Botox for chronic fissure, experiences please

[MissTulipan]

Hi, I’ve got a follow up with consultant soon and this will be next option as I’m still not fully ‘normal’ in the bottom department, have exhausted all anal fissure creams, laxatives etc. I’m a lot better than a year ago when it started but still feel a bit sore and swollen day to day.

I have read a few accounts of people’s Botox experiences but looking for more, how was it immediately after, few weeks after, did it help? Did you have any embarrassing side effects, need time off work etc. Thanks

Sorry MissTulipan and mummymahem18 I have only just read your posts!
Glad to hear you are mostly on the mend MissTulipan.
Sorry to hear the pain is back for you mummymahem18 😢 how did your appointment with CRS go?
This really is awful and I don’t think anyone who has been through it can fully appreciate how bad it is!
It took about 8 days before the terrible pain after the surgery subsided. I am taking a sachet of movicol every night now before I go to bed. I don’t get as bad spasms now after I have been to the toilet so I’m hoping the Botox is starting to work, however I have had pain like I had before but not as intense and not for as long. I’m keeping my fingers crossed things continue to improve. My next appointment is not until February so I’m hoping it’s all healed by then x

Really pleased to hear you're feeling some improvement and relief Kirky76! You're right nobody understands! I just wish there was a quick fix for this problem but there isn't. Crazy to think it's just a cut, that 'just a cut' can cause so much disruption to your life. My 1 wish for 2019 is that we all heal and get our old lives back xx

Joanna88 I just saw your message too, sorry!
Did you get any relief at all from the Botox or not?

Kirky76 yes I definitely got some relief from botox so i can say it has been a positive procedure however it hasn't healed me xx

My sister had a ‘stretch’ under GA which stretched the internal sphincter for this problem. Before the procedure she was in dreadful distress but afterwards all has been well (15yrs ago) apart from the fact that she can’t delay when she needs to go. But infinitely preferable to the pain.

I’ve had it twice around 5 years apart. They did ‘work’ both times in that they cleared up the extremely deep and painful fissure, although I still regularly get smaller ones that bleed. It didn’t work instantly, I had to use laxatives daily until it healed up. 3 years on, I still need laxatives (laxido is by far the best of all I tried).
I think without the laxatives it probably wouldn’t have the chance to heal up.

I'm glad you are getting some relief from the procedure but it does take some time doesn't it or sometimes creates other problems. Like another pp said it's amazing how much trouble,pain and distress piles and fissures can cause. I'm going in on the 8th under general anaesthetic. He mentioned trying injections into the haemorrhoids,I had banding last time so don't know which one is best. It's hard to know if it's piles or the fissures causing the most pain. I just hope it helps. But I know because of my other health conditions that these problems are just going to keep recurring 😢. I wish for a happy and healthy and pain free bum for us all for 2019.xx

Pancakepoop how long after each shot of botox did it take you to heal?
Mummymayhem18 I will be thinking of you on the 8th. Keep positive and hopfully your procedure will bring relief and healing xx

Hard to remember exactly, but I’d say around a couple of months with daily laxatives. I expected it to be much quicker. The first operation was more successful as I didn’t need laxatives after a few months, but the second time was much worse (after childbirth), it was beyond excruciating. I now seem to go between loose stools and very constipated, can’t seem to get consistent balance.
I still worry about the random aches and pains I feel ‘up there’ in case it’s something more serious. Does anyone else get that randomly? Hate never knowing if the next trip to the loo will end up in pain and blood dripping into the pan from the regular fissures
Wishing you all a pain free New Year!!

Words of hope to you all...I am the OP and after 20 months am feeling a lot better, still not 100% but better enough for it to not consume my day. Sometimes I don’t think about it at all. I’m still taking a few sooons of lactulose a day and will continue to do this. Time, time and more time may help you all and never get constipated, ever. I am really hoping 2019 continues to be good, as you all know with fissures you can never be sure but I sincerely wish you all the best for the new year.

Just wanted to let people know, problems started to arise around November time, severe pains after a bowl movement (itching and tingling) stupidly being a dumbo man, i put it off, didn't want anyone poking and looking up there. pains got worse and worse...unbearable. I saw the GP and he gave me CODINE and LACTALOSE. Codine's main side effect is, it makes stools harder the Lactalose was to soften them for ease. this made life bearable but didn't fix the issue. He booked me in for a specialist. after a few consultations on the NHS he booked me in for a Botox injection...(Two injections in the anus, whilst fast asleep on general anaesthetic) after the injection things got bad, really bad! day two and three, the codine and lactalose combo didn't work and i was...in a pickle shall we say

it's now day 10 after the injections, i'm cured. no pain, no painkillers...How?

1, Drink Fluid! at least 2 litre a day. Doctor will say water. Drink anything (except alcohol) Cuppa soup was a god send
2, Eat Fibre!
3, When painkillers don't work. WALK, walk hard and fast, after a 15 min walk you should be panting like a dog in the dessert. the pain will be gone
4, The Botox WILL work, let steps 1-3 happen and it'll take time
5, (and defiantly should be 1) see the doc, don't be a fool like i was.

I really hope this helps, Anal Fissures are a nightmare and I was on the brink of suicide amidst the pain on some days..good luck

@Kirky76 @Joanna88 hi i know this thread hasnt been active but just on the offchance you see this can i ask if botox healed the fissure. Im due to go for botox this week for my chrobic fissure

Hi, I got an email notification so saw your message. Yes botox completely healed my fissure. It felt like a miracle, it was sore for a week or two afterwards when going to the toilet but was well worth going through the pain as have had no issues since! I took Movicol to help
for a month or so after but haven’t been on anything for years now. Good luck, the pain from
a fissure is like nothing else. X

@Kirky76 hey thank you so so so much for replying! I needed this positive experience shared. I am so glad it worked for you. Im having mine on saturday and im so nervous but think i need it. Been suffering for 2 years after childbirth. Xx

@mumof2bambinos fingers crossed everything goes well for you tomorrow. If you feel up to it, please update on how your doing. I've got this provisionally booked for 19th Dec too.

@GaslighterDenier thank you so much. I will do! Hoping it all goes smoothly xx

@GaslighterDenier hey how are you doing? Did you get the botox? I seem to be painfree at the moment but stool is very loose as on stool softeners

@mumof2bambinos yes, I had the Botox! And apart from the odd little episode I also seem to be pain free. I have had some issue with piles 🫣 but nothing at all compared to the fissure, thank god! And I think I've tore again today as there was pain and fresh blood but nothing that's persisted so I'm hoping with some more stool softener it'll heal back up quickly. I've got a check up in Feb and I'm really praying I stay pain free forever now. The thought of returning to the daily agony is like a cloud hanging over me but each day feels better. I was so depressed by it all and can't believe the difference so far!

How are you doing?

@GaslighterDenier aww so glad to hear! Fingers crossed its onwards and upwards for you now. Never known pain like the fissure. I have had the on and off bleeding too but just assumed thats part of the healing process. I do find it my stools are formed i retear...are you able to pass formed stools?

Hi @GaslighterDenier @mumof2bambinos @MissTulipan @ipswichmum @Kirky76 @Joanna88 @Monk89 @Pancakepoop @mummymayhem18 reading all your posts now 2024.. desperately scouring the internet for advice and support. Thanking all you people for posting, i don’t feel alone suffering this postpartum. I have been diagnosed with chronic multiple anal fissures, currently on the stage of applying Diltiazem ointment twice a day and doing sitz baths. A physical examination was unbearable.. been on a high fibre diet and avoiding trigger foods, and increased water intake. Currently taking Lactulose 25ml morning and night with an extra 15 ml middle of day. Im still not getting soft poop. No idea why.. i did start on cosmocol at first but gave me tummy pains so i stopped. Colonoscopy not suitable for me at this stage as wont be able to tolerate the bowel prep day before procedure- 14-15 bowel movements of forced diarrhoea they told me. How did any of you tolerate that whilst suffering from anal fissure? We are considering botox injection but there is a waiting list. Is there a bowel prep day before having botox done? Extremely difficult time with a toddler and 3 months old baby and trying to keep up with calories for breastfeeding. Any advices, how did u all manage? Thinking about you all, hope everyone is doing well now, if you’ve managed to come this far, you truly are immensely strong and an inspiration to all 💕

@Timaa sorry to hear you’re going through this. It’s the worst pain ever and can totally sympathise. This forum really helped me to read how other people had got on with their treatment. I can’t even remember how long ago mine was now (about 5/6 years ago I think) it seems like a distant memory so there is light at the end of the tunnel. I had tried everything and the only thing that worked for me was Botox. It was like a miracle. It has never came back and I do still suffer with constipation from time to time. I just make sure I’m active and do at least 10k steps a day and drink plenty of water/eat fibre etc
Have you tried Movicol to help with your constipation? I had an examination under anaesthetic as they needed to rule out haemorrhoids too. They injected Botox during this procedure. I had to have bowel prep the day of the op.
from what I remember I think pre operation the only thing that seemed to ease it a bit (apart from a warm bath) was a suppository with lidocaine in it.
i hope you get some relief soon 😕

@Timaa sorry to see that you're suffering with this too. As above it truly is awful and I wouldn't wish it on anyone. I was severely depressed when mine was at its worst, so really feel for you. I actually seen my surgeon today and I'm waiting to be booked in for another small op on mine and another round of Botox. From what she has said she's going to remove scar tissue and then inject the Botox in the hopes that the new wound will heal better. My original Botox was like a miracle cure and I have had no serious pain from when it was first done until last week when it sadly tore again ☹️ I'm hoping because I'm in nowhere near as much pain this time round that the Botox will help it heal quickly again and it will be more healed before the Botox wears off again. I'd had it for around a year before the first op so it was always going to be difficult to heal.

Fingers crossed you get some help soon 🤞🏻🤞🏻

Also I never had to do any bowel prep at all.

@mumof2bambinos how are you doing? I'm sure you had Botox around the same time as me.

Hey 👋
2 weeks post op had haemorroidectomy and botox for fissure.
I dread when I have bowels opened it ruins my day and I spend all day in Bath.
Hoping it will ease. Had to pay private because waiting list is so long and I have been in agony 18months post partum.

@2286Mufc haemorrhoidectomy surgery is meant to be extremely painful. My dad had this but said once it had all healed he has never had any issues with haemorrhoids since. It’s shocking that you had to pay private but I’m guessing you couldn’t put up with the excruciating pain any longer. I really hope you get some relief soon 🤞

@GaslighterDenier hey how are you doing. Im still no better. The botox dint heal me unfortunately and i keep retearing. Wbu xx