Hi everyone - I haven't been on here in quite a while...I guess that's a good thing. I have thought about all of you, though. Everyone was so supportive and helpful through the early phases of this. Things have been going well for the most part (Thank God!) Regular bms, down to one stool softener a day (thinking of stopping that, but still a little scared), plenty of fiber, 1/2 cup of prune juice at night. I've broadened my diet, but still try to be smart about my nutritional choices. I haven't had any constipation or pain with bms for several months now. I only have one issue that bugs me: I clean myself after going to the bathroom and everything is fine (I use wet toilet tissue). I don't overdo it with the wiping so as not to irritate the area, but I get it clean. The problem is whenever I go walking anytime after going to the bathroom. It starts stinging and feels irritated for some reason. Feels like little cuts back there. When I get to a bathroom, I end up having to wipe a couple of times to get the area clean again. After that, I'm usually fine. I can easily go for a walk with no issues if I haven't had a bm that day. (I have to do a good bit of walking every day) This is weird. I'm grateful that things are so much better, but I am curious about this...

I have the same problem, and usually its due to the sweatiness down there. I either, like you, go back to the bathroom and wipe again, or I get a soft tissue and put it down there (if I can't get to a bathroom for whatever reason). It usually works out for me pretty well.

I get that too from friction from walking. I keep swearing I have injured myself because it stings so bad but then when I look it seems fine (or as fine as it gets for my butt). I think there can be some residue combine with sweat that can cause irritation. We had a boardie on here who recommended Gold Bond powder. I couldnt' use it because it had some menthol in it which is too strong for me but it sounds like it woud take care of chaffing and moisture problems. I have some Monistat chafing gel I thought I might try though.
One CRS told me she tells people to put a cotton ball in their cheeks and that takes care of absorbing irritants. As far as wiping I wonder if you are not moving your bowels completely and there is some left behind? That happens to me if I am in a rush and don't feel like I can finish comfortably.

Try some balneol after the walk. This is the miracle cure for me as my sweat still seems to irritate even the healed areas.

Vaseline worked for me after first LIS perfectly . I used it after I washed with water after each BM. It is completely neutral since it basically has no ingredients LOL. Made great physical barrier between any kind of secretion and the skin .

I had this exact problem for a while, but gradually got better as the overall condition of the area improved. I found that as my fissure heals beyond a superficial level then I get less 'swelling' or spasmotic tissue in the area immediately after a BM.
Given that I use stool softeners, I found this problem was greatly exacerbated given that it was difficult to get all of it out in one motion when the tension of the sphincter would increase significantly.
By maintaining diligence to this matter I found that I can have a very soft stool now using bulk formers without any issues at all. It took months of perseverance though.
Good luck to you!

i think that is why my CRS is a heavy believer in after pooping, take a bath or use your baby wipes, then clean dry with blow dryer and then apply Palmers Cocoa Butter to help soothe, heal, and protect the area down there......
also for sweaty a$$, you could make a little thin cotton pad and place it strategically in between the cheeks to absorb any moisture forthcoming. you may have to change it about 3 times per day, but it will help with that and crazy anal itching.

Hey Happy -where do you buy Palmer's ???

hi fissy,
you can find it at target, walmart, i've seen it at your local grocery store pharmacy aisle....typically you will find this cream where you find maternity products like for stretch marks and such since this is also a primary use for the palmers cocoa butter.....
i believe you can also find it online and at costco, sams club, or any of those huge wholesaler stores.
a little bit goes a long long way....
my CRS had samples in these cool little 1 or 2 oz tubbies. they are so cute. so when i bought my bigger supply, i put it in there so i could carry it with me to work or put it in my pocket when i needed to take it with me.

Someone on here suggested an on-the-go itchiness/pain healer for those who feel comfort from hot bum soaks but don't always have time. They suggested (& I've tried it many times, it helps me), get a small wad of toilet paper (just a little bit) and soak it in hot hot water. Squeeze the water out so it's not dripping but still hot, and just put it between your bum cheeks right where the fissure is. So you basically rest it right up close to your fissure (if the burning/itching is outside)... For me I'll usually leave it there for a few minutes, even if I'm walking around doing other stuff. It gets rid of the burning for me, just because the hot water is so soothing.
If this doesn't work, soaking in hot water is obvoiusly very helpful. I bought a sitz bath for the toilet seat a year or so ago, was only $8 or so at Walmart. It was an amazing investment . If I actually ever have time and am in a lot of pain, I use that and it really helps calm pain/itchiness down. For me, I need at least 15 mins on there.
Like someone above mentioned, vaseline sometimes helps calm it down too, because its just soft gooey clean stuff and it's soothing. I use aloe vera a lot but the gel I use (lily of the desert I think) isn't always good when the fissure is burning or itching a lot.
Some would also recommend gold bond powder for the itch and if it's wet down there, but be careful around your fissure area because gold bond = menthol and menthol down there = wow!