www.incontinentsupport.org

So I am having an issue with sensation on my pudendal nerve.

We're not looking at it not as a cause of my incontinence--which is a combination of Crohn's and pelvic floor dysfunction--but due to some problems I am having with sensation. The problems are probably due to my nerves being crushed by my pelvic floor, but we're not certain.

I had an EMG on my arm and shoulder around 2003-2005 and it was quite miserable. So I am pretty nervous about doing one on my pelvis nerves, in particular stuff going to S1/S2.

Any experiences?

(Edited to add that this is NOT the cause of my incontinence issue but perhaps secondary to the other pelvic floor issues.)

Years ago a medical school professor assigned several of his students, guided by a senior resident, to give me an EMG. They started at my feet, and ended at my forehead, missing nothing in between. And yes, it was painful and embarrassing. My expressions of pain they told me were reassuring; when their needles and electricity caused me no pain, that meant the nerve(s) there were not working. They explained that giving me an anesthetic would have given them false results, so I soldiered on, glad and relieved when it was over. This test should give your doctor valuable information, which, hopefully, will justify the pain and embarrassment it causes. If you must deal with GI issues, this could be especially helpful. Good luck. Brace yourself, and report back when you get home.

Well, I just had an EMG on my left arm and if the pelvic EMG is anything like it, I may just skip it.

We'll see what happens. I am pretty certain that the pelvic problems I am having are secondary to a nerve mashed by my existing muscle issues in that area.

I would only allow that torture again if they were planning to help me with the problem rather than just note it for their curiosity file.

I've not heard back from them. I guess for all their fussing it's not as big of deal as they claimed.

I told the Pelvic Floor PT that I was pretty certain it was a mashed nerve and if the other people didn't follow back, I wasn't going to worry about it unless it got remarkably worse.

Apparently the pelvic EMG is nasty with long needles and things. They are doing a sacral MRI and a sacral nerve ganglion MRI and hopefully that will be enough.

2-2.5 hours in the MRI. For the first time ever, I am asking for drugs. Last abdominal MRI with contrast not only did I get pretty ill but I got so claustrophobic they had to pull me out for a few minutes. I had four MRIs last year and I never asked for drugs.

I feel like a wimp but that is a long time for me anymore,

No, you are not a wimp. Satisfying their medical curiosity is one thing; the pain they can inflict in satisfying that curiosity, when there is no hope of improvement, let alone a cure, is quite another.

Thanks. They mean well, their thinking is that this is a lot less invasive than the EMG and they are worried it may be a "treatable" neurologic issue.

I've had a lot of MRIs over the years including a couple 60+ minute ones of my head as part of a research study and I used to be able to handle it. I've had four others this year. Not only does the contrast make me ill but I am scared of being trapped in the tube. I hate to admit to them when I am scared.

I made it through the MRI; a lot of it was duplicating itself so the Radiologist had cut it way down so it took a bit over an hour, maybe 90 minutes. Had I known, I might have gone without the drugs (which I had already taken). Staff was nice.

Despite the fact that I don't generally have issues with urinary incontinence unless i get an infection, I was very worried about either having to stop the scan to urinate (which would be a disaster) or wetting myself. Didn't happen, no problems there at all.

Ended up having an allergic reaction to the Gadolinium contrast which was a big surprise. My wife (RN) was in the waiting room, she had come back to pick me up and was starting to get worried when I finally came out. I was in the back for about 2:10, so I think that was about 90 minutes of scan and 30 minutes of watching to see if I would turn blue.

Now to see if it will help.