I’m in a state about my piles!

[bottomwoes]

Looking for reassurance really.
I have had piles since I had kids…eldest now 15, but they were never more than an annoying nuisance which could be alleviated by a few days of some otc cream and then I’d forget all about them until the next time they reared their ugly, stingy little heads.
In July, the blighters made another appearance so I decided to tackle full on with a week of anusol suppositories and cream.
This seemed to make everything sore and stinging, so I stopped that and tried various things from natural creams to witch hazel.
Finally contacted the GP who has prescribed Uniroid cream and suppositories. Need to pick up from chemist, but I’m already panicking they aren’t going to work!!
I feel like all I think about is piles, how everything is feeling, worrying about whether they will get better.
Has anyone suffered but found that prescription stuff sorted things out?
Thanks in advance

I had the most dreadful piles at the end of my last pregnancy, nothing shifted them and I basically didn’t sit down for 4 weeks until I forced myself to overcome the embarrassment and see the doctor. I can’t remember what she gave me but it was some suppositories and they worked within a few days. Blessed relief!

The doctors suppositories really work well as they're steriod based, have faith and go straight back of they don't work.

I had the same for years. I got them banded in the end. They were better after that but actually the thing that worked most (and this is expensive) was to get one of those shower toilets which means you don’t need to wipe anymore. Also I wash with Zerobase cream, dry after shower and put a bit more cream back on. I’m resigned to having them for life but there are things you can do to keep them at bay.

Also - Tucks are fantastic! And make sure you re drinking loads of water, use a stool softener like Fibogel, and channel your inner monk (brown rice, oats, vegetables - no alcohol, no red meat, no chocolate or high fat or refined sugary foods and avoid anything binding lr dehydrating like salted peanuts ).

It really helps.

I have same kind of issues as you except I’m only 12 years post-natal. I try to make the dietary trade-offs to keep the misery of piles at bay.

I feel your pain. I've had piles for a while but they never really bothered me till I was a bit constipated in May and since about mid June I've had stinging discomfort all the time and no pile creams or suppositories have worked. Have been to my GP 3 times who prescribed Scheriproct and Sudocrem but no help. She has had another look and said it looks ulcerated so would refer me to Colorectal but I've made a private appointment as my life has been misery. Like you, it's all I can think about and I want it sorted out.

Thanks for all your tips everyone

@uhtredbebbanburg did the banding not work then? The thought of having anything ‘done’ terrifies me!

@Traveller29 it is so miserable isn’t it? I hope you get some answers and the right treatment soon. I will go private if I have to…..it really does affect you not just physically, but mentally too 😩

How much water does everyone drink? I am currently having 3 litres daily of just water plus the odd cup of tea, no alcohol or coffee. I would drink more but I know you can overdo it.

@bottomwoes It made it better (I wasn’t kept up with itching all night) but it didn’t cure it. I put up for it for years before I asked to have something “done”. It’s not pleasant. Good luck, I hope you find something that works!

I don’t drink tea or coffee so have lots of water…probably 3 litres a day. I do drink wine though! And the odd Diet Coke.
Despite all the water, I’m still really prone to constipation but have been taking using Ortis Fruit and Fibre cubes which are working wonderfully.
Randomly, I’ve found my piles are worse since going regularly which goes against everything you read about. I wonder if they have to get worse before they get better and that regular movements will help in the end?

@uhtredbebbanburg how annoying the banding didn’t totally work. You’d think the medics would have invented a much better way of dealing with these awful things by now!
Mine don’t itch or bleed thankfully, they just feel throbby and sore to varying degrees! Tiresome

Thought I’d update the thread so that anyone who searches for pile issues can maybe get some reassurance!

So, I had a weeks worth of proctosedyl suppositories and cream which I used from 9-16 September. Didn’t really notice that much improvement and was thinking I’d have to go back to the GP.
Had started to wonder of all the stuff I was using was actually making things more irritated and sore, so I decided to stop using anything like anusol/germaloids and just apply yarrow ointment 3 or 4 times a day. Every time I used it, I cleansed with water and a cotton wool pad and patted dry with another one.
Gradually, over the last few weeks the stinging soreness seems to have abated and things are feeling a lot better. I don’t think I will ever get rid of them totally as they’ve been there so long, but I can live with them if they don’t hurt ALL THE TIME!!

There doesn’t seem to be any procedure to have for piles that definitely eradicates them and I’ve read some stories where people have ended up worse off 🙄. This is the longest flare up I’d ever had, so this may give someone hope when they are at the end of their tether with them!

Glad to hear you have found an equilibrium op and I hope that continues 😊

I've had piles for 12 years. They're awful, but they come and go. I find they flare up every now and then. Usually I treat them with germaloids (I've tried lots of creams/ointments, that brand is the best in my opinion). I also take ibuprofen if they're really painful or throbbing. Try to get more fibre so I'm not constipated. And then just wait for them to get better. They always do. And then they always come back! But they're more annoying than anything, not anything to worry about.

I read a thread on here recently that terrified me. I don't have the link but it was a woman who had had surgery on her piles. She was in total agony. It lasted many weeks. Many people commented that they would never have had the surgery if they knew how long and painful the recovery was.

@rosael56 Yes, they do always come back when they’ve been present for years!
This summer has been a bit blighted by them….I have spent far too much time thinking about piles than is healthy.
@MadeForThis I have also read some horror stories too…there’s a recent thread here about the rafaelo procedure and one poor poster has been left in a worse state.
Definitely worth trying to manage them without any kind of surgery. I’m determined to try and keep mine under control so they don’t get any worse!

rosael56 and bottomwoes I too have become obsessed on occasion when I get a flare up. This also affects me relaxing when going to the loo, which then makes them worse ☹️ becoming a vicious cycle.

I think using lots of products also upsets the skin in this area which is so sensitive!

Mine have been worse as I have hit peri menopause, as my digestion has changed, the joy never ends 🤣

@cantheydothisreally Absolutely agree that using lots of products doesn’t help. When mine flared up in July, I was jumping from one thing to another in a panic plus using witch hazel gel….I really think all these things made the skin really sore as this was the main symptom.
Took so long for everything to start feeling like it was healing.
Also agree re peri menopause, my digestion is now so slow it’s ridiculous! The GP I spoke to said this is very common.
Another crappy symptom 😩

i have some expertise in this area, have you tried sugar soaks? Literally sugar and water into a paste and onto a pad on the area. Also instilagel available from your GP is very effective. Banding is horrendously painful so I’d not take that route lightly.

Prinny had mine banded over 10 yrs ago & they have come back.

Management is key but peri is not helping ☹️

I had a like last year which was so huge and agonising it woke me up at night. The thing which really helped was Epsom salts in the bath. I had a lot of baths and it went. It was awful. Im so sorry for you. X

I've had this problem recently. I first had piles after the birth of my first baby 16 years ago, and most of the time I don't have any piles, but now and again I get a flare up.

We went to Dubai in August, and while we were there we went up the Burj Khalifa. My bottom felt a bit sore and itchy on the way up, and by the time we came back down, I had the most horrendous piles!!! Absolute agony. Spoiled the last 4 days of the holiday really. Also being away from home was a nightmare, as could not get my regular cream.

The only cream that works for me, is Germoloids. Anything else like Anusol just does nothing. They went eventually, but it was probably the worst flare up I've had so far 😓

It took me until the bleeding was quite significant for me to pluck up courage and seek surgery. I didn't have to wait long (pre-covid) and had a choice of my local nhs hospital or private hospital (nhs funded). I went private. It was lovely, a nice room with en-suite, and lovely nurse.

Post surgery was A LOT more painful than I had expected. I nearly passed out the first time I had a poo. (Top tip - pre load laxatives/all bran and lentils etc).
I was initially signed off work for 4 weeks but extended it to 6. Early days revolves around the loo. I was so full of laxatives that I had to duck behind a bush once when walking the dog.

But I can tell anyone here it was SO worth it. I have a perfect bum hole. No pain, ever. No bleeding ever.

My advice to anyone is don't delay, get it done when you can.

I was referred to Colorectal and was given some cream only available from the hospital pharmacy. It didn’t work. I was told they don’t remove or band them any more by the Colorectal doctor as this is classed as a cosmetic procedure.

@Shiningstarr, what a nightmare. Mine were bad when we went away, I did take some creams and things with me but I think everything was so irritated from trying so many things before we went that I was scared of making it worse.
Definitely put a downer on my holiday as it was all I could think about!
I do wonder whether the hot weather didn’t help matters.
@ShamedBySiri, pleased you’ve had a good outcome, thankfully no one needs to look at my bum hole 😂.
Mine don’t bleed thankfully, so I don’t think I would be a candidate for surgery….and apart from this summer, they’ve never been anything more than an occasional irritation.

I have a good diet and don't have a problem with constipation and I suffer with piles too so I'm not convinced of the link either. In fact I often get really loose stools around my period and that can coincide with piles getting worse and then taking weeks to heal. I think period hormones can contribute to making them worse too actually. Sudocreme is the thing that works best for me. Anusol cream doesn't seem to help me at all.