Severe pain with anal fissure- only option to go private??

[MrsBloxby]

Hi, posting here for traffic.
I had an anal fissure diagnosed in September. Ive tried the GTN creams, laxatives twice daily, prune juice and Diltiazem.
The latter didnt work at all and now the GTN which used to take the pain from my bum (but give me a splitting headache) is not working either.
Last month I had a flexible seismodocopy which ruled out anything sinister. It was so painful, the nurse couldnt get the enema in. I had to guide it in myself. The procedure was awful too.

Now everytime I have a bowel movement it feels like I have a piece of glass wedged in my bottom. The only thing that stops the pain is 5ml of morphine. Im at my wits end.

The GP said she couldnt think of anything else I could try and suggested I go private. At £300 for an appointment, is this the only option I have.

I feel so anxious at the thought of having a bowel movement at work. Its affecting my everyday life.
Any advice gratefully accepted and sorry for the long post.

Ask to be referred under NHS choose & book to your nearest private hospital, you get private treatment paid for by the NHS. You should be seen fairly quickly.

@MrsBloxby how you getting on now, OP?

@Lordoftheslugs thank you so much ❤
The pain has definitely lessened but still there. I have lost 10 pounds because I am too scared to eat at work or out of my house. I need my toilet, my ice cubes and morphine!
I have an appointment with the consultant soon and hope it is healing slowly but surely.

What a nightmare for you. I’m glad it’s healing, hopefully it will all be worth it very soon. I wonder if your experience is typical for a fissurectomy. We’re here if you need to talk.

Wow! You poor thing! I was lucky enough to go privately in the end but that was not without problems. Due to the pain I was in, my blood pressure was so high that had to give me medication before they could perform the operation.

The good news is, once the operation is done, there will be no pain for you.

My surgeon told me he had given my bum a facelift from the inside to out!

@RedDiamond did you not have pain after the fissurectomy? The OP has had the operation and is in extreme pain, sounds awful.

The on call surgeon (when I went into the Surgical Assessment Unit 2 days after the op in severe pain) said Fissure + fissurectomy = lots of pain. It wasnt the most helpful thing he could have said!

Mrs glad you're slowly coming out the other side. Recovery is slow but you'll get there.

I had botox to treat a 10yr old fissure and had a tag removed and it did the trick. I'm always mindful of what I eat and keep active to keep my bowels efficient.

Instillagel can be purchased online, it contains local anesthetic and can be used as suppository. Life saver after surgery for hemmeroids

Oh blimey no!! I probably was on a lot of drugs but I was and am still now so happy to have had the operation and to be pain free.

@RedDiamond thats great you were pain free after it. Has the fissure never returned?

@Lordoftheslugs It did after 10 years. It was nowhere near as painful and the creams the GP prescribed worked.

I do have to say, when it reoccurred I was so totally frightened of feeling all that pain again so I was "relieved" that it was nowhere near as bad.

@Lordoftheslugs - Sorry! It was probably not the same fissure. I don't think the same one can come back again?

Thanks for answering my Qs! It’s nice to hear a success story.

My mum has suffered with this but it doesn't sound quite as bad as yours. I have read your full thread and feel so sorry for you, the pain you have been in and how debilitating it has been must be truly awful. I really hope after you have healed you are pain free and it isn't taking over your life anymore 💐

@ToiletGambles thank you for your kind message.
@RedDiamond Its great to hear your experience and Im so glad it healed. My consultant said botox wouldnt have worked on my fissure so best to go straight for the fissurectomy....

Im being super careful with my diet- no lunch at work (too scared to go toilet there- I need my ice and my morphine on hand) and no bread'y carbs.

I suppose the silver lining is that Ive lost that last stone that I wanted to ditch. Ive lost it in 3.5 weeks!

Will try calling the consultant's secretary on Monday. Thank you everyone again
💐

@MrsBloxby Hi, how are you now?

@Lordoftheslugs Hi, thank you for your message.
Feeling so much better. I think I took morphine once this month...as opposed to taking it every 6 hours post op.
Still being careful with fibre and not too much stodge. Im still using ice after the bowel movement...
But very greatful that it is healing a lot better and I can get on with my life.

All in all- I think the fissurectomy did heal the fissure but I wasnt prepared for the intense pain post op. The post op pain was 10 times worse that the fissure and I lost 10 pounds from not eating when I was outside because I was too scared to go to the toilet.

I had Botox for this, cured it instantly after years.

@MrsBloxby Im so glad you’re starting to get some normality back.

@lingo @Scbchl hey just wondering if you have healed and it took. Any advice pls. Ive been suffering for 8 months😭

@mumof2bambinos so sorry to hear you are in pain. Have you had any treatment?

@MrsBloxby i was given rectogesic ointment to use and i dont feel its made a diff. I feel like its healing and then it rips. Even tried lanolin and beeswax. Any advice please

@Make sure you take a stool SOFTENER not bulker. If the creams don't work then see your GP & ask to be referred to a colo-rectal specialist. You may be treated with Botox or an off label treatment. (Think it's diltiazem). Hopefully it doesn't progress to surgery. Good luck!

I have had a fissure. Basically you’re tearing it every time you do a number 2 so it never heals. I fixed mine with Vaseline! Put it on my ring when I needed to go so it slipped out without sticking and tearing, which gave it a chance to heal.