Lower Abdominal Pain when standing for long time and pain that shoots up the vagina

by Char
(Michigan, USA)

Had gastric bypass 18 months ago. Had rectocele repaid 6 months ago. Now experiencing low, abdominal pain when standing for long periods of time (grocery shopping, etc.) and a pain at the same time that feels like a knife in my vagina.

Have seen GYN and I do not have UTI. He thinks bowel related. I can get constipated if I don't take stool softeners or Miralax regularly, which I have been.

I also have some lower back pain. I thought it might be my bladder dropping but GYN doesn't think so. If I lay down for awhile, pain goes away. Any ideas would be appreciated.

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Dear Char,

Thank you for using our online services here at abdopain.com.

I am indeed so sorry to learn about your lower abdominal pain that comes on when you are standing for a long time and that also shoots up to the vagina area.

You reported that you had two recent operations.

What you described is almost certainly due to post surgical adhesions.

Adhesions are like scar tissues that form inside the abdomen or pelvis or indeed within any cavity in our body, after an infection, heavy bleed or surgical operation. These scars have been described or likened to spider webs and causes organs like the bowel or womb to stick to one another or the surface of the wall of the abdominal cavity.

They can lead to abdominal pain, constipation, dragging sensation in the pelvis and in severe cases lead to intestinal or bowel blockade.

The good news is that there is something that can be done about this.

If this dragging pain is making life difficult for you, you can go back to see your doctor and discuss the possibility of post surgical adhesion and see if you can be referred to see a gynaecologist with interest in adhesion for a laparoscopy. Once you have laparoscopy done to confirm this suspicion, adhesiolysis or cutting of the adhesion can be done.

I must mention that most cases, surgery for this condition does not eliminate it and you can have even more adhesions. Actually, I am not a fan of adhesiolysis, but in special cases like yours, I think you will benefit from this procedure, if it is something you and your doctors think is appropriate. It sounds like you most likely have a big adhesion connecting your bowel or abdominal cavity to the outer surface of your vagina internally. If that is the case, cutting that single adhesion will release the traction and free you of that pain. It would be very unlikely and unlucky for you to then develop another adhesion in exactly the same fashion.

What do you think, Char?

Please discuss with your OB/GYN and see what can be done.

I sincerely hope that helps and please do not hesitate to keep in touch here and share your experience on what exactly happened, what was found and how everything went.

Thank you again for using our free online service. If you found this useful, please do not hesitate to spread the word and let your friends know.

Looking forward to hear you are sorted. Soonest.

Good Health To You.

Dr O Edema

Abdopain.com