Hello all,
for the last few months ive read a lot of posts on this site, but havent had the guts to register and post because i feel like a fraction of who i used to be.
I am a 29 year old male who was in school for massage therapy, all of 2013 until September i worked in construction. I was lean, fit, and very active despite chronic pain in my neck and back. In September 2013, i was diagnosed with genital herpes, and that is where my battle with fissures began. After my first outbreak, everything seemed OK, however i had been experiencing cases of diarrhea/constipation from the medication that i am on. I had a second outbreak shortly after, however, was not aware that transfer of the disease from penis to anus was possible even while using clean hands. So my second outbreak, i had some lesious around my anus, which consequently made my anus a lot tighter as well as painful sores.
Here is where i met my new "friend" mr. fissure. I dont quite know how it happened, but somehow in mid september i felt a SLIGHT little pain, honestly felt like nothing, i put some bactroban on it and said forget about it. However, pain got worse and worse so bad that all i would do after a bowel movement is lay in bed scared for the next one. My father had to come and give me food as all i was doing was drinking water, prune juice, eating very little and drinking a lot of metamucil. This led to my blood sugar getting extremely low and me having a seizure if my dad hadnt come and given me some quick sugar, i dont know what would have happened. Finally i went to the emergency room and guess what, they said they found NOTHING upon doing an anoscopy. So i went back a second time and was lucky enough to have a CRS examine me, he said it was an anal fissure and that i should book an appt to see how it heals in 3 weeks.
I went to see this CRS and he prescribed nifeipene 0.2% mixed with lidocaine 1.5%, to be used 30 minutes before a bowel movement (i only know about 2 minutes before and sometimes if i apply it , i lose my urge). I felt like i was injuring myself more using my gloved finger to apply the cream. However it did feel like it had gotten much better over the past few months.
Since i still had pain and had been referred to a GI, he wanted to do a colonoscopy on december 19 2013. The procedure ended up hurting the fissure more, and i believe the right side got scraped a bit as well, not to mention the laxative cocktail in preparation for the procedure left me constipated after. He confirmed that it was indeed a fissure though and no other problems were found. He showed me a way to apply the cream with my finger, and instructed me to work my way up to 3 rounded tablespoons of metamucil which is 45g a day of soluble fiber.
As of today, i feel like the worlds biggest baby. I have no blood in my stools (thank god), but i am totally debilitated by this fissure. I have the worlds best family, the worlds best girlfriend and friends, and i feel useless to all of them. I try so hard to do things with them, i went from a guy who could lift a tonne of weight to a guy who can barely carry a heavy bag of groceries. I have lost 10+ pounds from lack of eating. I know i havent suffered half as much as some of you have on this site, but i do feel that i have suffered emotionally and physically.
I really want to avoid surgery, however, what bothers me is that this situation is turning chronic and I have read that chronic fissures are harder to heal.
Today, on december 26 2013 feel like i am yet again on the mend, however, i find that if i dont have 2-3 softer bowel movements in a day, that i am constipated to a degree and prepare for the worst. Here is my daily regime and some things which i have found helped me a bit, I will update regularly as to how I am doing.
-I wake up and usually pass a bm, use my PROCTOFOAM which my gp prescribed.
-then Hemp oatmeal with some fruit usually pears and a dried prune or 2
take my meds
-then some salmon ( i found the oils really help), small salad and if i can stomach itsome of my flax 50% soluble 50% insoluble fiber
-as well as sodium docusate 100mg
-in the afternoon i will have some warm broth (NOT the PACKAGED KIND my butcher has it made fresh)
I will usually have a bowel movement at between 4-7 pm reapply proctofoam and try to use nifed before i do, applied with a Q tip gently.
-Evening i will usually have greek food which consists of grilled bell peppers and onions with olive oil, a little bit of rice and a touch of taziki sauce.
-then i take my meds and sodium docusate 100mg one hour later
SUPPLEMENTATION.
-300 mg magnesium citrate per day
-1500 mg vitamin c
-vitamin d3 drops 1000 iu
-virgin coconut oil 1 tsp per day
- 6-8 prunes spread throughout the day
-acidophilus digestive bacteria at meals
-heating pad that if i am able to sit, i sit on at low heat to encourage bloodflow
- 200 mg of colace spread 10 hours a part as indicated above.
-hemp oil when i can remember it
MY MEDICATIONS
gabapentin 600 mg first dose, 1800mg before bed
zopiclone 7.5 mg before bed
medical marijuana 1-2 grams per day
famicyclovir (famvir) an antiviral drug 125mg morning and night
proctofoam - morning and night and after bm's
nifedipene- before bms
I would love any feedback or helpful advice as i really dont want to have to go for surgery. I would love to share in your experiences as well! Thanks for listening.
Have faith.