I need some advice folks, I am very frustrated. I have had a fissure on and off for years. I have been trying to get it healed with Miralax. I’ll take it for a few weeks (5-6 weeks) and I think it’s healed, so I taper off the Miralax and then when the first somewhat hard stool comes thru it reopens again (VERY FRUSTRATING). So 1.5 weeks ago after tapering off the Miralax (was on it for 6 weeks) it opened back up (pain/blood) again when the stool was not perfectly soft. So I got back on the Miralax and as of a few days ago I’m in no pain and all feels good down there. Well today I had an appointment with my CRS to discuss and he said everything looked good and it looked healed to him. He said he did not see any scar tissue that would prevent it from healing and all looked good. He said the fissure should only take 6 weeks to heal if it’s going to heal on its own. ….I know with absolutely certainty if I stopped Miralax today that the fissure would be open again in 2-3 days (THAT’S THE REALLY FRUSTRATING PART).



Has anyone had an experience like this before when the doctor says their healed when in fact you know you aren’t? I think I am going to keep the stool soft for 3 months or so and hope by then the skin is strong enough. That’s the game plan I am going with at this point. Any advice from my fellow board members? Any idea on timing to heal a fissure strong enough to prevent a retear? Any of your CRS tell you something different about healing?



Thanks,

TX

TX -- i took miralax for over a year...and tapered over that time. I was told i was healed and kept using the miralax for another 6 or so months (maybe longer)...I also felt that if i were to go off it would not be good for me. My prolonged use was a good move for me...helped me heal up and now i dont take it.

I have found Drs to underestimate the healing time -- it took me 18 months...go figure and go find that in a medical text book somewhere. Give yourself time time and more time to heal...

Key is not to think about it or at least try. I had 6 operations already - my condition led me to mental institution and darkest thoughts. Thank god for my family who helped me through this.

What also helped me through this is that Im working 12 hours a day - thoughts of my job keep me occupied with something else and not focusing on the fissure all the time. This is a key factor.

Agree with all above . Healing takes months to years - I have had recurrent fissures like you and I have been on both colace and miralax for 4 months without tapering . I have forgotten to take miralax sometimes and it throws be backwards several steps. I am in that same cycle of tearing / re tearing and healing. Attitude is everything for me. I am in less pain than I was and am staying positive though I will admit that days of re tears feel like defeats - things do eventually improve but never to normal