Hey Anemone,
How are you doing?
Did your second tear heal?
I sure hope so!
-Tanya

Hi Tanya
I'm not doing bad thanks. I saw my doctor again on Thursday. I'd decided that I really couldn't go on having fissure after fissure and wanted to be referred back to the hospital. My doc was great. He got me an appt for Feb 23, had a look and told me the 2nd fissure was almost healed and then we discussed why I am still in pain (which prompted me back in the first place)
I had stopped taking the diltiazem orally on Monday as he told me, and almost immediately felt worse, so he told me to start that again.
We then discussed the use of amitriptylene. I had to take this 4 years ago for about a year when I was suffering with vulvadynia - which is basically pain from nerve endings after the pain source is no longer there. I had previously discussed this with him, and on Thurs I said I wondered if it would help to take them again. My fissures looking healed but the pain still being there. So anyway he prescribed it for me and took me off the diazepam and I'm now waiting for it to kick in and see if it helps.
The side effects aren't great - I feel spaced out most of the time and have a very dry mouth and the shakes, but I remember that after about a month these subside.
So, we will see what happens. At the moment I still hurt after a BM, but there has been no more blood.
Time will tell...
How are you doing?

Sorry you still hurt. But the hurting isn't from spasms?
I'm doing OK. Slowly improving I think. But not enough to be sure. I'm going to ask for another referral this week. It would ease my mind to have a second opinion.
How long do you think you'll be on the amitriptylene if it starts to work?
-Tanya

A second opinion is probably a good idea. I do hope you get one.
My pain could be from spasms but if the fissures are healed I can't understand why I still get them. The amitiptyline is a long shot, but if it does work I could be on it for a year like I was last time, before gradually reducing the dose to nothing.
The thing that got me thinking was that when the doc touched me it didn't hurt, and when I had vulvadynia the same thing happened. When I was touched where I was sore it didn't hurt.
If nothing changes in the next month I'll know it's not helping, but just had to try it, and my doc said he had been thinking along the same lines.
When you're desparate to get better you'll try anything, as I'm sure you and everyone on else here will know!
Hope you get your referral soon.

Thanks Anemone, I see my GP on wednesday.
I have read of others on the forum (sorry I can't think who at the moment) who still had spasms for a while even after the doc said the fissure had healed. But they gradually fade away.
But it will also take the skin 1-2 years to get to it's normal strength, so do be careful!
Hope you get some relief soon.
I hate dreading BMs!
One good thing, is I now know how to have a wonderful easy BM and might even enjoy it in future instead of it just being something to rush through and get done.
-Tanya

Anemone, I am quite happy to hear reports that you are feeling at least somewhat better. I was also surprised reading your next course of action. Amitriptyline, also known as Elavil is an anti-depressant. Although I do know that these drugs have uses for other than depression, I am surprised of it being possibly prescribed to help a fissure issue.
As you may recall from some of my other posts, I have been suffering over the past now eight months from some, as of yet, not fully diagnosed neuro-psych issue. The latest avenue of attack the docs are pointing to is seeing a psychiatrist. In the course of our discussions, and those with a therapist I'm also seeing, they have determined I'm suffering from depression, anxiety disorder, and PTSD. Although I still don't have total faith that this is what's causing the bizarre set of symptoms that I began experiencing last summer and which have kept me out of work and out of a normal life in general ever since, I have been following their advice, and part of that is to be on not one but two anti-depressant drugs, Prozac and Cymbalta, plus the anti-anxiety agent Klonopin. I've been one these now for up to four months in the case of the Prozac, and while they have not seemed to have any effect at changing my condition for the better, I was on them as my second AF struck, and they've not appeared to have any positive effect on it either. In fact, I would go so far as to say that the worst pain I have suffered during my 58 years of life, and some of the worst depression I've ever gone through, has been while taking this chemical "cocktail."
Take it for what it's worth, and certainly YMMV, but the anti-deressant drugs have seemed useless against my AF.
Again, I am glad to hear that you are feeling somewhat better and hope that you continue to improve. My heart goes out to all who suffer this dibilitating experience. It is certainly no fun, and has for me at least once, brought me nearly to the abyss.

Hope you do well on the medication, A. Spasms are no fun, whatever the reason.

Hey Rasmith.
Careful with the Klonopin eh. It's highly addictive. You know not to stop taking it suddenly?
-Tanya

I'm going to give the amitriptyline a month and if I feel no different to how I feel now I will stop taking it. I know it worked on my past pain after a couple of weeks, so if it has no effect this time I will know for sure that long term it isn't going to help.
I'll also be interested to see what I am told at the hospital on the 23rd.

My mother is taking an anti depressant for bad headaches caused by damage to her back.
It took two weeks and then she could feel the pain go away.
Hope it helps you too!
-Tanya