Hi all,
Everything was going pretty well for me, but lately I've been really itchy, and I thought it was normal... The weird thing is, I was pretty sure my fissure was at the back portion of my bum (anus, I'll just say it), as that's where the skin tag was. I was getting itchy though in more than one area (a tiny bit of itchiness started in the front/side of the anus too on another area. I didn't think much about it, but today I began wondering why I was itching in two different places and I touched the area and discovered another skin tag near the front of my anus. Eeek, I was so confused!
It's only 1/4 the size of my normal skin tag, but is it normal to have more than one? Does that mean I have more than 1 fissure? I remember feeling pain on the left and right side when having BM's before, although now if I ever have pain, it's usually just on my right side (I think around the same area where the newly discovered skin tag is.
I don't know if the smaller tag was always there and I just noticed it now, or what, but the itchiness in that area just started about 3 weeks or so ago, and I didn't think much about it.
Is this abnormal? A sign of trouble maybe? I'd love to go to the doctor and ask but my general practitioner wasn't too helpful last time, she just said "oh nooooo you have a fissure"! And I was like oh great, thanks for giving me hemmoroid medicine this whole time . The Specialist I went to has a 2 month waiting period to get an appointment. Maybe I should just book it now - I guess it'd be better to have a checkup with him either way, as maybe it'd give me a clue on whether I'm healing or not.
Any advice about the 2nd tag?

I haven't had any experience with skin tags, but Lecia has and I'm sure she'll be right along...

Yes, I guess I am the resident skin tag expert-thanks Kim!
Skin tags can be caused by the anal fissure as you know but there could be other trauma in which they can develop. I know external hemorrhoids can leave behind a tag. It can be hard to differentiate between a hem and a skin tag so you may want to see the doctor just to make sure you know what you are dealing with.
I think staying the course with baths, gentle wiping or rinsing and using aloe vera can help. The one that I have from the fissure is receding. When it used to get irritated I put aloe vera on it and it helped. The doctor also recommended Vitamin E.
I love your posts-you have such a humorous way of writing even about something so dreadful as this!!! :D
Lecia

Aaw, haha. Lecia I guess that's my way of reminding myself that it's really not THAT big of a deal, things will get better sooner or later.
I don't know if it could be a hemorrhoid because my eating/BM habits have been pretty good for at least the past 2 months or even more, and I don't know how I could've gotten a hemm within that time, unless it was there from before! I touched it and it feels the same as the skin tag, and is just as irritating/itchy as the skin tag.
Maybe I should just try seeing my GP. I'm going to buy some more aloe vera because I feel like it's been helping with my regular skin tag. Do you use pure aloe vera juice? Or gel?

Yeah, I can't imagine that you would have developed another fissure or hemorrhoid since you are so vigilant about everything. I would definitely ask the GP about it next time just to see what the skin tag is attached to!
I use pure aloe vera. I think that would be the safest and most effective.

Lecia,

Where,(what department) do you find pure aloe vera, I would like to try this also. The only kind I can find is the gel that you put on a sunburn. This type is mixed with other stuff. I also know there is a plant. Are you using it straight from the plant? Are you buying it in a bottle or a tube? I would appreciate any help you can give that will help me find it in the store.

Thanks,
Sheri

Sunshine,

I had 3 skin tags!! I had 1 fissure and 1 fistula. The CRS Removed them during my surgery. They haven't been any trouble since. A general surgeon thought they were hemmy
It took the CRS to diagnose me correctly and get me out of pain.

I buy the capsule form in the vitamin department and cut it open. I have seen it in the vitamin aisle at regular drugstores. I buy a lot of my supplements though from swansonvitamins.com.
My doctor talked about removing the skin tag but for me she was afraid it would cause more pain than the tag itself by having another wound to heal from. But I think it is worth checking out Sunshine. If she would have been more encouraging I would have told her to go for it!

Wow! 3 skin tags! How does someone know if they have a fistula? I'll have to do more research on what exactly a fistula is.
Lecia (or anyone else), do you think diltiazem and/or bathing helps heal the skin tag as well, or only the fissure?

warm water soaks and some application of palmers cocoa butter will help with skin tags.
a fistula may have discharges and/or odd strong smell. fistula usually will lead an opening/exit somewhere along the anus or anywhere else in the buns area. a fistula is a tunnel that starts within via a cut/abrasion. as the cut/abrasion gets filled with bacteria/fecal matter - in the case of anal fistulas - the matter gets trapped and has nowhere to go. this would form an abscess. but due to the decomposition or the change in chemistry of the matter, and then more of it continues to get stored in the cut, it pushes forward, making a tunnel. eventually, this tunnel gets longer and is in search of an exit.
fistulas may have both an initial opening and exit or depending on when it is diagnosed, may only have the initial opening with no exit yet - although a tunnel is being made.
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fistulas can happen in other organs of the body.
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thanx for the info happyass! Interesting, to say the least. Do you think medicines like diltiazem can also help clear up the skin tag? & if bathing will help the skin tag heal, I will definitely try bathing more! The tag is becoming quite irritating, and that doesn't help me -especially on stressful days!