Alpine, thank you for your post I'm so glad that I've come across it. I was just wondering myself what caused my "bad day" last week. I was too on my period but that never crossed my mind that it could be the reason why that happened. It's happened before during the time of the month when I come to analyze everything. Never would of made the connection though lol.

Hey Alpine,
I've had a similar problem, I have constipation before my period, then diarrhea after it has started. I don't know if it is an option for you but I started birth control that allows me to only have 4 periods a year. So far so good, my last period was the first week of October so I haven't had to deal with my period messing with my bathroom habits. Unfortunately, nothing is helping my fissure/skin tag but at least I don't have the constipation and diarrhea making things worse.
Hope that helps!

Well I'm back with my report--already! My period started early this month, like on day 23! Ugh. Does evening primrose ever cause periods to be early? I tried to research that a little bit but didn't come up with a clear answer. I'm guessing it may have an effect.
Well, I'll be blatantly honest about everything. I had breast pain worse than usual this month, so at least so far, it doesn't seemed to have helped that issue. Right now I have clear skin, which usually isn't the case on the day I start my period. So maybe it's helping with acne? Sometimes I break out after my period though, so I'll have to wait and see. My anxiety wasn't as bad, although it was definitely there. But I still felt very depressed and weepy.
This is probably silly, and a little off the subject but my daughter had her first orchestra concert (she plays the cello). In a few months we have to move to an area where the schools aren't as good and none of them have an orchestra. I'm very sad for her as I don't even know if we'll be able to find someone in the middle of nowhere for private lessons. I cried all during her concert and for the next two days. Hell, I'm crying right now. Maybe it shouldn't be a big deal but it is. Orchestra is a big part of her school day and I hate the fact that it won't be there for her. I know she can switch to a band instrument but I also know that means she'll be forced into a marching band, which she absolutely doesn't want to do.
I am very dubious about this move. It's a great job opportunity for my husband, and his family is there, but that is all. The area doesn't have much to offer for the kids or myself. I hope it doesn't ruin our relationship, but I fear it could. He doesn't want to stay here and I don't want to go there.
Sorry for the rant. I suppose you are wanting to know the main thing, whether the supplements have helped with retears? Well the good news is that it seems to have helped. I had the typical constipation before the period. In fact I have had like three hard BM's in a row (over three days' time) and no retear. And I haven't been taking the Miralax. So maybe things are getting better. Who knows. I may be a crying mess, but at least for once I'm not crying over my butt.
Finnsmom, I don't like to take the pill but my PMS is severe enough to consider it again. I hate going insane before my period. It's miserable. I don't know if I'm starting perimenopause or what, but I feel pretty out of whack and not myself. Actually I was supposed to see the gynecologist today for my annual, and I was going to discuss my issues, but my period came along and ruined it for me, so I have to wait until next week to see her.
I hope my post is helpful to other women...before I found this site I had noticed that my fissure symptoms were worse before my period but I thought it was just me. Now I realize that it's most of us.

Two Years Gone wrote:I also worry that I have tears around the vaginal area caused during my period which are like paper cuts as the hormones make the skin seem more delicate. I always bleed heavily which makes it so difficult to maintain cleanliness for the fissure and can make it smart.
I was also told that perception of pain is greater during a period and I get vaginal pain/urinary tract pain also.

Ladies,
I learned last year that the cause of my anal fissure was from an autoimmune disease called Lichen Sclerosis (Sclerosus - different spelling).
You mention the small tears in the tissue around your vagina and that is not normal. Lichen Sclerosis effects the skin of the vulva and anal areas, causing thinning skin, intense itching, burning and pain.
I have learned that this disease is hard to diagnose, most gyn's don't know about it, hell my colon rectal doctor didn't even know about it, had never heard of it either. I finally diagnosed myself after a summer of intense itching around my clitoral hood, I googled and found information about lichen sclerosis (sclerosus), one symptom was white patches of skin. So I got my mirror out and viola, I had the classic white patch of skin near my clitoris and around my anus and perineum.
Women who still have their periods will have flare ups prior to their period because of hormonal changes.
http://lichensclerosus.net/?Welcome
You can learn more at the above website, or please feel free to private message me, [email protected]
I now have my anal fissure under control, it has been 4 yrs since the last episode. I was in the midst of menopause and the lichen sclerosis was then developing in the vulva skin.
This condition is serious if left untreated, it can become cancerous and can labial, vaginal, and clitoral hood fusing.
Children and men can also get this disease. Children will get this around the anus, causing anal fissures, and men will get this on their penis. It is NOT contagious, nor a STD.
Deenise