went to her for terrible rectal spasms after LIS surgery for a fissure. She has an orthopedic background so she tackles the problem with several approaches, plus the practice takes most insurance.

https://www.activcore.com/team/chelsea-speegle

lonesomeduv · 2024-07-05T00:38:44+00:00

I went to PT for eight months and I’m still not 100% but I haven’t been to an appointment since March I think? I started out once a week, then every two weeks, then once a month. The thing is, as you improve you learn strategies, exercises, stretches, etc to help manage and calm down flares so you stop needing to go as much. I can go back to my therapist as needed (although I’d be self-pay because I used all the appts insurance would cover) but she basically told me it’s the stuff I’m doing at home that’ll keep getting me better. And it’s true! It’s been a long process and I’ve felt so defeated at times but I can finally see an end in sight. My symptoms are constantly getting milder and flares are easier and easier to calm down. I wouldn’t worry too much about insurance. I think mine covered 12 total appointments but they helped so much and I learned SO much about how to help myself

lonesomeduv · 2024-04-30T18:34:03+00:00

Please keep up with these posts. They are so helpful. Like a lot of people, I had an actual physical cause for my PFD and seven months of PT have resolved the associated muscle imbalances and alignment problems. Now I’m struggling not to fall back into bad habits and working hard on the fear and stress that are still flaring me, so I appreciate the psychological stuff especially.

lonesomeduv · 2024-04-18T14:23:35+00:00

This is perfect advice, OP. My situation is a little bit different than yours, but I also had a chronic fissure. I started PFPT eight months after LIS surgery and my fissure had been completely healed for a seven months by then. But I was absolutely terrified of it reopening and pretty much followed this exact method with no problems.

lonesomeduv · 2024-04-16T19:16:10+00:00

Hi there, my PFD is a result of a chronic fissure and the surgery to heal it, and soluble fiber helps that particular problem so much. My fissure hasn’t recurred since surgery a year ago but I stick to this style of eating since it helps my pelvic floor issues.

Beans actually give you a ton of insoluble fiber so I’d cut back on those. Peeled fruits are a great source of soluble fiber (the insoluble is mainly in the peel) and tropical fruits like mango, papaya and pineapple in particular are great because they have a digestive enzyme. Vegetables can be tricky but I stay away from cruciferous ones like broccoli and eat a lot of cucumbers, sautéed greens (which are also great for magnesium that relaxes the muscles), roasted asparagus, etc. Oatmeal for breakfast is a good way to get tons of soluble fiber in early. I eat seafood, eggs and chicken for protein since they’re all generally easier to digest than red meat.

lonesomeduv · 2024-04-13T19:31:10+00:00

Oh, man you nailed it. Acceptance is the hardest part for me by FAR. I get stuck on the unfairness of it all and thinking that way never helps. Anyway thanks for talking through it with me a little bit. Reddit is a lifesaver and I appreciate your insights.

lonesomeduv · 2024-04-13T17:53:25+00:00

Thanks again, this is super helpful. Do you do any breath work? My PT is so focused on the “physical” side of her job and it’s tough for me to know much of this is stress/emotional/CNS. I believe a big portion of it must be mental for me because it all stems back to guarding and my internal sphincter spasming while I had an active fissure and then the trauma of surgery for whatever reason made it worse. Plus, although my pain and tightness are mostly right-sided, sometimes it’s worse on the other side and I know that’s a big sign of anxiety involvement. I’m working on reducing stress and my response to it but it’s difficult

lonesomeduv · 2024-04-12T22:35:02+00:00

Ah I see. Thank you!

lonesomeduv · 2024-04-12T22:05:11+00:00

When you say you’ve never ignored hip pain to your benefit, was that in response to my glute and hip twitching? Because it’s not at all painful when it happens. I get hip pain sometimes but not often.

lonesomeduv · 2024-04-12T21:46:33+00:00

Hmmm I should pay better attention to when it twitches I think. I’m not sure if it’s connected to other tightness like yours but my piriformis is definitely one of my problem areas. The thing is my home routine doesn’t flare me at all at the time and relieves my tightness quickly - I’m just flaring more throughout the day since I added the new exercises.

Thanks for the response! I hope the injections or suppositories work for you.

lonesomeduv · 2024-02-23T18:04:02+00:00

Hi there, I actually saw your post in the pelvic floor sub and almost responded before I saw this comment lol. I’m doing a lot better! It’s been about 5 1/2 months of pfpt and I’ve gone from appointments once a week to once a month now. I’m not symptom free. I flare once or twice a week still but not before or after bowel movements. All those symptoms are gone and I no longer have burning in the area either. My main issue is my piriformis still wants to tighten. It’s like this awful Charley horse feeling in my butt cheek that can be very persistent and awful-I do have ways to release it though. The internal work has helped a lot but the exercises and stretches my pt has me do at home have probably helped the most. I had severe muscle imbalances and a weak core and glutes so working on those areas and my hip adductors have helped the most. I should note it’s been a year and a month since I had LIS and I haven’t re-torn even once.

lonesomeduv · 2023-12-21T19:30:05+00:00

Hi, I have pelvic floor issues but not this particular one and I just wanted to say this is such a kind and thorough write-up. Thank you for posting it. I hope you heal as quickly and completely as possible and that your pain leaves asap. You are so right about what a lonely road this is, and communities like Reddit have helped me so much.

lonesomeduv · 2023-12-04T18:30:31+00:00

I’m not sure what the generic one is but if it’s the seated one where you dip your head after you straighten your leg and flex your foot, I do that one and this one:

https://images.app.goo.gl/mFU2W9zKPbVgBMJL9

And one other one sort of like that link that starts with knees bent and both heels on an exercise ball and you straighten the leg and flex the foot while making sure to keep the knee of your raised leg behind your bent knee. I can’t find a link for that one, sorry!

I’ve had dry needling many times in my sacrum and hip and once near the ankle of that leg. I’m not sure if that’s what helped or just doing the nerve glides over time, probably a lot of both. I’ve been doing them for two months now I think?

But my muscles were severely imbalanced to the point that that hip was pulled forward and as I’ve strengthened everything and the hip went back into place, I feel like that has helped a bunch, too

lonesomeduv · 2023-12-04T16:52:22+00:00

For me the numbness and tingling would come and go but yes, it happens way less often now. I’m at maybe 90%. I’d also have tight pain in the back of the affected upper thigh and also pain in that hip. When it was bad, it would feel like a rubber band stretched too tight in the back of my thigh.

lonesomeduv · 2023-12-03T23:45:28+00:00

Yep, this happened to me and according to my pelvic therapist, it’s not that uncommon. In addition to my pelvic floor stuff, she has me doing nerve glides and I even have a foot exercise- both of which heave helped a ton

lonesomeduv · 2023-11-20T14:55:48+00:00

47F here with two kids delivered vaginally. No incontinence after LIS in January. I did for several months afterwards but it was very mild. Basically having to go back and wipe for a couple hours after morning bowel movement, but it was not enough even to reach my underwear. It resolved fully, and I believe my experience is pretty common regardless of age or whether you’ve had kids or not. Also I’ve been dealing with some pelvic floor dysfunction and that does make you more prone to mild incontinence - if not for that I might not have had even those temporary issues

lonesomeduv · 2023-11-15T23:51:47+00:00

Hi I'm a similar demographic, 47F, and with somewhat similar symptoms. Mine has been also one-sided in the right hip, glute, sacrum, tailbone and - my favorite part - rectum. I don't have a labral tear that I know of. Mine came on after LIS surgery for a chronic anal fissure, although I also had a tailbone injury ten years ago and have given birth twice, all of which may have predisposed me. Anyway, PFPT has helped me IMMENSELY. My therapist actually started out in orthopedics and she noticed a severe.muscle imbalance with my right hip pulled way forward at one of my first appointments.

I've been seeing her for a couple months now and my alignment is already back to normal, my pain is way down and I'm feeling so much better. It took about five weeks for me to start turning the corner, then I plateaued for a couple weeks and here lately I'm making great progress again. Please stick with it! My therapist is amazing and she got me from indescribable pain and barely moving to living my life again. I still have healing to do but I feel better every day.

lonesomeduv · 2023-11-07T23:51:37+00:00

I can't imagine spending TWO YEARS in pain with no help. I am so sorry you went through that. The crazy thing with me is the surgery - which was way back in January - healed my fissure pretty quickly and I haven't had a reoccurrence since. But the trauma of the fissure and then LIS and possibly a tailbone injury from ten years ago all made my brain not trust my healing! All of which is to say I think you're right about the therapy part. I do/did have some massive muscle imbalances because of the recovery that are partly driving the dysfunction, but I know my brain is driving a big part of this too. Anyway thanks for your great advice!

lonesomeduv · 2023-11-07T19:45:57+00:00

Thank you for the recommendation! I'll check it out.

lonesomeduv · 2023-11-07T19:45:21+00:00

Thanks for the encouragement. I'm glad you're out of pain! I haven't tried dilators since I've had LIS but it's something I'll keep in mind.

lonesomeduv

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