Anal Fissure for 6 months, scared and sore

[MissTulipan]

Hi

Despite having a teenage daughter and having looked for words of wisdom from mumsnet many times in the past, I have never posted, until now...

I have had a sore bum on and off since a few slightly painful poos back in May brought about by eating a load of peanuts (never ever again) Having had mild piles after birth if DD2 I assumed I had piles and self treated for internal piles.

Had sore times and ok times all summer but more sore in recent weeks and noticed external piles appearing and feeling generally sore. Went to GP last week and she looked and said I have piles on the outside and thinks I have a fissure. She offered to refer me to hospital or to try a stronger piles cream. I said I would do what ever she felt was best. She prescribed a stronger hydrocortisone cream, Scheriproct and said to go back in few weeks.

Having now read about anal fissures (gone Google mad) I am now realising that the symptoms match what I've been experiencing but just not to the extreme as some people have described. But I relate to the nagging pain and soreness on and off all day. I don't have issues with constipation and am an active 42 year old. I am going to go back to the GP and ask for the cream that increases blood flow to bum area. I cannot see a tear in my bum but it feels like it is inside above where the tight muscle bit ends.

As it's obviously been there for 6 months and not cleared up I have got myself into a really silly state of thinking that it will be with me forever causing chronic pain (if it gets worse) or I will end up having the surgery that cuts the muscle and i will end up soiling my pants. I'm an anxious person generally but this has made me feel panicked reading about the difficulties treating these things!

Can anyone offer me some words of wisdom and hope as I've spent all evening crying on and off as the family are out. I've been on my feet all day with work and I feel scared and sore.

Thank you

You have my sympathy, it will get sorted .

I had a terrible time about 10 years ago and did have the muscle cut twice, no problems at all since and never had piles again either, even during/after pregnancy.

Tell all your fears when you get your hospital appointment, I ended up crying and pleading with them to do something quickly, which they did. It was all very quick once the ball was rolling.

You will get past this.

A couple years ago I had a fissure for six months, soreness all day and I dreaded going to the loo because of the pain. Was prescribed rectogesic cream and laxatives (several docs seemed to think I must have been constipated, I wasn't), these did help the pain but didn't stop it from coming back.

I found mine was caused by gluten. I came across a randomised trial during my googling where they found undiagnosed food intolerance could be a cause. I tried dairy free for a few weeks, no change for me. I went gluten free and it got better and other issues which I hadn't realised were linked disappeared too. I tried eating gluten again after five months of being ok and it came back. Was tested for coeliac disease and when the result came back negative, the GP advised trying gluten free again anyway as could be sensitive to it and it'd worked before. Been fine ever since.

Ask for rectogesic, that might be all you need. Do you get any other symptoms? I also had urgency, wind, stomach aches on and off as well as sore, inflamed gums and regular mouth ulcers...all of which stopped when I went gluten free. And, if the surgery is what you need, don't worry. In all the stories I read, I never heard of anyone suffering complications. I promise you, it won't last forever.

Thank you ladies for your words of encouragement. I feel better for sharing. Have told husband, best friend and mum so a 'problem aired' is helping I hope.

I will ask for the rectogesic and hope that helps.

In terms of diet I haven't eaten red meat for 30 years and always lots of fruit and veg. Will never eat peanuts again, ever. At present I'm eating very little, partly due to anxiety but also I figure less in then less out to cause pain. Silver lining I've lost weight. I have been eating mainly fruit and veg but I have also cut right down on bread. I will try no gluten, thanks for the suggestion. I'll try anything. I have good will power and rarely drink so that's not an issue.

For anyone else who may be going through a similar issue I will update on how I get on.

From a holistic point of view, you give your body the best chance to heal if you stop eating things that take a lot of energy and resources to digest/ metabolise.
It's not news, the baddies are caffeine, alcohol, tobacco, and sugar. The next level down are what and dairy. I know this sounds daunting, but the western diet is quite toxic.
But the idea underpinning holistic health is that the body can heal itself, and you can magnify this process by taking out obvious toxins, and letting the body do it's best.

If you feel interested but daunted, find a local naturopath or medical herbalist who will guide you through it.

Thank you, I am definitely watching everything I eat and trying to stick to mainly vegetables and will cut out wheat, don't eat much dairy. I have never suffered any digestive issues, skin problems etc and always eaten fairly well. But I am quite a stressed person and quite a worrier. It takes situations like this to really evaluate what you eat.

Thanks all.

Have started on the gluten free diet yesterday and today. Feel a bit better today but I've been up and down all Summer. Will keep it up though as worth a try. Got GP apt on Monday and hope she will prescribe the Rectogesic...

Milk of magnesia is good for fissures. Take some on a night to go the next morning. Start off with a small dose and build up when you see how it affects you. Once you get to the right dose it will help you go easily and allow the fissure to heal.

It is really hard when something so normal and essential like going for a poo becomes difficult and painful.

I had fissures after my DS was born and they can take months to heal because every time you go they get opened up again and if you find going really painful you can end up witholding which makes it worse. I was on Movocol for almost a year to give things time to heal.

7 years and another child on and I have no problems at all so keep your chin up.

A GP friend of mine used to drink a shot of prune juice every morning because she suffered and said it really helped. Plus staying really really hydrated which can be difficult when you are running around after kids.

I had these going on for 20+ years until I was finally put on Dioctyl (mild laxative) after having some anal polyps removed and in recent years the doctor has added daily Laxidose/Movical into the mix. Rarely suffer going to the loo now. I find a diet of fruit and veg unhelpful - you need some oil in your diet too. Try using soothing suppositories for a few days and see if it heals - this used to work for me (and still needed occasionally). Good luck!

Thanks so much for your replies. it really helps to hear good news stories. I have not suffered with constipation since this all started in May which is why I am finding it hard to understand why it’s takjng so long to heal. I’ve had periods over the summer where I’ve felt better but as I thought it was piles I was treating with piles creams etc.

It’s been 6 months and it lingers on, but at least I know what I’m dealing with now. It has never been excruciating just uncomfortable and sore, and heavy feeling, and don’t want it to get worse. I have been taking magnesium supplements and vitamin c, daily salt and lavender baths, still using hydrocortisone cream which shrunk the piles in days. And literally living of vegetables. Back to gp on Monday.

I’m trying to be positive as am a believer in mind over matter helping body to heal.

Also drinking warm water with glug of olive oil each morning as I heard from a nurse it can help! I hold my nose and drink!

Despite my best efforts for 2 weeks since learning of my Fissure and a day of feeling a bit better yesterday and hence had a slight spring in my step, today I’m sore again and have feeling of having something stuck up my butt. Roll on Monday and GP appointment. Feeling glum on this bright sunny day...

Hope you feel better soon. Have a good weekend.

So I have got my prescription for Glyceryl Trinitrate, not sure what the brand name is until go to chemist. Contrary to everything I’ve read the GP told me it doesn’t help heal it just helps with symptoms. I asked about what I’d read regarding the increased blood flow and general relaxation of the area helping to heal and she smiled and said there is no scientific evidence to suggest that it helps heal. She also said to only use it when there is pain or soreness, everything else I’ve read says to use daily for six weeks.
Why does medical advice have to be conflicting? She did say that it could still heal after having it for 6 months. She will refer me if it gets no better.
Sat waiting for train to work and actually just want to cry. Backside is stinging.

Oh dear I soooo understand how you feel. Try Anusol suppositories - they are soothing and also help when you next go to the loo as they coat your passage and make it easier to go - honest I have used 100s of them over the years. It hard to work and speak to people when your bum is on fire I know.

Have you tried the milk of Magnesia yet? Pick up a bottle today from a supermarket or pharmacy. Take two tablespoons at bedtime.

Also, movicol and prune juice. Take warm baths. Raise your feet when you you go to the toilet, on a stool or something. Lean forward and away from the sore part when you go.

The cream is brilliant. Use it everyday and you will get better. Don't listen to your GP, sounds rubbish.

Thanks allypally, did your Fissure ever heal or do you just manage it. My GP didn’t fill me with any confidence and said the hospital can do a ‘stretch’ to help. Sounds awful. It’s so hard to believe that one episode of constipation in May could cause such an ongoing issue. I have use many anusol suppositories over the summer but didn’t do much...

I have soft poo daily, and have a foot stool. Have been taking lactulose too. Will look for milk of magnesia today. Will try anything. Thanks all for encouragement.

I've had loads over the years - they usually heal within a few days or weeks (so I think it might be the piles causing the pain). Don't like the sound of the cut/stretch thing - might give you trouble in later years (leakage) as they did that to me 30 years ago and I am paying for it now. I'd be researching that first. My polyps were mistaken for piles for years (more than 1 doctor) and I suffered pain from them for years until one burst (on holiday!) and then I had them all removed. Sadly this is my specialist subject!

Coconut oil, applied topically is apparently really healing. I’m lucky enough not to have any personal experience of this, but it might be worth googling. Good luck

Have ‘applied’ rectogesic with cling film, that was pleasant. My bum is now throbbing in a weird way that I have never experienced before so it’s doing something, but haven’t fainted or got headache yet. Back to cooking the kids dinner! Oh the joy.

Bought some Milk of Magnesia. Thanks for that tip, I will replace the lactulose with that tonight. Please please please let this thing heal.
Thanks all...

This is my experience of anal fissure. I don't know if it will help but here goes.... I was prescribed Rectogesic by my GP but it gave me an instant suicide headache. Because I had something else really bad in my life I went to a private doctor to try and get the anal fissure out of my life ASAP. I had a general anaesthetic and the botox injection. The botox made me faecally incontinent for the first few days only as I was told it could do. I had no control over my farts for the first six weeks either. The private Doc prescribed Diltiazem.

I could not use the Diltiazem either because it just caused so much pain in my bum. Because of the other bad thing in my life, I couldn't go and see the Doc again straight away so this is what I did and touch wood it is healed now finally. To keep my poo bulky I ate almonds. I bought them in bulk from the internet. I ate them throughout the day. Half a handful ten times a day. They are too hard for me so I put enough for a whole day in a plastic container with a sliced up apple and left them for 24 hours and that softened them enough to render them palatable. I made the next days supply the day before IYSWIM? I used Ibuprofen for the pain. This is contraindicated because it reduces inflammation when the theory is you need inflammation and extra blood supply to the area to get it to heal, however, it helped enormously in stopping the pain and the spasm and it turned the corner for me. In addition I started bathing the 'area' with hot salty water and I did this several times a day. Five minimum. Especially after a poo. Small bowl and a bit of pink himalayan (as that was the only salt I had here) and hot water. As hot as I could bear (take care not to do more harm than good obviously but I had the water pretty hot) half a handful of cotton wool and swabbed the region thoroughly. I then patted it dry with kitchen towel. Don't use loo paper because it's designed to fall apart when wet and you get bits stuck to your bott and it causes irritation. Don't flush the kitchen towel though because it will block the bog!
When I woke up in the morning, I put a bit of Preparation H on it as it helps when I am actually having a poo. Again Prep H is contraindicated because it's designed to shrink the blood vessels not encourage them but again, I have found it helps. I suspect it helps because it takes the pain away and that helps with the spasm aspect of it which is a big part of the problem it would seem?
I am now 90% healed. I do not know if the botox injection helped or if I had used almonds, Brufen, hot salty water, Prep H and no botox, it would have healed anyway? If it comes back I am not having the botox unless I can't get it to heal without it. I am much more aware that I need fibre in my diet and continue to eat almonds, apple and dried fruit to keep my poo bulky.
I got the fissure after surgery and morphine. I got constipated due to the morphine despite my living on grapes for the week before and after the op :( I tore while I was in hospital and was still bunged up when I got home and had to give myself an enema to de-coke myself !
It's a pain beyond description and the problem was occupying my mind 23 hours a day when I had a much worse problem on my hands. The 'worse problem' was the reason I went for the botox but as I said, I suspect actually I could have got it to heal without but hopefully I won't ever find out?
Oh and poop in a squat like they advise on the advert for the Squatty Potty. It reduces the spasm by 50% I would say? Squatting for a poop helps it heal I am certain.
So this is my experience. Anal fissure is the devils work and no mistake!

Thanks for your detailed reply. I’m taking all the tips on board.
Day 2 if rectogesic and bum feels a bit irritated. The thing with my Fissure is it isn’t really painful but has been a mild discomfort and stinging for over 6 months now. Initially I had a couple of uncomfortable weeks with pooing. Now it’s just the daily dull ache and stinging. Just won’t go away, it’s not really bad though judging on the way some people suffer with spasms. I don’t think I have spasms if I do I feel them as a mild throb.
Just trying to hold on the the thought that the GP said it can still heal after 6 months of being there...

Think positive thoughts...

Bum looks quite red and sore, hope that’s normal!!