I got a fissure about a month ago. I have never had one before. I dread going to the bathroom. I have had it for a month now, I finally went to the Dr yesterday. He did a quick exam. Couldn't see it but by my symptoms and pain during the exam he said I had one. He prescribed nifedine(I think that's the name) I haven't gotten to use it yet because it had to be compounded and wasn't ready til this morning. I am nervous to use it because of the sid3 effects. But I am also in so much pain I have to do something. I have been taking softeners too but still very painful. It hurts to even walk. I don't think I will ever feel normal again:(

You have a good chance of healing the fissure within a relatively short time, as it's your first and you have caught it early. Use the nifedipine ointment as directed (its side effects are reckoned to be less than those of GTN and diltiazem) and also make sure that you keep the stool soft - you don't say which softeners you are using. The best and safest is Miralax (macrogol). Good luck with healing.

Nifedipine is very safe and I didn't have any side effects from it. Unlike nitroglycerin which gave me headaches. Use it twenty minutes or so before a BM, and after. Then once or twice during the rest of the day. As dmcff said, soft BMs, but not overly soft like diarrhea, are essential for healing. This means eliminating from your diet anything that can cause constipation or very bulky BMs. But try not to be nervous about eating, as can sometimes happen when we start dreading the next morning in the bathroom.