Ughh piles

A little tip, for sufferers. When you wipe after a poo, use a little baby lotion on the tissue. Child’s Farm is a nice one. This leaves a little greasy residue and eases the damn things. If you don’t have a prescribed cream on hand, Sudocrem is excellent and eases the inflammation. If they are incredibly painful seek Dr advice, as you can get thrombosed piles and you need hydrocortisone cream to reduce the clot.

I used to have skin tags, had them removed with laser. It’s was uncomfortable for a bit but best thing I’ve done.

Footie, my GP referred me to the hospital, and the consultant said that they thought banding would be best, told me what it was, and I gave my consent. I'll add that this was pre-google, so I didn't know all the other things that might have been done. It's been a few decades since that decision, and the little buggers have never made a reappearance.

Ex FIL had the op, got some infection which he didn’t get help for soon enough, and after multiple brutal surgeries to remove skin, he sadly died. Just horrible when it was such a routine op. So don’t think I’d have surgery (pretty sure that’s a very rare case and didn’t get help soon enough for some reason).

The banding with private GP appointment cost about £650 a couple of years ago. A private polyp removal cost around £4000 (rectal polyp discovered after banding of piles).

Only thing that helps when mine flair up is a hot shower. I've had a prolapsed one for years though. Only trouble they cause is itching at night but it's not ideal if a hot shower before bed isn't possible. Hope they never bang me up in jail or my cellmate is going to be traumatised xD

I’m on the waiting list for mine to be seen. 8-9 months apparently. They are horrific and so painful. Mine sound very much like yours. I want something done about them as every time I have an issue it gets worse - they’re a chronic disease. I don’t have insurance so I’m waiting for the nhs otherwise I’d go private. I could afford about £5k but no idea how much it would cost.

I had to double check that it wasn’t me who had written this during a 3am insomnia episode because I could’ve written it almost word for word about me.
i did have internal haemorrhoid banding, 13 weeks ago, during a colonoscopy and polypectomy under GA. I believe they put one band in which came off the next day with the first post op 💩. Since then I had surgery for something else which required taking lots of codeine post op and I’m right back to where I was 14 weeks ago.
The colorectal doctors were some of the most arrogant, insensitive doctors I’ve ever met. So I’m just going to attempt to live with the situation as I have since my 20s.
I found out last week that I have a tilted uterus and uterine fibroids which can apparently impact on the bowel so I’m wondering if it’s all connected.
sorry you are experiencing the discomfort of long term piles. I wish more people talked about it

I went to a private GP, explained the difficulty I was having with bleeding and protruding. She referred me to the private consultant.
The consultant looked at them while I was just awake on my side , and said they were suitable for banding. She did them there and then, no further problems at all. I just went back for a 5 minute review.
It transformed my life. Maybe not all are suitable, but my DH had the same.
He uses a cream called Wype to help with skin tags when wiping.

@The13thFairy, how did you get yours banded? I was referred me to have them checked under general anaesthesia and than decide between surgery and banding. I am Ok with banding but the other surgery methods seem too risky. Did they give you the choice?

If you can have them banded I really recommend that. It made a huge difference to mine, and was not uncomfortable at all.
I had them done through a private consultant because the GP just kept telling me they were best left alone. They used to bleed all the time. It's much better than an operation.

I get terrible piles and have done for about 6yrs, just as I went into perimenopause.

I use cream and suppositories. I get internal and external piles.

I suffer with leakage, and I have been known to have a few nasty accidents if I don't reach a toilet in time.

I had mine banded and had no problems at all. The first post band poo was anticipated with dread, but that was ok too. I think you hear the horror stories but not the times when all went well!

Solidarity - I started a thread the other day about post birth piles. It's such a depressing problem as there's no real cure, the surgery is very painful and not necessarily effective long term plus you risk incontinence etc. Treatments can help a bit but not that much tbh. If you have large prolapsed piles, lie on your front and pour sugar (normal granulated sugar) on them and leave for 15 mins, then rinse off. It's messy and awkward but it will shrink them.

I get horrendous piles whenever I'm pregnant, the most recent attack I was given uniroid hc suppositories and scheriproct ointment a d both together seemed to get them to shrink back down. My husband had the operation to remove piles in 2014 after losing so much blood from bleeding (he had piles since he was 12) he nearly died and had to have a blood transfusion!! Obviously he needed the operation as he would have carried on bleeding out of his piles and probably ended up having more transfusions but he says he wishes he hadn't had it as it was the most painful thing he ever had. It took ages to recover and the nerves in his backside were damaged so that he struggles with leakage and can't trust a fart. So my personal opinion is try to get the best treatments from your GP rather than have the operation