Hi all - I just have to say first how grateful I am for all your shared posts. I've been dealing with a chronic AF for 2 years and have only just felt closer to healing this blasted thing since finding this forum and trying out different advice.

It took me awhile to get into see a specialist (I'm in Canada). I was prescribed dilitiazem but it gave me a rash. Then he switched me to nitro cream and that helped, along with a higher fibre diet. The problem still remained though, because despite my diet giving me softer BMs, the tip was always hard and kept the fissure 'active' so to say. Thanks to you all, I switched to Restoralax/Miralax, increased my water intake, and now things are feeling better. So I still have the fissure but the pain/bleeding has been significantly reduced.

Just recently, after reading more posts, I thought I'd try polysporin (maybe neosporin in the US?). I got the one with 3 antibiotics + lidocaine for pain relief. I can't believe it! This is the best I've been in 2 years! I have the occasional bleed but VERY minimal (a spot or two on tissue) and it's happening less and less. Pain is almost non-existent.

Here's my butt routine:
- morning sitz bath after BM
- apply polysporin
- I'm also very active and apply vaseline to the area before any significant activity. I've actually felt the fissure rip during activity in the past
- post work sitz bath
- apply polysporin
- take restoralax/miralax
- apply nitro ointment before bed
- drink lots of water all day
- balanced diet w/fibre (but not too much!)

Still waiting to see how this progresses, but things are going well so far. Like a lot of us on here, I also have skin tags that are a nuisance. My doc won't remove them as it's considered cosmetic and also risky for healing. But hey, one step at a time.

Thanks again for all your support

Hi Lin_2010,

Welcome to the forum! It is a GREAT source of information and support!

I am also Canadian! I live in Montreal:) Where are you from ?

Like you, I had a chronic AF for two years and after exhausting all options without true healing I had a LIS surgery two weeks ago. It was a game changer for me ...I have not felt this good in years.

Hey Tatie! I'm in Halifax :). The gen surg I saw did give that and botox as options, but I thought I'd try the nitro cream first. I'm giving myself a couple more months to try & heal, but not too long before the 1 year mark of the referral. Not sure if Quebec is the same, but in NS if we don't see the specialist again in over a year, you have to go through the referral process again.

Did you have any skin tags & removal of those as well?

Lin_2010,

I am from New Brunswick:) But living in Montreal. My sister is in Halifax :) I LOVE N.S.! I will probably retire there.

My colorectal surgeon here told me that Nifedipine applied four times per day for 12 weeks heals 70% of patients ...although recurrence is common even after healing. I tried the 12 weeks, yet still was not healed. We discussed botox...he is not a fan but some people here have healed with that treatment. The LIS heals 98% of patients ...and the 2% left over need a 2nd LIS because of muscular stenosis ( I unfortunately was very tight...but so far so good with ONE LIS). I had a skin tag removed, yes. It was very small.

A few breaths in the O.R. and I woke up fixed. The pain overall was never more than 4/10 and that was only the first three days. Overall recovery has been smooth.

Definitely try Nitro because many patients heal on that as well. Looks like you are doing all of the ther things required for healing in terms of diet/ sitz/miralax etc...

It's a tough ride for sure :/ You will find an amazing support group here :)

Nice to online meet another East Coaster :) Sending you healing vibes !

Thanks, Tatie! And I'm glad to hear things are going well post surgery so far!

I've been wanting to try topical antibiotics for a while and this post made me go get Neosporin. I'm in the last stretch of healing from a fissure that started in late May and I was feeling stuck in a place where the open wound has closed but the wound site continued to feel swollen/tender/hurt to the touch.
I have no way of proving cause & effect but the improvement is almost immediate (in just 2 days). Thank you!!!!

Hey appleapple! I actually just posted to your message thread and am only now seeing this! The same happened to me...the change was almost immediate!!! I can't believe it to be honest. Keep me posted...I'm really happy it's working for you as well!

Lin - Do you still experience any sensation/discomfort down there when passing stool? I still experience some unpleasant feelings (hard to explain, not exactly passing glass, imagine applying a lot of pressure to bruises). And today I went in for a six-week checkup and when the doctor tried to examine my butt and do a digital examination, I still feel quite a bit of pain (not enough to send me screaming, like the last time I saw him, but enough to make me cringe and wince badly).

As long as I keep up my miralax/restoralax up in order to have soft BMs, the pain has pretty much gone away over the last 2 weeks. That being said, I forgot to take it yesterday and had a harder BM today. I experienced some discomfort / small-ish sharp pains, but no bleeding. For me though, this is still a sign of healing as bleeding has almost always been part of the package for me. I'm wondering if healing is just a really really long process? I'm going to follow your lead and just stay on the miralax even after I get the sense things are normal.

An update here: The past 2 weeks have been good still. One day only I had a little bit of bleeding after a larger but soft BM, but no pain at all. It seems I need to be consistent in when I take Restoralax/Miralax. Constipation was never an issue before all of this and I had regular morning BMs. With the restoralax, if I take it around dinner time, my morning BM is soft enough that it gives my fissure a break. But if I forget and take it late at night, I find my BM not as soft by morning.

Anyway with this and the polysporin (honestly I still can't believe this is working as well as it is), I feel like this is the first stretch of time I've had relaxed BMs without the stress of the fissure causing pain/bleeding. Fingers crossed!