Does anybody else experience pain during sex?

Hi , thanks so much for reaching out! Have you discussed this with your doctor? I haven't experienced this, but I hope some other community members will chime in with personal experiences! I hope you find some answers soon!!! Warmly, Pam (team member)

Hi . I am so sorry you are going through this. I have had similar experiences in the past, and I definitely recommend talking to your doctor about it. For me, it has been caused by a few different things since diagnosis. I have a benign cyst on one of my ovaries that we think may be the cause of some of my current pain during sex. In the past prior to surgery I had excruciating pain due to an internal fistula that was forming between sections of my large intestine. It is hard to pinpoint specific pain triggers when we are in general pain all the time, but hopefully talking to your doctor/gynecologist can help point you in the right direction! This disease can make things so much more complicated, and I hope you find relief so you can have fun instead of be in pain.

Wishing you the best,
Natali (team member)

Hi ,

First of all don't be embarrassed. I don't think there is an IBD patient that has never experienced pain or fatigue in their sexual experiences. I have had lower cramps from severe dehydration, while having sex. Have you been checked for a fistula. I would speak to both your GI & gynecologist. It's always great to connect your doctors, so that they are al on the same page.
-Brooke
(inflammatoryboweldisease.net team member)

Hi , I too have had very intense cramping pains during and after intercourse. I do not have any cysts (anymore) and still get the pains so bad sometimes we have to just stop. I think it might have to do with all the pressure of everything being so inflamed and pushing against eachother in the lower abdomin for me. A couple years before I was diagnosed, I had terrible pain on my lower left and sometimes right abdomen thought to be from another cyst. After the gyno ruled out everything "down there" she suggested something GI. Of course I didn't think to see a specialist then because that was my only symptom for a long time. One day it was really bad and kinda knocked the wind out of me in the middle of the state fair and I was with my boyfriend who has had Crohn's for years. I explained that it happened all the time and He was like "hey, thats not normal. You shouldget that checked out." I didn't. It all kinda clicked when I eventually got really sick and found out I have Crohn's.