Hey Steve-
Any luck getting some better pain meds? It really sounds like you need some..... I know your in the UK so not real sure how the system works. Is there a doctor(CRS) "on call" that you can call in and get a prescription on the weekend?

Hey Steve, don't freak out yet. My pain after surgery was much worse than before surgery. I also had weird pooping patterns and cleaning was hard because of the swelling.
If you're having very uncomfortable pain then you should definitely ask for stronger painkillers though. I took Vicodin (not sure if it has the same name in the UK but it's hydrocodone plus paracetamol) for a while after surgery and it worked nicely. Everyone is different but I doubt it'll constipate you if you're taking Movicol. I can't say that any of the pain I felt after surgery was what I'd call spasms, but then again the Vicodin likely covered up some of the sensations that I'd have otherwise felt.
BTW for what it's worth, I have some chronic pain conditions and frequently take Vicodin, Percocet (oxycodone plus paracetamol), and codeine as needed. They do upset my stomach a bit (along with some other not-so-great side effects) but don't constipate me as long as I take my Miralax (if I don't take Miralax then it's a different story). Ibuprofen has never done squat for my chronic pain, and it isn't even surgery-related. I'm surprised they told you to take only paracetamol and ibuprofen. Opiates are the gold standard when it comes to painkilling. Based on what you're saying about spasm pain and trouble sleeping, I'd demand some.

I'll say prayers for you also, Steve. Hang in there.

Paul, I'm gonna start taking codeine as of today, I could call in at the walk in centre and get something but I'm just gonna give the codeine a chance, the codeine was prescribed for my wife after her hand surgery but figured it won't hurt for me to try it.

Thanks NG, my pooping pattern is really odd and cleaning is just the worst, like you say, it's because of all the swelling.
I can't believe I was sent packing with just paracetamol and Ibuprofen, neither of these even come close to touching the pain, damn doctors know nothing about rectal pain, I'm giving codeine a chance today and if I get no relief with that then I'll pay my GP a visit tomorrow and demand something stronger... like morphine..

Day 5..
Had a very rough night last night, had several BM's which were painful (ripping/tearing pain) then at around midnight I had another BM which caused a little bleeding and severe burning searing pain which kept me awake until 04:00 this morning, I finally dosed off and awoke at 07:30, had a drink then went to the toilet, had several BM's which were just moderately painful and thankfully no burning pain just pain from the incision site, cleaning is still an issue, I'm currently using cotton wool balls soaked in warm water to clean the area but as I say, it's still quite difficult, I need to get used to just sitting on the toilet without pushing which is something I used to do all the time prior to surgery, I keep feeling like there's still stool stuck inside my anus which is really annoying when I'm trying so hard not to push, it's almost like I'm not finishing the job, hopefully this will pass once the swelling has subsided.
I'm fairly confident that all the pain is coming from the left side of my anus which sounds about right because that's where the incision site is right? It's like a stinging/pricking pain which isn't always there just mainly at it's worst after BM and sometimes during BM.
Still not been able to look at my anus since surgery, thankfully my wife keeps a check on it for me to make sure everything looks clean, I'm quite particular at making sure I remove all fecal matter from the area but it's very difficult with all the pain and swelling, I just do my best.

Hey Steve, I think the codeine will help for sure. I don't take it much myself because it makes me a bit itchy (common side effect) but it's definitely going to be more effective than paracetamol or ibuprofen. Good thing you had some "leftovers" handy :)
If it's still not strong enough you can always ask for hydrocodone or oxycodone. Morphine actually has very poor bioavailability when taken orally, so at equivalent oral doses, hydrocodone is just as good and oxycodone is actually better.
Personally, after surgery, I liked my pooping patterns better when I ate a lot of food. The first few days, I tried not to eat much, but that just caused a whole bunch of really tiny poops throughout the day. I'd try to get everything out at once, but couldn't push real hard because of the pain. When I started forcing myself to eat more, it became easier to have just a couple of big poops a day, which was much nicer.
Anyhow, hope things go better for you today on both the pain and pooping fronts!

Steve, just saw your new message after I posted mine I had similar problems pooping in the days after surgery. It sucks but should pass soon. I had a hell of a time keeping the area clean too. I'd soak and soak and yet there would still be stuff stuck there.
If you want to check out the area, you can squat with a little cosmetic mirror. That worked great for me and I quickly became quite obsessed with looking at the area. Thanks to Fissy for the mirror-squat tip!

Thanks for the reply NG..
I've been eating very small amounts since surgery, and like you I just keep doing a whole bunch of really tiny but messy poops and also I'd try to get everything out at once but the pushing is a no-no, on reading what you've put I'm gonna try and eat bigger meals and see what the outcome is.
With regards to checking the area, I'm getting closer to having a peek, once I do then I'm sure I'll feel better about the cleaning issue.
My wife has just been out to the local supermarket chemist and asked for some decent pain relief tablets for me and came back with a tablet called Paramol which is Paracetamol + Dihydrocodeine which is an Opioid, hopefully giving me a bit of relief from the pain.

Hey Steve, sorry to hear that you're having a rough go of it. Honestly, I think you are not very different from where I was five days out. At five days, my BMs were still extremely painful, and cleaning/washing was a tender process carried out without much confidence. I would first use the hand-held shower wand and then sit in the sitz bath for a while and hope that the combination cleaned everything out.
All my pain was also on my left side. That's a good thing - it means you are feeling surgical pain, not fissure pain. I think you are at the pinnacle of the discomfort - you should be feeling much better in a few days. Be careful with any opioid pain pills, because they are constipating.