Hello from the UK
I've just joined this forum as I have been reading some entries as a "guest" and it has helped much more than any other webiste or trip to the doctors. i am a 51-year-old male, otherwise very healthy and fit, I do gym and cycling and eat healthily with 5-7 portions of fruit and veg per day, lots of water, and moderate alcolhol intake, no smoking (ever!). However, I have a weakness -- my anal fissure.
I first had a problem 7 years ago, when after constipation, I passed loads of bright red blood. After 2-3 weeks of using suppositories and taking stool softener, the blood stopped (first) and then the pain on passing bowel movements followed a few days later. All good.
However, about once a year, the same thing happens -- again, always takes 2-3 weeks....
Until this Christmas. I ate a lot of festive stodge and got constipated again. I stupidly forced out a bowel movement and sort of really felt it "go" down below. This time there was lots of blood. So, back to the usual routine, suppositories, stool softener...the blood quickly stopped, as usual.....BUT this time the pain on passing continued for weeks before stopping, and now, after 5 months, although I have no blood or much pain on actually passing stools, I do have pain every single day from around one hour after the bowel movement. This pain lasts for several hours or even all day, on a bad day. It is hellish to sit down, I keep getting up, fidgeting, squirming. My doctor has made me an appointment with a specialist.
What I cannot understand is WHY this time it hasnt healed like before. And what will the specialist do? I do not want to have surgery and be left with the risk of becoming incontinent but then again I cant go on like this forever. I can actually feel my mental health going downwards badly (I get anxiety and mild depression).
I eat 5 prunes a day as part of my diet and that keep the stools soft but it still doesnt stop the same old pain developing EVERY DAY 1 hour after the bowel movements. Does anyone have any advice or words of shared wisdom? Getting desperate!