New fissure in new spot. Why?????

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New fissure in new spot. Why?????

Postby NewMummy » 01 Jun 2012, 17:33

Hi,
I got a fissure a month after giving birth, had it for 2 months on and off, finally reallized what it was, started to do sitz baths, diets etc. and have been pain and bleeding free for 3 weeks now. I went to a specialist and he even said it had healed. I still kept my diet exactly the same just to give it some more time to heal.
BUT, this morning I had a BM, not particularly big or anthing I haven't been able to pass during the last 3 weeks, maybe a bit firmer...but I felt that terrible, terrible ripping feeling in a new spot!!! and then some blood on toilet paper. I'm sooooo frustrated!!! Image
Why did this happen????? The only thing I can say might have been slightly different this morning is that my muscles in my guts felt like they expelled the BM a touch more violently than at other times. Could this have done it??? Also, I have noticed that on saturdays, my BMs are at their firmest and biggest...previously when I was fighting my other fissure, saturday was my re-tearing day. Is this odd? I'm starting to wonder if it is hormones as I am still breastfeeding. Or did the birth just change my sphincter and it's now smaller or traumatised somehow?? Or did the birth or breastfeeding change the skin down there so that it's thinner or less elastic??? I'm sooooo over this now. Can't believe it's happening again!!!
Oh, well, thanks for listening. I guess I just have to keep working on this new fissure and consider whether I should give up breastfeeding and see if that makes a difference. Any insight from you guys would be good....
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Re: New fissure in new spot. Why?????

Postby jr2 » 01 Jun 2012, 19:34

Oh no, I'm so sorry to hear you have a new fissure. :(
I know how frustrating it is. These things can be so mysterious. We can do everything the same with no deviations and just get hit out of the blue with it. In your case it could be so many things because you have so much going on. Hormones, breastfeeding, being post birth, having the stress of the first fissure which may not have totally healed and was still causing some tightness in the muscles. It could be any or all of these things.
Not much insight, I know, but actually no one really knows what causes fissures in some people and not in others. Image
Sending you healing, comforting thoughts and the hope that you heal quickly now that you have a better idea of what to do to care for your fissure and help it to heal.
Image
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Re: New fissure in new spot. Why?????

Postby NewMummy » 02 Jun 2012, 04:22

Thanks jr2!!! I needed that hug :D Spent today digesting and accepting my new fissure and have decided to stay positive and not let it ruin my days. Surely it will have to go away one day, and until then I'm gonna have a lot of nice times in between BMs!!!
Can specialists actually measure if my sphincter has somehow gotten too tight or if something isn't quite working as it should during BMs?? If it's too much pressure or whatever else can possibly be wrong??
Ah, well...it's a new day tomorrow and hopefully my butt will respond well to what I have consumed today Image
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Re: New fissure in new spot. Why?????

Postby sweetcheeks » 02 Jun 2012, 06:48

NewMummy wrote:Hi,
I got a fissure a month after giving birth, had it for 2 months on and off, finally reallized what it was, started to do sitz baths, diets etc. and have been pain and bleeding free for 3 weeks now. I went to a specialist and he even said it had healed. I still kept my diet exactly the same just to give it some more time to heal.
BUT, this morning I had a BM, not particularly big or anthing I haven't been able to pass during the last 3 weeks, maybe a bit firmer...but I felt that terrible, terrible ripping feeling in a new spot!!! and then some blood on toilet paper. I'm sooooo frustrated!!! Image
Why did this happen????? The only thing I can say might have been slightly different this morning is that my muscles in my guts felt like they expelled the BM a touch more violently than at other times. Could this have done it??? Also, I have noticed that on saturdays, my BMs are at their firmest and biggest...previously when I was fighting my other fissure, saturday was my re-tearing day. Is this odd? I'm starting to wonder if it is hormones as I am still breastfeeding. Or did the birth just change my sphincter and it's now smaller or traumatised somehow?? Or did the birth or breastfeeding change the skin down there so that it's thinner or less elastic??? I'm sooooo over this now. Can't believe it's happening again!!!
Oh, well, thanks for listening. I guess I just have to keep working on this new fissure and consider whether I should give up breastfeeding and see if that makes a difference. Any insight from you guys would be good....

I have read so much now in the literature on this and they say many people get this from explosive BM's, you said it was more violent, perhaps this is why?
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Re: New fissure in new spot. Why?????

Postby jr2 » 02 Jun 2012, 09:03

Yes, there is testing that can be done. It's called manometry and it will measure the pressure inside the anal canal as well as test to see how well the muscles function for expelling stool. It could be difficult to have it done with an active fissure (it might be too painful) but because childbirth can also affect the functioning of the pelvic floor muscles it could be worth it to have some studies done and if they show anything a course of physical therapy to rehabilitate the pelvic floor could be beneficial.
It's really hard to keep your spirits up when you have a fissure and as a busy mom with lots of needs to tend to in your baby it is even more difficult. As much rest as you can get and some time just for yourself for self care like a hot bath with a book or anything where you can have even just a bit of time for yourself would be really good both to help you emotionally and to promote healing. I don't know how you moms out there manage. I know we all do what we have to do, but wow, you ladies are pretty amazing.
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Re: New fissure in new spot. Why?????

Postby NewMummy » 29 Jun 2012, 14:59

Hi, just updating my fissure journey and so far so good Image
My current situation 4 weeks after is NO FISSURE. yay!! The second fissure I was writing about lasted a whole 3 days. Cannot complain at all. And after it healed I think I made some real progress. I have not had a problem since and for the last 2 weeks I have come off stool softeners, and I have introduced small amounts of naughty foods Image My BMs are sometimes a bit hardish but my bum can handle it!!!
So, my best guess thinking back would be that the second fissure appeared because, as jr2 suggested, there might have still been some tightening in sphincter....because my sphincter feels a lot more normal these days compared to back in my fissure days. The explosiveness of the poop may not have helped either back in those days (I have some explosive poos now and it's all good), and neither would the hemmies that were still relatively present at that time. Breastfeeding and hormones probably played a smaller part as I am still b-feeding and have no period so still have strange hormonal combination.
Also, some other interesting things:
My bum has felt better since moving close to my parents and they have been helping lots with cooking and looking after baby Dylan so that I had time to heal myself and rest a bit. So maybe stress did have something to do with it??
Funnily enough my GP sent me to physio to strengthen the pelvic floor as she thought it was rather week and may contribute to a slight prolapse of pelvic organs that I also have been struggling with. Hmmm...so maybe there was something wrong in that respect too??
It just makes me think that this fissure stuff is complicated and doctors should get better at looking at our bodies as a whole Image and not just treat our bum in isolation and tell us to just eat more fibre. Grrrr...doctors still make me irritated Image
Anyways, thanks to all the help from everyone. This forum surely kept my spirit up and I would've been lost without it. I wish I could meet everyone of you in person and say Image
PS. jr2, that's such a nice thing to say in the end there...that we're pretty amazing ladies...as hard as this has been, comments like that makes me feel really proud of who I am. It surely made my week to read that!
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Re: New fissure in new spot. Why?????

Postby Goma » 01 Jul 2012, 15:12

NewMummy- I'm really sorry to hear that. Getting a new fissure after finally healing is so frustrating! I had a similar problem. After months of struggling with my first fissure and it finally healing, I tore again in a new place about five weeks ago. I had a firmer bowel movement, which is what I'm blaming it on. I went back to my CRS and he said who knows, but maybe he took me off the stool softeners too soon. So I got back on them, and now five weeks later I'm healed again as the fissure has sealed back up. My CRS says to avoid what happened last time I should stay on the softeners for another three months before I start to back off of them because it could easily tear again.
I agree with you that fissures are complicated. I feel like the doctors really don't know enough about them. I feel like I was doing everything right and I still got another one. He told me to keep eating fiber, but that doesn't help me since I'm basically a vegetarian and I eat a lot of fiber anyway. I always have.
I also have wondered if there is a connection with pelvic floor problems. I have problems with that as well with my lady parts and I brought it up with my CRS. He didn't seem to think the two were related though, but referred me to a gynecologist that specifically dealt with the pelvic floor. My insurance doesn't seem to cover that doctor, so I haven't gone yet. Let me know if you find out more about that connection. I would be curious to know.
Anyway, try not to stress about it too much. Stress does seem to make mine worse. Hopefully it will heal again, and that will be the end of it. I'll keep my fingers crossed for you!
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Re: New fissure in new spot. Why?????

Postby NewMummy » 15 Jul 2012, 12:21

Hi Goma, I went to the physio and got exercises to strengthen my pelvic floor, so we'll see how that goes. I asked about the fissure and she didn't really know but could only speculate that it might have an impact on fissures. Weak pelvic floors may cause anal incontinence so it does indeed affect the anal function...but whether or not it affects the anal function to the extent that it could cause fissures or prevent them from healing she couldn't say....sorry I can't help more Image Can you maybe go to a physio that specializes in pelvic floor issues?? is that covered in your insurance?? Good physio's are sometimes better than doctors in my experience..but they have to be good ones!!
Sorry to hear about your episode with the tear some weeks ago too. It is the most frustrating stuff ever. Mine is still going well so I'm over the moon Image When I started to ease off stool softeners my CRS advised to eat kiwi fruit, pears, and prunejuice/prunes or put some prunes in water overnight and drink the water+eat the prunes the next morning. I was scared to death when I stopped the stool softeners but it actually went fine. Don't know if it was the food that did it, but maybe it's worth a try next time you try to stop??
Wish you lots of luck with your progress Image
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