If you are in your 40s/50s, have you ever had piles?

[cathyj77]

This is a question no-one discusses! All my friends moan constantly about menopause symptoms but piles are something that no-one talks about. But apparently very common.

l’ve had them for years and they don’t generally bother me much but currently having a minor flare-up. Have spoken to no-one other than husband and GP about it ever so am curious as to whether everyone is secretly dealing with this… it’s very hard to explain why you’re not quite yourself.

Yes I've had piles. I also had internal piles banded to remove them. Was not a pleasant experience! I have a flare up every so often of an external one. Im 51 and it's a few years since I went for the banding treatment

Ive had them since pregnancies, oldest is 15
What i will say is ive just got my BMI under 30 and they seem to have shrunk and have been less troublesome.

Yes @dementedpixieI always wonder/fear whether they’ll get worse as I get older and I’ll have to have some kind of op on them.

I do all the right things re exercise/healthy eating etc and I’m not overweight but I had a very poor diet when younger from a fibre POV so suspect the damage was already done and my pregnancies didn’t help.

Yeah @Needspaceforlego, pregnancies kicked mine off too. They don’t flare up often but I wonder how many people just tolerate them being constantly there. My BMI is fine so nothing I can do on that score…

I got them when I was pregnant with my enormous first DS. They’ve come and gone ever since over the past 30 years.

No, I never had. I've never had a UTI or thrush either. I think I'm pretty weird in all three respects, though, because most of the women I know have complained about all three at some point.

I had them in my teens with suppositories prescribed that helped a bit. Once I'd left home I cured them with a better diet, much more fibre etc. Came back in both pregnancies but no trouble since, I don't get constipated due to a good diet and plenty of water. I'm 61 now.

I developed piles with my first child, and each subsequent pregnancy. I also suffered with a varicose vein in my vulva. Nobody warned me about that!!

54 + nope

@SingingintheRadiatorfunnily enough, I’ve never had thrush or a UTI either! Different people are obviously susceptible to different things.

I "think" I had them just after DS1 was born. I was in a lot of pain for a free days then "passed" when looked a bit like of twigs.

Never since 🤞

I think the twigs were probably stitches?

No I’ve never had them. 2 pregnancies, now early 50s

@FannyCradocksDoughnutreassuring to hear you had them when younger and they got better not worse! Mine flare up very rarely but this latest episode has made me wonder if (like everything else in middle age), it’s likely to get worse…

I had them really bad after 2 of my 4 pregnancies. I had c- sections so not really sure why I got them. I could barely walk!
Last time was 12 years ago now.

Yes I had c-sections too and got them @Onefortheroad25so I don’t think pushing is the only pregnancy-related cause!

You mean ‘Chalfonts’ surely OP ?😅

Ha, I had actually never heard them called that @CalzoneOnLegs😂. Just googled…

@cathyj77 it never fails to make me laugh but I am childish 🤣

Maybe if more people called them that, we'd talk about them more...

Not me, no DC either

DH however, is a martyr to them and is steadfast in his opinion that not eating sufficient green veg for fibre and straining on the loo (to the extend that his eye is bloodshot) is nothing to do with the piles. Yeah, right

Yes am mid 50s have they are very annoying/ uncomfortable and itchy .
First got them about 12 years ago - I went to the gp as they were bleeding but they didn't really bother me that much otherwise.

They've flared up worse over the last few years. I have phases of thinking I should go back to the gp with them, but then thinking there's no point.

@FinallyHere bloodshot eyes ? that sounds dangerous

Yes, since my twenties - never had children. I’ve never had a UTI though and apparently they’re super common.

Same @RoverReturn- I’ve only ever been to GP with them when I’ve needed a prescription stronger than the OTC stuff.

I will obviously go back if and when they come bad enough that I want to consider doing something more serious about them, but the horror stories of surgery mean that would have to be quite bad…