Fissures

[Stopthispaininmyarse]

Hi all, looking for some advice!
I've had bright red bleeding and razor-sharp pain when I poo on-and-off for around 2 years, which I assumed were fissures. I went to the Dr recently and she told me she couldn't see anything but asked all the relevant questions re: anything sinister - tummy pains, change in bowel habit, tummy lumps, blood mixed in with poo etc - all of which I don't have.
Before my apt I'd had around 3 days of no bleeding so maybe the fissures had healed a little, or maybe she didn't look properly 🤷‍♀️
I have used a hand mirror to check myself and can definitely see some tiny tears.
How can I get rid of these for good? Nothing OTC has worked and I'm keeping my poo super soft (which calms it down for a week or so, but then will open again)
Any recommendations?

I have suffered with fissures since having my DD 4 years ago. I use a sachet every night of Movicol (same stuff as laxido) to keep stool v soft consistently and avoid retrearing. I saw a specialist privately who suggested Botox injections or surgery for more long term fix but it comes with a risk of incontinence so I didn't feel it was worth it given I can go 11 months out of 12 without any symptoms provided I keep up the movicol/laxido and water intake. I also take magnesium supplements which help keep stool soft too. For when I'm symptomatic and have re-torn I use GTN (recotgesic) ointment from GP which does really help speed up the healing process. Happy to help more - I feel I'm quite the expert these days!

Thank you for your reply! I'm still suffering. Went back to the GP who gave me GTN cream so am giving it a go. I asked her if the cream goes inside or outside and she didn't know 🤦‍♀️
I have a high fibre diet so poos are really soft anyway.. hoping it will just hurry up and fix soon! Seeing a specialist next week privately as the Dr has told me she can't see anything upon examination which has really made me feel anxious!

GTN should go inside ideally - bit icky to do but you get used to it. Use it morning and night. Using Vaseline before going to the toilet for BM will really help too (outside and a bit in if you can) as it will stop BM scratching/irritating the fissure area - Gosh, the things we talk about!

For stool consistency. I always had soft stools anyway, but my colorectal consultant suggested that for it to heal I'd need to have stool consistency that is essentially mushy/sludge (embarrased!) as bulkier stool will stretch it. This was v helpful and with movicol/laxido was able to heal quite quickly after that. Note that after it feels better it can be a weaker area for several months so you'll need to ensure your stool remains soft, avoid constipation, drink lots of water etc.

Also, when I was seen by multiple GPs and also my colorectal consultant they couldnt see it either. However, the consultant was convinced from my symptoms that it was a fissure and given it went following his treatment he was certain it was. Mine would be razor painful when I went, and then I'd have aching and burning pain for several hours afterwards too. The GTN really reduced the pain afterwards as well as helped to promote blood flow to aid healing. If you don't get on with GTN then there is an alternative called Diltiazem which does the same thing but with less side effects (people complain of bad headaches and dizziness with GTN).

Your post has been so reassuring, thank you. I've been feeling a bit stressed waiting for my appointment and have since developed tummy pains which wont go away - I'm sure this is all anxiety related though as they only started once I saw the dr who told me she couldn't see any issues despite me having blood and pain.

I'll start using vaseline in addition to the GTN, thank you for the advice! I never thought I'd be so open about these issues!
Luckily I haven't had any side effects, but have only been putting it on the outside so far 😬

Has yours completely healed now? Must be hard work keeping poo soft for months on end! x

It's totally healed up yes, but the area is definitely weaker now as I may sometimes feel some pain/relapse a bit if I've got constipated. Those relapses only last about a week though because I get straight back on the GTN and it goes quickly. As I said, I do still take a stool softener each day though and have done for 4 years but I've been reassured that its safe to do so and it means I have no issues or pain and can eat a normal diet without constantly worrying about only eating foods that keep stools soft!

It's a bloody awful thing so you have my sympathies!

I'm so glad you're healed, what a nightmare! I've just eaten my daily dose of dates 🙄

Thank you for your reassurance x