Hi i came across this site by accident whilst trying to find more info about AF, i live in the UK & having been suffering on & off since my first pregnancy 13 years ago, my GP had been very supportive but things got so bad 6 months ago i was referred to colorectal surgeon at the hospital for a specialist opinion. On my first visit i had an examination & was told i had some haemorroids but they werent causing the pain, i was diagnosed with "idiopathic anal pain" (any one else heard of this??) & basically told there was no treatment but hopefully it would go way on its own!! It didnt!! & now i have been in constant pain of varying degrees for weeks, its affecting my whole life, i cant sleep very well as pain keeps me awake, iam snappy with my kids & my partner & our sex life is totally non existant. I've been back to the hospital recently & was told i have an AF & muscle spasm, my consultant has suggested i go in for an examination under anaesthetic & possibly a botox injection as this may help. Iam currently using rectogesic (have been for a few months now) but this does give me bad headaches & make me feel light headed & even sick sometimes i have been given a prescription for anoheal but havnt used this yet, would welcome advice & suggestions, its nice to know there are other people out there who understand how it feels.

Hi! I'm so sorry to hear you've been suffering for so long and that you've been having some troubles with a diagnosis. Fissures can often be missed on examination, even by specialists. Idiopathic anal pain simply means you are having pain and that particular doctor can't find a reason for it. It's sort of a wastebasket term when a doctor doesn't have a label to give to it.
Switching to the Anoheal should take care of those nasty side effects you have had with the Rectogesic, and will essentially do the same thing, help relax the muscle and bring added circulation to the area to help with healing. Most people who can't tolerate the Rectogesic do fine with the Anoheal.
Botox could be the next step if the trial of Anoheal doesn't work. Surgery is also an option.
The key with fissures is to keep your stools very soft. Everyone accomplishes this in different ways depending on their own individual bowel tendencies, but most people need to use some sort of stool softener to keep stools soft enough. Fiber and increasing fluid intake can help too, though some people feel too much added fiber bulks up their stools too much. People on this forum often use Miralax (called Movicol I believe in the UK) or other stool softeners such as Colace, prunes or prune juice, magnesium, etc. it takes a lot of experimenting to find what works for your individual system.
Reducing the stress you are feeling is also key to your healing. The stress only causes more muscle tension and increases inflammation. Whatever you can do in this regard is essential. Deep breathing, meditation, walking, taking a long bath (which will also help th fissure to heal and give you pain relief), listening to music...whatever it is that helps you with stress reduction.
You've come to the right place to find people who totally understand your pain and frustration and anxiety. This is a wonderful place for information, support, and sharing.

Jr's advice is the best!
the only thing i would add is get an electric heating pad to sit on, if you don't have one already. It's very soothing and relaxing. When nothing else gets me to relax there, that always works.
Hope things get better for you soon!
-tanya

Thankyou so much for your kind words & much appreciated advice which i will certainly be taking, i felt so bad this morning, i'd hardly slept last night because of the pain & then the rectogesic had made me feel really sick when i used it, i was feeling really down & it just helps to know that all of you understand this problem as i dont have any friends who have experienced this so although they are sympathetic, they dont really know what iam going through.
Jill

Jill
Yes, I think it is hard for anyone who hasn't had a fissure to fully understand the impact it has on every aspect of your life. It isn't like you can stop eating and stop eliminating waste. So, these very basic aspects of our survival also become the biggest sources of our terror. It is naturally going to take its toll on our relationships, activities, and emotions. Be gentle with yourself, and just ask those in your life for some added safe emotional space, and come here any time you need to vent with others who totally get what you're going through.
The heating pad is definitely a godsend and makes sitting down so much more tolerable. If you do sit on it just be careful not to dial it up too high.