Hello

I've been on a journey the last 14 months

I'm doing much better now although it will probably be some time before I can get back to normal

I wanted to share incase it might help someone else

I've been applying all sorts of creams and suppositories to then discover I have a type IV hypersensitivity to them and parts of diet- since stopping I've dramatically improved!

I was jumping between haemorrhoids and anal fissures for months so I started applying hydrocortisone with cinocaine and anusol. I just couldn't work out why I wasn't healing and my surgeon put it down to my rectocelle and referred me to a tertiary centre. I was due for a different minor procedure and explained how I was allergic to some plasters and another medicine so I was referred for patch testing - turns out I was allergic to hydrocortisone and to Balsam of Peru.

I'd already stopped my cream allergens 3 months prior and was using germaloids for the pain and still wasn't healing up fully.

I then stopped all Balsam of Peru out my diet (things like blueberries, tomatoes, citrus, cinnamon , vanilla) which was very hard for me because I live off tomato and enjoyed a fizzy drink and moved to fragrance free. After 4 weeks I hugely improved.

I then stopped the germaloids and just used cetraben and buscopan. Improvement again!

I've just been to see the teritary surgeon after waiting 14 months and she says that I no longer have haemorrhoids and fissures but I have swollen anal folds from trauma- she asked me to stop putting cream up my bum, to use a femmeze to help me poop with my rectocelle and to stop sitting on my special pillow to give some pressure to the area so the swelling might reduce.

My special pillow has been a god send though though because initially I couldn't sit or even tolerate clothes (Putnam's pressure cushion with triangle hole)

I'm a very specific case perhaps but just incase it helps one person I wanted to share :)

Keep fighting - I joined this group in despair a few months ago and hearing all your stories just kept me going

Hello,

Nice to hear you have discovered the source of your problems and that you are healing. Now you know what things you must avoid. I understand it's hard if you liked the taste of it but when you compare it to the pain - it's just not worth it.