Hi all, I'm here because I've about had it with the misery that comes with AF. This all began about 6 months ago or so, I went to the bathroom had a bowel movement and automatically noticed a little blood on the tissue and then a really bad pain down there. Had my boyfriend look and sure enough there was the evil little tear. At first I thought it was maybe just a hard stool that had caused the issue and maybe this is all just eating related but I try to get the daily intake of fiber, I try to drink enough water and I'm not super active as far as working out but I do try.

I have been to my GP and she basically was just like okay? You have a hemorrhoid & fissure & you'll be fine. Wasn't really helpful or reassuring. I've convinced her after these seem to be keep happening to finally send me to a GI. From the photos I've seen online mine are not as severe as some I've seen. It will seem as though the AF is healing but sure enough its back. I should also note this seems to happen at the same location every single month so I've thought that maybe its possible its closing up but not actually healing. I have been having to keep myself lubed down there with Vaseline and generally that works but if I somehow forget or can't the rip happens over again. I have also seemed to notice this happens a lot around my menstrual cycle as I am a female.

I'll be seeing the GI soon so I hope I'll get some answers, but from past experience is there really anything that can be done to prevent these awful things? Is there certain things I should be doing that will ensure they go away. This never use to be an issue for me and now its an every month occurrence it seems.

Thanks everyone!

I don't know much about prevention regarding the menstrual cycle but am bumping your thread so maybe someone can help you.

Thanks! I'm not saying it is related it just seems it always happens around that time so thought there is something to it but maybe not.

You only mention pain the one time after a BM? Are you in pain after a BM each time, or is it just something that happens each month and then blows over? to the forum, by the way. Not somewhere you really want to be, but glad you found us!

I assumed the pain was a given, when it rips I can feel and know automatically it has ripped. Depends on how severe the rip is to how bad the pain is. Sometimes the pain is like 8/10 sometimes its 4/10. It just depends, it mostly only bothers me during bowel movements. I got this one on the 4th of this month and its now the 8th and the rip itself looks to be closed and you can't see it anymore. So my fissures are closing up and I suppose healing but the problem is that if I don't continue to stay lubed it rips. My stool is perfectly fine, soft and not hard not to big, so what I believe is happening to me is that I basically have scar tissue that is extremely vulnerable and I have no idea what to do about it. I do also note I think the rip is happening on top of a minor external hemorrhoid. As I mentioned its been a struggle just to get referral from my GP so I'm just now getting to see a GI about some stomach happenings on the 2nd of Dec and I plan to bring up the fissure issue and see if they have anything to say and go from there.

I reworded my question, sorry about that

What I was trying to say was are you experiencing pains that are spasm like after a BM, because if you're not, that is a step in the right direction. I think it's good that you're seeing a GI, just so they can do a check up. Just make sure you ask the doctor to be very gentle in examining you as you do not want to agravate it further.

Hemorrhoids are very common; we all get them. If the GI recommends having the hemorrhoids removed, think carefully about this. One of the most painful surgeries you can have ... And they usually come back at some time. Been there...

What does experiencing spasms after a bowel movement mean? I don't believe I am, the only pain I can feel is just the discomfort from the rip and again the most of my pain comes from during the actual bowel movement, then of course I still feel a little sting from the fissure after I'm done but I go take a sitz bath and everything is alright from there.

On the hemorrhoid thing I totally know all about that and have reads tons of stuff about how even if they remove them they can and usually will come straight back. I just don't know what to do at this point I feel helpless cause I can manage the fissure but every single month is getting annoying. This isn't suppose to be how normal people manage expelling waste.

Spasms after a BM with an anal fissure are excruiating, and I am not underestimating the pain. They beat childbirth any day. If you can imagine the pain of waking in the night with a cramp in your calf, this gives you an idea and this can go on for hours after you've been to the toilet. It reduces grown men to tears (including a marine who used to came on here, by the name of wecc)...so, I kid you not, you would know if you had spasms...

We have a great search on here, by the way. Try using that too for specifics you're looking for, so see above (between FAQ and Portal), just under the information about the forum. There you can search by Topic, and other ways, which makes finding posts much easier. Ignore the search on the right as it is not as thorough.  

Well I've never had a child so def can't compare but nope I do not have anything like that what so ever. It may sort of feel like its throbbing for a second but its extremely minor and again when I do the sitz everything feels way better afterwards and I may sort of have very minor I'm talking like 0.5/10 pain for the initial day but otherwise I'm good.

My issue as I mentioned is this thing closes up and everything seems okay, it can't be seen anymore I don't feel discomfort anymore and everything is fun and going great but then next month comes around and I've noticed its always within a week or so of my menstrual period and the rip comes straight back on the very same spot it was the month before. There is a hemorrhoid there that flares up off and on and it seems to be right directly where the hemorrhoid is. So my guess is that the skin is weak there and it's just a never ending cycle. I should also note the only thing I have been doing to treat this all this time is attempting to eat correctly, drink enough water, take Ibuprofen on and off for pain as needed & sitz baths. I have no tried any type of laxatives or stool softeners etc because I was afraid to do so without a doctor's advice, I have hypothyroidism and I'm not sure if those types of medicines can have an effect on them or not so I'm just hoping this GI or someone can tell me what I need to do to help it heal up once and for all so I can get along with life again and not expect this every month.