Hi all, first off I'm very thankful that this forum exists, as I've been reading posts for about a month now and find it very helpful.

In 2017 I had some issues with incomplete bowel emptying and that caused me to have a lot of smaller BMs in one day. I also wiped a lot after because I couldn't get it all out, so I think that contributed to the fissure. I've had bleeding on and off all last year, but I never knew that it was an anal fissure until now. Just before New Years I had to go to the ER because the pain was so bad and the doctor diagnosed me with an anal fissure. I'm almost sure it's because of hard stools, not being patient enough with passing them, and then really straining to push them out.

I should say that I am a vegetarian, I work out about 3 times a week (although I've stopped working out because I'm trying to heal); generally active person and I drink a lot of water. My diet seems good to me, but perhaps I have an allergy I'm not aware of, so......Since being diagnosed 1 month ago, I've been changing my diet slowly. The pain has been so bad that I try to eat light -- oatmeal, juices, vegetables, nuts, fruits, and soups ONLY, and of course a ton of water. I've been at this diet about 1 week now, and I know (compared to others here) it hasn't been that long, but it feels like it's been forever.

If I have more than 1 BM per day, the pain is excruciating. So I've really been trying to just have 1 a day, which is sometimes really difficult. How do you just have 1 BM per day? Is it possible to control this? I also feel like I have discomfort if I want to pass gas - often I can't tell if I need to go to the bathroom or pass gas - it feels like the same amount of pain to do both. Is this common?

I went to see a CRS after weeks of trying coconut oils, H-Fissure treatment oils, The Alchemist Collection Wound Repair, Super Salve -- I feel like I tried everything. So, he prescribed Diltiazem for me, and I've been using it for about 4 days now. It's definitely relieving in some ways, but I thought that it would heal faster. I've read now that it can take months for this to fully work and one really never knows. If I don't have it on my anus, I can immediately feel it and the pain is stabbing and burning constantly. Are we supposed to put this inside (my doctor didn't say)? I feel like if I put my finger in there just slightly, I can feel the pain and that feels wrong to me...

I play music for a living, and there's a lot of physical and mental pressure there (breathing, sitting, touring, anxieties, etc). Does anyone have suggestions for how to deal with the daily pain?

Thanks to everyone here, and I appreciate the support that this forum offers.

Hi, I m sorry you are in so much pain. Diltiazem is only applied outside. Your bottle should have instructions. You have to be patient. It takes about two weeks for these ointments to relax the muscles and let some blood flow for healing. Don't eat nuts for now. I made that mistake at one point. They don't digest well and little pieces mat scrape the delicate walls of your anal canal and cause additional pain and irritation. Experiment with your food to achieve soft and a little bulky stool that comes out easy. You can take magnesium citrate about 500 mgs devided with meals to make your stool soft. Experiment with the dosage though to make sure not too watery stool. Don't break your diet when you get the right stool consistency because retears are so easy and they will keep setting you back.

Also food like bread, cheese, rice, sugar, chocolate tend to make stool harder. I also tried beans and lentils and the residue was so dense that i kept whiping and i couldnt clean myself.

I'v found putting vaseline on before a BM helped. You can use Diltiazem inside, my CRS told me to put it inside.