Two questions:
1. Did most of you have a colonoscopy just to rule out anything else? Seems like I see a lot of people on this forum that have had one done at a young age.
2. Does the itching mean the fissure is healing? Mine seems pretty good, but I get itching sometimes and wonder if that is part of the healing process or just part of the fissure in general.

I have not gotten a colonoscopy. I went to two CRSs, and neither suggested I have one. My symptoms are confined to my butt though.
Yeah, the itching can be a sign of healing...but if it's going on for weeks, then it's probably just a sign of the fissure. I had mine for two years without knowing what it was, and itching was the biggest symptom. I was told I had a skin problem.

I have seen 5 different CRSs over the years and none of them have recommended a colonoscopy to rule out more serious conditions.
Yes, itching seems to conincide with healing for the most part. It can also be a sign that there is an imbalance of the natural flora of the intestine. I like to take probiotics to keep everything balanced.

My dr made me get the colonoscopy to "rule other things out." He wondered why my fissure wasn't healing. I told him it was because the fissure was infected, but he preferred to think I had crohns or ulcerative colitis. I think he saw a little inflammation in the area (duh!, I've got an infected sore...). When it continued not to heal, he put me on crohns drugs, i.e. sulfazine.

My CRS now is completely different, thinks the drugs are useless for me (said if I had crohn's I'd know and the drugs would have had some effect, which they didn't), and is not making me get another colonoscopy to "rule things out."

I"m so glad I found you people! You're all so friendly.

well, after tony snow's colon cancer issues and katie couric's husband dying at such young age, before 50, i always had the colonoscopy in my mind. it's like i wanted to do it (because i am a worry wart) to help prevent cancer or at least catch it early. (ps. i have also thought many a time to get rid of my testicles and get fake ones so i wouldn't have to deal with testicular cancer but that's another fear of mine.)
anyway, because of the fissure over 3 years and blood in my stools, the doctor had mentioned it as a precaution and to rule out anything else.
i was game for it because i have been dealing with some other issues for a bit longer that i felt i owed it to my health and wellbeing.
i was very scared.
but i was very lucky to have a wonderful man CRS and woman anesthesiologist to get me through this. it was a big ordeal for me but i am happy to have made it through.
and now knowing what i know, i would be happy to educate and help anyone else having fears of going thru a colonoscopy.

If the itching coincides with a period of pain-free days, it *should* be healing. But only if...

My dr's werent interested in finding out the source of my bleeding due to my size.