by Scientist2516 » 03 Mar 2014, 17:28
Hi Heidi,
The two drugs have similar effects -they are both supposed to relax your anal sphincter and the blood vessels. Relaxing these muscles will increase blood supply to the anus to promote healing, and relaxing the sphincter will help prevent the painful spasms.
Nifedipine is a calcium channel blocker. Diltiazem is a sort of cousin of nifedipine - it is also a calcium channel blocker. When calcium can't enter the muscle, the muscle cannot contract.
Nitroglycerine also relaxes muscle, but does so by blocking a different pathway. It is far better absorbed than the calcium-channel blockers. Hence, it enters the bloodstream and can even relax blood vessels in the brain, causing headaches in some people.
My own experience was that nifidipine did nothing for me, diltiazem did help the spasms but I was allergic to it. Nitroglycerine was both helpful and non-allergenic for me. I luckily did not get headaches from it.
If the nifedipine stinging and burning gets worse, or if you get a rash, stop using it immediately and request one of the other drugs. Also, if you think it's ineffective, ask for a different drug.
It's possible you are allergic to the carrier cream, rather than the nifedipine, so if you think the nif. is doing you good you could ask for a different formulation. Mine was in a vaseline-like carrier. Is your nif. in a nifedipine/lidocaine combination? Because I found that lidocaine was burning, so I stopped using it.
Those are just some ideas that I hope will help.
Nifedipine/lidocaine, no help
Diltiazem, effective, but caused major rash
Nitroglycerine, effective.
Topical estrogen for final healing.
Gentle heat to bottom - pain relief, muscle relaxant
Kondremul mineral oil
Time - lots of time.
Status - Healed!