Hi All,

I have been dealing with an AF for quite sometime now. I think I have it mostly under control, if I stick to my eating routing and don't move to far from it.
For this period I have been using Diltiazem creme to help relax the area, this seems to have worked. However every time I try to stop with using this creme my skin around the area becomes very dry and feels like tearing with in a day or two.

Has anyone else been dealing with this? If so, what did you do?

Sorry you are still dealing with it. I am of the belief that the mental stress when you go to have a BM causes your sphincter to tighten up which prevents blood flow which prevents healing and the fissure never heals. Why not try petroleum jelly for the dryness and ease up the Diltiazem? I am not a doctor, but unlike most doctors, I have experience with how it felt for 6+ years. I also am very much against laxatives and stool softeners. You want normal, big and bulky stools for your rectum to work normally. In the end, it was inevitable as my sphincter got too tight and I was straining for most BMs that I had to have the LIS or I might die on the toilet! Fully healed for 4 years this month.

Thank you for the reply, Rich.

You might be on to something. I have not tested petroleum jelly. But I do think that long term use of diltizam creme can't be healthy, hence why I wanted to stop.