So I posted a very long introduction and description of my anal fissure story over in the Introductions forum, but I wanted to get specific with the part of this that's bothering me most. Since developing this fissure, more often than not I feel, when I clench my sphincter muscles (as I would if I were trying to hold in a BM or a toot), like there's something in my anus - as if I pooped and it broke off with just a little piece left inside. I'm sorry to be gross, but that's the only way I can think of to describe it. It doesn't necessarily hurt, although sometimes I feel some pinching in the general area where I believe my fissure to be, but I don't know what it is. I've inspected and don't see anything. I've had hemorrhoids and they didn't really feel like this. I have to assume it's swelling, but of course my health anxiety has got me convinced that it's a tumor. It's not ALL of the time, but much of it. Sometimes it feels like a big chunk of something, other times I can barely sense it. Sometimes all I have to do is pull the cheeks apart and adjust and it feels better. And I don't feel it when I'm relaxed, only when I'm clenching, but of course now I'm paranoid and clenching all the time just to see if it's still there.

Has anyone experienced this? As I noted in my introductory post, I recently had to switch primary care physicians and can't get in to see my new one until September. This has been going on for a month on and off (more on than off). Any ideas what it could be?

Just replied in the other thread. I would say that you might have internal hemmeroids. When you have a BM. They can poke out and then recede back into the anal canal. It can make it feel like there is something stuck. External hemmaerroids do not usual cause pain. This in combination with a fissure can cause the entire area to be swollen and irritated. I suggest you make an appointment with a CRS rather then seeing a GP. Most GP aren't very helpful back there. Good luck

Hi there!
I have the same feeling as you're describing, and during my last exam, my CRS told me i had internal hemmies, BUT i've had those for years, and i've never felt it like i can feel them now. She said swelling may come and go, so i think thats the main problem. It's probobly not a tumor, but you should get it checked out to put your mind at rest;)
Best of luck to you!

Yes, have the same. And I think from all the irritation form all the time that I have had this problem, it has irritated the rectal passage.

When my fissure was fairly new it often felt like I had a cork/ golf ball stuck up there...... Very odd. I think it must be mixed signals from all the raw nerves ??

Thanks for the replies I have to say it feels much better today. Then again, it felt much better for several days until Saturday, so I'm trying not to get too excited! But it is a relief after the last few days of discomfort. Although - after reading many of these posts, I'm grateful to have what I now realize are pretty minor complaints. I can't believe some of the pain and suffering some of you have been through! My heart goes out to you.

I wish I could bypass my GP and go right to a CRS, but unfortunately my insurance won't cover it if I do that and I can't afford the hundreds of dollars I'd most likely be charged if I made the appointment without a referral. I am going to call my new GP today, explain what's going on and see if she can't fit me in sooner. When I made the initial appointment I believed I was on the road to recovery so I didn't mention the fissure, although I planned to ask about at it at my appointment if I was still experiencing symptoms. Maybe if I tell her what's going on, she'd be willing to squeeze me in. She's also an internist, so I'm hoping she might have a better grasp of the situation than your typical general practitioner would. One can hope, right?

Again, thanks for the replies and advice. My mind's a bit eased, as far as the tumor thing goes