Anal Fissure Agony

[owmybutthurts]

I think I have an anal fissure, I had a very large bowel movement at the end of last week and my bum felt uncomfortable all weekend.

The last few days when going for a poo have been so painful, I've been having to get straight in the bath after to soothe it.

I had a look with a mirror and can see 2 hairline cracks on my perineum, one along the scar tissue of my episiotomy from 12 years ago! There also seems to be another crack in the skin in the crack at the top of my bum cheeks AND as if that wasn't enough there are 3-4 little red sores/bumps on my outer labia ( these are not sore at all)

I'm convinced there is a fissure inside my bum too but obviously I can't look up there.

I feel like my nether regions are wrecked.

I've been using sudocrem on the external fissures and anusol suppositories and lots of baths.

should I be doing anything else? Would a trip to the gp be in order?

Thanks and apologies for TMI!

My husband suffers badly with these, I would go see your GP for sure

Drink loads of water, avoid breads, and definitely chew food lots and avoid nuts/seeds and anything that may pass through undigested (ouch!). Main thing to to be keeping poo soft and squidgy whilst you heal.

Plenty of baths is good to keep the area calm and clean. You can also sit on a ring cusion to help, and you can get a special bath-thing that sits over your loo to bathe your anus (I've never tried one, but apparently does the same job as a bath, but uses much less water, and less time)

As for going to the GP, they can give you creams/ointments to try. There are a variety and they have different side effects. GTN gave me massive migraines, so had to change to one that's kept in the fridge (diltiazem). Also, stool softeners/bulkers can help. I found lactulose not strong enough, but movicol is good. I keep fibrogel in the house, just-in-case.

Most AFs heal on their own after a few weeks/months. I got massive ones after the births of my two kids. The first ended up needing botox in my backside to paralyse the muscles, which then stopped them ripping the AF apart and allowed myself to heal (this was after 9 months of agony - if it hadn't worked, I would've had to have surgery). The second one healed by itself after 12months using movicol and diltiazem. Unfortunately, once you get one, you are prone to get more. I have one atm, but it's just a lot of blood, rather than pain, so I'm self treating without going back to GP.

I don't know what MN rules are regarding mentioning other social media sites? But this is a good one to get loads of advice and support: anal-fissure.org/

Oh, and if you go see your GP, expect to have a finger inserted as they try to determine if you do have an internal fissure.

This threadwww.mumsnet.com/Talk/general_health/2579374-So-down-and-depressed-anal-fissure is helpful .

Thanks so much, lots of helpful information there.

I haven't been to the loo yet today so I'm feeling a lot more comfortable. I've had some movicol and have been careful with what I have eaten so hopefully it won't be too uncomfortable when I do go.

@BluePancakes hey just come across your post and ive been suffering for well over a year with an anal fissure due to postpartum constipation. I am leaning towards botox. Did you have one round of botox. I have been using diltiazem cream for 8 weeks but still retear. Unless i keep stools very loose all the time