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Original poster

Help - Fissure pain how long?

23 replies

Waxlyrically · 02/02/2022 20:13

I’m unfortunate enough to be suffering from an anal fissure at the moment. If you’ve had one you will know how totally excruciating they are. I am sometimes unable to do anything but lie down on a heat pad for hours. It’s genuinely the worst pain I’ve ever had in my life & Im 50 so have been through a few things! Can any fellow sufferers tell me how long they take to heal - I’m on my third month. I’m using Diltiazem & Cosmocol which all helps but the fissure keeps reopening. Any pain relief tips also really appreciated. I’m close to asking for the surgery which has horrible risks. I’m so down I just want a normal life back!

OP posts:

Desertislanddiscs · 02/02/2022 21:22

I’m currently sitting on a hot water bottle with a fissure that arrived mid October. I feel your pain OP!! I thought I was dealing with piles until I had a fissure diagnosed early January by colorectal at hospital. Third week of using Diltiazem which is helping marginally but it keeps re-tearing. I’ve given up caffeine, alcohol, bread, carbs. The only real difference is when I eat sweet potatoes and soup ONLY. It’s starting to affect my mood and I’m so snappy with my kids… Many people seem to heal quite fast with the D cream so maybe we need to keep going with it.

Unreasonabubble · 02/02/2022 21:31

I had surgery. The best thing in the World I could ever have had. As soon as I came around from the operation, I realised there was no pain! Wow! Wow! Wow! Just before my operation the pain from the fissures was so intense it was raising my blood pressure and they almost cancelled!!!

The cream temporarily relieved on occasion but it went nowhere near healing.

flatmouse · 02/02/2022 21:32

Agree re surgery but also ask dr re suppository - really helped.

Lemonandadropofhoney · 02/02/2022 21:39

I agree with reasonabubble. The surgery was life changing for me.

I suffered for over 5 years with constant bouts of extreme pain. I was crying with every bowel movement. Slight relief with the creams but it never fully healed.
I had the botox injection I think it was? Under a general anesthetic to allow it to heal properly and there has been absolutely no pain or issues ever since. I didn't realise how much the pain affected my life and mental health until it was gone!

Ohpulltheotherone · 02/02/2022 21:40

@Unreasonabubble

The cream temporarily relieved on occasion but it went nowhere near healing.

This

Mine never healed, kept getting slightly better but then flare up again.

Get a referral from GP and at least have a consultation, or at least get on the list OP bc it could be a wait for day surgery

Original poster

Waxlyrically · 02/02/2022 21:49

It is an absolutely awful and all consuming pain. @Desertislanddiscs my children are grown up now but I don’t know how you manage with young children with this- sheer bravery! It’s either stinging, burning throbbing or there are full on muscle spasms going on for hours every day. @Unreasonabubble how much pain did the operation cause & was it LIS? Which suppositories did you use @flatmouse?

OP posts:

flatmouse · 02/02/2022 21:51

Gosh, sorry it was 20years ago, I don't have a clue. Post DC issue that went on for over a year. Two ops to eventually fix. I'm sorry for your pain, I remember it well.

chillydownwiththefiregang · 02/02/2022 22:23

I think mine took around 6 months I would say.

I ate a lot of prunes and also took psyllium husks to keep bowel movements extra extra soft. This helped as it then didn't keep opening up again.

Unreasonabubble · 03/02/2022 11:43

The operation was performed under GA so there was no pain involved at all.

Desertislanddiscs · 03/02/2022 13:18

Glad to hear from above that there is light at the end of this!

Wavypurple · 03/02/2022 13:28

I think mine took around three months. You have my DEEPEST sympathies I agree it’s one of the most painful things ever. I really feel for you.

Rhi86 · 03/02/2022 13:59

It's so awful - I really feel for you! I had mine after childbirth and it lasted around 7 months. I took lactulose 3 times a day and - most importantly - drank 6+ litres of water every day to keep everything soft. I also used a cream called Cavilon (got off Amazon). It's a barrier cream but I read one review where someone said it helped heal their long term fissure and I was willing to try anything!

In terms of having to go - at the absolute worst of it I would take painkillers half an hour before, put on a numbing cream (you can use Vagisil) and then fill up a sitz bowl with warm water and literally immerse my bum and go to the loo in the water! (And then obviously have my morning shower directly afterwards)! I'd usually have to take more painkillers later to relieve the constant burning pain when I was sitting down later in the day. So miserable

I hope you can find relief soon

Caliexpidocioussuper · 03/02/2022 14:21

I had 3 at once. The pain was all consuming and I regularly passed out.

I ended up controlling my diet to the nth degree. No caffeine, no red meat only easy to digest food and drank loads. I didn’t use creams as I couldn’t see how it would heal whilst it was constantly being kept wet with cream. I never wiped, only showered and then after ever shower I laid on my front with my bum in the air for a while. It took me about 4 months from this point to heal and they have never returned in 8 years. I do have lasting scar tissue though.

Lovemydaxie · 03/02/2022 17:20

My daughter has suffered for many years. She has had Botox twice which did help but it returned. She now finds the best way of managing it is Sudocrem. At the first sign of trouble slather it on. It really does help. Also don't get constipated. It is a miserable, painful condition.

Mischance · 03/02/2022 17:29

Oh you poor things! My heart goes out to you. I had 3 thrombosed haemerrhoids (?sp) all at once after one birth and they all had to knifed to get the clots out - boy oh boy did that hurt!

Keeping the traffic friendly - i.e. making sure stools were soft - was an absolute essential.

I was told repeatedly that is would heal - and they were right - but I never could fathom how it all didn't get infected as the wounds were constantly being covered in faeces. If you rubbed shit in any other wound you would have an infection in a blink!

If the pain is being exacerbated by rectal spasm that is a double whammy - my GP gave me nitroglycerin spray (used for angina) and muscle relaxants for this.

My heart goes out to you - such dreadful pain.

ImAnOmelette · 03/02/2022 19:42

I used instillagel for the pain.

I remember at my 6 week check asking to be referred. I was told to wait and that it would resolve.

Some time between 6 weeks and 6 months it did.

It made life so miserable in the meantime though.

FinallySomeNormality · 03/02/2022 19:47

Eugh I had this after labour with DC1. Truly awful and I was so depressed with how long it took. Must have taken 4 months and even then it would flare a bit now and again.

I tried GTN and the diliatazem. Keep going with this as it's a long game but does eventually help. I needed the full 6 wk course plus a few weeks of it extra to work.

BUT the only thing that actually helped heal it and stop retear is to use movicol (cosmocol, laxido are all the same) religiously. I went private to specialist in the end and he told me to have 3 sachets a day. Instead of telling me to keep BM soft he said to go for very very soft (on verge of loose tbh - sorry TMI!). I did this and I was able to do BM pain free quite quickly. Also never strain at all! Before that I was not getting BM soft enough.

How much cosmocol are you using?

FinallySomeNormality · 03/02/2022 19:51

I also massively second the PP who mentioned a sitz bath immediately after you've been. It's amazing how much this helps control the spasms and stinging. Get it as warm as you can stand.

Original poster

Waxlyrically · 04/02/2022 13:27

Lots of fellow sufferers which makes me sad but selfishly I feel less alone. It’s not as if you can chat about it to anyone in real life!

I’m using two Cosmocol sachets a day, Diltiazem, a bidet, heat pad, Vaseline, ( for unmentionable purposes), epsom salts, sudocrem, magnesium tablets, manuka honey & loads of ibuprofen. I’m also leaning forward on the loo, (like a skier 😳) and trying to support the painful areas. I think it’s better than it was in December when the spasms lasted all day but it’s still agony. It’s also so unpredictable I’m scared to plan anything in case I’m incapacitated that day. Utterly miserable!

Does anyone know whether running makes it worse? I’ve given up out of worry but the pounds are piling on to add to my woes! Any other excercise recommended?

OP posts:

Kezzie200 · 06/02/2022 19:20

Took mine a year. Even now it can ache if I pass a largish Stool. I drink a lot of water to keep things moving smoothly. It's always a bit of a worry.

Does surgery stop all of this too and it just goes away?

Kezzie200 · 06/02/2022 19:21

Yes I used to have sitz baths after. And used preparation H wipes.

mumof2bambinos · 15/01/2023 14:44

Hi have your fissures healed. Im 8 months pp and the fissure just wont go. Any miraculous tips please?

mumof2bambinos · 11/05/2023 23:12

@FinallySomeNormality sorry to jump on but it your fissure still healed. I have been taking movicol but it has made my stools mushy/thin and now i cant go back to normal stool size. Are your stools back to normal and did thy ever change when taking stool softeners

@Kezzie200 are you still healed?

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