I think about 6 years. I had who I thought was a wonderful Urologist treating me until she discharged me (unexpectedly) as a patient in December of last year. It wasn't long after that I got the fissure. I knew things were tightening up. I pleaded with her to treat me as I think it will persist until my anismus is addressed but she won't talk to me. The physio I was seeing (who works with her) said that my pelvic floor was fine and that I didn't need the botox. I am still so upset about it all as I know I wouldn't be in the situation if they would have just listened to me. Anismus/pelvic floor dysfunction is functional and cannot always be palpated when laying on a table.

To make matters worse, I finally found another Doctor to do the botox but she did the wrong muscles and now I can hardly poop and feel like I have to all the time. It's hard to explain but when your pelvic floor is really relaxed and not the sphincters, it just kind of sits there. Not good for a fissure. So I basically have to resign myself to the fissure not getting better, and maybe even worse until this round of botox wears off. Then I have to decide what to do...Anyway, rant over. Sorry...

No worries... Rant on; we are all here for that.

Wait... You suffered from pelvic floor dysfunction for 6 years before you got help? Or did you mean that you have been suffering for a total of 6 years. Have you tried any other treatments (physical therapy)?

I can definitely relate to what you have gone through.. I've been in pain and all the doctors have told me is that there is nothing there. They haven't done any tests to determine what is the source of my pain... Just referred me to physical therapy. I'm confused you know? First a fissure, then it healed but continue to have pain etc... Very frustrating condition e to have.

Yes, it was a long 6 years of agony. I thought the hemmies came back as it started after the surgery. It's like my body never forgot that pain. My pain was so similar to what you describe. My butthole just burned...to the point I couldn't walk without the knives bringing me to my knees. No Doctor could find anything until one did a rectal exam and palpated my levator ani and then I was diagnosed. My muscles were so tight that physio did not work for me. I moved back to my hometown as I learned of a Doctor that did botox injections and they really helped with the pain. Sadly, they do cause me pain initially after an injection though. Like right now. I am sure the burning, pulling pain I am having is also due to the muscles adapting and not just my fissure (although I'm sure the fissure is contributing a lot). I can hardly walk around now but I know it will get better as my body adapts. I don't know if everyone experiences this with botox but it seems logical to me that it can cause at least some issues as it upsets the balance of the body.

My doctor told me since I am getting treatment soon (6 months of suffering) that I have a better chance of having my issues resolved with one or two rounds of Botox injections. You waited a long time! My friend suffered for 10 years before she got help, she was diagnosed with PN (pedental neuralgia?).. So it's harder for the brain to forget pain when you've suffered for so long with it.

That's true, definitely the sooner the diagnosis and help the better the prognosis. Oh I didn't wait. I looked long and hard and there just wasn't anything out there for help. Nobody knew what was wrong! Now I have the fissure to bring it all back

once you have bum issues you never forget... I have bathroom/ a** issues (bathroom anxiety) since I got hemorrhoids 6 years ago during my pregnancy... I don't like to push hard because they might come back and the surgery was so painful, i'll never forget those spasms; my whole body would shake because the pain was so intense. I'm scarred for life; I never wanted to get pregnant again because the hemmy's might come back. When I found out I was pregnant, I cried my eyes out, i could not imagine going through that surgery again. After my second pregnancy I got a fissure and now a pelvic floor dysfunction! Isn't life grand...

Wow, me too! I have so much anxiety about going #2. It used to be mostly in the morning though at least, but now with the fissure I am all over the place. All day I worry about when I will have to go again. And now I have to worry about the fissure too! Things were so much better for me when I could go internally and work on my muscles but with the fissure I can't even go in there let alone stretch things. How did you heal your fissure?

PN= pudendal neuralgia-which is a controversial diagnosis (according to some docs) that is irritation/compression of the pudendal nerve. Did your friend get help for this?

Did you have physiotherapy internally?

I healed my fissure with Nifedipine, hot sit bath and not eating much Yes my friend is getting help from the same Chronic doctor that I just met a few weeks ago. I have done physical therapy for the last 3 months, the therapist touches my muscles vaginally, the last 2 sessions she has done it rectally. The Chronic Pain Specialist Doctor, touched my muscles vaginally and said that my muscles are so tight that it is causing me minor tiny fissures with bowel movements. But I am wondering how many other people on here who have a chronic fissure also have tight muscles; they get treated as a fissure problem not as a pelvic floor problem. How am I supposed to know which is my real problem, the tight sphincter, or tight muscles.