Anyone who cares to check out my various posts will know I have been suffering from various bottom related issues for many years, but now, thankfully, I am healed.
I thought I would give it a good few months before declaring this, so I'm not one of those unfortunate few who think they are healed only to find they revert a few weeks later.
I also think I have some valuable information to give anyone interested.
Some of my revelations may seem a little forthright. I don't mean them to be, but it's what I believe and have learnt the hard way. Mind you, everyone is different, so what worked for me might not work for you.
First of all, if you are suffering from an Anal fissure or abscess (I've had both) my sympathies go out to you. This condition took me to the lowest I have ever been, and I wondered if I would ever get through it. Keep the faith though. My fissure was fairly deep and I got through it in the end.
My troubles started with an abscess. I had surgery for this, and after 3 or 4 months I was healed. Probably 4 or so months later I developed a fissure. I had been on a diet, got constipated, and boom developed a fissure. I tell you something, I would swap the fissure for the abscess any day - and that's saying something.
So this is what I learned:
1) If anyone tells you they healed in a week with some magic potion/diet/meditation etc - don't believe them. They might believe whatever they did healed them, but the chances are they would have healed anyway and their fissure was probably superficial.
2) Keeping your stool soft is super important, but give yourself a break. You don't need to go on a super strict diet. If you can, get yourself a stool softner such as Movicol.
3) If you're using Diltiazem and you are not healed in three months, stop using it. Diltazem (aka Anoheal) can help if you use it soon enough. I used it for probably a year and it did no good what-so-ever. A couple of times I thought Diltiazem had healed me, but really it had hidden my symptoms. A month later they had returned. In the end I just developed a painful rash.
4) None of the following helped at all; Coconut oil, Manuka Honey, Vitamins.
And what about Botox? Well I had Botox too. After about 6 weeks I thought I was healed, and after 10 weeks I was back to square one again. However I would say this about Botox; most people say that Botox takes around 3 to 6 months to wear off. For me it was more like a 9 months to a year. I'm not sure why exactly, but I really do think this varies per person.
So what eventually healed me? Well if was a combination of the following:
1) Keeping my stools soft (movicol)
2) Daily hot baths
3) Infrared light therapy.
Yes I know, this where everyone thinks I must be a salesman for infrared light bulbs - but I promise you it really did help. My consultant had wanted to do LIS, and I asked him if could leave it three months to think about it. When I went back he said LIS was no longer appropriate and I was healing well. The only thing I had done meanwhile were the above three things.
To me, the secret is all about blood flow. The number one reason fissures don't heal is because of lack of blood flow. Hot baths and Infrared light help maintain the blood flow, and for me it worked.
A word of warning though. I wouldn't advise using infrared with Diltiazem. I tried this and it nearly burnt my bum off!! I think the infrared somehow breaks down the components of Diltiazem and the result if not pleasant.
Anyhow that is my story.
I wish you all the very best!
LemonMan