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.

@imsconequeen I seen my GP about a month ago and she gave me laxatives and haemorrhoid cream which doesn't seem to be helping. My GP surgery is closed tomorrow so I'm going to call up every morning this week and hope for a cancellation. Just don't want to be fobbed off again! x

Movicol I meant not lactulose

Has anyone examined you?! Please do keep badgering them lovely x yogis won't last forever

Wtf is yogis? I meant this

@BakedBeans47 it's awful. I've heard about Movicol, I'm using Dulcoease at the minute but some days it doesn't seem to do much. I will have a look at Movicol.

@SchrodingersMeowth that is horrible, I can't imagine the pain you're in! Thanks for the tips, if I ever manage to get an appointment I'll ask for those that you've recommended. Hoping you feel better soon

@imsconequeen yeah my GP examined me last time and said she'd seen worse. Made me feel quite silly if I'm honest. Thank you, I will x

You need to soften the stools to make them easier to pass while you heal, you may even need stictches, so please see your GP or nurse if the surgery has one, they can give you something to help, and let's face it they've probably seen it a hundred times before so try not to be embarrassed. I suffer with irritable bowl and have piles in side and externally and I feel your pain, I really do, I also pass a lot of blood because of the piles and anal fissure. You need help, I hope you seek it and feel better soon.

Sorry I've just seen you've been the GP, if their advice doesn't help, ask for a specialist advice.

See a different GP ask which ones have had piles never mine a fissure and talk to reception, totally not on-good god. Totally not on. Not bad -my arse -she's clearly never had piles.

Ask for a referral and demand an emergency appointment -you poor thing. This is an emergency.

Sorry to hear you are still suffering, I remember last summer when my fissure was at its worse the sun and heat made me feel worse. I used to wedge ice wrapped in kitchen roll between my bum cheeks to calm the soreness. It will slowly get better, I’m weeks away from Botox now which I’m hoping will bring and end to all this, I feel I’m 80% there at the moment. Hang in there and good luck getting GP apt x

OP laxatives like senna and dulcoease are not the right things for this. They do not make your poo softer, they just make the bowel push it out so it risks damaging the bowel wall as it comes out.
Movicol and laxido actively make poo softer, the more sachets you take the softer and looser it gets, meaning that you are not placing any trauma on the area of the bowel that needs to heal, as you pass it.
Get on the movicol or laxido!! And drink LOTS of fluid.

@IsMyUserNameRubbish thanks, if my appointment doesn't go well I will ask for specialist advice.

@bertielab yes I definitely will be seeing a different GP. She also gave me a hard time for getting an emergency same day appointment last time as she said a fissure isn't urgent. Made me feel awful about asking for one

@MissTulipan Thank you. Wishing you all the best for next week, fingers crossed it's all sorted for you afterwards 

@SealSong oh no really? I didn't realise. Whilst waiting for GP appointment I will pick up some Movicol

My EX had the same, was in agony. The GP fobbed him off for years with creams.

He went private and it was operated on (a very small op in and out in 24 hours from memory). The NHS don’t do this op - it can only be done privately. I remember his consultant telling him many pregnant woman suffer from it post birth.

I urge you to go private if you can (as your GP for a consolation). It changed my OH’s life straight away.

Given it’s happened post childbirth might it be worth giving your HV a call? She might be able to get you seen sooner by GP if nothing else x

Poor you again - as I said I only had mine a few weeks but I remember not only the pain but the despair that what if it never got better x

Totally forgot to say you could try taking bile capsules...I take Ox bile (I know, yuk!!) after constipation that even tons of veg wouldn't releive.
So your liver produces bile which breaks down fats & helps you absorb fat soluble vitamins.. but also important to the bowels...so low bile=constipation. I was also getting gall bladder pain, because low bile=cholesterol not being broken down (gallstones are hard lumps cholesterol).
You can improve bile production in liver with lots of raw salad greens & making sure you're eating saturated fat (it triggers production of bile...vegetable oils don't).
Sometimes though you might still not produce enough bile ( for example lots of estrogen from pregnancy, monthly cycle, her, can reduce bile production..also cortisol from stress can reduce bile).

I self diagnosed & hardly have any constipation since combination of these foods & this 'Ox Bile' tablet... available Amazon.

Hrt, not 'her'!

I take one a day straight before eating breakfast (salad & cheese/eggs!) ...be careful with taking more than one capsule..can work toooo well!! 😬💩💩

I'm in a similar position. I take Laxido sachets every day (started off on 2 or 3 a day, now down to 1 a day). You need to keep taking them, don't be tempted to miss a day or the problem just returns :(

If you are really bunged up try taking 8 sachets a day for 2 days (one every 45 mins over 6 hours). That will clear you out totally! Then start one one or 2 a day after that.

Also, my doc prescribed some cream to promote healing, that you have to use twice a day, religiously.

Also, forgot to say, if you're gonna do the 8 sachets a day, choose 2 days where you don't have to leave the house ;)

How are you doing OP? Any improvement? Mine still ongoing sadly

@MissTulipan sorry to hear that did you have the botox?

Still ongoing for me sadly. Was given Rectogesic and Laxido at the start of the week. Still lots of pain despite the Rectogesic (and the headaches/funny head feeling is awful!) but not tried Laxido yet as have been out and about non stop and I'm not keen on trying it on a day I'm not home near a toilet! I did have a good month or two pain free since my last post but fissure has came back with a vengeance the past 2 weeks so hoping I can finally sort it for good.

Sorry to hear that, the laxido which I think is similar to movicol will just make things soft, you would only need to rush to loo if you took multiple sachets. Don’t worry about taking it and being out. I take lactulose daily now as advised after I had the Botox.

It’s been couple of months since I had it, think it’s helped a bit. Have had follow up with surgeon and he says to leave it alone now and just keep everything soft and hope it heals. I see him again in December. I just have constant mild soreness now.

Hope the rectogesic helps