Anal fissures making me MISERABLE

[helpmeeeeeeee]

Hi, not a troll I promise! Im a regular poster.

im absolutely terrorised with anal fissures. I don’t pass hard/large stools and im not constipated either. For some reason I seem to be constantly torn to shreds with it and I’m in agony, I’m currently sitting on a pillow because it’s so painful to sit down on the couch. I get a lot of blood when wiping too. I’ve tried anusol, creams, suppositories, prescription strength creams and gels and suppositories and nothing helps at all. I’ve tried sudocrem, e45, nappy rash creams and barrier creams too in case the skin is dry but again, no difference at all. If I was constipated I could understand why it’s happening but that’s not the case at all. It’s also not always the same fissure that’s just not healing, new ones start all the time. I don’t understand why. Right now I have 5 distinct tears and I’m in excruciating pain with it. Gp said they can do anything else about it and I was referred to gastro who won’t see me either despite my gp insisting because apparently there’s no need and they are prioritising the more important cases as they have a 24m backlog. I can’t afford private it’s completely out of the question

I could actually scream with pain and frustration. Please someone who has had a similar problem please tell me there’s a way for things to get better?

Have you tried hemoclin ? It’s the only thing that worked for me

Do you take laxatives? Ive had a couple in the past and only thing that stopped the pain/bleeding was laxatives. I'd recommend long term just to soften it that bit more. Apart from.that I've no advice but i sympathise, it's miserable!

To help take the edge off when wiping wet wipes or baby wipes can help and they don't make it more sore.

Gosh I could have written this myself, I have a few including a large one and I'm miserable too. I gave birth 11 weeks ago and it's ruining my life daily. I have to plan when to go to the toilet because if I go too late in the day I can't sleep at night from the excruciating pain. I take paracetamol and ibuprofen together straight after going to the toilet and I have to sit in a warm bath for 20 minutes which does actually help a lot

But please don't flush wet wipes

I too use baby wet wipes. If I'm feeling uncomfortable near bedtime,I'll sit in a shallow,warm bath to which I've added a couple of handfuls of Epsom Salts.That really seems to help.

20 minute warm bath with coconut oil, twice a day, really helps heal mine when I get them.

I understand your pain, I suffered with fissures for a long time. I dreaded going to the toilet! I take half a sachet of movicol/Laxido everyday. I also used to use manuka honey internally to help with healing. You need to make sure your stool is SUPER soft to allow the existing fissures to heal. Find an osmotic laxative (they don’t make you go but draw water into the bowel to soften everything) that works for you and use it religiously until you’re fully healed. If you find something that works then I would suggest staying on it a good while. Once you get a fissure the skin is never as strong as before so you’re more likely to get them in the future. Take a laxative and maybe try the manuka honey (it’s extremely expensive but google ‘manuka honey anal fissure’ and you’ll find resources online that recommend it).

Fybrogel is a poo softener. Might that help? Also vaseline would act as a barrier. I'd ring my GP and ask to be referred again. Also ask your GP for stronger painkillers.

Have you been prescribed a GTN cream?

I found this really helped as an alternative to wiping it’s a portable bidet (a lot less painful) bidet

Has your GP mentioned botox? I had an injection for a fissure once - was told it would keep the area around the fissure rigid to help it heal.

I've had a couple of operations to try and deal with mine and they still haven't gone more than 5 years later. The granulated edges of the fissure were cut away to give them fresh skin to heal togther. I've had a botox injection there too so that the muscles are paralysed for a while to try and allow them to heal. The GTN cream given to me gave me an almost instant migraine so I had to stop using it. I was prescribed lidocaine cream/syringe which I would squirt up after I'd been to the loo when it was the most painful.
Now, although they haven't healed all these years down the line, I no longer have any pain because I am prescribed laxido or movicol and take a ½ a sachet morning and night and I'm very careful to monitor how soft my stools are and adapting the dose accordingly. You have my sympathy, for such tiny wounds they are so very painful! It will get more manageable though for you I hope, soon

I get these (not as bad as yours) when I have thrush. Is that a possibility?

That too,

I've got one of those as well, they're incredibly useful (although as a complement rather than alternative to TP.)

I wouldn't go to a gastro about this OP but to a dermatologist. At least I would in my part of the world (not in the UK), and indeed have in the psst for something similar.

Fuck me, the total opposite for me. Baby wipes are so aggravating, sting like fuck and I'm sure have caused much of the problem.

My GP told me not to take Fybrogel as it adds bulk to the stool. I wouldn’t recommend.

You need an osmotic laxative.

I’ve been suffering from these for two years now since fistula surgery. They are utterly miserable. I use Vaseline, calmoseptine (have to order from US), GTN cream, ice packs and a heat pad for the pain. I’ve has some ok times but mine are bad again at the moment - pain all day. I take daily stool softeners so there is no reason for the current flare up. I’ve also had Botox injections but this was short lived relief. The only place left to go for me is an op that cuts the muscle but I’ve been told it’s high risk for women who’ve given birth. It’s a colorectal surgeon you need to try to get referred to if you can.

Lidocaine cream for the pain, particularly before passing stool. Clean with with soap and water after toileting absolutely NO paper or baby wipes! Pat dry. Salt water sitz bath twice a day.

Don't read the below if eg you've just eaten!

The only thing that worked for me was getting a packet of sugar free boiled sweets from Aldi, eating the entire thing and then not being away from the loo for quite some time. Basically turned my insides to mush and I think made it so watery and liquid that the skin got a chance to heal. This was after creams/op at the hospital when nothing worked.

It really truly helped. Not nice but it meant the skin wasn't getting aggravated.

Hi
This is meeee!
Had botox x2 no better
I am with you on the misery scale the pain is off the scale. Only thing helps icecube and red hot bath.
I see this was posted a while back, are u any better? I've had mine 2years since childbirth in agony get so down with it!

Anusol wipes, I think it's the witch hazel that helps but they are fantastic and id tried loads like you have.

Proctosedyl ointment from the dr keeps mine bearable.

Hi is it normal for a fissure to look like a hole? I thought they were small cuts or tears. I’ve been to the Gp twice, they’re Adamant it’s a fissure. It has a skin tag and hard edges as I think it’s been there a whole . Started the GTN on Monday but it’s just bleeding every time I wipe after a poo I’m really starting to worry. What should I expect from the GTN Creeam? Is it normal to have a fissure this size? Thanks