Anal Fissure Support Forum

[jis76]

Hello everyone! I'm new to the board, but have had fissure problems for years, that have turned in to quite a mess in the last couple months! I'm finding it really helpful for my emotional well being if I actually talk about my fissures, so this support forum seems like a great place!
So anyhow here is my fissure story:
I believe I've been getting fissures since I was about 20 years old (I'm 34 now). In the past however, there wasn't much pain and it always went away after a few baths and a little bit of hydro cortisone cream.
Fast forward to February and I was having acid-reflux problems. Self medicating, I took a bunch of tums and other acid reflux meds and got nice and constipated. I had a terrible, terrible constipated bowel movement where I was pushing way too hard, and that's when my current nightmare began.
For the first month, I wasn't quite sure what to do. I started taking the baths when the pain got so bad (excruciating bad), but didn't change my diet or habits at all. Then when things didn't seem to heal, I started freaking out!
I started scouring the web, but still wasn't sure if I had a fissure or a hemorrhoid. I wasn't ready to go to the doctor yet, as the last time I had gone they had just sent me off with some hydro cortisone cream without much direction.
So I made a radical lifestyle change... I started eating a ton of fiber, and basically went to an all natural diets (lots of fruits and veggies, salads, cereals, and smaller portions of chicken and fish). I got really regular so that I would have a BM every morning and got in the bath right afterwards!
I started drinking massive amounts of water, and took some colace for a few days. I also stopped some of the really intense workouts I had been doing (thinking it might be a hemorrhoids).

Anyhow, I lost 20 pounds over about 2 month, big plus! My fissure started feeling better, but then I had a bad day.... and things got worse again. I seemed to keep getting better, but then take a couple steps back. This damn fissure is frustrating!!!
Finally today I went to a colo-rectal surgeon to get checked out. I wanted a definitive explanation from an expert... I was really freaking out that I could have some really major problems.
So the surgeon looked for about 30 seconds (which was just a little painful, not nearly as bad as I though it would be) and said I had two fissure ... one on the top and one on the bottom.
So this time I walk away with some nifedipine as a first course of action. I'm going to keep up the good habits for the time being and use this cream, and pray that I won't need the dreaded LIS surgery! Wish I hadn't waited so long to get to the doc... I'll keep posted on how the nifedipine works!

[Deleted User 579]

hey jjs -
I'm so sorry you are suffering. You're story is a very familiar one, but it seems to me that if you've been suffering from AFs for so long, you may have a high anal resting tone, which could predispose you to fissures. (Of course, your CRS will know more about that!) I do hope the nifed works for you - there are folks who have posted here that have had success with the ointments. But, if it turns out that it doesn't work, don't worry too much. There are lots of success stories here with the LIS surgery. In fact, I did a quick-and-dirty quantitative analysis of most of the posts here and learned that those who had the surgery were among the people who were happiest with their results and healed the best. Also, the complication rate was about the same as what you find in the medical literature (and that's pretty low). There is also a poll about people's experiences with LIS here too. I haven't had the surgery, so maybe those how have can chime in.
Good luck and do keep us posted!

[alpinestrawberry]

Hey jis...
yup, it's a familiar story alright. I had my fissures for five years, and in the beginning they were nothing more than a nuisance, a minor thing that would flare up but then heal within a few days.
Eventually though, it became hell. I got some 2% nitro ointment, the strongest there is, and it helped a bit but would not cure me.
So I had the surgery a month ago....and it is nowhere near as dreadful as you might think! Easy, easy, easy. You WILL be fine if it comes to that, and you will most likely be so happy with the outcome that you'll wonder why you put it off...
Best wishes!

[jis76]

Thanks for the welcome! Really glad to hear that others have success with surgery.
I'm admittedly terrified of surgery (any surgery), but I think if things keep coming back and I'm not seeing relief then it will definitely be something to consider to end this. I hate the idea of being scared to have a glass of wine right now, in fear that I will take another step back with my fissure... it really is know way to live.
I'm so glad I've found this board, will definitely start looking at others experiences with the Nife and LIS.

[Elphie]

I'm just 24 hrs out from my LIS, and although today was hard, I've had many fissure days way worse. 20 minutes in the car could ruin a whole day for me. It took a little over a year for me to get the surgery only because here in Ontario (Canada) the wait times r long and they want u to try everything else first. I've used nifedipine for most of the past year, some relief but no healing. Botox was also a failure for me but I did it all to get to my goal; surgery. I read enough online to know I wanted it, by the time I found this forum I knew it was the only way out. And although there's no way yet of knowing if this worked, I'm confident it will and I feel like I've been paroled from my prison of pain. The surgery was easy. This is the first day in I don't know how long that I had NO BURNING. None!
Definitely worth it for me and many of us. I hope the ointment works for you but if not, don't b afraid of this surgery, it's not terrible like u think. Take it from me, AF has turned me into the biggest wimp and I'm doing pretty good from where I sit....and I am sitting!

[jis76]

Elphie, I wish you a speedy recovery and an end to your pain! Good to hear that the 24 hours out you are feeling okay. From the reading I've done on the board since signing up, there are so many positive stories from the LIS surgery.

[martin336]

Hope you keep feeling good!

I'm just 24 hrs out from my LIS, and although today was hard, I've had many fissure days way worse. 20 minutes in the car could ruin a whole day for me. It took a little over a year for me to get the surgery only because here in Ontario (Canada) the wait times r long and they want u to try everything else first. I've used nifedipine for most of the past year, some relief but no healing. Botox was also a failure for me but I did it all to get to my goal; surgery. I read enough online to know I wanted it, by the time I found this forum I knew it was the only way out. And although there's no way yet of knowing if this worked, I'm confident it will and I feel like I've been paroled from my prison of pain. The surgery was easy. This is the first day in I don't know how long that I had NO BURNING. None!
Definitely worth it for me and many of us. I hope the ointment works for you but if not, don't b afraid of this surgery, it's not terrible like u think. Take it from me, AF has turned me into the biggest wimp and I'm doing pretty good from where I sit....and I am sitting!

[Elphie]

Yes, still no BM but I was in a lawn chair in the sun today! Second full day with no burning! I forgot how this felt! My body hurts worse than my butt I think from the position I was in or something and sneezing and coughing hurts a little but still much much better than before! Let's hope I still feel this way after I finally go!

[Savaici]

Welcome jis76. This is the best place, bar none! So much useful info, so. Many friendly and helpful people. I haven't had surgery, and am just tryin g Nifedipine. Not much luck yet. Eight now have the flu, together with constant pain in my belly tht happens from time to time. Difficult. Best of luck!

[jis76]

Hi savaici. Sorry to hear you haven't had luck with the nifedipine yet. Combining an anal fissure with the flu sounds like total misery! Hard to have anything heal when you have the flu... get better quick!
Elphie, I look forward to your report on your first BM (as strange as that may sound)... I hope it is as painless as can be, and things only continue to improve. What time of pain meds did they give you?