Hi everyone, my doctor put me on the diltiazem ointment for my small anal fissure. After 5 days I already feel like my fissure is either healed or close to healing (no blood at all, no pain...just mild tightness). But I'm curious about side effects and overdose. Is it possible to overdose on an ointment? I've been applying amounts that are likely larger than is required and I thought nothing of it, but I've been dizzy and have been having headaches. Do you think this is from the ointment? Is it dangerous to use more of an ointment than what is required? They did not give me exact directions, just a rough "put some on your finger and rub it to the anal verge".

Diltiazem is a drug for lowering blood pressure so you may be feeling dizzy because of it. I don't think it's possible to overdose on it, simply because your body can only absorb a limited amount through the skin. Are you applying it with a gloves finger? 2-3 times a day is standard instructions for these ointments, to give the area enough good blood flow. You can apply the pea sized amount little by little so more of it makes its way into the anal canal, instead of getting smooshed over the buttock skin.

Thanks for he response. Yes my doctor gave me a kit with finger gloves. I've been applying it 3 times a day, usually after my morning and evening bowel movements and once midday as well. It seems to be working quickly. I know they say fissures take 6-8 weeks to heal but mine was very small and I don't feel much of anything anymore. I think I may have had a smaller one in the same area twice before and mistook it for a mild internal hemorrhoid. Those times it cleared up in days. This time it's been over 2 weeks but seems like it's nearly fully healed. Is that normal for a small fissure? It's located on an old fistulotomy scar (from 2.5 years ago).

It's very normal for fissures to heal within 6 weeks. After 6 weeks it would be classified as chronic which would make things more complicated. From the stats I've read, 80% of acute fissures will heal in 6 weeks, but the skin still takes two years to regain its original strength