Greetings all! Glad to have found this page for support and information!
About me: I am a 32 year old male dealing with my first AF. I've had the lil' guy for about 8 weeks at this point, and saw a colorectal surgeon about a month ago. Interestingly, she was not able to actually locate an AF, but my symptoms match up perfectly with those accompanying AFs.
I consider myself fortunate in that my symptoms don't seem to be anywhere nearly as bad as what I've read from others on this webpage. Other than a little itching/burning, a feeling of tightness, and a very brief spasm now and again, I'd never know I even have an AF.
Thus far, I've been doing the usual: 3 baths/applications of cream per day, eating 30+ grams of fiber, drinking 3+ liters of water, and taking dulcolax stool softeners. My question is how long I can get by with just this routine without things becoming worse? I'm uninsured, so surgery is most certainly an option of last resort.
Planning to look into some supplements this weekend. In the meantime, just wanted to introduce myself and get started on informing myself to recovery!

Hey there Biaxident,
Welcome to the forum! Sounds like you have the routine down and are doing about as much as you can to manage this. It's hard to say what the future holds or how long this routine will keep you going... Some folks have lived with a fissure for years before having surgery. There's always a risk of developing infection with a fissure, but it doesn't always happen. Skin tags can also develop once a fissure becomes chronic which may require being removed, but not always (again), also scar tissue...
I lived with my fissure for 8 months before having surgery. I didn't have insurance either, but fear kept me from having the surgery more than the fact that I didn't have insurance! I ended up with a skin tag having to be removed and scar tissue that had to be cauterized when I had my LIS.
Most of us knew when we had reached the breaking point with the highs and lows of healing a re-tearing and couldn't wait for the surgery.
With that being said, there's been folks on here who managed to live with it for years before having surgery. I guess it's personal choice, a lot of strength and willing to take the risk of developing abscess or a fistula.
Don't let me freak you out, that doesn't always happen, but it can...
Also a few boardies have waited years to get the proper care and surgery who wanted it sooner, so it's not really impossible to live with it for as long as you have to or feel you can. Sorry if I'm rambling here. There's just really not one way to answer your question.
Take care and hang in there!
Ps... I noticed you're taking dulcolax stool softener. If it isn't doing the trick, you may want to give Miralax a try. It's pretty popular with most of the folks here.

Hi there, welcome on board!
What cream are you using?? Is it hydrocortisone, or one of the healing creams? Doctors tend to hand out creams for piles when they should be giving out diltiazem or nitro!

I am using diltiazem and just started on my first refill this Tuesday. In addition, I was advised to begin adding baking soda to my baths, and started taking Wheat Germ Oil, Gotu Kula & Wheat Grass supplements today. Going to add flax-seed oil supplements tomorrow. I would much rather spend $50 on supplements than however much surgery costs, if possible. Thanks for operating this site!