Birth injuries and piles. HELP

[Anothertempusername]

Hi all

I'm 5 days PP, and out of my mind with pain. Pretty horrendous labour & birth (baby back to back, forceps delivery, episiotomy and 2 other tears. Piles which are larger than I thought possible. Unable to sit down; can only lie or stand bent double. Am currently on 4 hourly tramadol and paracetamol for the pain; however after 2 hours they have worn off. Tramadol runs out in 2 days then it will just be nurofen. I am trying Sitz baths, witch hazel on pads, lavender oil in bath, Anusol and spritz for bits.

Still so fucking painful. Please someone tell me the piles will shrink because they're too big for me to sit down and I can't live with them - also can't try for a haemmorhoidectomy as would need DH to take more time off which he can't.

Help. I'll do literally anything. Witch doctor; snake oil, praying to various deities. Please help. It's agony.

Hopeful bump?

Sorry to hear that you are in such pain. Are
You taking the paracetamol two hours after tramadol rather than with it as it may help. Has doc refused repeat prescription of tramadol? The issue may be that they usually cause constipation

Sorry to be the bearer of bad news but you should go and have the piles lanced. They may be thrombosed. Can be done with minimal local anesthesia in a doctor's surgery or in a&e. You won't know yourself afterwards.

Get some perineal ice packs delivered to you from Amazon - fastest delivery option is essential. They are chemical ice packs that you fold or tap to activate and they have a flocked cover so you won't get freeze burned. You put them inside your undies between you and your pad I am on my phone and can't link but will later.

While you're ordering, get some perineal irrigation bottles so you can squirt warm or cold water on your perineum and rear end to clean properly after a poo and after peeing. Can also stimulate peeing if your bladder has had a bruising and doesn't seem to be working well (squirt cold water on your perineum for this).

But go and have those piles seen to.

Your DH will absolutely have to take time off, sorry. Or you need to get a neighbour or friend to take you.

You can't be expected to grit your teeth through this.

If your piles are thrombosed they will not go down.

You will collapse from exhaustion if this goes on.

Anusol does nothing. Go to the doctor or phone your midwife and ask for a prescriber. Ask for xyloproct!
In the meantime do u have any vagisil? I think it has lidocaine which may take the edge off.
Constipation will make these worse so stool softener and lots of water your friend right now. X

Ice packs.
Movicol.
The painkillers will make you very constipated.
There are better suppositories than anusol. I can't remember the name but they have to be prescribed.
There is also a steroid perineal foam that has to be prescribed. That will reduce the pain and swelling.
Have you got a ring to sit on?

Someone mentioned to me that a rubber ring was good to sit on. I have no idea but if you're desperate maybe it's worth considering.

There are a number of things which may help but you need to know what you are dealing with so an examination is usually required. You may need steroidal cream, lidocaine (topical anaesthesia), pain killers, laxatives, or "minor" surgery. The longer you leave it the worse it will get though.

I feel for you! How rotten to be in such a state but huge congratulations on your baby! Lots of good advice here - a valley (can rent from NCT) or doughnut cushion (they sell at Mothercare and I’m sure online) might help make sitting a bit more comfortable too.

See a physio for ultrasound of piles? That can help with swelling

I second going back to the doctor for a prescription. I can’t remember what I was given but it was better than anything I could buy over the counter.

I also used one of these religiously...

livebetterwith.com/products/ring-cushion/?country_code=GB&v=8016&gclid=Cj0KCQjw4-XlBRDuARIsAK96p3Cbtd-TFwDQ7Iq7UelCf9plafliTVPliBInxbt9wsuZwNhDTEAdXl4aAgKOEALw_wcB

Which made sitting down possible and far, far more comfortable than without.

Things will get better....

Get in touch with your midwife urgently. She will know how to proceed. She is there for both you and your baby.

Thank you all so much. Am a bit weepy after all that. I'm seeing midwife tomorrow, I will tell her that I can't carry on like this. The paracetamol after tramadol I didn't know about; I will start that! I'll book a GP appt for the piles, cause I cannot cope with them anymore.

I'll also look at some of the other hints and tips. I've tried ice packs but it's too uncomfortable to have them down there at the mo! How long did it take for you to feel significantly less episiostomy pain after delivery?

Don't book an appointment for the piles. If you can't sit down you need them lanced. They will do it in A&E.
Are they external?

You should be sitting with increased comfort at five days postpartum after an episiotomy. I had five of them and I was feeling I was out of the woods by that stage. With my experience of a thrombosed hemorrhoid otoh I couldn't sit.

One thing you could try is leaning as far forward as you can in the shower, with your rear end raised to allow the water to pour straight onto it for a while.

How are you getting on op?

Word of warning, get episiotomy checked for infection. My pain was only getting worse not better, needed antibiotics and was pretty much instantly out of pain. Cried in relief. Had piles too but they went down - took about a fortnight.

I'd try Germaloid- Anusol did nothing for my piles!

Have you tried with hazel in the bath as well?