Hi everyone. I need your help.
I am 29 years old and I have had bleeding off and on while having BMs for years.
There would be no pain, just a bit of blood. It would happen a few times and then I would be fine for awhile. About 8 months ago I had a hard BM after taking tylenol 3s for a shoulder injury. I bled ALOT!! I went to see my doctor. She was not in but I chose to see another doctor that was available. I told her about the problem. She said she needed to take a look. Without warning she shoved her finger inside me and I screamed. I had tears rolling down my face and she said "I didnt hurt you, you have a fissure". She said go to the pharmacy and get some nupercainol (an over the counter med for hemmoroids!!) She was awful. From that day on I have had a horrible time. The day after the doctor visit I had major pain with the BM that lastest hours. There was alot of blood. I tried the nupercainol which just burned. I have been having major pain after BMs for almost 8 months. I take Colace daily, Omega 369 and vitamin E. I tried fibre supplements but the make my BMS to big and I did more harm then good.
There have been 3 times when I thought I was getting better but I always seem to go right back where I was.
The problem I am no having as of last week is new. When I have a BM there is very little blood but EXTREME pain passing the BM. Unlike before where I would have major pain for hours, the extreme pain is only during passing the BM and it doesnt hurt much after I go.
It is so bad that I actually had to go to the bathroom in the tub. I get grossed out even thinking about it but it was the only way I could go. I would have passed out on the toilet. Its that bad.
Has anyone know why this has happened? You would think less blood would be good??
Obviously not. I started a new job recently and cant get any time off to see a specialist. I am so depressed and dont know what to do. Any advice is greatly appreciated.
Thank you.

Hi Rose,
I am sorry you are having such a hard time. We have all been in a state of desperation with this before so we can understand your predicament. I think you need to see a colo-rectal surgeon, Rose. They are going to be able to prescribe creams that work specifically for your problem. I understand it may be hard to get time off from work but you may not have a choice. If you don't get the help you need you will end up missing work anyway.
This board has a lot of information about changing your diet, supplements and different treatments. I used diltiazem cream and hot baths to get over my fissure and modified my diet. Some have needed surgery and still others have tried botox.
I don't always find that less blood means less pain. The pain can come from the fissure but often it is from the spasms in the sphincter muscle that cause a lot of the pain and it is not related to blood. It is a good sign that the fissure is healing if the blood is diminishing though.
You need to keep your stools soft and that may mean taking stool softeners too if diet change isn't enough. I have a world class fiber diet yet still take stool softeners for insurance. I don't have a fissure anymore but I am prone to butt problems so I have to try to prevent any kind of injury.
Let us know if you have any specific questions and feel free to look around and read through the posts here and become acquainted with our stories.

Lecia

Rose,
The pain and the blood are both related to the fissure, but not necessarily to each other. Lecia is so right, less blood is a good sign, but don't fret when you see blood. It is only a sign of the fissure, and as long as it is bright red, that is all it means. You just have the fissure.
I'm aghast at how your Dr. treated you!
Get your fiber from natural sources, and drink the recommended anount of water. There is no need to go overboard on either the water or the fiber, but you do need both.
Please find out if you can get the nefedipine or diltiazem compunds that are discussed on this board. They will greatly increase your comfort, and might even help to heal you. Nitro cream is an option, but it can give you terrible headaches.
Your goal is to relax your sphincter so blood can once again flow to your fissure site and heal it.
Try mightily to get three or four warm or even hot soaking baths a day. This not only relieves the pain, but brings blood to the fissure site.
Your fissure appears to be chronic and may need less conservative treatment, in fact it seems to me it does. Botox is one option, but surgery is best. You are young, and if you are not morbidly obese, then why not. Everyone is so afraid of incontinence, but it is rare. I had the LIS surgery and now I am fissure and pain free.
I realize you said you just started a new job and don't have the time for these options, but you also sound like your in horrible pain. At some point, you may have to.
Do look into the two BP creams I mentioned above.

Oh Kim, how I envy you !!!!! I mean in a nice way ; ) ! I wish I had my LIS already
and be like you -HAPPY CLAM : ))))) !!! Sometimes I wish I am not so "half way" in pain, because I would be in my CRS office first thing in the morning ! Now, with my pain bearable I still hope to heal , blahhhhhh... Oh well...
ROSE, I am so sorry that you have to go through this awful condition , we all hear understand you and wish you only the best. We all try different things, some work some don't, some work wonders for some, same one don't make any difference for other person, BUT - there are many options and unfortunately not a qwick fix :(. Your best option is to find CRS - ONLY they know how to treat fissures correctly ! Just forget all other physicians, even gastro-entherology - you have to find colo rectal specialist !!!!!! there are many creams you can try, like Nitro creams and Nifidipen (sp?), it is Calcium blocker and some others that stop spasms that are tha most painful and the most annoying because they last for hours !!!!! PLEASE go to specialist and save yourself time and nerves !
All the best and hang in there , it gets better for the most of the people - if not, you can always have surgery and get free !!!!!! :arwen:

Thanks, Fissulyna! You'll get there, too. Everyone eventually does. We will all be cheering for you until that day comes!

YEAAAAAAAAYYYY : )))))))) ! Thank you for believing in my healing KIM : ), many days I wonder : (, especially on days like this when my F gets injured without any particular reason (grrrrrrrrrr...). It feels so good to have friends like you guys here who truly are cheering each other and give support in whatever path anybody choses- this forum is so unique in that respect !
Hug

Also, I found that certain foods I ate all the time irritated the fissure. Bread was one of those and had to be cut out, as did all milk products. I found my BM the best when eating nothing but pea soup, squash soup (with no cream), celery and almond butter, and yams for two weeks. Not saying you have to try that diet, but switch to mainly veggie foods heavy on the legumes.
When I first got my fissure actually going was the worst because I would have to push the poo out from between tighty clenched muscles. I remember gripping the handcapped rails in my bathroom at work and bearing down for dear life and for something to hold on to incase I fainted. This was bad of me by the way. I needed to find something to relax the sphincter and this problem was allayed shortly after finding nitroglycerine ointment and milk of magnesia--just a Tablespoon of MOM a night though.

I had very little blood, just some spotting on the TP. But, I had the tremendous pain!! I dont think its related. I also had some BM experiences in the tub so dont feel bad about it, but I have a removeable shower head i so i could squirt water there while squatting. I'd just quick clean out the tub and hop back in. You dont want to get a UTI along with the fissure.
Hot or spicy food can also be more painful during bms with a fissure.
I would advise trying to see a specialist and explaing to work that you are ill with digestive issues. Hopefully they would be understanding.
Good luck.

I found that ice wrapped in a tiny plastic bag, just after a BM helped greatly, then getting in a hot bath, also sitting on a hot water bottle. The creams and supplements help, and also trying to relax, and accept it takes a long time to heal. I kept thinking at first that it would be healed in a few days. Once I knew it wasn't going away in a hurry, it kind of took the pressure off. Didn't do anything to help the pain though!!

Thank you guys so much for the kind words and advice. It means alot.
I feel very alone right now. It would be some much easier to talk to people if I had a problem with ANY other part of my body!!!
I have already cut out dairy, caffiene and spicy foods (which I love!).
I am going to have to start trying some other things and hopefully something will work.
I have been taking Naproxen (500mg) which is Aleve daily. Does anyone think this is causing more harm than good? Should I stop?
Also I have heard magnesium is good for circulation. Does anyone recommend taking this?