Piles getting me down - only 13 weeks!

[myhardestgoodbye]

I've always suffered with piles - think it's a combination of having IBS and them being in my family. Usually they don't cause too much pain for too long, they bleed a lot but I'll maybe have a bad week or so and then I'm ok.
I don't know if it's hormone related(?) but since being pregnant I have constantly suffered with them. They are so painful I can't even go out for a walk as it makes them worse. When I go to the loo there is so much blood with clots. I'm only 13 weeks. I went to the doctor and they gave me anusol which was rubbish so I've been using my mums steroid cream but no help.
What am I meant to do? I'll be anaemic at this rate! Anyone else suffering?

---

This thread is a few years old. If you've found this page in search of treatments and advice managing haemorrhoids during pregnancy from fellow Mumsnet users, you might find our guide to piles in pregnancy useful. Hope this helps! MNHQ 💐

I'd go back and talk to your GP

@SnooperTrooper12345

I'd go back and talk to your GP

I think I'm going to have to. I'm not sure what they can do with me being pregnant though

Have you tried a sitz bath to try and heal them? I read this study once that they were more effective at healing piles than medicinal creams. Might be worth a try? Xx

I've suffered terribly with them during pregnancy, the only thing that helped was taking paracetamol and eating daily apricots, like lots and lots of them! I always found the cream irritates them more. If you have clots though then that doesn't sound very good, I'd be going back to the GP for more advice too.

You shouldn't be using anything not recommended by your midwife or doctor i. E. Steroids.... Do you know for sure they're safe on the baby?

@myhardestgoodbye how are they op? I got them externally when I was 33 weeks pregnant with my daughter April last year they were so so painful and thrombosed god it was bad. None of the creams worked one bit. Once I had baby they shrunk but never went but didn't hurt. I'm not pregnant again and just a few days ago they have really flared up I'm only 9 weeks I went to docs this morning and demanded to be referred to the hospital I want them banded off or you can have an injection to shrink them I just refuse to live in this pain flr another 8 months they are awful awful awful

Hi OP

This is something I'm also struggling with since I became pregnant- currently 19+5. Anusol cream is useless, you need something stronger from your GP- either Scheriproct or Proctosedyl, cream and suppositories. I tried both, find the Scheriproct better in terms of pain relief. That said, it never really goes away- the pain gets better but then flares up in a few days. It's manageable which is why i'm not going back but if at any point the pain gets worse or stops responding then I'd call my GP back in a flash.
The worst part is that i've not been constipated at all this pregnancy, so it probably is a hormonal thing rather than the result of straining.

Does anyone get blood clots (like you get on your period) when wiping from piles??

I think I'm going to pay privately and have mine banded or whatever they advise i can't cope with the pain any longer

@BertieBoo88 no I don't ever bleed

Mine bleed - heavily. It's literally like I'm on my period when I have a bowel movement sometimes complete with the clots

Scheriproct (or however you spell it) - prescription only but life saver.

Was prescribed the ointment and suppositories in my last pregnancy by GP. Definitely go back and ask for something - they can’t leave you as you are! I remember crying with an ice pole wrapped in a cloth between my cheeks at night.

I tried every OTC remedy and every ‘natural’ remedy - none worked. 2 days of using both ointment and suppository from GP and I felt like a new woman!!!

Once I’d had DS, they were still there, but they rarely bothered me after until I got pregnant again.

It's just awful isn't it I had a bit of blood when I had them last time but none this time @BertieBoo88

@Keyboard91 had that didn't do a thing for me totally gutted I see it work for so many women

@BertieBoo88 mine bleed terribly but never with clotting. Have you seen a doctor? I think I’d get that checked if you haven’t already

@Troyhelena yeah I have twice recently and they just seem to brush me off with anusol and send me on my way

@BertieBoo88 that’s really irritating! I guess if you’ve seen two doctors now who know about the clotting, I’m sure it’s nothing to be too concerned about! They know better than anyone else. Literal and metaphorical pain in the ass though

I have this so bad as well! I'll speak to my doctor to get something strong than Anusol

[quote Troyhelena]@BertieBoo88 that’s really irritating! I guess if you’ve seen two doctors now who know about the clotting, I’m sure it’s nothing to be too concerned about! They know better than anyone else. Literal and metaphorical pain in the ass though [/quote]
That's true. I've had 2-3 blood tests recently too. One of them said borderline for low iron (they didn't tell me this they just said they're ok but I can access my notes on the internet) I even went to graphic detail of how heavy the bleeding can be and likened it to a period! I think they're worried about giving me anything because I'm pregnant.. but to be honest I'm terrified of labour because of them!! I might say they either sort me out of I'll have to have a c section then hopefully they might help me

My first thought is "oh no you'll be in a proper mess by 40 weeks". As the baby weighs down and things shift around, it gets worse, to the point i would say the pain of my piles before AND after my birth was probably as bad as the labour itself: having a poo was agony and would leave me gasping in pain and sobbing. I would run a little sitz bath and sit there crying, it was miserable.

So top tips to avoid this nightmare:

Buy one of the special donut cushions for people with piles and use it. Don't be embarrassed. You need do reduce all pressure on your rectal area and sitting is a major problem.

Next. You need to radically address your diet - go back to GP and get prescribed some stool softener (it'll be free as you are pregnant) and take it religiously even when things improve. I liked Fibrogel but there are others that are good. Also you need to drink loads and loads of water, even though yes you need to wee all the time, bad luck. Suggest you carry a bottle around and drink all the time, treat it like medicine. Also stop eating processed food, red meat, refined sugar. Maybe quit rich dairy too - no cream or cheese for a while. Increase your dietary fiber.
You need to give your gut a holiday so it can recover and produce nice soft bulky poos.

As soon as you can get the piles under control you MUST try to take regular walks, as this helps your gut to pass stools. Being too sedentary means the stool sits around and dries out and hardens, which is disaster. Walking, yoga, swimming etc - do as much as you can, gently.

I do sympathies. I had the most awful Farmer Giles with all three of mine. They gave me some cream which sort of worked but it didn’t clear up properly until the little darlings made an appearance. The chocolate starfish is OK otherwise.

I’d honestly really push to get them banded/lasered/injected ASAP - I had this and the birth has made them a suitably severe case (grade 4) that I need surgery and am in a miserable state of permanent pain. You need to take serious action before giving birth. This pain is worse than the episiotomy by a country mile

If you have piles bad enough that you're passing blood clots you really need to see a doctor and not take no for an answer.

@BertieBoo88 if I manage to get my arse sorted before this baby comes I think that will sway by decision between VBAC and section I am not going to risk being in a complete state front and back down there