Hi,

I keep re- tearing and have multiple fissures, they tend to heal. They comeback within a few weeks sometimes days. I feel I am tight and my bowels are mushy at best and I cannot insert my pinky in my anus. I have been like this for at least 10 years maybe more, probably 13 years. Last 3 years I have been taking Laxido (movicol) - this has helped in passing the stools but I am now reliant on this as soon as I ease off things get bad. Problems with Laxido is that it causes me stomach pain, I have never been constipated in my life and I am 3/2 BM per day.

I had Botox 18 months ago and my first 5 weeks were bad, bleeding more and tearing, the skin felt overstretched, but I did find that my BM was easier to pass, from week 6 onwards things felt OK for 4/5 weeks?

Any advice anyone - the main problem is pain passing BM and some pain afterwords when bending down etc But no spasm pain, just more and more tightening. Your help will be appreciated.

Tight -- Welcome to the Forum!

Have you consulted with a CRS recently about your issues -- if not I would recommend you do so as they may have some good perspectives.

If you are super tight you may want to investigate Dilation - Savaici and Suzyjlank ( i think) both used dilation with real success -- read their posts and you may want to explore that route.

Good luck and keep us posted.

Canadabum

Thanks for the feedback.

The thing is my fissures are mini small - I have seen the CRS surgeon 3 times, different ones and they keep saying its a low pressure fissure and you just have to live with this!! I kind of find this unacceptable, I know that if I stop the laxido the fissure will become more painful and bigger. Dilation seems a good option I have also read that DMSO could help - The fissures are also around the edge and not too deep, just around the opening.

What does DMSO stand for?

I agree with you - if you have the option of living with it or doing something about it - whether DMSO or Dilation, I would certainly be doing something. Sometimes doctors dismiss the amount of pain and distress and discomfort this condition creates.

Let us know what avenue you decide to pursue.

Canadabum

Please see this link

This is a good read and interesting! Could be useful and help repair scar tissue, perhaps give it some flexibility

Dimethyl sulfoxide DMSO

http://shoppe.listentoyourgut.com/dmso- ... ss-bottle/

http://www.listentoyourgut.com/symptoms ... tures.html

The fissures that I have are not that big, probably 2mm, so don't understand the Retear - the anterior position is the worst, can feel a sharp pain whilst a BM. I can have loose stools with laxido my problem in not passing normal sized stools. I took probiotics last summer for 10 days and guess what, despite the laxido my stools ended up more formed but difficult to pass. I feel that with laxido I am not digesting the vitamins and minerals as I should, also explains when I eat chocolate I end up with diarreah the next day, hence not digesting sugars very well and this has started since Laxido, but if I don't take this then I suffer with bigger tears and tightness, very painful to pass BM. Any thoughts would be appreciated,I am very tired of this process, I suppose I don't suffer from severe spasm pain like some, perhaps minor but the anus has forgotten how to have a normal BM - I really can't make any sense of this!!!

Hi you sound like you suffer from anal stenosis. Stool softeners help if it's not too bad but advancement flap surgery might help you more. I have stenosis or rather functional stenosis. I had 2 flaps done at the same time. The surgery removed the deep fissure I had and replaced some of the scar tissue with healthy tissue that stretches. I will always need miralax but I'm much better than I was before. Scar tissue happens after rectal surgery or trauma and by fissures that form heal and then tear again. If you can't insert your pinky finger that might be the cause. Mine got so severe I couldn't insert a q-tip. You keep tearing because scar tissue does not stretch. You should see a CRS. Good luck, Suzy

Thanks for the advice - the problem is that they are mini fissures but you are right in that when I stretch it will tear, the CRS says you just have to live with this. I am not sure if dilation is worth a try. If I opt for LIS it may make the stools bigger and overtime the skin may adapt to stretch - my mini fissure are probably 1mm but nonetheless are painful - I feel the anus is constricted and it could do with expanding - despite this I don't have to strain during a BM, thanks to the Laxido. I know that I am not having painful spasms afterwards its more during the BM and the feeling of a cracked anus as I bend - thanks for you reply, this site has given useful advice but i do feel that there should be a cure and the lack of care or research from doctors is shockingly poor.

Excuse me Suzy - you said scar tissue is replaced by healthy tissue. Where did they get the healthy tissue from.
And one more- do you still feel pain in the area or you`re living pain free now?

Hi, they take the skin grafts from the inside of your butt cheeks. I had two done at the same time and the wounds were left open after the grafted skin was taken. I had to keep a moist dressing on it for a long time. They left it open so it wouldn't form hard scar tissue and pull after it healed. I do pretty good. I still have stenosis but its functional stenosis. I take miralax once a day, not quite a full dose and I dilate once every other day. I'm three years post surgery and I can till get some twinges there but it's way better than before the surgery. I still have IBS so I'm careful what I eat but I do pretty well. I think the hardest part for most people after this surgery is coming to terms with the fact that keeping your bms soft is a must. I think people think that after the surgery you're done and life goes on. Life does go on but with a few adjustments. Taking a softener is just part of the package. I've talked with people who have had similar surgery and retear because they stopped taking their softener. Your butt is never quite the same after surgery because all rectal surgery causes trauma to the area. If you follow your doctors advice you usually do well. I followed my CRS advice to the letter even though at times I thought he was nuts. I had to start dilation shortly after surgery, I had so many stitches and wounds I thought he was crazy but turns out he was right. Stretching the area and doing it daily helped keep the skin more flexible. It used to take me forever to do this. The first few weeks I cried because I couldn't do it but I kept trying and now it take a few seconds and it's done. If you have anymore question please feel to ask. Suzy.