I am itchy!!! More itchy than usual, and its nighttime, and theres a killer snow storm going on which means I cant get to the pharmacy. I just soaked again in the tub, and I am trying to keep the area dry, but I dont know what else to do!!!!
Is this a part of the healing process or what?! I had no itching for weeks and then all of a sudden! Boom! This makes me more convinced that i have retorn something and I hope this itching stops soon!!!
I have dealt with worse itching but...still...this is not pleasant.
HELP!

kate

What a weekend you are having! But the good news is that itching usually means you are healing! I think something like hydrocortisone would help with that but I haven't tried it myself-I am sure Kim will be along soon. I know he had really wicked itchies.
When I had itchies I thought that heat helped. It distracts the nerve from the itching sensation. I know you don't want to be in the tub all day but maybe a heating pad or warm washcloth. I know this sounds weird but heck, I'll just mention it, but sometimes I just lie down in the shower and put my legs up and let the water hit my bottom. I don't have a hand held shower spray so I have to resort to this!
Hope you feel better!
Lecia

I feel for ya. I think it *is* part of the healing process. I used talcum powder applied directly to the itch. Others on the board used a blow dryer on their rectal area after bathing.

Resist scratching as it will only make matters worse. But on the bright side, that itch is almost certainly a good sign for you, albeit an unpleasant one! It'll get better pretty soon, in a week or so.
Kim

Thanks Guys. This morning no itch so far...but I havent had a BM yet today either...I think thats when it usually starts. Thanks for the advice :) You guys always know what to do.

Lecia wrote: I think something like hydrocortisone would help with that but I haven't tried it myself-I am sure Kim will be along soon.

Hey Kate
sorry you are itching so bad.. oh i know how you feel.. i was like that for awhile after surgery.. and it was SOooooooo damn itchy!!!
PLEASE do not use Hydrocotisine it is a steriod and will only inflame the area.. especially on an already open or upset fissure wound.
There are too many risky side effects!
Kee[ drying your butt thourougly, even use the hair dryer if you have too, use some talc powder, bathe regulary / or soak regulary in salt baths.
and keep smiling, im convinced it is a healing itch.. you will be over it soon --- i promise!!
Cheryl

yes, no hydrocortisone.
however, kate, when you blow dry, the anus is nice and dry right!
so then you will need to balance that level of dryness with a moisturizer - not butt sweat!
if you can find some Palmer's Cocoa Butter with vitamin E - is kinda like a smooth buttery thick cream that you simply just apply a light coating to your anus after the blow dry, this will help minize itching that may be also contributed to how dry the skin is down there.....
just like when we suffer from really bad dry skin, it becomes itchy and irritated.
i hope you are not using soap or anything else down there that would be drying up the anus skin.
so after your blow dry, please use the Palmers Cocoa Butter or a Jojoba Organic Body Oil or a nice healthy pat of a Vitamin E gel cap!

Thanks for all the ideas. Unfortunately I havent made it to the pharmacy yet. The further into the semester I go, the busier i get. I am usually so busy that the itch isnt a problem because 12 little kids is quite a distraction. This week is my first full week of teaching/doing everything. So its more hectic than usual.
Unfortunately, I am still battling the itch. It doesnt seem to be getting any better. I am still soaking, and I used the blow drier tonight, but to no avail. I guess my biggest itch time is at night, because im not as busy as I am during the day, and I am more aware of it.
I am sort of afraid to put anything on down there for some reason. I am really trying to resist itching, but sometimes i just....cant. I dont itch really hard, very lightly, but...i know its not good. I know its not helping. Its actually probably making it worse.
I am keeping the area clean, and dry as possible. I tried using gauze to soak up any moisture, which was good, except I still have a skin tag down there, and sometimes i feel the gauze does more rubbing and causes more discomfort than comfort.
Its hard to know what to do. Is using palmers or some other recommended lotion going to let the bacteria breed? Sometimes i wish i could just use witch hazel....even though i know im not supposed to....it does relieve the itchies though. But...i'll hold out and try something else this weekend, so if something goes wrong, I can shower or do whatever I have to do to make it normal.
Thats the update on my end...its not that great. Im going to try to sleep now....though the itchies wont really help that very much.
xo
kate

i got the palmers right from my CRS in a sample size. he was the one to instruct me on applying a very thin coating post-blow dry.
it will not aid in bacteria breeding. use only a very light thin coating. you apply it at the edge of all around the anus and let it seep in on its own.
even though i am totally against witch hazel for an active fissure, if your fissure is closed and if you allow yourself maybe 1 application of witch hazel per week, then i can't seen any harm in that....it's the daily use of witch hazel that can contribute/lead to other issues.

Just hang in there. It *should* get better any day. Your description continues to sound *exactly* like what I went through, and I was done in about two weeks.
Don't forget to use talcum powder. Wipe the area very well with a baby/feminine wipe then apply the talcum powder.
Kim

LOVE the new avatar Kim PMSL!!!