Anal fissure 2 weeks postpartum

[mzlk]

Hey everyone

Well, I’ve been constipated due to having iron tablets throughout my third trimester, during labour I had loose stools but then went back to constipation a day after birth.

I didn’t get any fissures from pregnancy constipation but I don’t know if childbirth has made my bottom weak/sensitive because I have now developed a fissure!!

I thought it was a one off painful poo but no, it continued and I actually felt a rip and bleed yesterday and since then my 2 bowel movements today have also been painful, first one bled a little less than it did yesterday. And second one didn’t bleed but HURT.

I feel quite upset tbh. I feel like it’s just been one thing after the other since giving birth. My stitches have healed and now my bum is ripped. I’m so so fed up. I want to enjoy our new little addition but I just can’t deal with pain every single day. Every single bowel movement.
It seems as though fissures don’t always heal and that scares me.
I’ve just picked up lactulose which GP prescribed, some kind of ointment (scheriproct) and some suppositories
Any positive stories about postpartum fissures?
Please give me some hope! I feel so down and helpless.

I can empathise I’ve been suffering from a fissure for 3 years now after the birth of my second child,

I actually just had Botox treatment a few days ago though it’s too early to know if it’s worked.

Id previously tried every possible cream and have been taking laxido frequently but the fissure remains.
if I were you I’d go to the gp for one of the fissure creams - rectogesic or the one beginning with a D. After that the next treatment is Botox so you’d need a referral. Hope things improve soon.

@ilikeeggs docs gave me rectogesic and said they cant give me anything else and thats why theyve referred me. Iv heard of the cream starting with d think its dilitzem or something but gp hasnt offered it to me. Ive also tried every cream i cant find and read online and it still wont heal. Fingers crossed ur botox works. Was it painful getting the botox done?

How’s everyone doing?
many fissure felt a bit better for a couple of weeks, bit painful but nothing too bad. Thought I was healing but it’s reopened fully again and kills to pass a bowel movement!!

I haven't had any issues for nearly a month, even with norovirus! I'm never confident it'll ever fully go away but I will take the good times as they come!

ooh did you do anything to help? Also how long have you had it for? @bagelbagelbagel
on the bad days I find it really hard to manage my 2 kids because I’m just so anxious about the fissure!

@mzlk how are you doing since your retear. Just thought id come on and check on you

It’s been pretty bad tbh. My stools are hard again all of a sudden which is what’s making things worse
I may need a stool softener again

Hows it going with you?
Thanks for checking! @mumof2bambinos

@mzlk not too bad. Stools are thin but soft as im taking laxido and probably will forever now. I do feel the fissure but i am so over it ruining my life. Have you tried keeping a heating pad and using gtn cream a few times a day to increase blood flow

My fissure arrived at 3/4 weeks PP. GP says it’s from dehydration from breastfeeding, has anyone stopped breastfeeding in order to heal themselves? I’m 7 weeks PP now, I thought the fissure had healed after a round of loctalose and sudocreme but it reopened again last week, I’m not constipated either and it still hurts. GP has given me lidocaine for the pain but I just want it to be healed now. So frustrating, just want to feel normal again.

Hows everyone doing. My fissure is just driving me nuts. My poo is pencil thin and now its hurting the opposite side to where the fissure is

Mine is still around! No signs of healing tbh. I’m quite constipated too due to breastfeeding.

Good and bad days. Had a few days of pain & bleeding when going to the loo this week and then the last 2 days pain free. Very odd and frustrating. Trying to drink loads of water and considering stopping breastfeeding so I can let myself heal without getting dehydrated.

@mzlk have you gone back to the gp to see if theres anything else they can give. Might be worthwhile taking some stool softeners Tbh i think this is something il just be living with forever. I heal one side and it starts on the other side. So exhausting.

@CHPC i didnt breastfeed but i know ppl who have said when they stopped bf the anal fissure started to heal. Makes me think its because of a hormonal imbalance. Even tho i dont bf i do think i have a hormonal imbalance

I’ve read that too which is why I might stop and see if it helps. I hope things start to get better for you, it’s really rubbish and upsetting!

@CHPC aww thank you. Same to you! Its so hard as you shouldnt have to go through all this after having a baby. I wish midwives advised more around this

Me too! I’m going to warn all of my friends when they start to have babies! If I knew everything I knew now with dehydration etc causing this I would have been on it after birth to avoid the position I’m in now! Hindsight is a wonderful thing!

@CHPC hey how are you doing now? Thought i would check in xx

Feeling quite good actually, I’ve dedicated the past week to drinking 2L water a day and putting on sudocreme every morning and night and for the past week, no bleeding and no painful toilet trips. So fingers crossed I’m slowly on the mend and I don’t re open the tear 😬 how are you? Xx

@CHPC aww brilliant! So pleased. Just keep going with it as its obv working! Ive heard sudocrem works wonders but i dint think i gave it enough of a chance. Im doing ok. Struggling to get my stool bak to normal as its still very thin. Are you eating as normal or changed your diet? X

Sorry to all of you suffering. It's just the worst. A couple of things I'd mention which have helped me: medjool dates I've found really pretty much guaranteed a soft BM and I am very prone to constipation so know how hard this can be to achieve. And then when passing a BM, I first apply a blob of vaseline and then I pour really warm water over the area as I go, it really helps with relaxing muscles and eases things along. I do both of those things even when I don't have an active fissure. And then washing in a bidet as opposed to lots of wiping with toilet paper. Best of luck and best wishes to those suffering. I suffered for some time with fissures but not so much around my births, it must be so so tough when you're also taking care of a newborn (and possibly other DC!)

My diets the same (which is not great at the minute) doctor told me not to change my diet whilst breast feeding so my only changes are staying hydrated and the sudocreme. I do want to start being healthier but easier said than done isn’t it! Are you taking stool softeners?

Thank you @Smittenkitchen im hoping i can heal at some point. Its been a year now.

Yes definately harder to think about eating better when youve got a lil one to look after. @CHPC i was on laxido for a year and i feel that just made my stool mushy and now for some reason i cant have a normal poo. Like log type. Sorry tmi!

Have you been back to the doctors to see if there’s anything they can do about your stools? Only issue is ending up with harder stools for your poor fissure, endless cycle, its horrible!

I would recommend considering surgical solutions if I were you. I suffered for two years and eventually had a schincteroptomy and it was the solution for me. And I was terrified of having the operation, so trust me I understand feeling that you don't even want to contemplate the prospect. But for anyone suffering long term and feeling like it's never going to get better and not much sign of it doing so, I'd really look into it. It is possible not to be in agony every day.

@CHPC the doctors are just useless. Im constantly chasing them up and all they tell me is we have people on laxido for years. And to wait for hospital appointment. Which is just taking forever

@Smittenkitchen was the surgery very painful? Im scared of incontinence