News Feed Discussions Inguinal hernia symptoms?

  • Inguinal hernia symptoms?

    Posted by Star on December 12, 2020 at 10:53 am

    I have been having severe pelvic pain for several months and recently consulted with Dr. Towfigh who found bilateral inguinal hernias on my MRI from several months ago that no one had caught. Just wondering if anyone out there has experienced some of the symptoms I have been having. Most match but there are a few things that don’t quite match.

    My pain is worse in the morning. I sometimes wake up feeling like I have been punched in the gut. My nausea is also worse in the morning, seems to correspond with my pain level. I also have dry heaving. Pain is also worse after having been on my feet but I don’t do this often, the pain is so bad I am spending most days in bed.

    The pain is on both sides but also right in the middle (suprapubic area). This is where I sometimes feel punched in the gut. When I first noticed the pain it was more to the right side, but now can be to the right, left, or in the middle.

    The discomfort and pain is quite bad, sometimes feels prickly like barbed wire across my pubic bone area.

    Has anyone else experienced anything like this?

    The more classic symptoms I have are:
    *Pain when sitting
    *Nausea
    *Ice helps
    *Pain when standing for long periods of time
    *Pelvic floor spasm

    I was diagnosed with a right inguinal hernia by my PCP who examined me back in May but surgeon said “no bulge” which led to a series of other procedures. Everything else was ruled out. I am getting pelvic floor physical therapy and my PT thinks the pelvic floor issues are caused by issues in the abdominal area, this is what reminded me of the possibility of a hernia and led me to seek out Dr. Towfigh. She is the only one who has been able to give me any sort of possible diagnosis for my symptoms.

    Others have told me there is nothing there but I cannot accept this as it feels to me like there is clearly something that needs to be fixed.

    drtowfigh replied 3 years, 2 months ago 4 Members · 8 Replies
  • 8 Replies
  • drtowfigh

    Moderator
    January 23, 2021 at 10:18 pm

    So happy you’re doing well and the problem has been addressed. The important detail is your current pain is different than your prior pain and the prior pain is resolved!

    Tissue repairs have a longer recovery than other options. Also, having both done at the same time can prolong the recovery.

    Ice packs and NSAIDs (ibuprofen, naproxen) should help. Make sure you’re not constipated.

  • Star

    Member
    January 23, 2021 at 7:50 pm

    I had open bilateral tissue repair, they found two small hernias and an entrapped nerve on the right side which I think was causing the severe stabbing, punched in the gut pain. As I mentioned before, pre-op pain is gone. I am still having pain in the incisions at a little under three weeks, but pain is no longer constant like before surgery and I can sit and stand comfortably for much longer than I could prior to the surgery. I’m not 100% yet, but my surgeon believes I am healing well. I think some of the incision pain may be worse because I am overweight and my weight puts pressure on the incisions? Dr. Towfigh, in your experience how long does post-op pain tend to last with this type of repair? I had both done at the same time which I know can be more painful for recovery. I would be interested in hearing from patients about their post-op experiences too. I know there is a higher risk of chronic pain with this procedure, but pain is slowly improving and is manageable with low doses of OTC meds and rest so I feel like that is a good sign. Dr. Towfigh you are an amazing professional, I would be in a much worse place right now if I had not consulted with you. Worth every penny for anyone who is on the fence about contacting Dr. Towfigh. I am very happy I had the surgery done.

  • drtowfigh

    Moderator
    January 9, 2021 at 9:17 pm

    Great!
    What did they find and what operation did you have done?

  • Star

    Member
    January 9, 2021 at 7:39 pm

    I had surgery Monday and the pitchfork is gone! Hernia pain and nausea is gone. I am having some post-op pain at 5 days out but not severe. Looking forward to continuing to recover.

  • Star

    Member
    December 14, 2020 at 8:18 pm

    I feel like there is a pitchfork stuck in my abdomen above my pelvic bone all the way across 🙁

  • Star

    Member
    December 14, 2020 at 6:51 pm

    No, not questioning the diagnosis at all, just wondering if other women with hernias have pain in the middle above the pubic bone and pain that is often worse in the morning, as well as nausea that is worse in the morning. I am going to have hernia surgery but just want to make sure something else isn’t also contributing. Dr. Towfigh believes I may have a fascia tear. I would like to hear from patients who may have experienced similar symptoms. Dr. Brown, do you ever see this in your patients? I’m wondering if I might have a core muscle injury as well that was somehow missed on MRI, I was reading that those can sometimes be present along with hernias. Honestly at this point my pain is so bad I would just like to be opened up all the way across to find and fix whatever is wrong! I already had an exploratory laparoscopy but nothing was found except an adhesion that they attributed to my pain, but my pain didn’t resolve after surgery.

  • DrBrown

    Member
    December 14, 2020 at 2:46 pm

    Dr. Towfigh will provide you with an excellent result.
    Best wishes.
    Bill Brown MD

  • Good intentions

    Member
    December 14, 2020 at 10:35 am

    Hello Star. Dr. Towfigh is well-known for her methods of diagnosing hernias using imaging. If you read through the many posts on the forum you’ll probably find a wide variety of symptoms from hernias. It seems like you’ve followed the normal path of feeling pain, seeking help, and getting a proper diagnosis. Are you wondering if you can avoid surgery? Or are you second-guessing whether or not you really have hernias?

    Good luck. Despite the prevalence of the condition in society the number of possible “solutions” is huge. It’s a difficult place to be.

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