I've had an ongoing fissure since October, so for 3 months now. It's on right side. I've been using Nifedipine/Lidocaine, applying them just inside the anus seems to have helped a bit, or so I thought, as far as pain, but still having setbacks & am confused about another issue..

A week ago, I started feeling very ill, low-grade fever, and got this soreness/ache from what felt like deep inside anal area. It throbbed & it was hard for me to sit in one place for long. I went to ER, they felt of area outside said no evidence of any mass. I had an inflamatory polyp removed from that area in March of 13, but the CRS said he got it all, & I know it takes years for new ones to grow, so doubt it was a polyp..

This sensation of throbbing lasted for 5 days or so, then went away, along with the low grade fever, & ill feeling. The fissure even seemed to improve, had relatively painless BMs the last few days, no bleeding. But as far as that ache, don't abscesses usually NOY just disappear on their own? So maybe it wasn't an abscess but an infected gland or something? Puzzled.

But today, had a soft BM, but still had bleeding. I'm so sick of this. So is the bleeding probably from the fissure still not fully healed, or is it possible it could be from something else? I have had numerous rectal exams the last year, colonoscopy in March of 13, & a scope in July of 13 & December of 13. The December scope showed the fissure, but nothing else, so is this continued bleeding probably from the fissure? My big fear is that maybe I have some hidden rectal tumor or something, but don't colonoscopies usually detect that?

I went to ER again today because I am worried about continued bleeding, even when the pain isn't there, the optimist in me tries to tell me that the reduced pain with BMs is a good sign, the bleeding notwithstanding, but even a bit of blood is scary. I had to leave the ER today without seeing a doc, I sat there for 5 hours, and it got too late for me to stay so I'll just go back in a day or two if bleeding persists. CRS told me to give the fissure 2-3 months to heal, am pushing that now, really want to get this over with. I also have low-grade HPV, so I am hoping the bleeding isn't from that.

Tell us what else you are doing to treat this fissure besides Nifedipine/Lidocaine. Natural healing, at least for me, required nitro for a time and dietary changes.

Hi AlexP, I am experiencing the same thing and I too am quite confused! For the past 2 weeks my pain levels have decreased substantially - I am no longer having spasms or that deep burning feeling, just some slight stinging and slight pain on BM, but I am also bleeding around 90% of the time. It's driving me crazy as I don't know whether I am actually healing or not.

I started on Rectogesic and movicol 3 days ago, but other than that all I had been doing was upping my fibre and water intake, using vaseline before a BM and using aloe vera gel just after. I have had my AF since my son was born 6 months ago so unfortunately it is chronic, but Im hopeful it will heal...

Any advice would be appreciated, although the way I see it a reduction in pain could only be a good thing AlexP! Maybe the AF is starting to heal and the bleeding is coming from the tear but more superficially? Or am I being too optimistic? Lol

Natural healing of an AF takes time and patience, although that's hard to come by when it feels like you are pooping broken brick shards. I finally lost the dread of the next BM after 3 months of nitro, Metamucil fiber, ground flax seed, Miralax (same as Movicol), vasoline pre-lube, and lots of water. I never bled that much but would have red spots on the toilet paper sporadically for the first nine months. Now, 18 months later, I don't think much about it but am religious with the same Metamucil, Miralax, flax seed, and water. There is hope!

Hi there AlexP and Mummy88,

I am two months into this anal fissure business. There have been good days and bad days, two re-tears. I would go straight up two weeks absolutely pain-free, then would have a slightly harder BM, causing some damage again. I have researched enough over this topic (we all have!) to be able to conduct an LIS myself (lol!) so I can give some advice. I would say that those absolutely two pain-free weeks have a hope in themselves. So if you are having pain and bleeding on and off, let me tell you: THERE IS STILL HOPE!

First answering AlexP:

The throbbing pain that you are mentioning is DEFINITELY from the fissure. However, it does not mean that it is too bad. The thing is, that our sphincter muscle is full of nerves. Therefore, it causes IMMENSE pain even though the fissure is usually not deep. The slightest irritation might give you pain that would cause you to think that you have completely re-tore your fissure, but that is not usually the case. It is just the extremely pain-causing nerves over there which do that.

Now answering both AlexP and Mummy88:

About that bleeding, it may look like you bled your intestines out. However, do not panic! Because that might be just a drop or two that you lost. It obviously looks like more because it gets dropped into the toilet water and spreads. So do not worry about that bleeding and pain, (though it might be quiet hard to do so) as long as you are keeping your stools soft and sticking to the strict fissure diet regimen (water, fiber intake, etc). Ultimately, one day, God Willing it will heal :)

Hope this helps. Happy healing!