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Rectal Itching

Rectal Itching

Relieving rectal itching can improve your day!

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  • Soothe the Itch Rectal Ointment with Melatonin

    Soothe the Itch – Rectal Ointment with Melatonin combines Clotrimazole and Betamethasone, which proved to be effective, complemented by melatonin’s anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidant power. 

    Price: $122 Member’s Price: $85.40 (30% Member Discount)
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  • Soothe the Itch Rectal Suppository

    Soothe the Itch – Rectal Suppository by GutsyRx is thoughtfully crafted for women, addressing discomfort and pruritus ani with a gentle yet effective touch. 

    Price: $117 Member’s Price: $81.90 (30% Member Discount)
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  • Happy Booty Multipurpose Ointment

    We’ve created Happy Booty Multipurpose Ointment (1% Low Dose Naltrexone) with your well-being in mind—gentle yet effective, soothing yet powerful.

    Price: $122 Member’s Price: $85.40 (30% Member Discount)
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What Women Need To Know 
About Rectal Itching

  • Itchy anus is real, and we can help you manage it.
  • Women are more likely to experience gaslighting about their concerns, such as itchy anus.[1]
  • Rectal itching can be helped, managed, and cured (it’s real and we can help).
  • Hormonal changes during menstruation can cause rectal itching.[2]
  • Rectal itching is a common symptom in women who are pregnant or postpartum.[2]

Overview

Primary pruritus ani (i.e., rectal itching) is the most common type of anal itching, with no apparent cause but possibly related to irritants around the anus. Secondary pruritus ani can have many causes, including infections, systemic diseases, contact dermatitis, and other dermatological conditions. For some women, during the peripartum time, you can have a hemorrhoid flare or develop an anal fissure (i.e., cut), which can cause itching.[3].  Many women prefer to talk to a lady gastroenterologist about it.[4].Rectal itching can really disrupt your daily life at work and at home!

Rectal Itching Causes

This is a women-centric list of causes of pruritus ani. This list does not encompass all the causes of pruritus ani or represent a differential diagnosis of rectal itching.

Signs & Symptoms

  • Peri-anal itching Peri-anal burning sensation 
  • Peri-anal soreness or feels tender 
  • Peri-anal excoriations (e.g., from scratching) 
  • Inflamed feeling in the peri-anal area 
  • Redness or rough skin around the rectum 
  • Mucus on toilet paper (indicating hemorrhoid flare)

GutsyRx Treatments For Rectal Itching

GutsyRx provides treatments for rectal itching to address mild to severe symptoms with lifestyle guidance and personalized prescription ointments and suppositories. Depending on your gut and rectal challenges, we’ll create a compounded prescription (Rx) just for you. Lifestyle guidance during a consultation may include advice on dietary factors, exercise, type of underwear, and optimal toileting habits. The timeline for healing rectal itching is generally four weeks to six months, depending on the severity and cause. All GutsyRx products are free of allergens, dyes, preservatives and irritating FODMAPs.[6]

6 Sources

GutsyRx is committed to providing high-quality, reliable information to support women facing gut and rectal health challenges. Our content is curated and reviewed by women doctors to ensure it is accurate, trustworthy, and relevant. We strive to be a dependable resource, empowering women with the knowledge they need for better gut and rectal health.

  1. Sebring, J.C.H., Towards a sociological understanding of medical gaslighting in western health care. Sociol Health Illn, 2021. 43(9): p. 1951-1964.
  2. Swamiappan, M., Anogenital Pruritus – An Overview. J Clin Diagn Res, 2016. 10(4): p. WE01-3.
  3. Buzinskiene, D., Z. Sabonyte-Balsaitiene, and T. Poskus, Perianal Diseases in Pregnancy and After Childbirth: Frequency, Risk Factors, Impact on Women’s Quality of Life and Treatment Methods. Front Surg, 2022. 9: p. 788823.
  4. Shah, D.K., et al., Sex preferences for colonoscopists and GI physicians among patients and health care professionals. Gastrointest Endosc, 2011. 74(1): p. 122-127 e2.
  5. Zucker, I. and B.J. Prendergast, Sex differences in pharmacokinetics predict adverse drug reactions in women. Biol Sex Differ, 2020. 11(1): p. 32.
  6. Syed, K. and K. Iswara, Low-FODMAP Diet, in StatPearls. 2024: Treasure Island (FL).

Taking care of your health is a revolutionary act. We’re here for it.

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Hey Lady, GutsyRx Is Made For You

65% of US women experience at least one gut or rectal issue a week.

Almario, C.V., et al., Burden of Gastrointestinal Symptoms in the United States: Results of a Nationally Representative Survey of Over 71,000 Americans. Am J Gastroenterol, 2018. 113(11): p. 1701-1710.

40% of Americans’ daily lives are disrupted due to gut issues.

Almario, C.V., et al., Burden of Gastrointestinal Symptoms in the United States: Results of a Nationally Representative Survey of Over 71,000 Americans. Am J Gastroenterol, 2018. 113(11): p. 1701-1710.

Many women’s concerns are dismissed by doctors when seeking care, which could explain why 2 in 5 women delay seeking care until their symptoms are urgent.

MDVIP, New Study Finds Alarming Gaps in Women’s Health Knowledge and Healthcare Experiences. 2021, MDVIP Women’s Health Survey.

Women patients are less likely to die when treated by women doctors.

Harris, E., Patients Treated by Female Physicians Had Better Mortality Rates. JAMA, 2024. 331(22): p. 1884.

Women doctors are better doctors!

Harris, E., Patients Treated by Female Physicians Had Better Mortality Rates. JAMA, 2024. 331(22): p. 1884.

Female patients prefer female gastroenterology doctors.

Harris, E., Patients Treated by Female Physicians Had Better Mortality Rates. JAMA, 2024. 331(22): p. 1884.

People would rather discuss politics with a relative or reveal their weight than discuss gut symptoms—even with their doctor!

AGA, Trust Your Gut survey. New survey finds forty percent of Americans’ daily lives are disrupted by digestive troubles. 2022.

Women’s rectal symptoms are often left untreated and overlooked.

Cross, M., Shame Buster. Marcia Cross De-stimatizes Anal Cancer., in American College of Gastroenterology Magazine. 2023.

We’ve got your booty covered.

GutsyRx

  • Consultations with an integrative lifestyle approach
  • 24/7 Gastroenterologist access through portal text
  • Compounded clean prescription to your doorstep
  • Woman-to-woman medical conversations
  • Consideration of your preferences and lifestyle (hi there, mamas)
  • Complements conventional medical support

Traditional

  • No gaslighting or minimizing
  • No unnecessary prescriptions with unnecessary side effects
  • Goodbye commute
  • No more phone tree nightmare
  • See ya FORCED appointments
  • Bye-bye, medical establishment barriers

This service does not substitute working with your primary care doctor. Instead, we focus on women-centric lifestyle recommendations and convenient alternative prescriptions, which silo and time-constrained traditional medicine practices do not offer.

Meet Your Lady GI MD

Hi, I’m Dr. Emily Ward. I’m a board-certified gastroenterologist with 20+ years of professional experience and 30 + years of personal gut and rectal challenges. I am a mom of 2 kids with food allergies and a working mother navigating the everyday work-mom-life spectrum. With GutsyRx, I’m here to make sure you feel heard, seen, and cared for.

Meet Dr. Emily

I have been in healthcare for over 40 years and have very high expectations of healthcare professionals/doctors. Dr Ward has what I consider the perfect blend of characteristics. She is thorough, listens well, is detailed, concerned, and kind. She has treated our family for many years, and we have great trust in her. I highly recommend Dr Ward!

— Susan C, 60

Dr. Ward is one of the most compassionate physicians I’ve met. She was the first to truly listen to my concerns and symptoms without dismissing them. Through thorough testing, she provided an accurate diagnosis and effective treatment plan.

— Carol, 68

It is wonderful to be listened to and heard as a patient. Women can often be misunderstood in medical settings. But with Dr. Ward I was put completely at ease. There is so much information available and it is difficult as a patient to know what applies to me. Speaking to Dr. Ward was wonderful as she is very clear, and knowledgeable about diet, lifestyle. Especially what applies to me as a woman. I feel more confident having seen her.

— DeAnn, 35

I can’t say enough great things about Dr. Ward and the exceptional care she has provided to me over the last several years. From the moment I met her, I felt welcomed, heard and cared for. She took all the time I needed to explain my health issue and answered all of my questions in a very caring and professional manner. She was also the first doctor to explain a longstanding problem I had and quickly came up with a solution. Her compassionate approach to healthcare is something that is hard to find these days and I’m so grateful to be under her care.

— Meg, 59

I have been in healthcare over 40 years and have very high expectations of healthcare professionals/doctors. Dr Ward has what I consider the perfect blend of characteristics. She is thorough, listens well, is detailed, concerned and kind. She has treated our family for many years and we have great trust in her. I highly recommend Dr Ward!

— Susan C, 60

An impressive depth of knowledge and profound interest in you – as a person – make Dr. Emily stand out above any other doctor I have worked with. My GI issues have plagued me my entire adult life. But I now feel there is a light at the end of the tunnel with Dr. Emily and her unique treatment approach, GutsyRx. I finally feel really listened to and supported by a gastroenterologist whom I trust.

— Beth, Age 53