Is there a correlation between wearing pantyhose and lower abdominal pain?

Question

I was diagnosed with IBS a few years back and was taking Zelnorm. To be honest, Zelnorm didn't do much for me. I still had constipation and bloating (I am in constant pain and the doctors say nothing, I just came to the realization that I will have to live with the pain the rest of my life). I was told that wearing panty hose helps with some abdominal pain and pressure. I have been trying it on and off for the past few months and it makes all my symptoms WORSE. Everytime I wear anything tight, I seem to get even MORE bloated. It feels as if my body is pushing BACK on the clothes. On the days I wear loose clothing, I don't experience this problem. I am in a fairly conservative industry and all the ladies are required to wear panty hose (I will switch to thigh highs and if anyone has a problem they can shove it up their who-who). Is there any correlation between waering panty hose and abdominal pain? Could I have something severe? My Dr's tell me NOTHING

I have already had a colonoscopy

I haven't had any vaginal issues wearing pantyhose (I still wear cotton undies under the hose)

Answer 1

I have IBS too, and instead of taking Zelnorm I decided to go the natural route by keeping a food diary and cutting anything that seemed to aggravate it out of my diet. Also, I have found that doing a 10-15 minute Pilates-based workout and stretching out those abdominal muscles each morning has cut back a lot of my symptoms. That has really helped me out a lot. However, I agree that pantyhose (or anything too tight) make it feel SO much worse. I don't think there's a real medical reason- it's just simply the act of having a tight piece of elastic around an already-bloated abdomen, which causes you to feel like you're going to pop. I think it is a good idea to stick with the thigh-highs. Nothing your employer can do if you have a documented medical ailment. Just keep wearing loose clothes.

Answer 2

correlation wearing pantyhose abdominal pain

Answer 3

It depends on the type of pain. If it feels kind of like a menstrual cramp, then you need to get it checked out. However, if it feels like a pulled muscle, then it is not a big deal. Because you said it is only on the right side, it makes me think it is probably a muscle cramp. As your belly grows, the muscles and tendons get stretched and can cause a little discomfort. If the pain spreads or it gets worse, then have it checked out.

Answer 4

Why not try a larger size than you would normally wear and see if things change?

Pantyhose don't cause stomach pain, but they do cause an increase in bladder and vaginal infections, and THOSE cause abdominal pain. Could that be your problem?