Do I have an anal fissure? Anyone else have these symptoms?

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Do I have an anal fissure? Anyone else have these symptoms?

Postby twoyears » 10 Mar 2013, 18:28

My doctor thinks so but he admits he never really saw it even as he gave me a sigmoidoscopy and injected me with botox last year. Symptoms returned 6 months after I got better the first time.
My symptoms include the following:
Defecating doesn't usually bother me much. What really makes me uncomfortable is sitting in chairs. Padding doesn't make much of a difference. What really helps is chairs that recline. I spend less than an hour a day in regular chairs because they are the most common source of a flare for me.
My discomfort flares up and then by the next day usually goes away almost entirely.
Squatting is sometimes enough to cause a flare. Sex can sometimes cause a minor flare, I think its the bloodflow to the region as much as it is any particularly acrobatic moves.
Smoking pot sometimes makes things worse... it feels as if I am more swollen down there. I think maybe its not affecting the actual fissure so much as its heightening my experience of it because pot did a similar thing for joint pain I used to have. I'm not sure though. Either way, I have understandably done the sensible thing and reduced my use of pot.
My first symptoms were at least two years ago. I thought it was just hemorrhoids which I've had often and on since I was in high school so I used hemorrhoid creams. I first saw a specialist (gastroenterologist) about 18 months ago and he diagnosed me with probable anal fissure. He gave me nitroglycerine ointment. A few months of that didn't do the trick so I got the botox treatment. That didn't do anything immediately, but after another 6 weeks of nitroglycerine I was basically back to my old self. Unfortunately, 6 months after that my symptoms recurred. I'm back on the nitroglycerine and pretty unhappy.
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Re: Do I have an anal fissure? Anyone else have these symptoms?

Postby delasama » 10 Mar 2013, 18:41

Sounds like you need lis? Do you have a sentenial tag?
My fissure is a little better since I started miralax. It mostly only hurts to sit. When I si I get like a charley horse feeling down there...
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Re: Do I have an anal fissure? Anyone else have these symptoms?

Postby twoyears » 10 Mar 2013, 19:56

Thanks for your reply. I do have a sentinel tag... is that relevant somehow?
My gastroenterologist has been a bit reluctant to recommend surgery. He suggested one more go-round with the botox since I had some success with it last time. The small risk of incontinence with the surgery has me a bit nervous, though I recognize it may be necessary.
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Re: Do I have an anal fissure? Anyone else have these symptoms?

Postby delasama » 10 Mar 2013, 20:38

The tag is from the fissure. The fissure formed the tag to protect its self.
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Re: Do I have an anal fissure? Anyone else have these symptoms?

Postby coconut » 10 Mar 2013, 22:33

I would look towards pelvic floor problems, too. Someone on these boards has that and has a wonderful book that explains it and recommends some ways of relieving it. You can have both a fissure and pelvic floor disorder. If I find a link to the thread where I read about this, I'll post it here.
The tag is a strong sign that you have a fissure. If it is a fissure, your symptoms aren't totally unusual, but they also are different than the typical symptoms of a fissure.
Defineatly worth a visit to a CRS. Gastro docs are generally not able to give you a solid diagnosis for this stuff. Its possible that some simple changes will be help a lot.
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Re: Do I have an anal fissure? Anyone else have these symptoms?

Postby twoyears » 11 Mar 2013, 13:42

Thanks delasama and coconut for sharing your advice. I thought my tag was the result of a previous external hemorrhoid rather than the fissure. Reading up on pelvic floor issues... maybe relevant for me? As a male in my 30s I do find myself peeing more than I used to, and its a bit harder to get out those last drops. But that's normal to a certain extent right?
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Re: Do I have an anal fissure? Anyone else have these symptoms?

Postby delasama » 11 Mar 2013, 16:11

I can't get last few drops out when my fissure is acting up.because it flexes sphincter muscle when I try to push last few drops out. Also opening of my penis is a little smaller from irritation from sex which makes it also harder to get last few drops out. What's pelvic floor? I guess I should read about that too?
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