Hi.
Iґm new to this forum - female, 33 years old, no children, always been in normal weight, with sedentary lifestyle due to school years and everyday work, never had anal sex or never will as this area of my body is so hypersensitive.
I have been suffering from chronic AF already for 18 years. It all started with no apparent reason when I was 15 years old, I have seen better times and worse times, I guess the anal gap also developed already then, it has been there for many years. I struggled years before I dared to visit the doctor. I have been seeing 2 different proctologist to have a second opinion and treatment styles. But nevertheless during the last 8 years they have not been able to help me to heal from AF completely. By their opinion there is nothing much else to be done, they do not recommend surgery as my condition "is not so serious", I have had numerous courses with all the existing suppositories, creams, pastes in our market, the food supplements to regulate my digestion etc. I have managed to avoid constipation making changes in diet, but still the doctor says that the mucosa in my rectum is so delicate, AF is healing up to some point and is always coming back.
Anyway, though Iґm in better state than I was years before, it seems that there is nothing else to be done, at least in my country (Estonia, Europe) and I have started to look around how AF-s are treated elsewhere. Iґve read about lasers, botox treatment and so on. My doctor doesnґt recommend anything such, but says that this problem will stay with me, that I have to accept my situation. Which I find difficult to do.
Our family has a history with gastrointestinal cancers (my mother, grandfather, grandmother) and Iґm afraid that this chronic irritation and distress may lead to polyp(s) which may lead eventually to cancer. I hope it hasnґt so far and Iґm thinking about colonoscopy, just to be sure. During the next years I would like to get pregnant and Iґm terrified how could pregnancy and child birth affect my AF.
If anybody can suggest how I could help myself, I would be most grateful as I have run out of any further ideas and so seems my doctor.
Thank you for listening!
A.