I suffered from truly brutal and relatively deep fissures for over a year. I'll spare you the details as you have heard them before - felt like passing glass, long time spent in the loo shaking and sweating, etc - it truly had a horrible impact on my life. I had tried all the usual remedies including Nitro cream, warm baths, diet changes, etc. The fissure might heal temporarily, but would open up if I so much as blinked the wrong way. Honestly - they were so long lived and so terribly debilitating - and I seemed unable to improve the situation, I put myself on the list for surgery (however reluctantly).

This was about 5-8 years ago, when PEG was just becoming widely available. When I first discovered it, I read as much as I could about it (it's effects, including level of dependence after long term use). Anyway - I thought I'd give it a go. I was on it for about a month when I saw my proctologist and told him about it. He asked me what it was (!), and suggested I keep him informed as to how it went.

Anyhow - I found the fissures would go away while I was on it after a week or two of use, but then return almost immediately when I went off it. So I was pretty much resigned to being on it for life - and indeed stayed on it for at least 6 - 12 months.

After 6 or more straight months, I very very slowly started weaning myself off of it. Essentially I went from the full daily dose to completely off of it over the course of about 8 - 12 months. I found if I moved too fast off it, it would re-open, but very very very slowly over time, I was healing.

Finally, after over a year of being on it and *very very* slowly going off of it, I find myself in a position where I am essentially cured. It takes a pretty serious bowl "event" to re-open it - in which case I go back on the full dose for a week or so, then wean myself off of it for the following week or so. That happens rarely now - maybe once or twice a year - most commonly when I am traveling. But I can absolutely report that I am in a position now where I am basically 100% cured. And honestly - I have to tell you - I was in such a bad state I thought I was totally beyond hope.

So - the lesson I learned was that I needed to be on this a very long time (half a year or more) to fully heal the deep fissures. And then I had to come off of it even more slowly to develop the strength and have the flexibility return so as not to create a new problem. But I am one very happy camper now - and (thank goodness) - no surgery.

I know you have heard stories like this - but I wanted to share mine in case something in it is helpful to one or more sufferers.

glad it worked for you

PEG doesn't work for me but it helps people and worth a try.

hurtinend wrote:glad it worked for you

PEG doesn't work for me but it helps people and worth a try.

Yes - this raises a good point that different people will have success with different therapies, and that there are many therapies out there. So don't despair.

For me, PEG was my saviour after such a long and difficult journey.

AWESOME!
Also can someone tell me whats peg?

PEG 3350 is the generic drug name for Miralax, Restorlax and known by many other names as well.

Did you have any side effect from PEG? I've read it can affect mood in children and I really don't feel that good when I use it. It doesn't feel right to eat... plastic.

When it retear , does it start from beginning or just catchup?