Hi~
With my last fissure, I only bled one time.... now when I go to the bathroom... there are always blood spots. My doctor gave me narcotics... and I think that is making it worse. I guess I was wondering if it was normal to bleed.
Second, is it safe to take stool softeners every day? no laxatives, but like colace?
Thank you-
Vampyre_Girl :(

Blood on the TP is a bummr, Misti, but don't let it get you down, at least, no more than a finger prick or something. It is very, very common in AF and is just it's surest symptom.
Even with moist wipes, and gentle care, you will probably bleed some from time to time, but never let it get you down, any more than any other AF symptom would. Bleeding is OK, if it's bright red.
I took colace twice a day for about 6 months and after my sugery, stopped using it just fine. Most people tolerate it very well, though we have had a few here on the board who said they had to stop using it.
Yes, the narcotics are a very risky thing as they will constipate you and constipation is a chief cause of AF. You'll never heal if you are constipated. And your pain will skyrocket.
Good luck and I hope things improve quickly!
Kim

I bleed basically every day (since mid-May). So you're not alone. I see anything from tiny specks to bigger splotches of blood on the tp, or even streaks of blood on the stool.
I take colace (actually a generic form of it now), which has helped to soften my poo a little. I asked my CRS how long I could take it without negative effects -- he said indefinitely. I take 200mg a day now. I was taking 400mg, then I jacked it up to 600mg to see if it would help more...and at the same time I got a rash in the pelvic region and under my armpits. Bizarre. So I went back down to 200mg, and the rash seems to be going away.
Hope you heal soon!

hi steve,
i hope you get your rash under control! could also be just really icky humidity no?
anyway, i don't remember if you have had a colonoscopy? have you?
take care, gareth
ps i am still waiting for my friend in nyc to give me the info about the great chinese herbal center in chinatown..i have not forgotten you... on the other hand, if you can track this down in chinatown, and they sell it to you, take it: it's guang ci tang's herbal dietary supplement: Xiao Cheng Qi Pian. I take 3 tables x 3 times daily; spread out over the day.

thanks gareth. yeah, the rash is under control now...i've never had anything like it before, and the only thing in my routine that changed was upping the colace... but who knows.
no, i haven't had a colonoscopy, but no doctor i've talked to has recommended it....i imagine because my symptoms are limited to fissure symptoms. i'll bring it up the next time i go back in for an appointment though.
thanks for hunting down that herbal center. in the meantime, i'll look for that herbal dietary supplement.
thanks.