Well, I am not a doctor but I do know that I have taken it without problems over the past 4 years on and off and know of others who have used it long term. I know my doctor (who is also a good friend of mine) doesn't feel concerned about people taking this as needed but you have to do what you feel comfortable with. I think if you bring it in to your doctor she can maybe call a colleague from the US or do some web research to help you find the answers!
Glad it is working for you though!
Lecia

Seems like I can't get a soft stool without using Miralax. I stopped taking it one day because I felt like the BM's were getting too watery, and I didn't end up going to the washroom all day! I went the next day and it was hard and painful..
i just feel like screaming sometimes and ripping all of my hair out in frusteration. Looks like i'll just keep trying miralax, hoping it'll work.. It seems like this will take a lot longer to heal than I thought. Funnily enough, my grandad had the same problem and my grandparents keep asking me "what? it hasn't healed yet?!", because I think my grandad's fissure healed properly with medicine. I seriously feel like SCREAMING in frusteration
Ive been having to sit on my bum a LOT because of school/exams/lectures.. Its not helping.. Does anyone else have any other tips that really promote healing? I would love to bathe but it's so, so hard to fit in any time

Unfortunately for some people, the fissure may not heal for years. I agree that staying off your bum as much as possible is important, but it seems that you can't..you have no choice!
If you can get a sitz bath several times a day it will help. The stool softeners are very important.
You need to continue trying to see if you can get the diltiazem or nefedipine cream. There is a 50-50 chance they can help you heal, and at the least will ease the misery a lot..
Just stay on the diet and get plenty of water. There IS no easy, direct way to heal an anal fissure, short of surgery. That's one reason this forum exists, to give support for an ailment that is baffling to get to heal!
Kim

Yes, fissures can be hard to heal due to the area (less blood flow, constant trauma, hard area to keep clean). Mine took 4 months to heal and I almost made a religion out of the cream and taking baths and babying that area!
I'm not saying it will take you that long but I am sure the doctor wants you to give it 6-8 weeks and possibly 3 months to see if it will heal using the cream. It is hard to be patient, trust me, I know how you feel. And it is such a interference with your everyday life that a week dealing with this can feel like a month.
I would play around with the Miralax dose and see what works best. If it is watery then that is a sign you are taking too much. Instead of just stopping you could try taking a smaller dose until you get the desired results.
The baths are very helpful in aiding with blood flow. I would see if you can do one at least at night or after you go to the bathroom. Is school going to be out soon?
Take care,
lecia

cute baby pic!

Thanks, Noelle, now where is yours? :D

Hi Kim & Lecia,
It really helps when you guys reply, makes me feel like I'm not alone in this stupid dilemma (although I believe you both are healed). I just get very frusterated at times.
Some good news is that I don't think I've bled in a while, especially since I started using Miralax about a 7-10 days ago. I've been getting really itchy in the past few days too, and it's especially irritating when I apply diltiazem. It's just this uncomfortable / burning itch that goes away with time. I wonder if I'm healing and if I am, I REALLY REALLY HOPE I wont tear mr. fissure again!
I feel like I may have two fissures, because I feel pain at times on both sides, not just one. My doctor never mentioned this though but that's how I'm feeling. The one on my left has been reeaally itchy lately, everytime I go to the bathroom and use my wipes, I feel like itching it but I try to resist haha. Aah! I'm going to the US this weekend to shop, hopefully it'll take my mind off of this, and I'm going to buy some more Miralax.
Thanks all

One thing I would like to warn you about, Sunshine, is that an anal fissure is like a creeping little snake. It can hide and make you think it's not there, then spring back out at you just when you think it's safe. In other words, a few good days can trick you into believing you're healed, when you're not (you're just better).
It takes 4-8 weeks (average about 6) for one to heal if the situation for healing remains that way for that duration. So even if you are better for several days or even a week or two, you're not there yet.
So you must keep up all the things you are doing to treat the fissure and it's symptoms even after it seems you're better.
You sound like this is what you are planning on doing. Just don't let a few good days lure you into believing you're healed, so that if and when you have another bad day, you will be less disappointed and stressed about it.
Continued good luck in your current healing cycle! The itchiness *may*be a good sign!!!
Kim

i wonder why my dr didnt say anything bout stool softeners,the family dr told me to use them though.all the specialist said was to take metamucil to help with the fiber intake,which i guess helps with the stool softening?really,ive never remembered having hard stools since having the fissure + the metamucil makes it "comfortable" also

Yes, fiber will definitely help you there but if you are still scraping the tissue when you go to the bathroom and making it bleed I would up the ante to a stool softener like Colace or Miralax.
But if you are comfortable with the consistency I wouldnt' mess around with this too much but maybe a colace pill before bed might make it less likely to tear on the way out. I just take flax and fish oil and that keeps things lubed on the way out!