From what I remember, it seems anything you put on the outside of your anus, will travel on the inside. Vaseline may take a bit longer since it is very thick - but if you have it to where it is very slick and soft, sorta like almost a melted stick of butter, it should penetrate towards the inside direction of your anus like other slippy creams should.
Else, you can also get a very small plastic syringe or some other very thin applicator to apply from inside out.
I know that with diarrhea, we may not be expecting it to happen, so it may be tricky with timing on how and when you should apply, but in the case of the colonoscopy prep, there was no doubt that you could possibly be having more than 2 or 3 trips to the toilet and that most of your eliminations would be liquified.

sorry you are suffering from so long.LIS will help you if you are having spasms.Its important to know if there is any scar tissue which is preventing from healing the fissure.Maybe you can have a second opinion.Botox is a good alternative although it didnt help me.did you have manometry tests?

Welcome G !
Sorry to hear of your suffering !
Glad to hear you are not having too much pain now, esp the spasms which are the pitts
I believe its good to get a little cream inside too, maybe an applicator would be good… you could try a little cream before a BM too !
I wonder if psyllium/metamucil would be of any help to you regards the alternating constipation/diarrhea ? Probiotics will help you too.
There is a world of information here i am sure this will help you !
Corsi I use Vaseline before Bms as a barrier I apply it inside with an applicator, it helps with the burning and protects the skin !

Welcome new one
You will find great support and info on this board. Ask us whatever you want. Nothing is wierd or odd when you are living with a fissure :)

Wouldn't zinc oxide cream be better then vaseline as a barrier cream for diarrhea ? I just am terrified of diarrhea !!! I just picture myself in extreme pain if I ever had severe diarrhea with this semi healed fissure !
has anyone had severe diarrhea with a fissure ? how did you cope ? were you in serious pain ? bed ridden ?
I am sooooooooo scared of diarrhea !!!

I had on Monday, look in my thread "No LIS, more Botox" thread... You cannot go around fearing diarrhea.. Do what you can to avoid it, but what happens happens...c'est la vie!

don't be scared of diarrhea.
i think it would be important to pin point the connection of what you do in terms of eating and how you feel emotionally (an onset of bad stress and nerves can easily cause diarrhea or constipation depending on how you deal with things). by taking steps to eating better, controlling your stress and anxiety, and being mindful of washing your hands and fruits and veggies.
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if you want to use zinc oxide i think that is okay. isn't that stuff in the baby A/D ointment? so i think that will be fine. but probably you just want something more neutral (less chemicals) to have less of a reaction with any liquidy stool passing through and staying in your butt until you wash it.
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another important aspect of dealing with fissures (and anything else for that matter) is visually thinking in your head that you will get better, you can see your butt healing, you are not afraid of diarrhea or constipation, you are going to get back to normal, etc......this technique may seem hokey-pokey but over time, if you keep positive thought patterns, you will see them through.

It sounds like you may have some mild anxiety issues? If you feel you do, you should take it up with your GP. You might need a mild anti-anxiety med.
Fissure pain is bad, but if you do happen to get a very painful fissure, it is *not* something you'd be hospitalized for.
If you happen to get diarrhea, just make sure you eliminate as controlled as possible and it will probably do little if anything to your healing fissure. Constipation is far more likely to cause the fissure to retear than diarrhea unless it is constant and explosive. Which is FAR more rare than a normal, say, monthly bout of it. Good luck.

Just wanted to say Hello to a fellow Canadian !!
I couldn't agree more with what Happy has said here:

i think it would be important to pin point the connection of what you do in terms of eating and how you feel emotionally (an onset of bad stress and nerves can easily cause diarrhea or constipation depending on how you deal with things). by taking steps to eating better, controlling your stress and anxiety, and being mindful of washing your hands and fruits and veggies.

It's so important to see what causes diarrhea or constipation for you and what helps with both. I know that if I'm ever nervous about an exam, or about that specialsomeone :kissbun:...... ahem. calling or talking to me about something important... The nervousness/excitement can sometimes give me diarrhea. Foods that help me control diarrhea (or cause constipation) are bananas and anything dairy. You should get used to your body as well and learn how it responds to different foods and stressors. This has helped me tremendously in working with my own constipation and diarrhea to achieve the perfect balance (even though I still have a fissure two years later... But that's another story).
Anyhow, good luck to you & you're darned lucky you found this forum, it's super helpful