Seven months and counting!

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Seven months and counting!

Postby Savaici » 03 Feb 2011, 18:15

Hello! Thought that seven months and counting would be a good subject line for me, as seven months ago is when this ride through hell (ok, maybe I am exaggerating a little...) started.
Just standing around in June last year and had a heavy feeling in my anorectal area (have been doing a lot of research so have all the terms now). To go from those early days to now in as succinct a way - pain in the rectal area possibly from straining which extends into the female area of my anatomy; sensation that my sphincter is so tight that causes agony having a BM; sometimes flat BMs, if not that then very narrow; inability to eat the food that I used to because of fear of the next morning; constant anal pain and sensation that I am not 'finished'.
Just two other points: I have scar tissue from three hemorrhoid surgeries, and tissue in the anal area that is very thin (I have an autoimmune disorder which has caused the thinning of the skin). Have taken Milk of Magnesia for about five years because of worry about constipation.
Really am taking a guess that I have a fissure. Doctor said hemorrhoids, but I don't think so. Pain does not stay all the time with them, and all my pain is inside and no swelling outside. Have a tiny round point on my skin where it is most painful which is a symptom of a fissure, from what I have read.
What I have tried to ease the pain - Suppositries (impossible pain), cortisone creams (not good for thinning skin), Serrapeptase pills (not sure if they are working, but continuing as they are like aspirin), Vaseline (not doing much).
I have an appointment with a gastroenterologist, but not for six weeks, so am just putting up with it now. I am making fun of it all, but it is really not a good time and have had moments when in the depths of pain that quite get me down.
Anyway, this is just an introduction to me and am pleased to have found this site. And thanks for reading this far.
Savaici
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Re: Seven months and counting!

Postby Bumbutt » 04 Feb 2011, 03:12

Welcome Savaici Image
Seven months is a long time to be in pain. I've only been dealing with this for 3 months now.
That your doctor didn't see a fissure might not be unusual. I read a statistic the other day about how physicians were shown photos of a fissure and only 50% diagnosed it correctly (while over 75% of colorectal surgeons identified it correctly). Hopefully the gastroent will be more knowledegable.
I hope you can take in all the good info here - the diet, water intake, stool softener, baths - all of that should help. Are you doing these kind of things?
See you on the boards!...
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Re: Seven months and counting!

Postby Savaici » 04 Feb 2011, 09:29

Thanks for the welcome. I am indeed doing all that I can. I am basically on a low fiber diet, but enough. Water I drink enough there too. I had a look on the Mayo Clinic site where it stated that if your wee is pale or very light, you are drinking enough. Baths I have not had success with. I am used to showers and when I tried the Sitz number, I bruised my bum, would you believe. So showers and towel soak of the area is what I go with.
Diet...this is the hard one. I have cut my food intake to about 1000 calories a day, and eat a lot of turkey dinners with veg, mashed potatoes with carrots. Mornings I have a toasted biscuit (the American one that is somewhat like a scone) and a very small coffee mixed with skim milk and a dash of cream. I eat my main meal at about 3 pm. Also have a banana every evening with a piece of 50% fat cheddar. Not much variety and have to try and change, but any deviation gives me troubles.
Stool softeners...through trial and error have gone with a half a Peri Colace tab and about 1and a half tablespoons of milk of magnesia. Tried many things too relieve pain, most of which increased it! Thinking of trying this wheatgrass cream.
And yes 7 mths is a long time. No specialists where I am so have had to wait to get an appointment with a doctor who I researched on the net! What can you do. Hopefully he is the right one. A GI specialist, with a holistic background. All for now.
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Re: Seven months and counting!

Postby makem3 » 04 Feb 2011, 11:45

I'm sorry to hear that your autoimmune problem has probably brought on these fissures.
I can not believe you've had 3 hemorrhoid surgeries. I've had 1 (thrombosed hemorrhoid after going for a run one day) and would rather get hit by a bus 3 times than the pain and recovery of a hemorrhoidectomy.
From my 5 years of hell with fissures, I've learned they are waivering in nature, can kind of come and go...meaning sometimes there is pain, sometimes there isn't...sometimes blood, sometimes not and they are obviously not self-diagnosed, even with the best mirror in town! :)
If you are in the US, a gastroenterologist may be able to help you...especially with your history of auto-immune problems, but your best bet would be to a CRS. An expert in colon and rectal problems.
I hope you can get some niphedephene cream soon, though I've used that over the past 5 years, it seems to heal in the short-term almost everytime, but sooner or later I always end up with a fissure again, no matter how much water and fiber I get in a day. And, sometimes...this just happens- having an over-active sphincter muscle. My LIS surgery is scheduled for this Tuesday the 8th.
I wish you the best and hope you find some relief soon.
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Re: Seven months and counting!

Postby Savaici » 04 Feb 2011, 18:53

Yes, hemorrhoid operations were ghastly. And the second and third were in two days of each other. I had forgotten that, but recently got my records from the hospital where I had it done, and there it was. Gives me the shivers to think about it. Also have had a thrombosed hemorrhoid - how did I forget LOL!
I thought that I would start off with seeing a GI specialist as from what I have researched, going that way is better. I have not had any treatment as yet, so even though the appointment is a few weeks off, hopefully I have made the right decision. I am going to Johns Hopkins Hospital, and the department will hopefully look at pelvic floor disorders and pudendal nerve problems too. So fed up with the pain. Just want some sort of diagnosis.
I am hoping that my local GP might prescribe some Diltiazem gel. My pharmacy has found a compounding pharmacy to do this. Am really afraid to take anything with nitro in it because of previous experience of terrible headaches. Most places that I have done research say that the result is the same, minus the headaches if you are susceptible to them.
The very best of luck with your LIS surgery. It has excellent results, from what I have read.
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Re: Seven months and counting!

Postby Guest » 05 Feb 2011, 07:12

Hey there,
I used the diltiazem and didn't get any headaches. I've also read the nifedipine doesn't cause headaches either.
Welcome to the forum :)
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Re: Seven months and counting!

Postby Guest » 05 Feb 2011, 07:17

I'd like to add, there was another person on this board who had the pudendal nerve problem. Her name was tootie (Lecia) and she had hem. surgery and a fissure developed.
She healed her fissure after 4 months on her own w/ the diltiazem. I believe her CRS didn't want to do LIS because of the nerve problem...?
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Re: Seven months and counting!

Postby Savaici » 05 Feb 2011, 08:42

I hope that I might be able to get the Diltiazem gel. I already take Diltiazem by mouth, but a very small dose and only every other day. I keep trying different things with the hope of eleviating the pain for more than a day. Tried Zinc Oxide now. Skin did not take to that and have reverted to putting Vaseline on my skin this morning. Has anyone tried this wheatgrass cream? Just found bits and pieces about this on my journeys around the net, but if it does nothing, I won't bother. So frustrated!!
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Re: Seven months and counting!

Postby Bumbutt » 05 Feb 2011, 09:25

I haven't tried the wheatgrass cream and I'm not even sure what it does, but I think there are at least two people that have posted recently about using it, and I think they're happy with it.
makem3 - we'll be thinking about you on Tuesday!!
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Re: Seven months and counting!

Postby frustrated » 05 Feb 2011, 17:10

Welcome...I'm entering my 6th month of AF hell and this site has been very helpful and informative. I tried the wheatgrass cream...didn't help me and just seems like a $ 35.00 hand cream. Oh the $ I've spent on creams and ointments. Diltiazem was the only thing that gave me any relief, but I only received 2 weeks worth and that was months ago. I am going to get more at my next visit. The only thing that really helps me is the soft stools...whatever it takes. I am calling myself an almostavegan because I can't have meat or dairy but I slip occasionally. The sitz bath on the toilet seat hurts my fissure sometimes by stretching it so I have to do the warm bath. Good Luck....
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