Hi everyone, am a new mom just had my son 3 weeks ago and since then am in a lot pain, it all started when I got constipated after delivery and I passed a hard stool , it felt like a shredded glass and the then the agony started in couldn't sit. Stand, sleep or even feed my baby. Went to the obgyn she did rectal exam and didn't know what I have. Then went to the ER the did another painful exam and then said it's hemorrhoids they gave me a pain medication and keflex antibiotics and hydrocortisone suppositories I used them along with sitz bath with warm water and salt and then I applied desitin rash cream as I read it helps to keep the area dry, am not gonna lie the swelling around the rectum went down a bit and other could pass a stool but the pain still there. I went to a GI doctor and he scheduled me for a flex scope I did it on Monday and what he told is it have a fissure internal and internal hemorrhoids and I have a tear from the outside, then he prescribed me a nitroglycerin cream to get from the compound pharmacy and apply it internally twice a day. I got it and I use it once in the morning after a bowel and once before bed , now I tried to be on a high fiber diet so I ate a serving of fiber one cereal for breakfast with almond milk and I toke prune I also take colace stool softener 3 times a day but and I drink 5 to 6 16oz water bottles a day and still have a hard stool in the morning, so am thinking that fiber ceral is doing it for me and am gonna do a low fiber diet until this thing is fixed. The problem now is the pain am having after an hour or two from the bowl is very bad and very painful even if passing the stool wasn't as hard. And I only can use the cream twice a day. What can I do, Like today morning my husband put the cream for me and went to work then I had the urge to go and it was not bad after it for 2 hours and then the pain started and it was awful, and no her to help me with the cream and I don't know if I should put now or not, and I can't sit in the tub as there is no one to care for the baby. What do u guys do to relief the pain or if you call it spasm when they happen. And do they go away after the fissure is treated, and how long does it take for fissure to heal ? And what do you guys think of the low fiber diet? And what is the best way to use the nitro cream after or before a bowl movment ?Please help me am confused and in a lot pain .

to the forum. Glad you found us too, even though this is not the place you would really choose to be... And so sorry you're in such pain when you should be enjoying your new baby.

I can only suggest a few things:

Don't put the nitro inside. It can quite easily get into the blood stream from being applied to the outside of your bum, without subjecting yourself to extra pain.

Do you have a Sitz Bath that fits on the toilet bowl? Much the best. Also, if it helps, poop in the water, but empty straight away. If you are in the US, the best Sitz bath is Rite Aid's one.

Don't overdo the fiber. Only about 25g a day. And drink lots of water, especially as you're breast feeding.

Miralax is very good, better than Colace. Lots of posts on here about that. Use the search between FAQ and Portal below the birdie pic to search. Best one.

It takes about six to eight weeks for the nitro to work, so keep at it. Just OUTSIDE though. Don't know why these docs say put it inside so you can go through even more pain.

Feel free to come and rant!! We know exactly how you feel.

Also, don't use anything but water to soak, and don't put too many other creams on your bum. I only used Vaseline on mine. Don't rub after you've had a BM. I used sterile dressing to dab - wet, of course.

Thank you so much, for taking the time to reply, I have a question does those spasms I get after bowl movement that stays for hours , will go away after the fissure heals because those are the most painful part , and when u get them how can I relief them quick so I can care for the baby, I feel like a paralyzed person when I have them and been trying to look online for them but I had no luck?

The spasms are, sadly, the sign of an Anal Fissure. What it is is that the internal sphincter, which we cannot control, goes into a wretched spasm!! Like having a cramp in your calf, but as we all know, much bloody more painful.

I wish I could say how to relieve them quickly. I went on for ages with it, until I did dilation. A lot of people have surgery but I am one who did not. Soaking in Sitz bath helped me too. Also, I was given a very low dose of a muscle relaxant which helped me to sleep at night.

So the spasm won't go away after the fissure heals?

Tota8471 - my spasms did go away after my fissure mostly healed and after some time....there is a good likelihood that if you follow a strict regimen and your fissure heals that you will also rid yourself of the spasms.

Best,
Canadabum

Canadabum, can you tell me your experience with the fissure like how long it took you to heal, and what did you do for haeling, and did the,spasms go by themselves or did you do dilation or surgery?

No surgery or dilation. While I have been told I am healed and have little pain - I do experience blood once a month it seems...so no spasm or pain but clearly I am not 100% and I still have what I would call an awareness that something is not 100% down there.
Check out my various posts in two threads - one called "6 months...what to do" and in the diary section called "11 months and counting". I detail all my adventures!
Basically I used diet, cream, heat, time and lots of support from family to get through the worst of it.

Oh yah...and miralax!