itchiness for the last couple of months

HI!....No need to be embarrassed Irena....nothing shocks us here!. My guess is that its nothing serious. Its probably a yeast or fungal "infection" around the anus (when I say infection ...not in the true sense of the word... it`s just an overgrowth of fungi or yeast that we ALL have on our skin...but sometimes it proliferates to cause a rash and itching ...especially if you are a heavy sweater (aren`t we all around the anus!). In the UK there is an over the counter cream called CANESTAN that you can buy in any chemist...it contains CLOTRIMAZOLE...which is an anti fungal/yeast ingredient. (use for about 3/4 weeks and definitely one week after rash /itching has gone). Canestan can also be bought with hydrocortisone(mild steroid) in it too relieve the itching but you might need a prescription for that.The slight bleeding you have is probably where you have been scratching and the skin is weeping. IF the blood is bright scarlet this means it has come from near or outside the anus...and NOT from deep inside..IF in doubt see your Doctor!!! (see link here!)

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Hi Irena..I just sent you a detailed reply but its waiting to be moderated..never seen this before!..watch out for it soon!..Dimmy

Have you seen gp about this? Was it after colonoscopy?  I was very itchy after it due to the Moviprep so used hydrocortisone cream I had and it went.  Have you got piles? This can cause itching, you can get cream from pharmacy to try to see if that helps.  You can also get fungal there as well.  If you are itching the blood is probably from causing fissures.  It does sound like it's piles though or some irritation to the skin.

BTW health anxiety is awful, I have it too, I wish I could reassure myself like I try to others x

It's vile but very common. They tell you not to scratch but it's impossible. Then it can easily bleed or get very sore. Try and keep the area dry. I found using loo wet wipes to clean up followed by making sure the area is then dry helps - particularly during hot weather. Some people find a smear of Germaloids ointment helpful. You can get a special anal steroid ointment from the doctor but it can only be used for a few days. If you have piles, that can make the itching worse so try to have enough fibre to keep yourself regular and not have to strain but not crazy amounts so as to make you go too much. Even with all this a lot of people still get bouts from time to time so I use Germaloid ointment whenever it feels a bit tetchy round there and a tube of the special steroid ointment for very occasional use if it's bad. It's not caused by anxiety - it's caused because of where it is and what it has to put up with...

thanks all for your replies! they are very much appreciated. Dimmy, thank you for the recommendation, i don't live in the uk but I'm sure i could find the south african equivalent, and yes blood is bright scarlet, and very slight, so I'm guessing it is probably due to excess itching around the area.

sue162 no it wasn't after a colonoscopy, but thank you for the suggestions and reassurance!

etheremail, i don't know if i have piles (i don't recall ever having it but i guess that could change), i will try your suggestions too thanks very much!