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.

you can get adult movicol over the counter at the pharmacy without a gp appointment. that is much better than lactulose & should help until you can see the gp.

There's a cream for anal fissures...can't think of the name off the top of my head.

I'll find out tomorrow for you and post

Rectogesic my love. It's bloody awful I had one for years. In the end what worked best was a combo of Rectogesic, more water than you think you could possibly need, stool softeners, and the most important thing - DON'T PUSH when you're having a bowel movement. Not even a slight push. You need to literally let gravity take care of it, however much you want to rush through the pain. Run a hottish bath and put lots of salt in it before you go to the loo. Take a couple of those nurofen jelly capsules as soon as you feel like you'll need to go. As soon as you're done, soak in the bath then apply the Rectogesic. It'll give you a weird feeling in your head but it's not that bad. Those things all together worked for me, and mine was deep and longstanding. Ina May Gaskin had a breathing technique which helps relax your rectum when you're on the loo. I can't remember where I read it, but it was very helpful. You blow through your lips and make them vibrate together like a horse and for some reason it helps relax your rectum. Bit like birthing breathing really. Anyway good luck. I remember that evil pain and how it seems to take over your life!

Thanks all, I have a GP appt this afternoon so I will see what happens there.

@madmomma thanks, I'll check out those breathing tips. It does currently sound like I'm giving birth all over again every time I need to go!

Squatty potty! Google it. Had it so bad. Used this for about 2/3 months and everything healed.

I'd had mine for about 4 yrs before the squatty potty too. You could prob make your own. My sister used a tub of deluxe paint

No experience of this, but it may help to put your feet up on a small stool (like a toddler step) when passing a BM. This helps to straighten out the rectal canal so that you don’t need to do any active pushing to get the BM out.

Put your feet up on a small box/tub, I use a wipes box, it depends on your height and loo height. Just so that your knees are slightly higher than your bum. Don't strain or bear down and blow out as if you are blowing through a straw. That stops you pushing.

@agabimou Thank you for posting that. I’ve had chronic fissures for over two years now, tried all the creams and now awaiting a referral to hospital. I’m really anxious about it, especially being examined. Your post has given me some hope there will finally be a resolve. I’m so fed up of being in pain and sore.

Op, hope your GP appt goes well. If the first cream they give you causes a terrible headache (it did for me) there are other options like diltiazem. Although I did have to be firm as was initially told the cream that caused a headache was the only treatment they could prescribe.

Good luck @BackToTheFuschia7!

There is an end in sight, but you have to be really careful after the procedure to not irritate them. So no constipation at all! Plus I had daily salt baths for a month afterwards!

PM if you want any specific advice! Thankfully they have never reoccurred even after childbirth!

So pleased to read you have an appointment today.

GP said she has seen worse fissures but gave me cream, suppositories, stool softener and strong painkillers to try. Fingers crossed it works.

@Fenwickdream @sadie9 @littlecabbage thanks for the tip! I'll try it out.

Did she book you in for an appointment in a few weeks to review? If not I'd be tempted to make an appointment, as fingers crossed, you can always cancel it if all is well.

@lostfrequencies no review appt booked but she did say to come back in a few weeks if it wasn't working. That's a good idea, I'll call up this afternoon and book one for a few weeks time (although hopefully won't need it!)

Rectogesic can give you awful headaches, I was prescribe Anoheal - I had no side effects at all and my long term fissure healed up a treat.

I wasn't given GTN cream she said that would be next stage if it didn't heal from what she gave me. I've got Scheriproct to try.

I feel for you, I had fissures until my dd was 6 months, she's nearly 8 months now. I know it's just a little thing but I found that once I'd had a bm it was really soothing to have a warm bath with a few drops of tea tree oil in it, it just took the edge off the pain. I hope you get yours sorted soon

I'm so sorry you're going through this. I had multiple fissures after giving birth and they're totally miserable. I know it sounds unbelievable, but after all the laxitives/ suppositories/ creams/ etc, the only thing that worked for me was panting! Literally, a few deep breaths, then pant for the whole BM. Don't know what the physiology is, but it was a revelation to me! Good luck.

I'm cross she has just given you haemorrhoid cream after you've been suffering for so long. I really hope it works for you but if it doesn't then ask her for Anoheal (diltiazem) rather than GTN cream. It works just as well but without the awful headaches.

@GMtoBe thank you, I'm sorry you had them too! I've tried that a few times and find it does help, I'll try that more frequently. Thanks.

@TeaMuncher They're horrible! lol I do sound as though I'm giving birth every time I'm in the toilet, thanks for the tip!

@QueenCity oh is it? The box doesn't have an information sheet so I wasn't sure what she gave me really. Hoping this works but I'll definitely ask for that if I have to go back (hopefully not), thanks.

Hi, I have been dealing with a fissure for 14 months! From 1 episode of constipation.
I had scheriproct which does soothe a bit, 3 tubes of Rectogesic, a flexible sigmoidoscopy and now at the end of a tube of diltiazem.

The Rectogesic (GTN) didn’t really give me headaches but made my bum throb. The diltiazem I think has helped a bit but this was prescribed in hospital, my GP couldn’t prescribe. It’s now making me itch though.

Have had 2 hospital appointments and my next one will review to see if I am to have Botox. I am much better than last summer if that is comforting to hear but still have irritation.

Key thing as most people have said is having soft poo daily, no straining at all. I was told to stop laxatives and eat lots of figs and prunes, which I do and tinned fruit and lots of water. And foot stool as already mentioned. It will improve.