Greetings fellow sufferers!
My name is JD, I'm a 23 year old man living in the UK and I'm SO happy I've found this forum. I've been looking over the whole internet over the past few months looking for some form of help, solution, or support! And it feels like I've found all 3!
My AF started last year, and I remember going to the toilet (as you do) thinking about the list of jobs I had to do that day when suddenly i nearly fell off the seat through this unbearable sharp pain. it was as if 4 sharpened knives all facing outward were passing through my anal canal. I cried out in pain as I thought something really bad had happened. I stood up expecting to see my bowel in the toilet but there was just a large stool, nothing special about it. the pain wouldn't subside and I was scared to wipe, but did so anyway and there was just blood all over the paper. I felt faint and went to lie down on my side and cried with the pain. Dad heard me and came into my room to find me just in my boxers and trousers round my ankles with me sobbing and I couldn't explain to him how i was feeling. He offered to take me to the ER but I couldn't face the embarrassment. I took Paracetamol which helped and hoped it was a one off...
I was wrong.
Every BM felt the same, maybe even the pain got worse (I almost fainted with the pain a few days in) but the blood slowly resolved. I did some research online and was able to self diagnose an AF relatively simply. I bought Haemoclin from amazon after reading the reviews saying it was good for AF + Haemorrhoids etc, it was quite a neat little device and was very hygienic, with only mild discomfort to use. the Gel that's inserted with the device stung initially (I guess when it was meeting the open wound of the AF) but this subsided and the gel acted more of a lubricant to help stools pass. Don't get me wrong it helped! It just wasn't improving the situation but at least it was something.
After a few months of the pain not improving I gave in and went to my GP, who examined me and made that horrible noise where someone looks at something and isn't sure what to say. He just sucked air through his teeth and followed up with "that looks sore" I told him sore wasn't the word to use and that I couldn't cope any more. I cried infront of him as the examination hurt and he told me there wasn't much he could do which made me feel completely helpless.
He gave me two options:
1) surgery - advised against this due to risk of further fissures, delayed healing + incontinence risk
2) GTN cream which relaxes the sphincter
I opted for the second option and he gave my my px and off I went. I was eager to start the treatment and gave it a go when I got home, then came the headaches!! oh god the headaches. The gel stung the AF and the headaches made me wince, so took more paracetamol which helped. This continued on for the treatment and things got a little better! I stopped with the cream as it ran out and then I had a PAIN FREE bm!!!! oh my days it was bliss. I was so happy and back to my normal self. Then a week later it started again, I had a look in the mirror and suddenly I had developed this skin tag that came from inside my sphincter radiating to the outside. So on top of the pain I now became self concious of this new flap of skin that I adopted.
ANYWAY, that brings me to yesterday, I went back to my GP who was nice and said it was healing very well but said the skin tag was protecting the AF from healing 100% so I asked for it to be removed. He made the same sucking teeth noise and said it was impossible as the skin tag was 'complicated' and would carry more risk removing it than leaving it in. He gave me another PX for the same GTN cream and said to see how things go. I walked back to my car and sat down behind the wheel with a constant niggling stinging pain (in now way similar to the horrible pain i had at the start of my journey which is good) at the site of the sentinel pile.
Now I've found you guys! sorry for the long post but really had to vent. It seems depression comes hand in hand with a diagnosis of AF's and sentinel piles/haemorrhoids
I look forward to learning new things from the board and meeting new people.
JD x