2 months post anal tag removal and still not recovered - please help?
Posted , 3 users are following.
So i've been reading posts on here trying to make myself feel better and it seems everyone has a mixed bag experience of having an anal skin tag removed. I had a large skin tag removed 2 months ago, leaving a scar from 3pm-6pm positioning. I've never known a pain like it. I was told it would take at most 2 weeks to heal and to be honest, up until about 6 weeks post op I didn't see any significant improvement and was in so much pain. I was bed bound for a lot of it and spent the majority of the 6 weeks depressed and in regret. I couldn't even walk properly.
I then saw a post suggesting using Anusol and it really helped heal an open wound I had.
I'm finally back exercising (now 8 weeks post op) and the pain has gone down masses. I tend to feel uncomfortable now rather than in pain. Bowel movements are still painful but more of a pinching pain rather than a sharp glass sensation I had prior so that's an improvement.
My doctor is happy with the way that anus is healing and says as time goes on things will look better but I have to say it looks so freaking ugly..I got the tag done for cosmetic reasons and I now have an inflamed vein that sticks out and branches in two different directions. I guess it's a time will tell situation... I also am still bleeding after each BM which is a concern given it's 8 weeks post op. My diet is high fibre and i'm taking supplements to ensure soft stool so I know it's not my diet. I don't suffer from constipation.
The reason I'm writing this post is to see if anyone has had any positive comments down the line with this surgery that have had something similar to me? Does the swelling eventually go down?
Does anyone have any tips to stop the bleeding during BMs? It feels like I rip something each time I have a BM. I can't stop having BM's so it feels like it's never going to heal.
Also - does anyone have anyone have any tips for reducing the swelling / improving the look of the fresh scar?
Thank you to all that reply 😃
0 likes, 4 replies
IzzieLee123 anon33242
Edited
Hi there!! I'm so sorry you're going through this but it does sound like you are making positive steps to a full recovery.
Based on what you have said you are doing the right thing with regards to your diet.
My advice from experience is to use Dulcoease capsules in the blue box (but not Dulcolax in the green box!).
Take one on a morning and one before bed, and without giving you explosive diarrhea they will soften your stools. Take with plenty of water.
I'd also recommend buying Vaseline and applying it generously to your bum'ole as soon as you start to feel you need a poo, then be ready to jump into a warm shallow bath in case you sting after you've been.
Consider purchasing Movicol sachets online (get a box of 30 to start) and take one a day (if you buy the Plain one and mix it with pure orange juice the taste isn't too bad). They will keep you regular and stools again will stay soft.
If you do not normally have a bowel movement every day, just take one sachet every other day.
Speaking of pure orange juice, I feel this also helped, and also avoiding fizzy drinks.
If you are a smoker, please note this may slow down the recovery.
Lastly, just the obvious, plenty of water, be gentle with exercise, don't pull at wounds when checking for improvements and ice packs and warm baths when required (bath salts apparently help but I didn't go down that route).
Don't take any medication such as cocodamol which cause constipation and hard stools. Be careful when it comes to highly perfumed bubble baths and shower gel too.
That's a lot to go on for now!
The products listed, especially the Dulcoease, Vaseline and Movicol are the main things I would suggest.
Sudacreme is very soothing as well if you find yourself stinging, keep it in the fridge 😃
You will feel it is one step forward 2 steps back some days but it gets better.
let me know how you get on!!
😃
anon33242 IzzieLee123
Posted
Thanks very much for your reply. Interesting you say about fizzy drinks, i've stopped them in the last week or so, let's see if that helps.
I've been using Vaseline which helps wonders, and I found that Dulcoease (blue box) made me have a sore tummy so I switched to a Magnesium Citrate supplement and it has worked wonders - the same effect as Dulcoease but without the tummy discomfort. Sorry for tmi but I have regular BMs anyway and don't suffer from constipation so my current set up keeps everything regular and soft without going too far that way. Also have been having daily salt baths which definitely relaxes everything.
Do you have any tips to reduce swelling? How long did it take for you to fully recover?
Thanks again for your reply. 😃
IzzieLee123 anon33242
Edited
Morning!
I definitely think that the 2 week time scale I was given was a joke tbh. 2 weeks after my op I was still living between lying down and mentally preparing for trips to the toilet.
At week 8 I was up and mobile but still seeing some blood after bowel movements and some nippy pain, so it sounds like you're on the same track.
In terms of how my down stairs pick n mix looks...its better than it was when i had the skin tags but it took a lot longer than expected to see positive improvements.
I bought a pack of those plastic things babies chew on when they are teething. You can buy them in ASDA. I would store them in the freezer and then hold one in between my bum cheeks for as long as I could.
Another thing for swelling is Arnica.
Lots of people swear by Arnica to reduce swelling and speed up recovery.
It will all go down, but it took about 12 months (yup) before I was completely happy with my star fish! and even now I still get the odd bit of blood if I have a large poo.
Sudacrem and Anusol were always being applied. I am lucky I can work from home, so could have a shallow bath or sit with a cold pack (frozen chew thing) as and when I needed.
How long was it before you felt you were up and mobile? I'm not sure if I should have pushed myself more or whether staying in bed was a good idea.
😃
anon33242 IzzieLee123
Posted
Thank you - this is really helpful!
12 months - yikes! I feel completely lied to by my doctor to be honest...
Nice to know heeling feels similar to yours and yours is now better though.
It took me the best part of 6 weeks to be mobile. I definitely do think I couldn't have pushed myself - i'm sure if we had not used the toilet for 2 weeks it would have healed much quicker. Unfortunately that's not possible!
Thanks again for commenting x