Pretty sure I've got an anal fissure (anyone relate?)

Posted , 4 users are following.

To cut a long story short, about a year ago I was constipated for a fair while (let it drag on without really taking much notice). I didn't have any pain or discomfort back then.

Fast forward to now and for the last maybe 6(?) months I have had this anal discomfort. Which has been occurring daily really for this time, but sometimes worse than others. It's weird, I have no pain when passing stools (except maybe once or twice I had a real burning sensation that stung heaps), my diet is good and I had been taking a few softeners. The last 2 days had been really good, soft stools and no pain at all during day/night.

However last night I had the worst night of my life. Went to bed around 11pm feeling fine, woke up at about 12:30am with some serious discomfort (not necessarily sharp pain, but just couldn't sit still). Then I went to pee and since I hadn't had water since earlier that night my urine was yellow and it burnt. This then somehow set off the most agonising burning pains in my anus I have ever felt, I tried applying ice packs, nothing really helped but time as it passed, I couldn't even lay down, only stand or kneel.

I was awake with this from 12:30 until 7:30 this morning until it finally stopped and I could sleep. I have seen my doctor about the pain a month or so ago and he booked me in for a colonoscopy, however it's a 6-9 month wait so still a few months until that happens.

Has anyone experienced anything like this? No pain when passing stool then randomly been woken up in the middle of the night with pain?? Logic would say it's a bad tear (fissure) from back when I was constipated and it still hasn't healed. But it just doesn't make sense, how does peeing set off this burning pain sensation at night time..

Sorry for the long post, got the day off and needed to get it off my chest.

Thanks

0 likes, 6 replies

6 Replies

  • Posted

    It can be a fissure. The pain afterwards for hours kind of make it seem like a fissure. Although, for me, I had pain during and after a bowel movement. I would try to get some treatment for it as soon as possible so that it doesn't get worse. Keep your stools soft. Avoid anything that can constipate you, do plenty of sitz baths when you can. Sitz baths helps sooth the pain and you can also try warm compresses or cold whichever one feels more comfortable for you.

    I didn't know I had a fissure and treated it like hemorrhoids and my condition just kept getting worse. If you can treat it now without having to do the surgery, do it.

    In my case, I had to get the surgery and I'm recovering since I had it done about 2 1/2 weeks ago.

    I hope all works out for you and that you feel better soon. smile

    • Posted

      Thanks for your advice, I will start the sitz baths. I hope that it's just a fissure (I know they are not nice at all), because the symptoms other than maybe the pain are the same as anal cancer?? 

    • Posted

      That I wouldn't know. If you see a doctor they can tell you. My doctor didn't insert anything when he saw me. He simply looked at it. They know it's sensitive and painful.

      And for sure take care of your bowel movements. Fissures can go from bad to worse if not promptly treated . I'm in 3 1\2 weeks of recovery and although I have some pain and discomfort it's not like how it was before the surgery.

      Take care and good luck!

  • Posted

    My only guess is that when you are peeing, you are possibly pushing in order to pee. The pushing could exacerbate the butt issue as you are bringing more blood to the area when you push. My suggestion would be to  try to really concentrate on peeing without pushing so much. If you don't push as much,  and the pee kind of flows out at its own rate, you will hopefully not have as much  pain afterwards.  Hope you feel better and keep us posted. 

    • Posted

      Yeh this was my thought as well, must be contracting the muscle which I think is quite normal, I'll try to relax it. Cheers

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