I had Botox done two months ago after suffering from an AF for over a year. I had it done in the CRS's office unsedated. I also had a superficial fistula laid open and a skin tag cauterized at the same time I had the Botox done. The numbing needles hurt for a few seconds, but then I didn't feel anything. In all, I was there for about 45 minutes. I walked in had my procedures done and walked out 45 minutes later. I was extremely nervous about it, but it wasn't bad at all.
I had my follow-up at 4 weeks and the CRS said my fissure was healed, but the skin needed to get tougher. He said to keep on doing what I have been all along. That includes taking psyllium fiber every morning, Miralax once a day, stool softeners (docusate sodium), and using nifedipine ointment as well. He did mention that I did not need to use the nifedipine anymore, but said I could if I wanted to, he said if anything, it would be a good lubricant. I continued with that for a couple more weeks. I am now about 8 weeks post Botox and feel great. I have absolutely no pain, no burning, no itching, and bm's are painless. After suffering for so long with my AF, it is kind of weird not having any sensations down there to remind me of it :D
I want to mention that about 3 weeks ago I had two days where my bm's were harder than normal (normal being pretty soft). I kind of freaked out about it and thought for sure I might end up back at square one. I did not have any bleeding after my bm's, but I did have a VERY mild achey feeling. It wasn't enough to take any pain meds. I started soaking again after that and the day after the last harder bm I felt fine again. I have not been able to exactly pinpoint what it was that made my bm's a little too firm, but I am pretty sure it was a new vitamin I started taking. I have since stopped taking it and have had no problems.
Although I am physically healed from my AF and feeling great, I am still not emotionally healed from it. It showed when I had the harder bm and started crying out of fear I would re tear. I am sure it will take many months or maybe even years to get over all the emotional and mental anguish the AF caused for me.
I have one more follow-up appointment with my CRS in another month. If nothing changes before then, I will update after that appointment.
My advice to anyone considering Botox is to make sure you find a CRS who does is frequently and who has had success with it. My CRS does a lot of Botox and did four injections all the way around my internal sphincter muscle. I think the amount of Botox used as well as the location of the injections plays a big role in how well it works.
Good luck to everyone.

Dear ITPAINSME,
In response to your other post : Oh the humanity......(I cannot reply there?)
I am absolutely Flabergasted, Astonished and disgusted at your verbal attack on Dawn. Dawn has been and is a very very valuable member of this forum. Her advice and support to everyone must be credited to her!! I for one back her 100% ....Majority if not all of us, do not have an ass of steel and do not consider these injections so flippantly as you. I wonder why u chose the name you have on this forum! itpainsme!!! YES IT DOES!!!!!!!! So, consider the rest of the human race as just that...HUMAN!

I hadn't seen that post until you mentioned it Andrea.
And I totally agree - Dawn gives up her valuable time to help other people and give them FACTS. Fact is - not many people heal with a single shot of botox, Dawn is just warning you of that, trying to be helpful, trying to get you to see that you might need more botox - or even the dreaded LIS in the future.
Hopefully you will be in the extremely small minority that does heal with a single shot of botox (not that any of us know anyone who ever has!!)

of all the places to hurt wrote:Dear ITPAINSME,
In response to your other post : Oh the humanity......(I cannot reply there?)
I am absolutely Flabergasted, Astonished and disgusted at your verbal attack on Dawn. Dawn has been and is a very very valuable member of this forum. Her advice and support to everyone must be credited to her!! I for one back her 100% ....Majority if not all of us, do not have an ass of steel and do not consider these injections so flippantly as you. I wonder why u chose the name you have on this forum! itpainsme!!! YES IT DOES!!!!!!!! So, consider the rest of the human race as just that...HUMAN!

I am disgusted by how brash you are. I did not attack Dawn. I simply asked her a question, it was not an attack. I know she is very supportive on these boards and I have been appreciative of it. Maybe you need to re read my post to her. You are acting so immature by making fun of my screen name. Talk about the pot calling the kettle black! You are attacking me and maybe you should consider treating me like a human.

Quoting Val from other post "Very down and a question..." (that topic is locked now)
"Actually, Andrea was answering your post on the 1st of september. So to come on here and start another argument about it nearly a month later is somewhat ridiculous.
You started it all up again by saying that your CRS doesn't consider botox surgery and neither do you.
WE ALL KNOW THAT!!
We have been through all this - here in the UK, botox is administered under "surgery conditions" ie, in a theatre, under a general anaesthetic. We don't just walk into a doctor's office like people do for a blood test, or flu injection - it's quite a big deal!
And I am quite aware, as is everybody else, that botox is just injections. But it IS medical intervention. Surgery is just a flippant, blanket word, that is used to convey that more is needed than just diet, creams and baths.
When my friend went into hospital for the botox injections, I sent a card with "good luck for your upcoming surgery". I don't think I would have been able to find any card with "good luck on your upcoming medical intervention that we aren't allowed to call surgery because it isn't actually surgery!!"
You are being very picky and childish."
I am not on here everyday to post replies and respond to others. I didn't know that we had a time limit on when we could respond. I had time to catch up yesterday and that is when I replied. Andrea was being a bit rude to me with the way she was asking about surgery. Was I not supposed to reply to that?
I think the difference in the way Botox is viewed is because of how differently it is handled in the UK versus over here. I walked into my CRS's office and walked out when he was done. It was not worthy of being admitted to the hospital and being put under general anesthesia. I think that is why it is such a big deal for you guys. Being put under is a risk in itself. I am glad I live here and am able to get my treatment without being admitted to the hospital and being put under general anesthesia. It would have cost me a lot more time, money and fear if I had to do it that way.
I have a friend who has had Botox injections in her face. I would have never sent her a card wishing her well on her upcoming surgery, because it was not surgery, just Botox injections. Like I said, I think the big difference in the way we view it is where we live.
You think I am being very picky and childish? What do you think of Andrea making fun of my screen name? Do you consider that childish? Did you tell her she was being childish? I think having to defend the fact that I had Botox and it was not surgery is not being picky or childish.
Responding to your other post, yes, I do consider my Botox as being successful. I suffered for almost 15 months with my fissure and was not able to heal it all of the way. I got Botox and now it is healed. I definitely consider that to have worked and a success. Can I tear again? Sure. Can someone who has had LIS tear again? Sure. If you heal your fissure after LIS do you consider your LIS successful? I would think so. I healed after Botox, so yes, it was successful. It doesn't mean I won't ever re tear or get a new fissure ever again. No one can control that. I am healed right now and that is my success with my treatment. Why would I want to be negative and not say the Botox was successful when it was??? I just don't get that.
I feel like this board is not as much of an anal fissure support forum as it is an LIS support forum. If I am about to get Botox and just want support, here is what I feel you get: Good luck with your Botox, but it most likely will not work. This is not quoting anyone, I am just stating how the support comes across. I am sure if someone were about to have LIS and they came here for support and they got from me "Good luck, but statistics show you could be permanently incontinent after your surgery" it wouldn't be very supportive of me to post that would it? Me rattling off statistics to them would not help their state of mind going into the surgery. It is the same way when one is going for their Botox. Do you understand what I mean? There are plenty of people like me, who are not wanting to even consider LIS at this point. I would happily have another round or two of Botox before I would even think about LIS. We all have different needs and to be told as a newby on this board that most likely nothing will heal you except LIS because your fissure is chronic, is discouraging. My CRS does not feel that way and neither did my second opinion CRS. I trust my doctor, he is the medical professional after all. Whenever I have posted about Botox as a good option, I always have to defend it. SoreBum said he wanted to exhaust all options before considering surgery. I posted to him about Botox and then I had to defend that. Why can't I share my positive experience with Botox with others? It is a good option for some people. I don't understand why it is necessary to have everyone think LIS is the only answer.

itpainsme,
That's just ridiculous. We read the post in here and say what the majority has experienced. If there was one post in here where someone reported incontinence then I would mention it... Everyone knows there is a risk but we also say " there hasn't been one case in here"! This why we all try to advise folks to find a well qualified CRS and to ask all the right question- "Statistics"! I have shared that I have to clean my butt a few times after a bm because of leakage since LIS.We often mention second LIS's are necessary for some folks! I'm sure that's not what a future LIS-er wants to hear but it's facts and they deserve to know just like they deserve to know about Botox being temporary, multiple shots may be needed and so on...
I don't understand your reasoning !! You seem to get offended by what we say when someone asks about Botox. I don't recall anyone not offering support to someone who got it this procedure! What is wrong with educating people ahead of time who may be making a choice to have either?
I'd like to add: People in the US are often under anesthesia for all the procedures(skin tags, fistulas) you received, even Botox... It's in the surgery threads.

Why do yu need to "defend" the fact that botox isn't surgery? We have people here who are from all parts of the world and some will have to go through the whole "surgery" experience because of where they are from, so yes, to them, it is going to be a big deal.
LIS, I think, is also performed just in a doctor's office where you are from, am I correct? So you probably wouldn't consider that "surgery" either.
There are no rights or wrongs of treatments to have - whatever works for anyone is great. We are all supposed to be here for each other without judgement.
But we give up a lot of time to be supportive and give facts to people who aren't aware of the facts of either botox or LIS, and I just feel that you are being either overly-sensitive, or you are just a horrible argumentative woman who has to have everything your own way.
Why else would you want to cause a massive argument over whether or not botox is surgery, especially when I have said, over and over again, that WE ALL KNOW IT ISN'T REALLY "SURGERY".
And to your answer about sending my friend a card - well, grow up! I mean, there is a world of difference between getting botox for a saggy face because of vanity, and getting botox in your bum because you HAVE to, because of a fissure. How can you even compare that?? My friend was scared and in pain and needed cheering up, why have you get a problem with everything?

Val
I agree Botox in the face or a small cut such is made with LIS on the face can not be compared to the butt! If that was the case then no one in here would be in fear of having either!