Despair

Hi Caroline,

Very sorry to read about your pain. My condition is on and off but I know that once I start feeling it, I make sure to watch my diet and stick to soft foods and then stay in the bath as much as possible. For 3 nights I will take laxitives which always subsides the pain. Good luck!

Sorry to hear this. How long have you been dealing with it so far?

Here is my recommendation:

When you have a bowel movement (BM), don't push. You have to stay completely relaxed and let it essentially fall out. It takes a little bit of time to learn how to do this, but you really have to **not push.** If you've been pushing when you have a bowel movement, you are re-opening a tear in the muscle that is trying to heal.

Lots of hot baths: Take them. They relax the rectal muscles.

Ibuprofen: I lived on it for about 5 weeks and it really took the edge off. I probably took 6-8 200mg tablets per 24 hour period. I'm not recommending that. I'm just telling you what I did.

Have a bowel movement in the tub: Yes! I know. It sounds gross. When it was recommended that I do it by a doctor, I was grossed out too. But, because I was in so much pain, I forced myself to get over the grossness of it. Pain will make you do that.

So, here is what I did when I needed to have a BM. I filled the tub up with warm to very warm water (that's how I like it). Then, I layed in the tub and relaxed. I did this when I could feel like I needed to have a BM soon. My butt was under the warm water. I stayed relaxed. When I could feel the feeling of a BM coming, I stayed completely relaxed. No pushing. I let the intestinal muscles do their automatic work of moving the poop out. I did not help it along by pushing. And yep...it came out right in the warm water I was sitting in the tub with. So there it was -- a big floater between my legs -- right there in the same water I was laying in. I then pushed down the drain handle and let the water completely drain out of the tub and take the poop along with it. It's not as gross as it seems. And I could care less, because the grossness of it was a lot less important to me the pain I felt when I sat on the toilet.

Warm water on the bum + pooping in warm water + not pushing = a much more relaxed lower rectal muscle and less pain overall. It is imperative your butt is under the water when you have the BM. Sometimes I would have the bowel movement laying in the tub, other times I would stand in a squatted position with my butt and hips beneath the warm water. I found that the squatting position helped the poop out. Laying in the tub on my back worked too, but the squat seems to put the rectum and lower bowel in the right position to let the poop out in a more relaxed way.

Again -- you must learn how **not to push** when you have a BM. This is HUGE, because pushing opens a fissure/tear that is trying to heal and close. Let your body do the work naturally. The rectum and lower colon have the ability to contract automatically without your conscious help. The automatic contractions are part of what is called the "autonomic nervous system." Just like it is automatic for you to breath when you fall asleep.

Keep your rectum very clean -- the cleaner you keep the area, the faster it will heal.

Lastly - There is a pretty simple surgical procedure that can fix this. It should be your last choice if it's either been months that you have been dealing with this, or if you have tried what I have recommended and the fissure/tear still hasn't healed.

Hope this helps. 

Look Caroline....9 weeks is nothing! Let me say again..9 weeks is nothing!!! What eventually dealt with mine was three things. Weetsbix, Lactulose and rectogesic!! I tried everything else from diets to different medications. These three things finalised my recovery from my anal fissure in just under 12 months. That's right...12 months. You need to dig in, keep em soft and apply the rectogesic as required. I was at my wits end but now healed. I have weetsbix everyday. Now off the rectogesic. Problem gone. But I have learned a lot about good bowel habits!! Always a positive!!

I am sorry to hear about your Pain. I went through hell for 11 months nothing helped. My GP kept making excuses that I had piles and that it would clear in time etc., I insisted she refer me to see a specialist and I am glad I did the consultant I saw in Cheering Cross hospital was the best. One look at the 'problem' and he could not believe why I was not referred sooner. Within few weeks I was booked in for day surgery ( I had a Botox) injections under General Anaesthetic. I was in and out within few hours. For First few days I had excruciating pain but just after one week the pain had gone. The wound healed. It's been 4 Heavenly months NO pain, No more fissure. I will forever be greatfull to the consultant and the staff who took care of me. A big thank you to all of them. So if you are offered a Botox treatment Please don't be afraid go for it. They say the treatment is 99% successful. What have you got to loose but pain. I make sure I take lactoloose evey night so I would have loose motion and not strain.wish you a quick recovery and a pain free BM.

Caroline-

Always remember, once you have this condition your eating habits MUST change forever. There is no going back to the way you used to eat. I too had a set back 4 weeks ago and I am still recovering from it.

Hang in there! Water, fiber, stool softners, rest, and patience. Best to you...

Hi Caroline,

SO sorry you have to go through so much pain.

I had an anal fissure too and know how painful it can be. 

I had the sphicteronomy surgery which cuts the sphicter muscle which is the one that goes into spasm when you have a BM and causes most of the pain.

I would recommend getting the surgery, but if you want to wait some tips i have is to:

Diltazem Cream (which I do not think  helped that much)

Fiber (but do  not take too much as a poop that is too watery can actually cause more pain as a watery poop is  very acidic)

******Pooping in a different position- I want to emphasize this point greatly. Instead of pooping sitting down on the toilet, I tried squatting by putting my feet on the rim of the toilet and by squatting so my stomach was touching the front of the top of  my legs. This position helped  me tremendously and ever since my fissure I have always pooped in this position.

Calmoseptine Cream- This cream contains menthol that numbs the area. This cream also prevents sweat form accumulating in a particular area. 

I really hope that this advice helps and please do  not give  up on  your battle to survive your fissure. YOU will survive it whether by waiting it our or by getting the  srgery.

GOOD LUCK