Hello! Any advice/insight is greatly appreciated :). I spoke with a couple advice nurses and a doctor over the phone, but neither had much to say other than I should eat more fiber/fruits and it's not really much of a concern.

About 4 days ago, I basically pooped a baseball. It was the most strenuous/painful BM I've ever had, and my bum's been sore ever since (though surprisingly, there was no blood). A day and a half later, after a lot of fiber and water, I had another painfully difficult BM; this time, I was dripping blood. It was still bloody when I checked like 6 hours afterwards (though fainter, and not dripping).

This morning, I passed a very soft BM that didn't take long, but it still felt like I was crapping glass--and it was still bloody. I checked an hour ago, and the area is still bloody. I have no idea how it's ever going to heal, because every time I poop it gets bloody/painful again!

I guess I mostly want to know whether or not constant bleeding is normal for a fissure. Like I said, it's not like I'm dripping blood when I'm not having a BM, but there is still blood on the tissue (I don't wipe hard or anything). Heck, I don't even know if I have a fissure or a hemorrhoid, because this is the first time I've experienced a rectal problem. If I drink plenty of water and eat a softer diet, when should I expect the fissure to go away? Is there anything I can do to speed up the healing process/make it less ungodly painful? I bought some anti-constipation thing, but I realized it's not a stool softener--I'm hesitant to take it because I don't want to poop any sooner than I have to.

It's surprisingly stressful having to constantly watch what you eat and dreading something so simple as a bowel movement :/. I've heard that, once you get an anal fissure, you're much more likely to get them again . Is there a good chance that I'll be having these problems again in the future?

Hello,
I am sorry to hear that you are bleeding and having problems with AF. Here you will find very helpful posts about laxatives, diets and topical medications to use. I have found that it is very individually and you need to find your way how to make stool soft. I have the same problem -recent constipation, especially hard stool in the beginning. My GP suggested to put pediatric glycerin suppositories when needed to soften the stool from the bottom. In addition I take laxatives- Miralex or PEG , yet it started to work only 3 days ago. My dietician told me that in emergency cases it is better to take stimulants, like senna or milk of magnesia right away. Do not eat crackers, nuts, seeds, etc food that it is hard to digest and lubricate the area before bm. Regarding bleeding personally for me it is scary to see the blood, yet my GP says I should not take it too serious, it is no life threatening. You should talk to your doctor regarding your concerns.
Hope it helps and get well soon!

Hi Velveeta -
definitely see your doctor about the bleeding. Rectal bleeding is not a thing to ignore, because it is a symptom of many things, and can be serious. So go and see the doc and get the bad things ruled out.

That said, bleeding in the context of a fissure, is not so much to worry about. Some people bleed a lot with a fissure, and some don't bleed at all.

As Guest said, try laxatives, note your diet, note what gives you soft stools and what gives you big painful stools. If you are pooping big, baseball sized BMs, you maybe should cut down on the fibre a bit, since fibre can be very bulky. In my view, when your fissure is actively painful and bleeding, laxatives may give you better relief than fibre, though in the end you do want a well balanced diet with enough fibre in it that you don't need laxatives any more.

Take notes, keep a diary of what you eat and how your BMs are.
And see your doctor! S/he may prescribe something that will really help you.