Hi folks,
Many thanks to you all - probably as with many newcomers it's a comfort to know I'm not alone; it's wonderful to have so much advice and experience; and it's a little scary to read some of the grimmer cases.
I'm a newbie to this forum, but have had an Anal Fissure before, but not as uncomfortable as now. Previously I drank more water-based liquids and moved to a higher fibre diet (vegetables roasted in olive oil became a significant part of my diet). I used Fybogel or Lactulose, took a magnesium supplement, used 0.2% nitroglycerin, had a warm pad to sit on and had warm sitz baths. This combination, or some part or parts of it worked, but I didn't keep up that entire regime over the years. By the way I did try cold pads and that numbed the pain but the Doctor said don't do that because to heal the fissure you want to encourage blood flow to the area - so keep it warm: I use a cherrystone pad.
Now I seem to have a more persistent and painful Anal Fissure. I'm doing all of the above plus trying to get some exercise (I have a pedometer and try to do a fair bit of walking), I've given up alcohol completely (I've never drunk tea, coffee or caffeine drinks - they just act as a diuretic for me), using wet wipes, taking paracetamol, and I've just been prescribed some lidocaine as a local anaesthetic; and as an alternative to the 0.4% nitroglycerine I've been prescribed some diltiazem 2% cream to try (but that had to be ordered from the pharmacist - may take a week to arrive). I'm also eating less - the 'Anal Fissure diet' has led to me losing quite a bit of weight, but I really wouldn't recommend it as a new fad diet! I just can't push anything like a finger up my anus - combination of pain and wimpishness, so I try to smear things around the area and hope some gets to the right place.
I'm squeamish and have a low pain threshold. Although my BM's are usually fairly soft, BMs are painful, but then I get sort of pain spasms - very sharp pain and involuntary twitches - a few hours later, which then subside a few hours after that. In the 'spasm' phase I can't sleep and can't do my work effectively, and I get strangely stressed out and deeply frustrated that I can't ease the pain. Normally I'm an analytical, logical, relatively calm and well-balanced sort of person - but I just drift into another world when the pain spasms set in.
Anyway enough of my rambling and many thanks again to all those who post. I'm just coming out of the pain-spasm phase and typing this is actually proving therapeutic to me - I know there are people here who will understand just how painful this can be - I'm sure my partner thinks I'm exaggerating.
There are a couple of great starters for 10 for newbies here - many thanks for those. Is there a 'learn the lingo' page somewhere - explaining some of the abbreviations, medicine names and jargon we use?
It seems that there is quite a diversity in what does or doesn't work for various folks - and sometimes I wonder if some things might be coincidental - I eat say pumpkin soup and have less pain the next day - perhaps because my AF is healing anyway, and I can be tempted to say it was the pumpkin soup that did the trick. Is there any poll or survey of what has worked for most people?
My tip of the week: if you're searching the web for Anal Fissure, be sure to either use AltaVista and quotations marks "anal fissure" or use Google Advanced Search and use the 'this exact wording or phrase:' option.

Hi there! I'm pretty new here too, but being English of birth, here's a welcome.
I see that you have been through the gamut of us all, trying this and that to get relief.
I too am waiting for some Diltiazam ointment to be 'done' at my local chemist, so maybe we can swap stories on it's efficacy.
Just a note, for now, to bid you welcome, from one newbie to another.

iPad insists on changing my English, in case I have made an error. It was, of course, 'its efficacy' that I meant.

Hi savaici,
Thanks for your warm welcome and useful comment (and talking of warm: that's helpful on my backside as well!).
Can anyone give us any good advice on Diltiazam please?
Indeed it's its efficacy we should compare - although I'm more interested in pain relief than punctuation right now! On a quick scan through this forum and elsewhere it seems as if Diltiazam - like many approaches - has a mixed outcome: from brilliant to useless. This often seems the story - so there is a great diversity in the best treatment of an AF.
I'm frustrated that there's no easy way of exploring that for me: if I try something different I don't know whether that was the cause of any change in the pain or not. Roll on cloning so that I can take 3 identical copies of myself and try each on a different regime!
Meanwhile let's both hang on in here and see what the Diltiazam brings. Without a BM yesterday evening or so far today I both slept well and am feeling better for the moment, although a bit hungry and tired. What muscle relaxant do you take to help sleep? I'm not so sure about all of your diet for soft BMs (bananas and cheese are often regarded as not the best idea it seems), HOWEVER: if it works then definitely go for it. My keyboard is now getting wet as I drool at the thought of your lemon scone - I haven't had a cake or biscuit for weeks - like you vicarious banqueting is a major daydream of mine. I imagine Durban is a much better climate for AF recovery than the rather cold and damp of the UK at the moment.
Anyway I trust you're doing well and look forward to comparing notes. We've got understanding friends here.

Spam,
I wanted to add my own welcome to you. Many of us here have been healed either through LIS (several people) or ointments (myself).
Also, there are some "sticky" threads that Kim, one of our tech-savvy administrators, has placed at the top in a general info category that should give you lots of basic info and answer many of your questions. Scroll through the various threads and/or try doing searches for specific topics.
I believe we all understand the pain you are going through much more than your partner does. We've been through it; our SO's/partners usually haven't been!
We especially like Brits (at least I do) because you people talk neat!!
At any rate, best wishes with healing and here are a couple of specific suggestions I would make to you:
Try to keep a positive attitude, experiment with various treatment modalities, learn from what info has already been posted here, and feel free to start your own topic if you have a specific question(s) that you feel has not been addressed. We are all here to learn from each other, share our past experiences, and give support to one another under the watchful eyes of NG and Kim, who keep track of unprofessional posts and spam posters. When we have free time, we sometimes like to play various games online!!
Best wishes for healing and once again welcome!!

If only I was in Durban now! I think the humidity would be much better for successful loo visits. However, I am up close to the border with Quebec, and the temperature was minus 18c this morning and snow covers the ground for quite a few months of the year.
When it comes to Diltiazem, I am going with the research that states 67% are healed with this ointment and hope for that. My skin is very sensitive, so I am going to go slowly with it.
I take .05mg of lorazepam to sleep, and that seems to just be enough to take the edge off. I have never woken up with pain in the night, so consider that a blessing.
Yes, my diet is not fantastic... I have had some squash soup this morning. A big change. I just go with what seems to work for me, but it can be incredibly boring to stick with almost the same thing every day. Still, my main thought is keeping down the pain. Today, for the first time in ages, had a couple of spots of blood on my the paper, and a definite sensation that I had irritated my skin. But did not eat anything different yesterday that I can remember. Possibly too much pushing yesterday, to get minute BM out. Oh dear!! Of course, maybe it was the scone...did enjoy it.

Hi Cherylk and Hi again savaici,
Cherylk: wonderful to hear that you are 'cured' through ointments - that's really good news. And many thanks for all your wise tips and hints - I'm felling better already (and I've not started on the Diltiazam yet!)
savaici: OK, OK at minus 18C - you win (by about 25C!). Following on what you say about the weather I wonder whether there is a season or climate that aggravates AF - I feel mine is a bit more angry when it's cold! I've slept better these last two days - as you say a blessing. I find that the amount of blood - which is only ever small - is not related to the discomfort, but the amount of pushing often is.
Best wishes and a speedy recovery to all.

Pushing is very bad to do--try to refrain from that!!!

Not always easy to refrain from pushing. Very silly move, but sometimes the irritation of having something "there" is just unbearable. Yesterday was one of those days, and was the first time in ages that I had a few small blood clots. Not a fun day. Trying to eat a little differently today. Had a piece of steamed fish. I find eating to be something that I approach with trepidation rather than pleasure as in the past. But, I need to vary my diet a little, that I know. Will see how it goes!

I have done my share of "pushing" in my time. :roll: