Sitz bath question

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Sitz bath question

Postby Luka » 09 Jul 2016, 11:18

This may seem like a dumb question, but are you supposed to fit your whole butt into those sitz baths made to fit on the toilet? Or do you just hover over the edge? I tried to use one and my hips are too wide to fit my butt into it and it was really uncomfortable. : ( Do I just fit the water high enough so that it reaches the anus? I might just have to use my mom's tub if I can't figure out how to sit comfortably on it. Do any of you use a tub or do you just use the sitz bath for the toilet?

Also, how hot does the water need to be? It seems like really hot water just irritates the fissure more and even causes muscle spasms to increase in my case, so I'm guessing you want it to be warm to very warm, but not hot.

Thanks everyone. Really struggling. My fissure is the worst it's ever been since it started in 2012 and I'm struggling to hang in there. : ( I just want to die sometimes, I really do. This has taken so much out of me. I have doctors appointments, but have to wait until next month. Getting diarrhea, too, because my IBS and nerves are flaring up. Just feeling hopeless and lost. : (
January 2013 - Diagnosed with fissure. Eventually turned chronic.
History of IBS and anxiety disorder, along with fear of using bathrooms other than my own caused it.
Tried Diltiazem, but eventually developed a rash.
LIS surgery scheduled August 26th.
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Re: Sitz bath question

Postby Mypoorbutt » 09 Jul 2016, 13:03

Hi luka,
I have quite wide hips and can't really get comfortable on a sitz bath so I use the tub...but when I don't have time I just put the shower head on the area for 2 to 5 mins and that helps a bit.
Trust me I know where you are coming from fissures are the worst pain I have ever had...I have had children no pain relief had kidney stones and dislocated knees all pale into insignificance when compared to the fissures. No one should have to live with that pain don't feel bad that your struggling it would be strange if you weren't.
I too have IBS and could sometimes go 10/20 times a day nothing really worked to slow it down especially if I was stressed.... I have just started psyllium husk and it has really helped I now only go once or twice a day, with a flare up maybe once a week or so. Perhaps you could give that a try. Also if you don't get constipated then you could try codeine based pain killers and maybe even loperamide but if you can get constipated go slowly with these. I use all of these to some degree, but I have never been constipated so that's not a worry for me
Do you have any cream like GTN that you could apply...if not any doc can prescribe it if they know you have fissures.
I have just had Botox and am starting to feel the effects but have to have LIS in the winter as my fissures is really long and deep.
Please keep going it does get better it really does...I know in the middle of the agony it sometimes feels like it will never end but it will try to stay strong you can do this
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Re: Sitz bath question

Postby Luka » 09 Jul 2016, 13:58

Thank you mypoorbutt for the quick reply. Do you use a shower head with a hose (where you can spray any area) or do you just use a regular shower head? I only have a regular shower head, not a detachable one. I think I will just end up using the tub, even though it's in my mom's bathroom and not my own. It's inconvenient, but I don't have any other choice and it looks like most sitz baths are not made any wider than the one I have.

I did try Metamucil for a bit, but found it didn't help the loose stool issue and made me a bit constipated in the mornings. So, I stopped using it. I tend to fluctuate sometimes between harder stools in the morning and loose stools later in the morning (I usually always go twice a day). I've never had issues with going 10/20 times a day. That must have been horrible with a fissure. : ( There's no rhyme or reason to why I sometimes get harder, smaller, harder to pass stolols in the mornings sometimes. It just seems to randomly happen, although it does happen a lot during my period, which is what landed me in this last week (harder stools and had to push a lot, so must have retorn : (). Right now, I just have very loose stools, though, probably due to all the horrible stress I'm under. Neither extreme is good, but I just can't find the right balance, especially now when I'm so upset. My diet is all veggies, whole grains, and lots of water. That's it. So lost.

I do have some GTN, but it's expired by one month (expired last month on the 1st). I never used it because I was afraid of the headaches, but now I just don't care and now I can't really take advantage of it because it's expired. : ( I also have Diltiazem ointment, but it's also expired and I eventually developed a rash after taking it for so long.

At this point, I just want the LIS surgery over and done with. I've suffered with this on and off for 3+ years and I can't take it anymore! I just want to crawl into a hole and die sometimes.

Thank you for the encouragement and advice, though. I will try to hang in there the best I can.
January 2013 - Diagnosed with fissure. Eventually turned chronic.
History of IBS and anxiety disorder, along with fear of using bathrooms other than my own caused it.
Tried Diltiazem, but eventually developed a rash.
LIS surgery scheduled August 26th.
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Re: Sitz bath question

Postby Mypoorbutt » 09 Jul 2016, 14:54

I just use the normal shower head but it is detachable so it may have to be the tub for you then.
You should be able to get some cream prescribed at the A&E I know they will here in the UK if you run out and can't get to a doc for a while. You certainly can't stay in this amount of pain they have to help you. The GTN did give me headaches for the first week now it's just 30 seconds of throbbing in my temples and that's it. Try and use a glove when you apply it as it is absorbed quicker through your nail. I got an awful rash from the diliatzem after 2 days do I couldn't even try that properly.
Make sure the doc listens and let's you have the LIS I know it's different in the US but here in the UK they don't like to give it to females unless they have too. Make sure you let them know how much pain you are in and how it is affecting you.
I can't make it better but I can let you know I feel your pain and appreciate just how bad it is how all consuming it can be. Just think this time next year it will be a memory and you will be stronger because very little can be as bad as this pain. Keep going one day at a time
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Re: Sitz bath question

Postby Luka » 09 Jul 2016, 15:30

Thank you again for your help! Guess I will be using the bath. I might try the sitz bath I bought again since it's more convenient, but it just was not comfortable to sit on.

I live in the US, so things are unfortunately different here from the UK. From what I've heard, if you go to the ER with this problem, they mainly just give you narcotics to take because they have no idea how to treat it in most cases. I have no idea if they would give me any muscle-relaxing cream. : (

I never tried Nifedipine before, so that would be an option for me. The GTN I use was specifically compounded with lidocaine and hydrocortisone in it by a CRS I am no longer seeing. My current CRS only offers Diltiazem, which I can't use anymore. Do you use Rectiv (the brand name) of GTN?

Thanks again for all your help. It's nice to know I'm not alone in all this since so many others sadly suffer from this too. I will try to hang in there.
January 2013 - Diagnosed with fissure. Eventually turned chronic.
History of IBS and anxiety disorder, along with fear of using bathrooms other than my own caused it.
Tried Diltiazem, but eventually developed a rash.
LIS surgery scheduled August 26th.
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Luka
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Re: Sitz bath question

Postby Mypoorbutt » 09 Jul 2016, 16:18

Ah I see I know that here I could go and tell them I needed GTN for fissures and they would give me a prescription for it there and then...they would obviously check I had fissures lol.
Yes I am using rectogesic which doesn't have the hydrocortisone or the lidocaine in it.
I always get offered Valium as it is a muscle relaxant but it does very little for me so I don't bother very often although I did take it for a few days after my Botox and fissurectomy.
Hope things start to improve for you
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Re: Sitz bath question

Postby Savaici » 10 Jul 2016, 12:31

I love and use my Sitz bath! On the loo, which is right next to my sink, so easy to change the after. Easy peasy!!
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Re: Sitz bath question

Postby Luka » 11 Jul 2016, 08:17

Tried the sitz bath in the bath tub a few times. Honestly, I'm not finding it very helpful; not nearly as helpful as the Diltiazem I used to use before I developed a reaction to it. : ( I don't know if it's because the water is too hot (which I don't think it is... it's just very warm), but I feel like it stings the area. When I feel the spincter while in the bath, the muscle doesn't seem to want to relax. It's as tight as ever and the pain doesn't seem to abate very much, if at all. : ( I might try the one you fit on the toilet again. Do any of you use heat pads?

I feel so discouraged right now. Going to call my first CRS today and make an appointment to discuss surgery. I don't know what else to do at this point despite my aboslute fear of the surgery. :(
January 2013 - Diagnosed with fissure. Eventually turned chronic.
History of IBS and anxiety disorder, along with fear of using bathrooms other than my own caused it.
Tried Diltiazem, but eventually developed a rash.
LIS surgery scheduled August 26th.
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Luka
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Re: Sitz bath question

Postby chachacha » 11 Jul 2016, 14:11

I used to roll up an old sock after soaking it in really hot water, and then stick it right on the hole where my butt cheeks could keep it in place, lol.
Fissure since about 2007
Fissure diagnosed in 2011
Diltiazem for two years - didn't work well
LIS January, 2015
Hemorrhoidectomy December, 2017
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