So long story short, I developed what I assume is an anal fissure about 2 weeks ago now. The first few days, I felt like I was forcing glass through the back end, and it was a bloody, painful, horrible experience each time. For hours afterwards, I was in pain and literally did not want to exist. About one week ago, I finally cut all crap food from my diet, switched to a mostly fiber-only diet (only eating soft foods though, IE: brown rice, veggies, fruits, occasional whole-grain pasta, etc.), began applying coconut oil to the outside of my bum roughly 3-4 times daily, taking 20-minute baths with coconut oil mixed in once to twice daily, taking 3 stool softeners a day (1 with each main meal - if you can even call anything in my current diet a "meal", and drinking an ungodly amount of water throughout the day.

Now that you have the history, here is the current dilemma. The nightmarish pain of sitting on the loo and everything after seems to have minimized after these changes. I still get a slight sting/irritation when I go in the morning (I've been going every day at pretty much the exact same time. Anywhere between 8 and 9 am) and I think the primary reason for this is that the first part of my BM is harder than the rest. It seems when I first get going, the initial...log is somewhat harder, and causing irritation. The other 3/4 of my BM is completely smooth and falls out with no effort or discomfort.

My question is this: Is this normal? And are there ways to avoid this happening (minus using the loo twice a day)? I feel like I'm on a good track towards healing and overcoming this, but that initial stage of BMing is creating a standstill for me. I haven't noticed any blood in probably 5-6 days, and the pain is not ungodly, but I still experience irritation when and after I go. The irritation after seems to be more of an internal "ache" than anything else, and it's better the more I move around. If I'm sitting doing nothing, it can be quite irritating.

Also, in regards to the coconut oil. I have thought about rolling some of the stuff into an suppository-shaped object and putting them in the freezer so that they harden somewhat and don't melt right when I touch it. Would there be any benefit to this? I've just been applying it externally and putting it in my bath water, but I'm not sure how much this is actually helping.

Thank you for all your help! This damn thing is the most uncomfortable thing I have ever been through, but it's comforting to know that I am not completely alone in this.

Hi Merples, welcome to the forum. Ah yes, the dreaded "plug effect". The oldest part of the stool is the hardest and driest. Search "Plug effect" to see what other people do. Going twice a day would help, but would also be more trauma for your anus. A stool softener could help.
I didn't really have this, but I've read other peoples' accounts. So go and search, see what you can find.

Overall it does sound as though you are improving really fast, so well done with the diet and other changes. I'm afraid that healing can take a really long time. Don't be surprised if you do well and then have a set back. Hopefully set backs will be milder and less frequent as time goes on. Be patient, and don't get too frustrated if you have a bad day.

Other people have used coconut oil suppositories, just as you describe, putting it in the freezer. Go easy though - I tried it, and found it quite irritating when I put it inside. However, others have found it helpful, so it really depends on the person. I hope it helps you.

good luck!

I had the plug effect as well too. But it miralax helps minimizing that effect so if you want, you can give it a try. It works for me.

Thanks for the replies! Quick update:

Yesterday I had a "setback" and experienced a little...straining, shall we say? Again, first part of my session was harder than the rest, but this time it seemed to completely irritate and bring all of the long-lasting pain back. I now understand the value of the phrase "Knock on wood".Coincidentally, I had a doctor's appointment yesterday for something completely unrelated, and I figured I'd just mention this current dilemma while I was there. I went through all the shameful embarrassment of having to bend over and have the doctor stick his finger in a not so fun place (he wanted to make sure it wasn't cancer related), and I'm pretty sure he just irritated it even more when he did, but I don't regret bringing it up. He gave me some ointment and sent me on my way.

So after I went to work and was able to make it about two hours in before the pain became so crippling that I had to leave for the day (this coming from a guy who has never called in sick). So, came back home (picked some epsom salts up on the way just to try something new), took a hot sitz bath, and applied some of the ointment that my Doctor gave me. The pain seemed to immediately disappear and I made it the rest of the day pain-free.

I also picked some Miralax up from the store last night based on the recommendation here, and while it did give me diarrhea, it was a much more comfortable experience with much less pain. I took the recommended dose right before bed, so tonight I think tonight I'll lower the dose and see if I can avoid the diarrhea next time.

Anyhoo, thanks again peeps! This is such a horrible experience. I can't believe how debilitating and life-consuming it can be. It's nice having people around who understand and can help each other through it heh.

I'm glad that miralax relived some of your pain when you have a bm! I take about half of the full dosage. But if I know I will have breakfast or early lunch then I will take a little bit more than half of the dosage. Hope you get better soon!

I find magnesium softens the whole stool and I don't have the hard starting point.