Greetings
I was diagnosed with a AF july 2007. I had the type of pain usually a few times a year before, but it always went away after a day or so. This time it was on for 3 weeks so the doctor diagnosed me and I've been on 2% nitroglycerin since. My pain has gotten a little better, but it's still really bad. I feel pain at least 4 hours after going to the bathroom. And there is blood when I wipe. Sometimes my pants get blood I dont know how.
The doctor also reccomended more fiber and stool softener, but going is really not the problem, its the pain that comes from going. Sometimes it hurts to get it out, but I go every day. I started using baby wipes which has helped a little.
Also I have a tight pain in the center of my stomach after going to the bathroom, which goes away around 2 hours. I have no idea what it is.
When it happened last year I really expected it to go away after a month, then 2 months, then 3 months, now it really doesnt seem to be going away. Any help? Thanks a lot

dog55
We all expect it to behave well and go away, but that isn't always what happens. I am new her myself, but finding this place has been heaven. People really help and support each oher here.
Read as much as you can on the threads you find here, ask questions and you will get help.
Do you take sitz baths, or shower your butt after each BM? What do you eat? Do you drink a lot of water?
Corsica

Welcome to the board, Dog. I would only reitierate what Corsica has asked....what are you doing about your diet, especially..
Read the threads and look around and you will find tons of good information here and also as Corsica mentioned, ask specific questions and who knows, you may get a useful answer!!
BTW, your fissure seems to be chronic and you may want to begin considering less conservative treatments, like surgery or botox....
If you have not seen an actual CRS, now is the time!

Hey Dog !
Welcome to this wonderful world of information !
I am sorry you have been suffering for a long time now
A CRS would be a good step in the right direction , have you had further investigations regards the tummy pain ??
I have IBS and get allsorts of werid pains in my tum !
You are in good hands here and i am sure this forum is just what you need

Hello there,
I am sorry you have been suffering for so long. I think it is time to see a CRS and perhaps think about the next step. If you have had it for so long I wonder if creams are really going to do the trick since you aren't seeing a lot of change.

Hang in there and feel free to look around and let us know how we can help!

welcome dog55!

Thanks for the support
About my diet- I think the fissure was caused by too much dairy. since last year I drink at least 10 glasses of water a day. When I added more fiber to my diet i dont think it really made a big difference, i went back to my regular diet.
I was thinking my stomach pain could be IBS, but I dont have diarrhea or constipation. If I didnt use the nitro cream it would hurt even worse.

Are you saying you are now heavy on dairy products in your diet? I would highly suggest you cut back on it tremendously if you are.
Soft cooked vegetables, cooked and fresh fruit, and other sources of natural fiber are very important considerations when you have AF. You can lessen the pain tremendously if you can achieve soft, formed stools. But that isn't always easy to achieve. Too much dairy is most likely going to give you oddly shaped stools that will do more "damage" as they pass by your fissure every morning. Yogurt was the only dairy product I would touch when I had my fissure. But everyone is different.
Yep, having AF really does force you to think about your stools, something most of us never thought we'd have to do.
Could your stomach pain be just gas?
BTW, IMHO, you don't need excessive water or excessive fiber, just the healthy amounts of each, and you should always ingest water with the fiber.
Good that the nitro helps you. So many people cannot tolerate it.

hi Dog55,
sorry you're in so much pain. We'll all help you as much as we can - just fire away at the questions!

Hey,
I have had my fissure for years and I am JUST starting to really get it under control. I had the surgery, and that helped, but it isn't the be all and end all of a fissure. It requires staying committed to a good diet and taking care of yourself.
However, what I have found that realllllly helps me a ton is magnesium glycinate. I have said this all over the board. I take 100 mg each night before I go to sleep and in the morning my BM's are soft and easy to pass.
Having a soft BM will help the pain because it will allow your muscles to relax which will help blood flow down there and, in the long run, all the pain that you are experiencing afterword.
If you can, i'd say, get in a hot sitz bath right after going to the bathroom. It should cut down on the pain.
Like everyone said, look around the board, theres ton of information and we are all super supportive here. Its an amazing place with amazing people. All those questions you couldn't imagine asking a doctor without turning bright red... you can ask here. We understand :)
Kate