Anal Fissure

[FHLD]

DD (age 6) has had this since mid-August following a spate of diarrohea and does not seem to be improving. She bleeds after every poo and has some problems going as she says it hurts when she knows she is going to do a poo. She is not constipated most of the time. Has anyone else experienced thiS? She was given anusol which she says burns so doesn't want me to use and movicol to stop constipation. Had to bring her home from school on 2 occasions as she now doesn't want to go at school in case she bleeds. Really need to get this sorted any suggestions???

Try applying some Vaseline onto the affected area? It might help make it recover faster. Yes diarrhoeas do cause sore bums...

For an anal fissure she needs to have enough movicol every day to keep her stools loose. This can cause accidents, which isn't amazing, but it will give her chance to heal (she needs to make sure she is properly cleaning herself too as it can be hard to do when it is sore).

I was told in a normal child that it takes around 6 weeks to heal up (I say normal as my DD gets them from chemo and they can make her seriously ill if they become infected; they also take much longer to heal). If it hasn't healed by then, then I would got her checked again.

If she's re-tearing and bleeding every time, it does sound like her stools are still too hard and she needs more movicol. I have to give DD 1 sachet a day to avoid it happening again. When she has a fissure she can be having 4 sachets a day, but she is much older and bigger than your DD.

It certainly sounds like another trip to GP is needed. DD has been given cavilon spray and instillagel in the past to help. The cavilon was helpful.

It's a horrible problem and you both have my sympathy.

If her stools really are loose and she is still bleeding, then you definitely need to go back to the GP as something else could be going on.

Thanks for the advice - stools are not loose in fact this week we are back on the constipation route so she has had movicol for the last couple of days. I think with it being half-term next week we'll go back to the GP. Glad to hear your experience and that 6 weeks is normal - gives me some comfort.

I had these for 6 months after having dd (were absolute nightmare), went to the gp (wasn't any help) and cured them myself with magnesium supplement. Get the Boots own brand magnesium capsules and give her one to start with, then maybe go down to a half one per day. Are soft capsules but quite big, so make a little hole and squeeze out contents onto spoon (add a bit of jam or something) will be easier for her to swallow. Magnesium helps by stopping the muscle spasms which are the main source of the pain and is a natural stool softener.

Also if she can wash her bottom (or you do it for her) after having a poo, it will help, as will a bit of Sudocrem on afflicted area before BM and after washing.