Botox and does it work

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Hi all

I posted a few weeks ago about a horrendous fissure. I had a colonoscopy and they saw the fissure and its quite small. How can something so small cause so much pain? Its beyond belief now and my quality of life is so bad.

I have tried coconut oil, sitz baths, rectogesic and even got a special topical cream made up but they do zero! Nothing helps - except wine which relaxes me! But thats no answer.

I wanted to leave it go and see if changing my diet, drinking more water etc...helped. But it hasnt. In fact having more fibre is a killer. I have no idea why ppl say this helps? Its the spasms that are killing, me - not the cut itself. I basically have water or just a bit firm BM and it doesnt matter. It still goes crazy.

Im now heading towards botox but am scared because there appear to be quite a few horror stories out there.

Can any one who has had botox injections please shed some light on what to expect, if it worked etc...also I have heard that it wears off, but some people have nerve damage and that just leads to worse things.

Please note - I have delayed healing ability for whatever ever reason, so that scares me too. What I dont want is to have another complication or thing to deal with.

I am only 37 and feel 60.

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  • Posted

    Hey Nicole I head the same thing and nothing worked. I did it all and saw 6 different doctors who told me to do 6 different things and still nothing worked! The surgery worked for me not the botox but the other one. Please stop doing all the baths, fiber, stool softeners etc and get the surgery. It's not bad at all. Had I known what I know now I would've gotten it immediately. I went through months of suffering trying different treatments.
    • Posted

      HI 3ALL3S,

      I am now in the waiting game and when I get to see the consultant at the hospital on 29 october, they will caht to me and check my fissure over and advise me, I have already been told by my GP re operation and botox, I read that peeps on here have had the operation an find it a sucess, but I have been told by my GP it can make you incontenate and I dont want to have to were pads because of this so have you heard that peeps who have had the operation for anal fissure have become incontenant 

    • Posted

      Hi, I am currently writing this from my hospital bed as I have just undergone Botox injection and anal polyp removal. I will let you know how I am feeling in a couple of days but at the minute I am very sore when I spasm. Like a sharp shooting pain. When I'm not in spasm its kind of like a dull ache ( the kind when you fall on your ass from a bit of a height) nothing like the pain from my fissure, which I was told today was very deep!

      Hopefully it will ease off but I will let you know either way.

    • Posted

      Hi there so 3mo ago you had your procedure how are you now? I just saw my colorectal surgeon today and has me on creams for 6 weeks then if they don't work then I'm on to injections. I'm so afraid!! Please let me know how you are now!! Any complications? Glad you did it or have regrets?

      Tracie

    • Posted

      Hello.  I am suffering a bit myself.  I was told I have a fissure back in March.  After 8 weeks of changing my diet and being put on a special made ointment I was told it was gone.  I have stayed on my life style change and here we go again.  No pain just a little itchy feeling and light blood on the toilet paper.  I am so frustrated.  What type of discomfort did you have with your surgery?  Did you have the same type of symptoms as I?
    • Posted

      That being said, I am attaching a post that I put on somebody else blog. In this post, I was recommending to the person to get the surgery, as well as other methods to try to try to ease your pain. I hope this helps you out and never give up. :

      I would definately get it done, especially if you have dealt with it for a whole year. I had a chronic fissure, and after a month, decided to have the surgery. It was the best decision of my life. I am not going to lie to you, it is a bit painful right after surgery but if you can endure the pain of a fissure, it is not that much different. I posted this before....this basicallly explains how i felt throughout the surgery and after.

      I first want to give you a lot of credit for deciding to do the surgery...It is not an easy desicion, as there are some stories online that can discourage you from getting it, but in the end in my opinion it it better. 

      So basically, this is how it went down with my surgery. I had to fast the day before the surgery because they had to put me under anesthesia. I went in, waited, and then they put me under and the surgery was done. I woke from the surgery with morphine in my system, although once I woke up it had worn off for the most part. They basically told me I could get another dose of morphine, which would basically knock me out again, or I could stay up and move to the other room to wait until I was ready to leave. So, i skipped the next dose of morphine and went to the other room. As I was laying on the bed, the pain bagan to set in. The next part may scare you a bit and discourage you, but getting through this part is just part of the process of gettting better. So when the pain started to settle in, the paiin almost flt worse then the fissure pain itself. I was not only dealing with the pain from the fissure, but from the incision and cuts that were done form the surgery itself. This being said, you have to take into consideratino that the surgery is cutting into your sphincter muscle, so pain will come, but this is with any surgery. Unfortunately, with this surgery, it is in a very sensitivie area so the pain will be a little more intense. Some things I did in the hospital to deal with the pain was put ice on my butt, I bit down on a washcloth to decrease the tension that I would put into my butt area and to transfer the tension to my jaw biting into the cloth. They did give me percoset, but honestly it didn't help me a bit. I still felt the pain until I was able to fall asleep. The lady next to me said that the percoset made her feel that the ceiling was the floor and the floor was the ceiling, so I guess it affects some people differently than others. I also will recommend listening to music right after or watching a movie to distract yourself from the pain. SO that was basically it from the hospital. I couldn't leave the hospital until I could pee though,  which was not easy since I had so many drugs in my system and could  not really push to hard as it was painful and I did not want to upset the area.

      Eventually I peed and was able to leave. Then, I took some percoset that night and slept. The next day I felt no pain, as I did not poop at all, and as with before the surgery,  the pain  only comes when  you poop. 

      So the day after that I had to go to the bathroom. The first time you go to the bathroom will be very painful, almost more painful than pooping with just the fissure because you are trying to poop through a fissure and a surgery, but that comes with  the territory. I will not hide that I felt like I was going to puke the pain was so bad WHILE pooping. I also recommend listening to music while pooping as this distracts the pain  and gives some motivation  not to be afraid. The reason on put emphasis on the WHILE is beause after the pain is very dull and nothing compared to the throbbing unimaginable  pain of an anal fissure. Within  the next two weeks, I progressively felt myself getting better, and by the 2nd week I went back to the doctor and he gave me the ok that I was all healed up.

      I never had any incontinence, although the only thing I still have is that its a bit harder to hold in my farts sometimes, but that is it....As far as the gauze, I only changed it because I would leak sometimes..I ended up just buying adult diapers at the store and used those until I stopped leaking. 

      As far as numbing injectino you asked about, the only  thing I was aware of was the anastesia I was on.

      As far as food after surgery, I just kept to a well balanced diet. I take metamucil fiber supplement every day since, and I squat on the toilet all the time now. Make sure not to take too much fiber as this can irritate the area.

      Hope this was enough information for you, and I really wish you the best of luck with  your surgery next week.....Noone should  have to go thorugh anything like this, but thank god we have means to take care of it with surgery....

      Also, this is another post i put that explains some things that you might want to try in addition to the surgery....

      I first want to say how sorry I am, and how much we al are that you have to go thorugh this. We have all been through the same type of pain, and can sympathise with your situation. A lot of the problem with an anal fissure is its not jsut a physical problem, but a mental problem as well. Thinking it is getting better and then to be in writihing pain the next day to through your hopes down the drain ruins your day and your hope of getting better. However, since we have all been there, we can probably agree that despite all of the downfalls that can occur, you will get better given time, rest, and proper treatment. 

      Here are some suggestions I have for you to help you through:

      1. Try somee zinc oxide in the form of calmoseptine which has menthol to soothe the area down there as well. Calmoseptine can be bought at almost any local drugstore and can be bought online too.

      2. Try squatting when going on the toilet instead of sitting. This is a much  helathier position and the poop sometimes will just slide out,  no pushing or straining involved.

      3. I would definately take a fiber supplement, specifically metamucil  is what I take evveryday,  in ordr to allow your stools to be soft and to allow them to pass thorugh easily. THis being said, with any fiber supplemetn, you must drink lots of water when using them, or they will not work veffectively. Also, do not take too much as too much fiber can irritate your bowels on the way  out and diarreah actually does worse down there.

      4. I would recommend getting a sphicteronomy surgery if htings dont get better. I waited it out, gave up, had the surgery, and was able to heal within about two weeks. I had a chronic fissure, so I knew where you are ocming from with v all the pain and discomfort.

      Try listening to music to distract your mind a bit, especially when going to the bathroom. If you are in writing pain, distract yourself with a movie or TV show right after. Also, to prevent myself from screaming and from putting more stress in the area down  there, i bit down on a washcloth in order to make the tensions with my teeth instead of my sphicter muscle.

      Good Luck!!!

      Sincerely,

      Myles 

  • Posted

    Hi!

    I was told I had a 'small' fissure too and my god the pain! I've had two bouts of botox now to no avail. I've heard it's more successful in 'new' fissures. I have my checkup in July and I know it'll be a case of surgery (the incontinence aspect of that scares me).

    The botox procedure is nothing to worry about. I had mine under general anaesthetic and was back home within 3 hours. No pain after and the first BM is fine! I would maybe suggest trying the botox if your fissure is new.

    Good luck!

    • Posted

      Thank you for this as It is very worrying what works and what does not work for some peeps, I am on veg and fruit and drink water and take  fibre husks in water some days are good but some days ochh the pain and to nearly fainting today as it was the worsed, my problem also I have IBS so this does not help the fissure healing I am in a catch 22 situation phew 
  • Posted

    Hey Nicole,

    I think I replied to your other post. ALthough I have not had any botox, I would still recommend the sphicteronomy.

    Hope you feel better!

    Myles Marcus 

  • Posted

    Hi Nicole,

    I feel your pain, I have had a chronic fissure with really bad haemerroids for 6 years. I have attempted all the conservative measures and nothing worked so last Tuesday I had an EUA (Examination Under Anaesthetic), they banded the massive piles and injected the fissure with Botox. I was told the piles would fall off after about 10 days, they have slightly improved after 10 days but still bad. The botox didn't work and I am bleeding still when going to the loo. The surgeon did say the Botox only works 50% of the time, it may not of worked for me but it hasn't had any other side effects.

    I exercise every day, drink lots of water, eat lots of fruit and vegetables, take 15mls of Lactulose twice a day and use Diltiazem 2% Cream, I would recommend this cream nothing else has the same effect, it relaxes the muscles, reducing the spasm, ask your doctor for it Nicole.

    Get all your fibre from fruit and vegatables that's the best way I've found, things like wholemeal bread and pasta make it worse as you need to go more!

    The next stage for me is to request a Sphincterotomy, if that doesn't work I'm stuck with it it forever and I'm also worried about it causing incontinence, which is rare but can happen!. I'm only 35 so about the same age as you and it does really control your life and lower quality.

    You have a 50% chance of the Botox working so go for it, it might just be  the solution for you and complications are very rare.

    Good luck Nicole :-)

  • Posted

    Firsty Nicole, we all know how you feel, scared and alone (apart from speaking with fellow sufferers).  I have had this condition for 4 years now and like you say I feel 20 years older than I am.  It really does have a a very negative effect on your life.

    I was in hospital and had EUA (examination under anesthetic) - It was found that my fissure had begun to heal (skin forming over it) but they found a polyp further up (which they removed).

    I was also botoxed in several areas and had ultrsound and flexible sigmoidoscopy.

    They knew of my past and 2 Anaesthetists visited me prior to going into theatre to say I would be given morphine pre and post as well as usual anesthetic to ensure minimal pain (thank god).

    Apparently as I was out cold as soon as they tried to dilate me (open my bum) I began to moan (hello pain even under pain killers and anesthetic) so they gave me more 'stuff' . . .

    Upshot is it is now day 1 after op/botox and I am sitting up in bed - feels uncomfortable and as if someone has kicked me in that area (dull pain).

    I have not been to loo and I am to be honest scared . . . 

    I do not want to frighten anyone but I left hospital with 'packing' inside my bum to stop bleeding (I am guessing) - consultant said it would come out with poo - but I was not waiting - lay in warm bath and gently got hold of the small piece pokingout of me . . . take almost 1hr to tease it out - was about 5-6 inches in length - I shant give any more detail but was glad it was out for sure.

    Will keep you up todate on progress.

    • Posted

      Hi Jeff

      You poor thing! I feel for you. How are you travelling? I have actually discovered if I use rectinol before I go to the toilet, the pain is not nearly as bad later on ie not nearly as bad spasms, but my surgeon said that as it has a steroid in it, that's setting up a bad area to heal in as it weakens the skin. I'm still debating the botox too... Please keep me up to date with your progress.

      Sitz baths for you for a while!

    • Posted

      Hi Nicole

      Well two-days worth of toilet trips (they have been mainly diarrhea) which you might think is best given the circumstances but it burns like hell and stings for hours afterwards - pain so bad I spent most of Sat in bed and thankfully slept some :-)

      Its too early to tell what the outcome of this latest surgery/botox is - I am hoping 7-10 days after i will have a clearer picture of progress.

      My usual pain killers not having some effect so getting very narky around partner (guilt) . . .

      Its 1am and I feel pretty down - still gotta think things will get better.

    • Posted

      Hi Jeff

      Hang in there, it was always going to be worse before it gets better.

      Fingers crossed. Totally understand cranky partner syndrome!

      I have a really good pain management doc if you are interested in reading it?

    • Posted

      Hi Nicole

      Thank you - def like to read the pain management doc.

      Can I share email over here?

       

    • Posted

      Sorry to butt in but I'd also love to see the leaflet if it was possible please?
    • Posted

      Hi Jeff, how were you after Botox? I'm now 2 days post injections and am in pain with swelling! I am hoping this goes away after a few days.

      Specialist told me that I would not need any cream anymore but really feel like I need something just to cool me down in that area!

      Any info would be great.

      Thanks, Ian.

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