Hi.
In 2014 after a baseball sized hard stool...I developed spasms and some blood. GI said it may be fissure high up and using scope said he saw either collapsed hemmoroid or fissure. Well had fissure for about year and 1/2 before symptoms went away( I believe nitroglycerin cream helped. ( as I had more pressing physical issues I did not modify my lifestyle as I could have)I had to use donut pillows on and off through 2016.
Well month ago after horrible constipation..and smaller hard stools...spasms came and I knew unfortunately what it was. This time I'm making huge changes in diet, and seeing GI this week.
***my question is it seems most literature on fissures deals with external fissures observable from outside. Are there any patients here who've had deep/internal fissures..and their experiences?
Thank you..and thanks for this website!!

My fissure, and I think those of many on the board here, was internal. My CRS only made his diagnosis after a digital rectal exam, because that's where he found it. I suffered for many years, used many creams, and finally had a very successful lateral internal sphincterotomy. Welcome to the forum.

Chachada.
Thanks for the response and clarification!.every time I have seen images on web they seem to be visible from outside. I'm happy to hear your surgery was successful. My pain is not extreme since I've been making sure stools are soft.

mine was inside. I don't think I ever received proper treatment. Now I'm paying a high price. So many doctors misdiagnose it.

Sorry to hear. I wish you well..I see GI this week...

Well I saw the GI ..he did digital inspection and could not see an anal fissure. He felt prolapsed internal hemmoroids and said my pain was coming from that .i left the office happy about that(the fact there was no observable fissure.,which is a much more serious problem obviously).However the last several days...the pain has gone up ...sitz baths even cause pain. I'm worried as the dulcolax 5mg) I take in evening isn't producing the regular smooth stool in am...like it did last week ...I dont want to push..to let hemmoroids heal.**funny but the GI Stated hemmoroids he felt were on right side ...but really all pain is on my left side. *****I really believe there maybe another reason for pain..I've had a thrombosed..hemorrhoid..before and that was paradise relative to this pain...hurts in bed too.I see the real superstar GI this week..he was booked 4 months in advance....ii was on waiting list for him and saw other GI as stopgap measure .I want GI I see this week to use scope...to rule out other causes of pain besides hemmoroids.
Good luck everyone....I wish human bodies had better designed and "durable" digestive systems and defecation process ..lol

And I wish that doctors knew a lot more about this condition. It's so frustrating! Better luck with the next one.

Hello,

My fissure was high up under a polyp and was approximately 2cm. Was not visible outside.

When you see your colorectal surgeon who will use anoscope to view inside. If it’s not visible outside they need to do visual.

This is painful if they do it while you’re awake - but a muscle relaxant followed by pain medication will help. So ask for that.

Well today I saw the superstar GI..he DID see a small fissure on side where pain is much more prevalent(only visual look..no scope)...(not what GI saw last week who assumed pain was solely from internal hemmoroids)...gave me much recommendations on supplements, diets,konsyl as fiber supplement. Prescribed hydrocortisone suppositories for now and nitroglycerin ointment later of needed.
I should mentions post defecation pain is not broken glass extreme pain of others on site..just a throbbing..later bruised pain..however sitting pain is severe.."have donut pillow will travel !"

my current fissure is also inside, totally not visible from the outside. doctor would not do scope with active fissure (which I think is a good idea), but seemed pretty sure only fissure can cause this kind of pain. have to say, an inside fissure is much harder to heal than one that's closer to the anal canal opening though. my first fissure was visible from the outside and it only took me less than 2 weeks to heal. the current one is taking much longer (i'm on week 3 and still not healed yet).