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New mom, new member

Postby brittanyb » 01 Feb 2016, 13:26

Hi everyone! First, thanks for the wealth of information that's already here. I've been searching and reading constantly these past few weeks. I am a new mom to a two-month-old baby. I developed an anal fissure about 5 weeks after she was born, as a result of postpartum constipation and one very hard stool. It's been about 4 weeks since then. I have a BM every morning around the same time (7:30) and experience the "shards of glass" feeling and various amounts of blood -- sometimes a lot and sometimes hardly any. I've had a few days where I think I'm healing, just to feel extreme pain and have more bleeding the next day. Ever since this started, I've been eating a perfect diet, no cheating. Just fruits, vegetables, healthy oils (coconut/olive oil and avocados), and some poultry. I also take Colace twice a day, which makes my BMs soft (that toothpaste-like consistency that I've heard is ideal). I do a sitz bath for 20 min 1-2 times a day, after every BM. After reading stories of people who have struggled with fissures for years, I'm starting to get really worried that I'll end up in that situation and I'm feeling pretty hopeless. Here are a few specific questions I have:

1. I read mixed opinions about eating raw v. cooked vegetables. I've been eating a mix of both, but a lot of raw vegetables with hummus and olive oil. I love raw veggies, and to be honest, as a new mom it's hard to find time to cook food and veggies. It's so nice to just grab a handful from the fridge. Is it problematic to eat the vegetables raw? I've heard they don't digest as well and can scrape the fissure -- is that true?

2. I went to a gastroenterologist the other day and she prescribed me Ana-lex (a suppository mix of hydrocortisone and lidocaine). I've been reading that hydrocortisone can actually make fissures worse. Why is this? Should I stop using it? She said the second course of action would be nitroglycerin cream -- should I ask her if I can start on this instead?

3. I just bought some suppository molds, and I'm going to start making suppositories of coconut oil and a few drops of H-Fissures (https://www.amoils.com/anal-fissures.html). Has anyone had success with coconut oil suppositories or with H-Fissures oil?

4. Even though the majority of each stool is that ideal consistency, I'm finding what hurts the most is the initial tip of the stool -- which is fairly hard, considering it's been in there for close to 24 hours. I feel like it's this initial part that keeps retearing me, because once that passes, the pain is gone. Is there any way to get this to soften? I've tried going more than once per day, but I just can't, and I don't want to sit there and strain.

I'm starting to reach my wits end with this, which is maddening since it seems like this could go on for years. I'm trying not to stress, but I live in fear of the pain every day and while I'm trying not to let it keep me from living my life, it's hard to be in constant fear of eating the wrong thing or causing more pain. Plus trying to find the time to care for myself with sitz baths and perfect eating is so difficult with a new baby, and I'm starting to worry about how I'll manage when I go back to work in 3 weeks. Any help, advice, and encouragement is so welcome. Thank you!!
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Re: New mom, new member

Postby Massivechopsticks » 01 Feb 2016, 15:37

I read about the raw versus cooked veggies too and like you, prefer the raw. I've done days of just cooked versus all raw and found absolutely no difference.....sometimes I think eliminating so many things from my diet is a slippery slope......I really don't want to give up one of the few joys in my life and that's food!!!!
Also I was on the same suppositories as well but was told to stop them when I had the Botox injections ( over 2 weeks ago!).....
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Re: New mom, new member

Postby Baileybr » 17 Feb 2016, 14:52

You sound just like me...baby is almost 7 weeks, tear happened at 4.5 weeks. Stools stay soft now tip of the stool opens the tear every time. I'm exactly where you are. Haven't been to a doctor yet. Was hoping since I was bleeding less, I was healing...Maybe not though :(
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Re: New mom, new member

Postby brittanyb » 17 Feb 2016, 16:12

Baileybr -- Oh no! Don't you wish someone had warned us about this?? I had no idea this could happen! I've been meaning to post on here again, but I finally found something that works! I hope it can help you too. I ended up not using the medication from the doctor to give a more natural solution one last try. I made little suppositories using a mini ice cube tray. I mixed coconut oil with a few drops of this essential oil (https://www.amoils.com/anal-fissures.html). I inserted them three times a day and did warm sitz baths with coconut oil 1-2 times a day. The game changer for me was inserting the oil, not just rubbing it on the external area. I also took 2 Colace each day. The first time I had a pain-free BM I was able to go a few more times that day with no pain, which made the next day easier too. It was like I just needed to release the fear to heal all the way (but I needed to get rid of some of the pain to not be so afraid!). I would say I was 75% healed within 3-4 days, and now I'm about 90% healed. I'm down to one Colace per day and I'm able to eat a little bit of "normal" food without worrying (beyond just chicken and veggies). I still have a little bit of pain, but it's so minimal, and theres no bleeding. I hope this is your solution too! Wishing you healing and peace!
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Re: New mom, new member

Postby Baileybr » 17 Feb 2016, 16:21

This is actually my second baby, but I wish I had known this could happen all the same!! Where do I find a mini ice cube tray? You really think the essential oil had that much of an effect? I've been doing coconut oil and no change, but just on the outside. I have been taking fiber gummies and one colace and a ton of water. I'm upping to 2 colace today because I realized that's what I was on immediately after the birth and my stools were what they need to be now. I'll tey the suppositories. Thanks!
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Re: New mom, new member

Postby brittanyb » 17 Feb 2016, 21:52

To be honest, I'm not sure which was actually the main healing agent -- the coconut oil or the essential oil. I'm still using both. I think the big thing that made the difference was actually inserting it. I didn't know until I went to the doctor that the fissure was more internal than external, so everything I applied externally didn't help at all. I used this mini ice cube tray: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00VGR1WRQ/ref ... +cube+tray. The cubes were still too big to use as suppositories, so I cut them into quarters. It looks like this tray might be a better size: http://www.amazon.com/Cubette-Mini-Ice- ... +cube+tray.
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Re: New mom, new member

Postby Mry » 03 Apr 2016, 23:43

I have been there in your shoes and I feel for you. I had my baby in March 2015 and it started 2 weeks later. I dreaded passing bowels. It felt like passing broken glass peices. Child birth was a breeze compared to AF. And I had a natural childbirth after 20 hours of active labor. I saw a colo rectal surgeon who said the fissure should heal with religious sitz bath, soft bowels, and lidocaine cream and warned me that I should keep doing that till it completely heals. I exclusively breastfed my baby. I drank 3+ liters of water every day, did sitz bath and ate lots of veggies specially leafy ones. After couple months, the fissure was gone and neglected sitz. And when it came back, I wanted to kick myself hard for neglecting the doctors instructions. I couldn't bear the pain with out doing hot sitz. So I realized my mistake and got back on track. Now after 4 months, I can say that I am fissure free. But I still eat veggies and drink lots of water. So, be brave and hopeful ladies! There is certainly a solution to this problem without surgery. But please consult a good colo rectal doctor as soon as possible before the sucker gets worse. Good luck!
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Re: New mom, new member

Postby Hopeful1 » 11 Jun 2016, 11:36

Late to the party, but try 2 x dessert spoons of olive oil before breakfast. You're already eating lots of oil which is good. Try upping the quantity?
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Rubber Band Ligation: Spring 2015
Anal Skin Tag Removal: Summer 2015 (missed sentinel pile)
Fissure diagnosed: Aug/Sep 2015
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Re: New mom, new member

Postby brittanyb » 14 Jun 2016, 12:08

Thanks Hopeful1! I will give that a try.
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Re: New mom, new member

Postby brittanyb » 14 Jun 2016, 12:10

Thanks for your encouragement, mry! I'm in the same boat right now. I've been on a 2.5-month streak with no pain and no blood, and just now I had a setback. I've been keeping up with treatments religiously, and it still happened. I feel like I will never be free of this! My doctor said I need to keep up with treatments for several months after I'm "healed" and that it could take up to a year for the muscle to be strong enough to not retear. I feel like I'm starting the whole healing journey over again, and it's the worst. Are you still fissure free? How many months did it take of no symptoms for you to return to normal and not have to worry about all these treatments and perfect eating?
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