Hi all,
Just having a bad time of it right now. It is so difficult to know what is good to eat (I don't eat enough because of fear off having huge poops), and I also have the added pain of having my face break out with red splotches which have very sore hard 'pimples' when I am having problems with the fissure. Think this is something to do with my messed up immune system. 
Anyway, when I have the splotches I am supposed to take minocycline, and I have been doing this for three days, but it has so messed up my system that I have stopped taking them today. But, I have been pushing to get the poop out, so am in pain right the way through the anorectal region, on my coccyx and right to my pubic bone. The skin over my coccyx actually swells. 
I am going to see a CRS next week, so I know I should just put up with this for now, but just feel so down. 
I have messed up my eating habits and have no idea how I will ever get back to normal eating. That is a big worry, apart from the weight loss. I suppose I will have to see a nutritionist and try and sort it out. So many things I've done wrong. Have muscle loss in my b'cheeks, and that is giving me so many problems with sitting. I take MOM and wish I had started with Miralax instead. I take peri Colace, but only under a quarter of a tab. I drink water; I mix a very small amount of a milky coffee into skim milk. I have a banana a day. Usually I get by, but really not, as even when my bum is okay, for most of the rest of the time, my skin is agony, so bad that it is difficult to rest my head on the pillow. 
One ray of sunshine! I have just had a go sitting on my loo Sitz bath and that has helped me. I had tried it once before and thought it gave me more pain. I take that back. It took the awful tight stinging pain away and feels so much better. Amazing how your mood lifts when pain dissipates. 
Did not attempt another dose of Diltiazem, however. Hope I can get a variety of prescriptions when I see the doc in Boston. Must be Diltiazem, for example, that you can get without lidocaine or Vaseline. 
Thanks for rant-reading. 

So sorry you are in so much pain... it's so hard, because one problem with the body can lead to another problem. A little bit like Japan right now!
Do you keep a diary of what you eat, what you take and how you feel? It might be a good idea - it sounds like you have several things going on, and hard to sort out without keeping good track of them.
Seeing a good nutritionist will be a good idea - you need to get back to a reasonable diet, with some help. I bet that when you can work back up to that, and then just stick to what is good (although monotonous), will help.
Of course it's best not to push at all! The slightest push gives me problems. Anything more than 1 BM a day sets me back a little bit. This dang fissure is so fragile!
Get your questions ready for your doctors appointment! And have him/her set you up with other specialists that you might need. Let them know how serious this is for you, and aim to get all the help you need. I am rooting for you!

Thank you so much for the reply. It has been a long hard year, but then it is for everyone here.
The one thing too, for most of us on the board, is that we have so much info that we can almost tell the doc exactly what is wrong and what to do about it! Bet they love that.
Hope to get the beginnings of some answers.

Sav,
I'm sorry
I imagine your situation is complicated by the autoimmune disease, and prior anal surgeries that you've had. I hope the CRS can offer you some real help, I am rooting for you too!
Somewhere it seems I've read that bananas aren't a good fissure food because they can be constipating. Pears seem to be really good for me, very soft ripe ones anyway. And anything with eggplant is good too, like ratatouille with zucchini, eggplant, and tomato. Miralax is definitely worth a shot too.
It's a hard situation with fissures even for people who don't have complications...but don't give up! It may take a lot of persistence and more than one doctor but there has to be a solution you can live with.
Best of luck with your appointment!

Thanks very much, all. Much appreciated!

Its possible your fissures could be related to celiac disease or gluten intolerance they are the same thing i have celiac disease and mine healed on gluten free diet and very high dose magnesium therapy had my fissures for 5years chronic but now it is completely healed [2 years now]most people dont realize that fissures could be caused by celiac disease which is an auto immune disease so fissures apear to be possibly an auto immune problem if you read my other posts you will see how i cured myself .i think anyone with AF maybe should think about at least a gluten free diet it cant hurt,because testing for celiac disease is really average it took me 10years to get a positive diagnosis.and i was sick the whole time with fissures.hope this helps.

Good luck with your Doctors visit tomorrow Em. I hope you get all the answers you need. Don't hesitate to take all the time you need to ask all the questions you need!

Hey Em, how are you?
I hope your doctor's appointment went well!

Thanks for the thoughts! Got back last evening.
Will do a little writeup, later, of my trip to the CRS.
Just settling back in.
Sav

Sorry have not done my 'report,' but I do have it underway. Have not been so well since I got back which has held me back a bit, but I am writing up my saga bit by bit, and will have it finished I the next few days. Please keep me in your thoughts! Best to you all. Em