by jqt » 28 Sep 2015, 11:57
Yes, the Vicks can often work wonders, but in my two years of experience, these fissures are very often like 'Chameleons' from day-to-day, and so what works or helps on one given day may do nothing at all, or may make matters worse on the next day! Another topical treatment that SOMETIMES worked for me was Olive Oil, and I recall days when this would work well on the very day before or after the day when Vicks would work well. Also, it often helps to apply a small portion of a 'fan-folded' portion of gauze tissue to the area, which helps draw away excessive moisture. And on some days, just the gauze and as much dry air as possible seems to help. Soon, I was able to discern which kinds of fissure pain or discomfort would respond best to which ointment or treatment: days when it felt like "broken glass" would usually respond best to warm baths followed by just the gauze, and days where it felt like muscle spasms would 'rule the day' I was able to find relieve from performing light exercises (kegel: not just for women anymore!) along with 10 mg Baclofen TID (I'm very new here, and I don't know of the 'etiquette' with regards to discussing specific medications, but there are several so-called 'muscle relaxers' that actually work in the brain to relieve these painful muscle aches (in my own case, these were some severe Levator Ani Spasms). Still others have talked about using coconut oil, or honey, and various other topical agents, and my bit of advice from two years of experience is to TRY SEVERAL of these, because what works on one day may be useless on the next day. By using a variety of ointments, over time, you may learn and find that certain types of pain respond best to a specific agent (or on some days, none at all) on various other days. Hot or warm water baths are, in my opinion, still the "Gold Standard" for relieving the severe pain from Fissure in Ano, but I realize that this modality is seldom available to those who are 'stranded' all day at a job, or for those who may be stuck riding on the bus.