Anal fissures and what helped me.

I recently have experienced anal fissures. I am healing and feeling better than I have in 5 months. I want to share what has worked for me in hopes it will help someone not have to suffer as long as I did. I originally thought it was hemorrhoids, so I was buying all of this cream and medicines. That did not help. I can’t remember when it happened that it became horribly painful, but I was so scared to talk about it, I dealt with it for about 2 months. I went to GI doctor who confirmed that I had anal fissures. He was so nonchalant about it and gave me an antiseptic and said to take baths. I was in so much pain that I couldn’t understand his relaxed approach. To me it was as if he didn’t have a sense of urgency about it, because to me I was in the worst pain of my life. The cream he had given me did nothing, nothing helped, he told me to take fiber and a stool softener. It got worse. I was in so much pain that one day, I couldn’t hold it and went in my pants, and I had no control. This was a breaking point for me. I took a bath and cried, I cried all day and called the doctor back, they referred me to a colorectal doctor who saw me the next day. This was so traumatizing for me, every time I had to talk about it I cried.  I started talking about it to my friends and family because my life basically was revolved around this. The pain is something I wouldn’t wish on my worst enemy. Its like torture, not a one-time deal, but its EVERY DAY. The anxiety leading up to it and the pain made me almost think I cant live like this anymore. Luckily the colorectal doctor gave me a cream that helps the constricted blood vessels to relax. She told me to take fiber but for me that was the WORST possible solution!!!! Fiber bulks up your stool and makes things so much worse. I understand this can sound silly but I really didn’t know any better, I didn’t have a clue what this was all about and I have found a solution that works for me and I hope gives someone hope or relief. I take miraLAX every day, I take two stool softeners at night before I go to bed and drink plenty of water. If I need to I take ibuprophen.  I use the cream that the colorectal doctor gave me. It is mixed at the pharmacy, Its supposedly for a certain heart problem due to constricting vessels surrounding your heart, but they mix it and put in a gel form and it helps increase blood flow to the area. The big problem is that there is not enough blood flow to the rectum and the fissures cant heal, so the cream helps that and then take two warm baths a day. I was not doing this at first and now that I am I have felt a huge difference in my pain level. I eat the same, I am trying to eat better, but that’s really not what I had to change in order to help it. Obviously healthy is better, but when I first became crippled with this pain I didn’t want to eat and I didn’t want to do anything, I would buy all soft foods and barley eat. I still was in pain. I am so sorry for anyone who is dealing with this! You are not alone and it can get better, I know there are many options and you have to find what works for you. On top of the fissures, they cause hemorrhoids and so the combo is not good, I found tucks to help a lot, but mostly a hot bath has been the key and consistency. I feel like I am getting my life back and I have a newfound gratitude for the things we take for granted. I tell you I cannot express how horrible these are and I had never been in so much pain in my life. I could go on and on. So here’s my list again.

1.     Two warm baths a day,

2.     MiraLAX daily

3.     Water

4.     Two stool softeners at night with water

5.     Tucks with Witch hazel

6.     Prescription from a colorectal doctor, mine is a white petroleum consistency with 3% LIDO /NIF0.5%

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