Newly Diagnosed and New To Forum

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Newly Diagnosed and New To Forum

Postby Ink184 » 28 Jul 2011, 13:13

Greetings All :D
I Apologize in advance for this long post, i really do!

I really can't express how happy i am to have found this forum, i was running short of answers and growing desperate as i couldn't find enough resources and experiences shared online.
I would like to introduce myself, i am a 27 years old male. Lebanese currently living in Saudi Arabia. A few months ago i started suffering from chronic constipation which was totally weird since i usually have very normal and daily BM. Straining during that period gave me an inguinal hernia, minor hemorrhoids and a very very painful AF. Fast forward a few months, my doctor decided that we should go with the hernia repair first because it was growing large and he feared strangulation. I had the surgery a couple of weeks ago, turned out real good and the wound is almost healed. Except now my AF has gotten worse to the point where i developed this fear of having BM which usually makes things worse. For two weeks i have been dealing with it and i am sure you all know how horrible it is, now add to that the fact that i cannot and shouldn't strain while having a BM.
This week i have been having it bad, my anal sphincter has been going into spasms and contracting to the point where i can't sit, sleep or walk. I thought the pain from hemorrhoids was bad, boy was i wrong! During that time i talked with my surgeon (Who performed the hernia op) and my gastroenterologist. They prescribed some stool softeners and what have you, but i kind of felt they were just being nice as this problem didn't involve them directly.
A trip to the ER and two Fleet Enemas yesterday left me having the hardest "literally" time of my life, the pain was other worldly and i decided i needed to talk with someone who knows what the heck they are doing. I met with my CRS today, a really nice guy and i felt free to discuss all the details with him. He did basic diagnosis but couldn't go any further since the pressure building up in my AF meant it would be painful for me.
I came home with a bag full of Movicol ( 3-4 sachets a day ), Rialocaine gel and some celebrex 200 mg for the pain. He said we will try this method first, if i didn't improve within 1 week he will consider surgery. He mentioned something about a laser surgery, is this the norm? Anyone had it before? I am trying to avoid surgery at all costs, i have been home for a month now, i need to get back to work. And i really don't want to waste anymore time. But if i had to, i will go under it. I just want this thing to end already, the pain is really awful.
As painful as my life has been lately, this whole ordeal has its own advantages, i was able to quit smoking, giving up all that fast food junk and coke, losing a lot of my excess weight! and i now follow a very healthy diet, high in fiber and liquids, developed a love for vegetables and fruits since they help me, i guess this can be considered my cloud's silver lining.
I would like to ask you for some tips concerning the pain, i have a week probably before i have to go through surgery. I trust my CRS and the hospital i am going to is one of the best in the country. I am not too big on surgeries and i am keeping hope it might get better before that. I am having daily warm baths (Sitz are a bit uncomfortable but i go for them as a quick remedy sometimes, if not i just jump into the bath tub for 30 minutes or so). I am trying to stay off pain killers, i have a very high pain threshold and i don't want the medications to further complicate this issue. Will sitting on a donut cushion help? I wont ask about healing time as it is personal and subject to change.
Thank you all for this wonderful forum, i really feel i can relate now and found a place where people actually understand my problem rather than just referring to it as "the butt problem". Thank you all and i wish we all get well soon!
Ink184
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Re: Newly Diagnosed and New To Forum

Postby Deleted User 579 » 28 Jul 2011, 14:56

Hi Ink! I'm so sorry you have to be here, but I'm glad you found us. This forum helped me out a lot. It sounds like you are well on your way to getting the proper treatment, and that's great. I have one question, though: is Rialocaine gel for hemorroids? I see online that it has lidocaine, which is for pain, if I'm not mistaken. But if it has hydrocortisone, I would stay away from it. Many of us here got hemmie creams with cortisone and that just made things worse.
I've read differnt opinions about donut cushions. Some medical people say they are good, others say they are not. I tried one and it didn't really help. It actually put more pressure on my already painful butt, and I've read that they can inhibit blood flow to the butt, and a lack of blood flow is what inhibits the healing of anal fissures. I found that a good pillow did a better job. Some folks here found sitting on heating pads brought quite a bit of relief.
I definitely understand why you are trying to avoid surgery; but I think you'll find after reading people's posts here that the most common regret about surgery is not getting it sooner! The LIS healed my fissure and I'm now feeling like I'm getting my life back!
It's very hard to heal chronic fissures with non-surgical methods. There are some success stories here, where people healed using nitro or calcium channel blocker ointments (like Diltiazem), but many of us tried those and ended up getting the surgery eventually. I have not heard about laser treatments. The "gold standard" treatment is the LIS because it makes a small cut in the sphincter muscle to stop the muscle from spasming and staying too tight. Once the sphincter is looser and doesn't spasm, blood flows better to and the fissure can heal. I would ask for more information about the laser procedure.
There is lots of great information here and good people who provide wonderful advice and encouragement. I hope you get better very soon!
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Re: Newly Diagnosed and New To Forum

Postby Ink184 » 28 Jul 2011, 15:27

Hello hope2heal! Thanks for replying!
I did some search, and after looking at the gel package and print it says : Lidocaine Hydrochloride and yes they mainly prescribed it for pain, i know all about hemorrhoids ointments i used them before under the false assumption that it was my hemorrhoids hurting, and i can't describe how much it irritated the skin and burned. This one does the job for a few minutes, i wouldn't say it is that effective but it kind of helps. Hot baths are my main weapon right now, i am getting 2 - 4 baths a day after BM.
I will give up the cushions for now, as for laser surgery i was also surprised when my CRS told me it is going to be a laser surgery. I had an impression LIS was the way to go as well, i couldn't find any information online except for a few snippets here and there and my doctor gave me some sort of a paper with recommendations for diet and general stuff, on them it says laser surgery (microwaves?) is safer, heals faster and hurts less. I still need some more opinion on that, and as you said looks like i am going directly for surgery before it progresses to something worse, it is affecting my job and life style. If surgery guarantees fast healing i will go for it instead of waiting and experimenting. Insurance will already cover it so i'd rather just go for it! Thanks for your input and you have no idea how much calmer this great forum has made me. Truly when you go on a reading spree about your condition you get paranoid, but being here with you guys makes me feel safer! Thank you!
Ink184
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Re: Newly Diagnosed and New To Forum

Postby Guest » 28 Jul 2011, 21:52

Just wanted to say Welcome to the forum Ink184. :)
As you can see you're not alone:)
I've never heard of the laser surgery either. I had LIS last year and was very happy to find this forum before my surgery. Feel free to ask any questions if you decide to go with the LIS. Good Luck with whatever you decide.
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Re: Newly Diagnosed and New To Forum

Postby cyn » 28 Jul 2011, 23:27

Hi Ink,
I am also new to this forum and have heard donuts put pressure on the fissure, I have had my fissure a year now and I am considering surgery I am a lot better but still have the pain of sand paper or something stuck in my butt, do you have that? It comes nd ges lately weird. Can you find out what the laser surgery is called I would like to look into it. Keep me posted wish you the very best.
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Re: Newly Diagnosed and New To Forum

Postby val » 29 Jul 2011, 08:57

Hi Ink, and welcome.
I bought a cushion that was soft but with like a keyhole shape cut out, which didn't put pressure on the fissure. Donut shapes are very likely to aggravate it - like sitting on a toilet seat for too long.
I know surgery isn't pleasant but if you are having spasms and are in a lot of pain, then having LIS with a competent surgeon will give you your life back so much quicker than just waiting and suffering.
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