BOTOX INJECTION IN MUSCLE FOR ANAL FISSURE OUTCOME

TMI - glad you have had a good day - fingers crossed for tomorrow.

Something else I tried and it helped a fair bit with that awful stinging was Apple Cider Vinegar - don't laugh - it worked for me when Instagill (the anaesthetic gel) did sweet FA. I think it works like countering the alkaline in the wound. I swore by it at its worst.

Tonight I am bleeding a fair bit which is unusual for me - I am guessing my last trip to loo tonight upset my pile!

Btw: prior to fissure I never had piles but gained a sentinel pile (guards the fissure).

It's like Satans little helper!

Tomorrow is another day.

That's great news TMI. I'm also having less pain - thanks you so much Jeff, because it seems to be down to either the Naproxen, the witch hazel or a combination of the two. The tramadol seems to take the point off the pain and the rest is much more bearable, if that makes sense. I'm still unable to stand up for more than 5 or 10 minutes but hope that with another few days bed rest this will improve. I've only cut the movicol down a bit - to 4 or 5 a day, as I want the tear to heal a bit more, but I'm eating some solid food now and my BMs are more dense although still liquidy, weurgh. I stretched weirdly in bed this morning, while painless, and felt something give which led to more burning but it went after half an hour in a hot bath. I'm still waiting on the Diltiazem, which the pharmacy has to make up, so hoping that will speed things up even more. I read the other day that coconut cream/oil is a great suppliment as not only does it have lots of stuff your body needs but it creates natural lubrication for BMs. I'm giving it a go.

Jeff, I had hoped my fissure was big enough and ugly enough to do without bodyguards! Hope the bleeding stops. Here's to pain free days for all.

That is great news Jamie - perhaps didn't get Diclofenac because some docs hesitant to give it (has some side effects - publicity about it)

I have Natural coconut (organic) which I bought (2 jars) lasts ages - still got them - def good for lubricating - comes in jar solid but as soon as you rub finger into jar whatever you scoop up will quickly become liquid - I was swearing it was helping healing but had a reoccurrence - can't remember if it was the 2nd round of botox - anyways it will def not do any harm and may well do as some claim.

Worth getting a pre-paid prescript card - I just renewed for 3 months (£29.10) - which given I get at least 8-10 items some months at around £8 an item is a no brainer financially!

Link below to register buy - anyone can get one regardless of income levels

https://apps.nhsbsa.nhs.uk/ppcwebsales/HomeSubmit.do

My experiences with the cream are that it will help relax that area and just allow the healing process to go along that much easier - no magic cure/properties but if (like me) you have had an anal passage like a vice - i.e. tighter than the proverbial ducks arse then after a week or so on the cream it will start to relax some.

At my worst even passing wind was a luxury - so the cream is a welcome addition to your (wait for it - wait for it) - arsenal of remedies/reliefs!

Onwards and upwards everyone ;-)

Baddum-TSCH! He's here all week, folks

Update - two weeks since the botox and fissure 'trimming'. I'm still unable to stand for more than fifteen minutes without the burning sensation and, while the pain has subsided, movements are still painful. The tramadol takes some of the edge off it but not a lot, plus when I've taken them I find it hard to get to sleep but once gone I'm almost impossible to wake up! Being positive things do seem to be improving, just not quickly enough. Hope everyone else is improving.

Hi Jamie

Are you just taking Traumadol on its own?

I had a good sit down session (excuse the puns - cannot help it) with my GP - pain management is a bit of a process and to get me out of the cycle - it was

Morning (pre-toilet trip)

(a) 1 x Traumadol

(b) 2 x Paracetomol 500mg

(c) 1 x Diclofenac

(d) 1 x Naprosyn 500mg

At my worst - only this cocktail (approved by GP) did the trick.

So if you are just taking Traumadol then this is likely not enough. Short term you need to consider getting on top of the pain cycle and staying on top of it.

I am now sure my fissure wound has re-opened a little as I am getting 'the burn/sting' after loo trip - but not as crippling as before and so long as I get into shower immediately and clean away and get meds in - life is bareable.

It takes far longer for healing than I thought it would - like almost 5 months for me. So hang in and take a little splice that in time it will heal - however its easy to disturb the bastard fissure at any time so go easy on foods and drink loads of liquids and watch all the bad things that might clog you up.

Why (getting angry now) is there no proper guidance for people like us who are afflicted with anal fissures - thank goodness for forums where we can share experiences etc. it is great but where is the PROPER advice from consultants etc.

Like someone else posted on another thread - she left hospital after Botox with no advice and a box of paracetomol - WTF!! like that is any good - dark ages! I think I will set myself up as an advisor! (lol)

Stay strong folks ;-)

jeff

Hi, i just found this site and can't thank you enough for all the postings. I thought I was the only one who suffers from these painful fissures.I'm still reading all your input and have found it to be very helpful. Doctors for the most part are of little help. In my case, I have been on codeine for far too long which took the pain away but caused a whole lot of other issues like constipation which made everything much worse. For over a week, I've been on a soup and soft food diet which has helped a lot. No paster and very little bread. I found a cream that is wonderful and takes the pain away to a comfort level. MSM Cream, I spotted one person mentioning it on an old web-site, it has been wonderful. You can't buy it at a store at least not that I have found, I sent for it on amazon.Best wishes to you all.

Jeff that is some cocktail! It's unbelievable what lengths we have been forced to take to deal with this (I've researched magic wands but they only work for kids ) . Karen thanks for the tip on MSM cream I might look into it.

To be fair, the botox seems to be helping me (very slow and steadily). Like Jamie, I can't stand for more than 15 mins without setting off the burning and milder spasms so am still of work. I'm two weeks into a further 6 weeks sicknote (luckily I work for the NHS so they tend to be more understanding about long term sickness). However, I really do not have spasms like I used to have which almost made me delirious they were so painful.

Due to some relaxation of the tissues I have found that things are rubbing down there which isn't helping a fast healing of the fissure. I am still using GTN (following Consultant advice after botox) but also use vaseline to protect prior to using the loo and also Vitamin E oil from Holland and Barratt. I have actually spent a fortune on my bottom!!

Please everybody read the benefits of taking Zinc supplements, it seems like a wonder mineral for our bodies. I'm also taking that and vitamin D complex to try and heal from the inside out!

Good luck gang :o)

After reading all the postings, I've decided to not try the Botox. There appear to not be too many positives after the Botox treatment, in fact it sound rather scary.

I've been off codeine for two weeks now and glad of that. I miss the pain free days, but the codeine cause more problems and don't cure the fissures and can make them worse.

I'm been on B12 vitamins, also Zinc which may be helping; time will tell. Has anyone tried the Nitro-Bin 2%?I use this ointment some of the time, it makes one feel rather dizzy or headachy neither is good.I sent away for the Dr Wheatgrass cream and tried it a couple of times, it did not give any relief like the MSM extra strength cream does.Please keep posting; the more one reads the more we all learn how to cope with this affliction.

I wish all you many sufferers the very best.

Blimey, spent two hours earlier today in the worst pain I've experienced so far, having gone into spasm halfway through a movement, coupled with more of that damned explosive wind. The wind has been hurting me more than anything recently, as I don't pass it during the day at all now. I'm not embarrassed to say that I ended up sobbing, sat in the bath. I think three weeks in pain has finally got too much for me, and the horrendous pain tipped me over the edge.

I rang the hospital but my consultant is on annual leave. His secretary advised that if I experience such pain again I'm to see my GP and ask for a referral to a surgical assessment team. It's good to know that such an option exists but again shows a lack of understanding as to the nature of this affliction. I can barely speak when in mid-spasm, let alone book an appointment (which will be the following week, if I want to see anyone with a few years experience).

I'm feeling at a loss as to what action to take. More surgery scares the daylights out of me, but the fissure doesn't seem to be healing after being sliced open. I'm thinking of going on a liquid only diet and seeing if that helps. Sorry for the rant, but you lot are the only ones who understand!

JamienPain: Very sorry for your pain, I've been there and know how you are suffering. You should try a very soft diet: Soups and no bulk food, this has really helped me so much. I'm also on B12 vitamin and zinc have you tried this? I think the combination is working. My latest progress below:

I hope I don't jinx myself by writing that I've been pain free since my last posting. This is amazing after all these years. I made changes to my diet, soup and soft foods, no bulk at all. Stool softener taken at night and after going to the bathroom in the morning I've used witch hazel and the MSM cream full strength. The MSM tells you to use it externally, but the advice I got was to use it internally. It will sting a bit but just for a moment, then it's just pure relief. The MSM is not advertised for Fissures, I don't know why not because it's worked for me and for this patient below.

I copied this below from a patient in CA from an old web-site dating back to 2003. That is how I found out about it. I hope this will help some of you.

The doctor told me to apply MSM lotion (cream) on the anus when I went to bed. The MSM cream is a sulfur based product that over time, gets rid of the scar tissue. So, today, I'm doing fine. I have a little burning now and then but apply MSM and it handles it. No Bleeding, no fissure.

Hi Jamie

I sympathise with you - having had set backs and the same horrendous pain as you following surgery.

Don't let anyone lead you to believe that surgery is a cure for everyone - it most certainly is not - and that pain post surgery can be worse than when you went in.

I would ring the doctor asap and tell him you want Diazepam to relax your whole body - my doctor just gave me a 2 week course to help me get over spasms that have returned. It def. helps - I am chilled out and not tensed going to loo. On top of that if it gets very bad and you need to sleep try to get something that will help you sleep.

I got my neighbour to get me over the counter pain relief with sleep ingredient - by god nothing helps like a good 12 hr sleep when you are in agony.

I have hundreds as he got me a huge bottle (called Tylenol PM) - shame your not closer as they go out of date soon - I d happily let you have the remainder. I think their are UK equivalents of this for Over the Counter.

I know this is hell right now and Karen is prob right a liquid/fruit diet for a week might help.

It will get better - its just that there is no timeline to recovery that applies to all - its hell for some of us and relatively simply for others.

It gets better.

Karen and Jeff, thank you so much for your words and advice. I have been eating soup, lots of soft fruit, yogurts and soft cereal with, admittedly, the occasional bit of salmon with brown rice. I'm also drinking gallons of water. I haven't passed a solid BM since before the op. I think the problem is the spasming, which is worse than before the botox, somewhat ironically. Passing the softest (and smallest due to virtual fasting) BM leads to such bad spasms that my whole body tenses up painfully.

The diazepam sounds like a good plan. I'm away from home at the moment - a badly timed holiday which, for me, has meant 'different bed, same bloody backside' - but going back tomorrow and I'll arrange for an appointment and ask for some.

A friend gave me some Diconal, which is supposed to be near-morphine strength but even that hasn't touched the pain. On the balance of it I'd like to be put into a medical coma until the bloody thing has healed

I should add, just to dilute the whining and moaning, that I've lost 12lbs! I'd just started the 5/2 intermittent fasting diet the week before the op so I'm ahead of schedule. No pain no gain! Ain't that the truth? :D