Hi all,
Ever get the feeling that your butt is mad at you for something?
The fissure from hemmie is still acting up. Hard to tell how bad it is when it is acting up. Better than a month and a half ago, though I 'm not sure if it is better than a month ago... but then again the botox is wearing off, so it is hard to tell.
Anyway, had a not so good weekend, poor me, I know... but that got me thinking about a few things, especially after the pain finally subsided today. The reason it subsided was that I tried a new (old) cream. I remembered a time before, during the spring, when a combo of Desitin and preparation H really did the trick. After a while though, it stopped working and even started irritating a little. Well, I deccided to tried it again this morning and it did the trick again. What's strange is that it wasn't the fissure that was hurting. It seems like the scar from the incision is sore and inflamed.
For the hemmie-turned-fissure itself, I found a burn cream last night with aloe, lidicaine, green trea extract and benzylconiumchloride (sp?), a very gentle disinfectant. It seems to relieve the fissure pain--tried it last night and this morning.
So my questions:
1) Does anyone else have a painful scar in the anal canal or rectum? If so, what do you do to help with the pain/inflammation?
2)Does anyone else have a painful scar anywhere on his/her body? If so, what do you do to help with the pain/inflammation?

Hey Chris,
I was just thinking about you. I know the feeling. My butt has turned on me and is not happy. My hemmie and fissure are resolving but I am left with enlarged lymph nodes in the area an inflammation in the fascia around that area. Not the area itself. I just got off my period and that spasming didn't help things either. I am taking celebrex right now and have a call in for a steroid injection in the S3-4 region. I am also using lidocaine topically.
I really think aloe vera helped me a lot when things were inflammed in the rectum itself. That is interesting that you tried some old things in your repertoire that seem to be helping. I wonder if you are dealing with post-acute pain now like I am. If something was triggered by the recent injury that is causing the swelling.
My OT is recommended that I ice the area. I have to admit I haven't been doing that since it is kind of difficult to find something that works well as an ice pack and then my kids kept coming in and I had this rubber glove with ice between my legs. (mommy, what are you doing???)
I wonder if that would help you.
I really wish we could get over this. If I am not in pain, then I am fearful about when the pain is going to come back.
Hugs,
Lecia

Chris-
I wanted to see if maybe you thought you needed to get another botox shot? Do you think things are wearing off and it is just that area reestablishing itself?

Hey girls..
Let me add to this. I have a scar on the outside of my opening going alittle inside. It is very jagged but I don't think I have pain from that. I have my period now so I think I am a little sensitive. But I have been having mini spasms. I had my shot on Aug 6th. I know my fissure is not healed he said it was very deep. So I will watch my progress and if it gets worse I will call my CRS.

Chris when was your shot? I use A&D ointment and my Nefedipine too. I also have lidocane. I have had some specs of blood here and there also. I may have to use the colace again. Hey what about Mederma cream?? I have that for a scar on my neck. Ask the doc I don't know if that would sting or not. It does have a fragrance in it. I would think Aloe vera would work too. Sometimes I also use Nupercainial. It is for hemmies but I has a numbing agent in it. Just some suggestions. We got to beat this thing.. Hopefully we all will. Keep me posted.
Patty

i had a mole removed on my neck which left an inflamed and painful scar. 100% aloe vera gel has helped with that, as long as i'm consistent in putting it on. i used it religiously for a couple weeks and the scar improved a lot. i also use this gel on the fissure (since mine extends to the outside where i can actually see it). i just rub a bit down there a few times a day and it's very soothing. i don't think it's helping it heal so much, but it feels good when it's irritated down there. so you might want to try that! it's fragrance free, 100% aloe vera gelly.

Thanks everyone for your very helpful suggestions. Lecia, you're funny. I did wonder if it was the botox wearing off and the muscles doing their thing to come back alive. I think maybe I'll wait it out a couple weeks and see what happens. If things don't improve, then maybe I'll go back in for another shot or two. Or maybe I'll have the dr check out the lymph node and see if I can use a shot of cortizone. Or both.

Thing is I know the fissure (the original one) is healed and the hemmie turned fissure is just about healed, so I'm not sure what could be causeing all the spasming and pain. it doesn't even hurt to go bm. It just hurts afterward when the spasms start. Then everything in the area feels inflamed and sore. I think I will dig up my aloe, too, and see if that help until then.

thanks again everyone. One day, we'll beat this. We had painless butts before. We can again.

I hope you get relief soon. This can be such a beast to deal with.
Maybe someday we can look back on this and laugh (yeah, right! )
One thing I do that I just wanted to throw out there is to make an appointment even if I am not sure if I need it. It always takes awhile to be seen so I just preemptively schedule one so that at least I am on the books. It always seems like things get worse on the weekends when nothing is open and then by the time I call on Monday they can't see me.
Just a thought!

My CRS is pretty good at getting me in within a couple of days. I'm more interested in seeing someone who can actually force the muscle to relax and the scar tissue to become less painful. I am thinking even more seriously about going in for acupuncture or other TCM.

Odd thing...Today actaully hasn't been so bad. But I am still troubled and I'll tell you all why. I started taking MOM again. Actually I took more than I normally would (2T) and had very loose stools. What's troubling about this is that I had the most comfortable bm I've had in weeks! very little soreness/spasm after. I wonder what this means. Any ideas?


Oh and BTW, I should mention that burn gel stuff I found is working great. Its called sudden change scar zone burn gel. The lidocaine helps with the pain and the aloe and greeen tea extract have been very soothing. The trick for me is getting that on the hemmie/fissure and getting the other stuff I'm now using again up higher. argh...

I think looser stools are easier to pass and require less muscle coordination in the rectum so you would engage fewer fibers to have a bowel movement if it is loose.
I guess if the loose stools don't bother you and it helps with the spasms I would probably keep using it.
I think acupuncture is a great idea. If I had access to one here I think it could be very helpful.

Hi Lecia
I always use ice every morning and night after a bm.I put an ice cube in a very thin sandwich bag, you know the ones you get on a roll? and then wrap a sheet of loo paper round it and apply it like thet. Then no-one can see it!!