Hi All -

I was unfortunately gifted with an an anal fissure about 3 months after giving birth to my daughter. The pain was unbearable, 20/10 pain while going and hours throughout the day, far worse than any birth pain I’d experienced. Fast forward to now -

I’m about 3+ months into my fissure and now have a large skin tag to go along with it as well. About 2 weeks ago I started on a nifedipine/lidocaine compound cream. I use this twice a day - once in the morning after BM and once before bed. I use lanolin and forces of nature fissure oil in between. I take 2-3 hot baths a day. I’ve never had an issue with hard BMs as I eat pretty healthy, the fissure came after an antibiotic /probiotic combo my OB had me on for a postpartum infection that constipated me. The fissure itself superficially feels like it is healing - it’s not tender to the touch anymore. I went to my CRS this week that said it appears to be healing and tissue is trying to come back together, but my muscle was in super spasm. My questions for the group:

It still burns when I go - it’s not the glass and cutting feeling, but just a burning towards the end of going that lasts for several minutes. Is this normal with healing? I am so scared it’s another tear internally or something else. I did just have a stomach bug with diarrhea for 4-5 days. It didn’t seem to superficially irritate the fissure, but wondering if that is contributing to burning. I also drink celery juice at night with citric acid in it - could this be a factor?

It almost seems like my skin tag is what gets more irritated now. Does this die down with healing fissure?

I can feel the spasms during the day after a BM, but did anyone struggle with spasms towards the end of a BM? It’s like when my body senses the BM is almost over, my anal muscles involuntarily and aggressively spasm and contract, which furthers burning and then also feels sometimes like it pulls some back up and that I didn’t fully finish. Will this alleviate over time when fissure is healed?

Do spasms in general taper off as the fissure continues to heal?

I still feel a dull ache and just generally swollen throughout the day. It’s nothing in comparison to the pain I felt at first and the searing, just a dull and swollen-ness.

Any thoughts on the above? This has been by far the most painful, difficult, and truly loneliest journey I have ever been on. I have a great support system, but no one can truly understand the suffering unless you’ve been through it. It can truly impact the quality of life and has taken away so many precious moments with my daughter these last couple of months. I hope and pray for healing and a light at the end of this very difficult tunnel.

Yes. Your spasms will taper off as your fissure heals.

If you still have spasms, your fissure has not healed completely.