Anal fissure destroying my life

[clg74]

Please help, I've had an awful fissure on/off since giving birth in January. Every so often I think it's healing and get 2-3 days pain free then suddenly it feels like my insides are being ripped out when I go to the toilet. The pain is getting so bad I've nearly passed out with my last few BMs and I feel nauseous with the pain every single day. After BMs as well, the pain just lasts for hours and I can hardly walk or sit properly with it. I honestly have tried everything I can think of to try get this away. I bought Prep H and Anusol cream OTC which both helped for a few days but now nothing. I've tried Sudocrem and coconut oil too and at my 6 week check was prescribed Anusol ointment and suppositories. Everything helps for a few days then it all comes back worse than before. I really don't know what to do but I am in constant fear of going to the bathroom and in tears when I do. I feel horrible and disgusting and I don't know what to do to help this pain go away as it's honestly agony. Has anyone experienced this? Any other remedies out there? I definitely know it's a fissure as I can see it when I look with a mirror (TMI sorry). I can't take things like Lactulose etc as they just give me horrid stomach pains and cramps. I'm at a total loss with what to do but I can't keep on like this, it's agony.

Sorry if this sounds like stating the obvious, but have you been to see your GP?

You need a stool softener, daily, and long term until you're completely healed. Movicol and Laxido are the two main brand names you can get on prescription (or indeed OTC). I agree Lactulose is horrible for wind, etc. You won't get that with these meds. One or two sachets every day should work for you.

@Pebblespony not my GP but seen the nurse for my postnatal check and she gave me suppositories and ointment. I'm planning on making a GP appt as it keeps coming back but can't cope with a 2 week wait to be seen without something to try manage this pain!

I recommend going to your local pharmacy tomorrow and asking for Laxido Orange. It's cheaper than Movicol - around £6 for a box of 30 sachets. Start with two sachets per day. It's not pleasant to drink so I'd recommend adding some orange squash to mask the saltiness (it contains rehydration salts to counteract the water it pulls into your bowel). If you find your stools are too hard still, increase the dose. If they're too runny then reduce. It's trial and error and you won't do yourself any harm by taking too much - you'll just have the runs a bit (which is preferable to the opposite, let's be honest).

You poor poor love. I had a fissure after giving birth and it was the most painful thing I've ever experienced, worse than the birth itself! I used to live in fear of going to the toilet, wouldn't leave my house for weeks in case I needed to go, and I would scream and scream when doing a poo. Truly an awful time in my life and undoubtedly a big contributor to my PND.

After my mum witnessed the above I plucked up the courage to go to the GP, and I was prescribed some suppositories and cream. I was suspicious of the suppositories at first (it's so painful to have something come out, why would I want to put something in!?) but they were cooling from being stored in the fridge and they began working within days. It healed completely and I've had to problems since (this was over a year ago).

Please please call the surgery in the morning and make a same day appointment. You need to get it seen to sooner rather than later so the treatment is the most effective. Please don't wait - you don't have to live like this.

Sorry I've just seen that you've tried suppositories. Go to the GP and tell them all that you've tried, as there are other treatment options. It's definitely worthy of a same day appointment.

I meant I've had no problems since, not "to"!

Have you got the cream? I got a fissure (not sure why, I've not got kids) and fuck me it was sore, got the GTN cream and it healed pretty fast. The cream gave me a headache but that wasn't too bad in comparison.

I then got a skin tag but fastidious diet & hydration means that's pretty small now.

OP, get to a Dr, life shouldn't be painful.

Docusate is a fantastic softener, my gp prescribed some sachet thing at my six week check,mi told he I couldn't take it. I cried. But she said it was that or nothing
Went t Morrisons and bought all their poo related products, and I've found docusate every other day, and senna in between keel things okay.
In the beginning it was docusate twice a day, plus senna, and I healed. But good god, the pain! I was screaming into a towel, it was awful.

You need the proper GTN cream from the GP, it's like magic - it will get better I promise!

I had the same. It was agony. My doctor eventually gave me steroids and within a few days I was back to normal.

@lostfrequencies thank you. I'm glad you found something that worked for you, hoping I can get myself sorted as well. I'll give the doc a phone tomorrow and ask for an appt and hopefully they'll have one so I can try get this sorted - it's the most horrible thing I've experienced!

@SlightAggrandising sorry, what cream? I've tried a few different ones but nothing seems to have worked for me for more than a few days!

@MizCracker thank you so much. I'll head down to my pharmacy tomorrow and try pick that up!

Honestly I've had exactly the same problem as you since giving birth last year and the only thing that has healed it is daily laxido sachets. Lactulose and docusate did nothing for me and I used to be in tears every day trying to go to the loo. I also got given the numbing gel for the pain but it wasn't much use. Please go to your gp or chemist they will help you. You can buy laxido over the counter.

The GTN cream, that's the charmer for this. Everything else is symptomatic relief don't underestimate the headache though.

@Kittykat93 sorry you had the same, it's horrible thanks, I'll have a look at that!

@SlightAggrandising ah okay, thanks. I'll see if I can pick it up.

The GTN cream is called Rectogesic and I’m pretty sure it’s prescription only. The side effect is an awful headache but it’s worth putting up with as it does work and heal the fissure.

@SandunesAndRainclouds great thanks! I'm gonna try get a GP appt asap so will ask about it there.

You need Botox in the fissure.

I'm being serious, ask your GP, it's the only thing which helped me. That and a serious amount of dried apricots and gallons of water.

I had to have it under general anaesthetic. It works for chronic fissures which the creams don't touch.

I had the same issues, happily fissure free for 5 years now since the treatment (I had it for 3 years before and it was hellish)

The anusol cream and suppositries helped clear mine up. Sorry if this is stupid but are you finishing the whole pack of suppositries? Or stopping when the pain has eased? If you are stopping then try using the whole pack and see if that helps.

It is so so painful, I really feel for you

@agabimou that sounds scary! I'm not sure I'll be offered as I've only had it on/off for 5ish months, can't imagine suffering for 3 years. Did you have to pay for it? (sorry if silly q)

@Worriedandunsurewhattodo the suppositories did really help me when I had them, I was prescribed 2 boxes and finished them within a week but they really seemed to work. It was then a week or so later that the pain came back and it's been on/off since. Not sure if I should just ask for more of them and just take them long term but hoping there's something else that may help as well. I'm glad they helped you, it's such a horrible thing to experience!

No it was nhs, I had tried all the creams and it really was agony. I actually had three .

It wasn't scary at all, went in at 7, was home by 6. Had a couple of days rest at home and had to be super careful about diet for a month as to not ever get constipated. But it sorted me out!