Not sure If I have an anal fissure or not, help!

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Not sure If I have an anal fissure or not, help!

Postby Orangesuit » 14 Mar 2012, 19:15

Okay so back around december 17th, I started noticing that stool was coming out harder then normal and Id sometimes feel a sharp pain and see blood, a little light red too. Not dark red which I red can be bad. (Id see only a tiny tiny little bit of blood on the toilet paper like I'm sure not many people would have even noticed it.)
I was really freaked out and all so I started reading as much as I can people suggest tons of things like CANCER and I'm like deathly scared right? The most things that made sense was tears from hard stool/anal fissures yada yada. I took stool softeners for about 1 week and off and on the next week, and it helped alot.I started eating more fruits, bread, water, and these past month I don't feel as sore down there, don't bleed, sometimes it's a little hard still but no blood. Felt like everything was normal again. I had boyfriend check back in jan and he said he didn't see any cuts or anything and it all looked normal. But I SWEAR when I touched down there to make sure, my anus seemed..inflamed or something? It felt bigger and really sensitive. Now it doesn't, and hasn't for awhile. But just today there was hard stool and I bleed.
I am way too nervous to get my butt checked, even with someone I live with I was shaking at the idea when he looked...do I have an anal fissure? Am I freaking out too much? Someone please please help. I don't know what to do, I haven't been eating as many fruits lately so that maybe had a part in it.
Sorry for the long post.
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Re: Not sure If I have an anal fissure or not, help!

Postby Baba » 14 Mar 2012, 21:12

It could be a bleeding haemorrhoid too. You really should have it checked out by a doctor. I know how awful it is to have someone have to look "there", but that's their job and they think nothing of it. As they say, when you've seen one behind you've seen them all! :)
My doc told me that if you have cancer there is LOTs of blood - that's always the first scary thing we think of, but usually it isn't that.
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Re: Not sure If I have an anal fissure or not, help!

Postby Orangesuit » 14 Mar 2012, 21:41

Baba wrote:It could be a bleeding haemorrhoid too. You really should have it checked out by a doctor. I know how awful it is to have someone have to look "there", but that's their job and they think nothing of it. As they say, when you've seen one behind you've seen them all! :)
My doc told me that if you have cancer there is LOTs of blood - that's always the first scary thing we think of, but usually it isn't that.

It doesn't hurt when I sit down, never has and like I said earlier it's not inflamed like it was back when it was worse. It's normal now, I just recently today bleed a little .
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Re: Not sure If I have an anal fissure or not, help!

Postby workingonit » 15 Mar 2012, 09:55

Hi,
If it hurts when you have a BM it is more likely a fissure.
If it doesn't hurt to sit down, then it isn't too bad. It would make the anus a bit swollen.

But like Baba says, you should see a doc and have it checked out. If they are any good they will give you some helpful advice, and rule out any other problems.
Try to improve your diet, so there aren't any more hard BMs. Most importantly, drink water (or fluids other than pop, alcohol and coffee)!!!
Most hard BMs are from not drinking enough water.
With cancer, it would be old blood. Not the bright 'cheerful' red that greets you on the tp with an anal fissure. :)
Let us know what the doc says.
-Tanya
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Re: Not sure If I have an anal fissure or not, help!

Postby Orangesuit » 15 Mar 2012, 17:16

I'll try sticking to eating better foods and drinking more water and if it happens again i will definitely go to the doctor.
Thank you all so much!
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Re: Not sure If I have an anal fissure or not, help!

Postby thisfissurecankissmybutt » 15 Mar 2012, 21:13

Obviously, only a doctor can make an accurate diagnosis. In my opinion, it is VERY important to see a doctor ASAP. That way they can determine exactly what you are dealing with. If it is a fissure and you don't treat it promptly, it can become a chronic fissure, which may then require surgery. If it is a fissure, your doctor can give you medication to help control the spasms and help the fissure heal. The sooner you treat a fissure the better.
Based on my experience, it does sound like you may have a fissure. Fissures can be VERY small (think of a tiny paper cut) so it most likely would have been very difficult for your boyfriend to see it, especially if the cut is a little higher up in the anus. It is sometimes even difficult for a trained doctor to see it!
Make sure you go to a COLORECTAL SURGEON (CRS), as opposed to a family doctor or general surgeon. You want to see a doctor that deals with anal issues on a daily basis.
Don't be embarrassed about going to the doctor. Keep in mind, this is their CHOSEN field and they really do want to help you. Trust me: they will NOT be embarrassed, so neither should you be. They are also trained to be gentle and most doctors will do their best to make you feel as comfortable as possible.
One thing I would try in the meantime if I were you is to add Miralax to your diet. It has worked great for me as a stool softener (it has been much more effective than other stool softeners). In addition, I would add more fiber to your diet (i.e., Metamucil) and drink lots of water. Remember, fiber without adequate water = concrete! I personally take a full dose of Miralax every morning, as well as 9 grams of Metamucil (3 grams, 3 times a day). In addition, I get additional fiber in my diet (high fiber oatmeal, Fiber Once cereal, fruit, etc.) and try to drink at least 2 liters of water a day. Obviously, you'll have to experiment and consult with your doctor to see what combination works best for you. The idea is to have soft, yet formed stool (like the consistency of toothpaste) that is easy to pass with no straining.
Also, be very careful after a bowel movement. You don't want to irritate the area, so use moistened toilet paper to wipe. Or, if possible, don't wipe at all and just hop in the bathtub or shower to clean off.
Good luck!
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Re: Not sure If I have an anal fissure or not, help!

Postby Orangesuit » 17 Mar 2012, 14:14

thisfissurecankissmybutt wrote:Obviously, only a doctor can make an accurate diagnosis. In my opinion, it is VERY important to see a doctor ASAP. That way they can determine exactly what you are dealing with. If it is a fissure and you don't treat it promptly, it can become a chronic fissure, which may then require surgery. If it is a fissure, your doctor can give you medication to help control the spasms and help the fissure heal. The sooner you treat a fissure the better.
Based on my experience, it does sound like you may have a fissure. Fissures can be VERY small (think of a tiny paper cut) so it most likely would have been very difficult for your boyfriend to see it, especially if the cut is a little higher up in the anus. It is sometimes even difficult for a trained doctor to see it!
Make sure you go to a COLORECTAL SURGEON (CRS), as opposed to a family doctor or general surgeon. You want to see a doctor that deals with anal issues on a daily basis.
Don't be embarrassed about going to the doctor. Keep in mind, this is their CHOSEN field and they really do want to help you. Trust me: they will NOT be embarrassed, so neither should you be. They are also trained to be gentle and most doctors will do their best to make you feel as comfortable as possible.
One thing I would try in the meantime if I were you is to add Miralax to your diet. It has worked great for me as a stool softener (it has been much more effective than other stool softeners). In addition, I would add more fiber to your diet (i.e., Metamucil) and drink lots of water. Remember, fiber without adequate water = concrete! I personally take a full dose of Miralax every morning, as well as 9 grams of Metamucil (3 grams, 3 times a day). In addition, I get additional fiber in my diet (high fiber oatmeal, Fiber Once cereal, fruit, etc.) and try to drink at least 2 liters of water a day. Obviously, you'll have to experiment and consult with your doctor to see what combination works best for you. The idea is to have soft, yet formed stool (like the consistency of toothpaste) that is easy to pass with no straining.
Also, be very careful after a bowel movement. You don't want to irritate the area, so use moistened toilet paper to wipe. Or, if possible, don't wipe at all and just hop in the bathtub or shower to clean off.
Good luck!

Thanks.
Is there anything I can do without having to see a doctor? Like take stool softener every day for a few weeks, eat well, and..use creams or something? If so what can I get at a drug store or something to help?
I don't really have a doctor so it's a big hassle to go to a doctor. And like I said earlier, it's really not bad, I'm never sore anymore, and it feels a lot better.
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Re: Not sure If I have an anal fissure or not, help!

Postby rasmith3530 » 17 Mar 2012, 14:51

Orangesuit, I am currently healing from my second fissure in a year's time. The first was much milder and was corrected by a prescription of 0.3% nitroglycerin ointment, along with a bland diet (mostly ramen soups) and added fiber (Metamucil). It took about twelve weeks to heal.
This last one was far different. It was far more painful, both during a BM and afterwards. It got to the point I was afraid to take a dump. I stopped eating and held back for four days. When I just couldn't hold it anymore, I went to an immediate care facility. They said I had internal hemmies, gave me some Hydrocortisone suppositories and Norco for the pain. That seemed to help for a few days, but then I was right back where I'd been before. I started thinking that dying would be better than the immense pain. I went to my regular doc who told me I had another fissure. He gave me 2% Nitro-BID and Nucynta ER for the pain. I was warned by a few folks here that 2% was too strong a dosage, so I scheduled an appointment with my CRS from my previous fissure. He looked at it, said it was a bad one, and prescribed me the correct version of Nitro while I awaited my surgery date.
It has now been nearly three weeks since surgery. I'm feeling much better.
Like the others have said, this isn't something you are likely to correct on your own, and you don't want it to get as bad as mine was. I've been shot, stabbed, suffered a complete tear to a ligament in my knee, broken my leg at speed on a motorcycle and had carpal tunnel surgery to both hands. That was all minor, pain wise to what I felt with this last fissure. It was like I'd sat on a hot bayonet that someone was twisting as I tried to take a dump, and the spasms afterward were like getting a ground glass enema.
See the doc! Good luck.
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Re: Not sure If I have an anal fissure or not, help!

Postby workingonit » 17 Mar 2012, 16:29

Hey Orange suit,
Well if you are feeling better, you should probably just keep doing what you are doing... eating right with lots of water. I would stay away from hydrocorisone creams if it's a fissure. Before a BM it helps to lubricate with some petroleum jelly. Some people like coconut oil. I used to use lanolin, but now use dr. wheatgrass and sweet blessed bee. The creams won't heal you though. They help, but what heals you is just getting your poops soft so you don't have to push at all.
I would keep it that way for a month or more after you feel all healed just to make sure the skin has a chance to toughen up. IMO.
Know that you will always have a weak spot there.
But honestly, most of us here, wish we had talked to a specialist (colorectal surgeon) long before we did.
-Tanya
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Re: Not sure If I have an anal fissure or not, help!

Postby Davo » 18 Mar 2012, 01:53

Hi Orangesuit,
Your symptoms are also very similar to that of an external haemaroid. Normally these are not visible unless you strain or push whilst on the toilet and then the opening to the anus would swell up. Ask your boyfriend to check shortly after your toilet visit and if he can see inflammation and swelling then this could be your answer. This would also explain why you could feel swelling on one occasion and he could see nothing on another.
Haemaroids also don't always hurt when you sit down - I had one for years and the only time I would notice it is during a toilet visit because of the small quantity of blood and a general feeling of pressure down there.
The only thing that makes me think it could also be a fissure is that you state you had a sharp pain during a BM before - it maybe that you had a small a acute fissure at the same time.
I have to agree with all the other posts above - you really must go and see a doctor or specialist shortly. These guys see butts all the time, they are not going to laugh or be disgusted by you. What could be a simple condition now could turn into something more chronic if you don't get it checked out.
Please don't ignore it in the hope that it will go away.
Davo
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