piles -owww!

[ballymoneygirl]

7 weeks post natal and in desperate need of some advice to deal with a severe case of piles. I can hardly sit, stand,walk or talk due to the excruciating pain when I go to the loo and for a good few hours afterwards. It's really getting me down and I feel cannot enjoy my new little baby boy at all. The cream and suppositories (anusol HC)from the doctor aren't helping. T he doctor scared me stiff with talk of horrid operations and the fact that once you have piles they never go away! The midwife had me pushing for a good hour or so before an eventual forceps delivery and I think the pushing has caused this. The internet throws up stuff about herbal creams etc that are meant to be very effective. Anyone tried any of these? Do they work? I'll try anything just to be able to go the loo without such an awful pain. Please help!

aww hun u have my sympathy. I was given lacutlose by gp as well as cream which worked wonders...dont know if ur gp has told u but when u put cream on put it with lint and leave the lint there...it did help mine a lot and they were a result of pushing in labour.

Hi,

Not unfortunately surprised to read that the creams prescribed did not work. They don't if the piles become a chronic problem.

Would counsel that you return to the doc asap and ask to be referred to a specialist. Internal piles can be injected. This can be painful yes but it does do the job.

Internal piles can be absolute agony; you really need to get this sorted for your own sake. Although piles (they are really varicose veins) can recur they can be sorted once and for all.

Would also read www.netdoctor.co.uk for more info.

docs/midwifes can give supposotryto help put them back in then releaving you of the pain

Ow! you have my sympathy! I developed horrid piles a few weeks ago (during my second pregnancy). The creams and suppositories did not work for me. You may well need referral to a specialist, but the following may help you long term (anyway, this is what helped me).

The following did work for me(over about 2 weeks) to get my system to a point where the piles disappeared.

First, pushing them back in each time they popped out was essential. This was really gross and painful, and did not work at first. But after a week or so, they stayed in and really healed up.

Second, in NZ here we have something called "Metamucil" (not sure if you have it where you are, but you may be able to get something similar in a pharmacy or healthstore or even the supermarket). It is not particularly for piles, but for helping make stools easier to pass. It is a powder that you mix with water, it becomes jelly-like in your system. It is basically natural fibre (that you'd get into your system by eating a huge amount of bran etc but that never worked for me). It is totally safe to have while pregnant or breastfeeding as it is only fibre.

What it does is help your system so that your stools become easier to pass (making the whole loo experience less excruciating and in the long run hopefully keeping the piles away).

Third, try and increase your water intake and get a bit of exercise (even just a little).

While this all worked for me, yours sounds worse than mine and you may need specialist help. But if you are able to take the above steps in conjunction with that, then you have the best chance of keeping them away.

Enjoy the new baby! I hope you get better soon.

Poor you ballymoneygirl; I sooo know how you feel!! I had the nastiest piles, like a bunch of grapes - sorry ladies - after the birth of no4. Pushing them back in is something I did too; keep a pack of those thin disposable kitchen gloves in your bathroom if you don't want to do it au naturel. Or put them back in while you're in the shower. That helped me too. I found initially they didn't stay put for very long, but try to do your pelvic floor exercises, then concentrate really hard on your back passage, keeping it tight. All this will improve your circulation and hence the piles will reduce. It's terrible not being able to sit comfortably when you've so much else to contend with at this time. my problem went eventually; sorry can't remember exactly. But I think there was a sudden big improvement and then I was fine. My baby boy is now 17m and I'm enjoying him more than ever! Best of luck and much sympathy to you.

thanks everyone for your advice. Honestly, my GP really didn't say anything useful compared to you lot. Am feeling a little better today after lots of warm tea tree oil baths, ice packs on my bum and taking lactulose. Still can't believe I'll ever be able to walk properly (let alone ride my bike) but still. Am going to try the pushing them in - gross though it may be, will get some exercise, work on diet and water intake and do my pelvic floor exercises. I've had a really good look at some of the info/messages on www.netdoctor, which is a brilliant site.

So thanks to you lot I'm feeling decidedly more postive. Will keep you posted on how my fruit stall is coming along. Must go and eat some prunes....

So how is it progressing? Hope you have a bit of relief by now.

thanks for your concern kiwikate. I just can't believe what being pregnant and delivering a baby does to your body - certainly takes its toll. I am feeling a bit better now and think the piles may be settling down (still dread going to the loo every day though - but getting slightly easier). The lactulose seems to help (stuff to make the stools softer) so will keep downing that. It's just brilliant to talk on this site as it's such a revolting problem that alking face to face about it does me in.

I have posted on a thread elsewhere some time ago about my "farmer giles".

Quite honestly they are the worst thing about pregnancy IMO.

I had them so bad, I could only walk in little shuffly steps and they bled so badly I had to use sanitary towels.

My gp gave me suppositories but I found that I had to use Scheriproct (prescription only) cream for about 3 days before I could get a suppository anywhere near me. The cream shrinks them and can actually make them bleed which helps reduce the swelling. I used to also sit over the edge of the bath and use the shower spray on lukewarm to give some relief. At their worst I could only lie on my side as sitting upright was way too painful. One major thing I learnt was to always use a cream to keep them lubricated (sorry if TMI) so when you walk they don't rub.

I really feel for you, hope you carry on getting better.

I had some magic zapping done by our specialist women's physios at the hospital the few days after the birth, which made things a LOT BETTER. It was completely painless and made them shink and heal hugely. They say needs to be done the sooner the better. Wish I knew what it was, but it was FAB. I had 4 sessions. I'm going back straight away if I ever give birth again.

I still have them, though, if I push them back in they don't hurt me. I had them left over from my 1st pg and they were MUCH WORSE in my 2nd pg and birth. Am going to try to get GP to refer for injection to clear them up, in case I have a 3rd pg.