# Anal fissure. Yeah, sorry...



## lemmink (Sep 25, 2007)

Okay guys, I'm freakin' desperate. This bloody thing keeps coming back every three months or so. Any good remedies or anything?


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## mossystate (Sep 25, 2007)

don't be sorry..this is the Health Forum...*S*

I snagged this online...

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For Adults, the following can help prevent fissure:

Treating constipation by eating food rich in dietary fiber, avoiding caffeine (which can cause dehydration), drinking a lot of water and taking stool softener. 
Treating diarrhea promptly. 
Lubricating the anal canal with KY Jelly or other water-based lube (petroleum jelly is not recommended because it can harbor harmful bacteria). 
Avoiding straining or prolonged sitting on the toilet. 
Using a moist wipe instead of perfumed and harsh toilet paper. 
Keeping the anus dry and hygienic. 
When using Analpram (cream) do not use the dispenser which can injure the area. Instead use a finger to insert a pea size amount of cream. 
Carmex lip ointment also helps and is much less expensive than Analpram ($70.00 small tube). 

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Preventing constipation is always a good idea for problems like this.


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## love dubh (Sep 25, 2007)

mossystate said:


> don't be sorry..this is the Health Forum...*S*
> 
> I snagged this online...
> 
> ...



Wouldn't Carmex irritate the area and make it dryer, thus prone to more tearing? It is made with camphor and menthol. :/

Good luck with your butt breakages, Lemmy.


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## mossystate (Sep 25, 2007)

love dubh said:


> Wouldn't Carmex irritate the area and make it dryer, thus prone to more tearing? It is made with camphor and menthol. :/
> 
> Good luck with your butt breakages, Lemmy.



eeeee.. I only zeroed in on the constipation factor...although, maybe the Carmex would act as a bit of a anesthetic, like the analpram...


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## saucywench (Sep 25, 2007)

> Carmex lip ointment also helps...


 
...but I would highly advise against double-dipping. :blink:


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## SamanthaNY (Sep 25, 2007)

lemmink - have you sought a doctor's help with this? It might be helpful if we know what you've tried so far. I found this: 

_"Of acute fissures, 80-90% will heal with conservative measures as compared with chronic (recurrent) fissures, which show only a 40% rate of healing. Initial treatment involves adding bulk to the stool and softening the stool with psyllium or methylcellulose preparations and a high fiber diet. Additionally, patients are advised to avoid sharp foods that may not be well-digested (i.e., nuts, popcorn, tortilla chips), increase their liquid intake, and, at times, take stool softeners (docusate or mineral oil preparations). Sitz baths (essentially soaking in a tub of warm water) are encouraged, particularly after bowel movements, to relax the spasm, to increase the flow of blood to the anus, and to clean the anus without rubbing the irritated anoderm."_

The linked page includes a lot of good (if a little technical) information on treatments - which can be as serious as surgery. If you're suffering chronically, you may need more aggressive treatment than you're trying now. I hope you don't feel any reservations in seeking help.... this is your body, and it's not working right at the moment. Nothing to feel bad about there, except for your suffering, which needs to stop.


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## Sandie_Zitkus (Sep 25, 2007)

saucywench said:


> ...but I would highly advise against double-dipping. :blink:



Oh shit!!! LMAO!!!!!!!!


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## Miss Vickie (Sep 25, 2007)

Lemmink, definitely it would be a good idea to see a doctor to make sure that nothing else is going on. But as others have said, softening your stools will help if it's caused by constipation. So... stool softeners are good, but really effective is a diet high in fiber and lots and lots of water if you're constipated. Also, don't strain with your BM's (I know, it's very difficult). But if it's not ready to come out either give it time (bring a book!) or else go do something else for awhile since activity stimulates gastric motion. The worst thing you can do is sit on the pot and strain.

But really? Best to get checked out, because you could have hemorrhoids, or polyps, which require another level of treatment for your symptoms to improve.

But yeah,,, I feel your pain. I had them before and they're miserable.


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## cute_obese_girl (Sep 26, 2007)

Witch hazel is your friend.

After you..ahem...do your business, wipe with with a little witch hazel on a cotton ball or they make witch hazel wipes. Its a natural skin conditioner and adds an extra step of cleansing after dry wiping.


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## lemmink (Sep 26, 2007)

Thanks for the advice folks!

On the subject:

I've been to the doctor, and it is officially diagnosed. The reason I got it in the first place was because a Stupid Doctor prescribed me an incredibly overpowered painkiller than basically ripped me a new asshole (and didn't do shit for the pain). Anyway with a bit of cream it usually clears up in two days. (One application and the pain is gone, pretty much!) However, it comes back! AGAIN AND AGAIN! Usually after 3-5 months. It's not a severe one... likely because I've got awesome bowel habits... but it drives me nuts to think I'm going to have to spend the rest of my life sticking cream up my ass every 3 months. 

I actually don't eat anything that isn't filled with fibre so I can't change my diet to help... and I don't strain on the toilet, it usually takes me um, a few seconds to poop, and my poop is soft. (It's a vegan thing, apparently.) The thing I KNOW triggers it is alcohol. And this drives me insane because I love my booze, and I just can't see myself with a future without it. (I'm not an alcoholic, but I do like to drink maybe 1-4 times a month for celebrations/parties/clubs...)

So basically I'm looking for a long-term solution that clears it up for good, so I don't have to angst every time I grab a bottle. I'm going to try a bunch of your suggestions, likely all together. I may end up going for surgery though as I have an appointment with a specialist. :/

Thanks again for your help! I was only worried about asking this because, well, I don't think a lot of people who access Dims from work would like the words ANAL FISSURE large on their screen.


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## SocialbFly (Sep 26, 2007)

I sooo agree with Miss Vickie, high fiber, high in fruits that ease doing the business, and last but not least adequate water and hydration and ohhh on top of that, going every day...and until you get to that point, stool softeners etc...


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## Jes (Sep 26, 2007)

There is surgery for this, lemmink. However, for something like 10% of the cases, there is some permanent incontinence. That's not a good scene. 

The muscles of the sphincter in someone suffering from a non-healing fissure are too active and in spasm and that's why you're not healing. You need to loosen up (you tightass, you) so that you can heal once and for all. Because you're too tight, literally, you cannot and most likely will not heal, without some treatment.

There are 2 new treatments: botox (yup!). You need to repeat this, just like when it's shot into your face. THis will relax the muscles. Btw, I like to think of this as BUTTOX. 

Another treatment with good results is the topical application of nitroglycerin. This also relaxes the muscles, giving them time to heal. HOWEVER, you need a much weaker formulation of the cream than heart patients do. .2% v. 2% and it will need to be prepared by a lab pharmacy (usually in a hospital) and not the local version on the corner.

I'd highly recommend option 3.

If you have questions, please PM me.


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## Jes (Sep 26, 2007)

SocialbFly said:


> I sooo agree with Miss Vickie, high fiber, high in fruits that ease doing the business, and last but not least adequate water and hydration and ohhh on top of that, going every day...and until you get to that point, stool softeners etc...



Think about this, though: it's excruciating to go. The more of this you put in, the more you go. That's also a bad scene. Moreover, a muscle in spasm won't heal 'til it's not longer spasming. Hence, the need for treatment. POST HASTE.


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## SocialbFly (Sep 26, 2007)

Yeah Jes, i know, but if the business is hard, it wont let you go anyway, she said her pain is gone usually with the first application, so i would think diet would be a good choice, before eegads Buttox...lol...needles in my booty, um, no thank you (major wuss here)


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## SocialbFly (Sep 26, 2007)

why did post number 750 have to be about anal fissures, lol


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## Jes (Sep 26, 2007)

SocialbFly said:


> Yeah Jes, i know, but if the business is hard, it wont let you go anyway, she said her pain is gone usually with the first application, so i would think diet would be a good choice, before eegads Buttox...lol...needles in my booty, um, no thank you (major wuss here)



Right, but I guess my point is this: anything topical, for pain management or relief (lidocaine?) will not allow the fissure to heal, for good. It may help the problem, mask the problem or alleviate the problem, but if the sphincter is in spasm (and I mean this as a daily, week or month-long thing, not a 2 minute spasm as your'e on the can) it will not heal 'til it's lax enough to do so. And she said she's already working on her diet and has been. Moreover, I recommended the nitro, not the buttox.

You're a medical professional. I'm not. That said, I think I've made a great recommendation here and...ahem, I know of what I speak! The nitro won't hurt you, if you use it correctly, and are aware you might have some headaches (use it at bedtime). It's worth a shot, and is no more painful, invasive, or difficult to use than lidocaine (or whatever is being applied right now).

If she's already in line for potential surgery, I think this is a good thing to try before that reality, especially b/c surgery does have the side effect of possible incontinence.


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## SocialbFly (Sep 26, 2007)

yeah i agree Jes, i would try anything before surgery...

and while i am a medical professional, lol, i am not a butt master, lol...i only know that stuff in how it deals with it as a whole..so, while i can give my opinion, i am far from an expert except i have a butt too. lol...


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## lemmink (Sep 27, 2007)

Thanks again folks!

Jess, I'm SO not interested in surgery but it may be a last option. It have tried nitro but the stuff seems to make it get worse - it's more painful and bleedy! I have a package of it in the bathroom and I think I may try it once I finish with this cream that'll make it go away... kind of relaxing me perhaps? I'm using Scheriproct atm ... it's cortisone.

Yeah, as I said I can't do anything about the diet. My diet is, sadly, absolutely perfect. I eat a high-fiber and fruit diet and my poop is soft, 1-3x a day regular, so it's kind of difficult to think what I could be doing with that. I could drink more water but I seem to get through 2 litres a day these days.


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## Jes (Sep 27, 2007)

SocialbFly said:


> yeah i agree Jes, i would try anything before surgery...
> 
> and while i am a medical professional, lol, i am not a butt master, lol...i only know that stuff in how it deals with it as a whole..so, while i can give my opinion, i am far from an expert except i have a butt too. lol...



having experienced this firsthand, i do believe i now hold the title of butt master.  haha

lemmink, check yer inbox. i gave you feedback. on your butt.


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## CleverBomb (Sep 27, 2007)

Jes said:


> having experienced this firsthand, i do believe i now hold the title of butt master.  haha
> 
> lemmink, check yer inbox. i gave you feedback. on your butt.


so, when are you changing your user title to reflect your new qualifications?

-Rusty


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## Aliena (Sep 30, 2007)

Lemmick, 
I really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really really, really, really, really, really, really, really feel your pain.

I had a anal fissure (still do, it really hasn't completely healed yet) that started giving me grief last year. I could not function without my mind being foremost on the pain. 
As much as I hated it, I had to go see the butt-Dr. and have it treated, because none of the home remedies worked!  
I ended up needing surgery. 

To make matters worse, I ended (really, no pun intended) up with an abscess from the fissure. I was in such excruciating pain, I wanted to die!! I went back to the Dr., because even pain medicines (making me MORE constipated) weren't touching the pain!

I had to do 2 rounds of antibiotics (yeah, there was a yeast infection from that) and come to find out, the damn thing didn't heal right and he wants to get back in there again! 
Let me think about it doc----HELL NO!!!


It's still painful, here and there, and bleeds once in awhile, but not near as much problems with it than before. I haven't had the leakage they warn you about, but there have been times where it seems like I have to wipe forever to get the fresh clean I like. And yes, wet T.P. is my best friend! 

I'm your (un)typical horror story of what can go wrong with the surgery. If it happens that you need surgery, I pray with all my might you don't go through what I did. 

You know, I swore I would never speak publicly about this and yet, here I am. :huh: 

Good luck!


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## SamanthaNY (Sep 30, 2007)

Aliena and lemmink (plus anyone else with similar situations), you've probably already thought of this, but just in case not... would a bidet (I hear this one is fantastic and very suitable for fatties) be helpful? It sounds like it might, if used gently. Considering the lengthy amount of time anal fissures take to heal, I figure anything that helps to give comfort with that area is a godsend.


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## lemmink (Oct 2, 2007)

Aliena said:


> Lemmick,
> I really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really really, really, really, really, really, really, really feel your pain.



Oh man, that's terrible! I wish your bum the best! 

I may have a go with a bidet! That looks a bit of fun...


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