I am new to this forum. I am so happy to have found it though. For weeks I thought I was alone and that no one has these AF problems. Ever since I had my 5 year old, I have had issues with the BM’s at times. Sometimes they hurt, sometimes I was so constipated I felt like I tore things down there from straining. But it always healed.
As of January this year I have been having some troubles. I asked my doc and without examining me she gave me proctocedyl suppositories. I never ended up using them because for 2 months things were good. Then mid March, I started having excruciating pain, and bleeding. I ended up using the proctocedyl suppositories for 2 weeks and no help. I had hydrocortisone cream, which hazel, sit baths couple of times a day and no relief. I did have a few times where I didn’t have to have ibuprofen after a BM, but that is not often.
My family doctor looked at it and said I have an external thrombosed hemorrhoid and that I should continue with the sitz baths and it will fall off on its own. I thought great! Yeah right…
One week later after crying with BM’s and almost hyperventilating trying to convince myself to go to the bathroom, I went to another doc who said its most likely a fissure and gave me diltiezam. I used that for almost 2 weeks and no relief. Then was referred to a general surgeon. I saw him two days ago and he gace me nitro. I have been using it twice a day, and today I will try three times, it gives me a headache. The dose says one inch of the cream but I can only handle half an inch. And the cream makes that area unbearably itchy for a bit.
I am waiting to get an appointment to a well rated CRS here in Alberta. That will most likely happen first week of June. I am ok to wait because he has very good ratings.
I have changed my diet, and drink 2-3 L of water a day, I take Benefibre in the am, stool softener Colace in the evening. Almost gluten free and dairy free. The only dairy is with coffee sometimes. I still have to strain at times. The general surgeon has suggested to get it so soft that it literally comes out on tis own but I cant ever remember going to the bathroom like this. I’ve always had to push it out a tiny bit.
I am most likely going to be a candidate for LIS but I am so scared that it wont help me or that I will have incontinence after. I have had two vag births, episiotomies with both that healed well.
I am very regular, I have a BM every morning as soon as I get up. And then I pray that I don’t have one till the next day. I have a skin tag on the anterior portion, and a sentinel pile on the posterior side. That’s what my doc thought was a hemorrhoid. The pain has been better during the day for the last 24 hours, but when I go to do my Kegel’s I feel like I am pulling on something inside my rectum.
I am away for the last 2 weeks in May, I am staying on a campus for school. I was able to secure a suite versus a dorm room so I can have my own bathroom since my bum has to have a facial three times a day. J
For any of you that have used nitro, how long did you use it before you started to have a normal BM and pain free? I hope that I don’t have to have LIS but if I do then I do….
Thank you to everyone that has any thoughts. I am sorry for the long post, I just wanted to explain my story.

Cheers!