One day at a time

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One day at a time

Postby Darkeyes » 11 Apr 2013, 09:42

Thanks for this forum, it's been a big help so far. I've had a history of "hemorrhoids" for several years. Three weeks ago my pain/burning got very intense. A week later my physician assistant told me that my hemorrhoids were causing the issue and started me on steroid suppositories. The pain was intense enough that I made an appointment with a CRS for the next week. She diagnosed me with an anal fissure. She started me on nifedipine/lidocaine ointment twice a day. She also recommended one tablespoon of metamucil morning and night and continue with warm baths twice a day.
I'm not sure if this fissure is new or if I had a chronic fissure that recently got a lot worse. I've had mild bleeding/pain with some BMs for the past few years. The problem would flare up and I would increase my fiber and the problem would calm down. I had a colonoscopy and my GI doctor said I had internal hemorrhoids. A couple of years ago, my PCP said I also had external hemorrhoids. My CRS says I have no signs of external hemorrhoids. She said that fissures are frequently misdiagnosed as hemorrhoids. I guess it doesn't matter how long it's been, I'm just glad to have some treatment options.
I'm starting slowly with the Metamucil and I'll see how it goes. I already get a lot of fiber by eating shredded wheat, a fiber bar, beans/lentils every day. I've been taking 200 mg of colace daily for years now. My CRS said colace won't help but I'm going to keep taking it. I'm having some issues with the nifedipine application so I'm going to post about that in the general forum
I've been encouraged by reading everyone's stories and advice here.
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Re: One day at a time

Postby marg6043 » 11 Apr 2013, 14:11

Darkeyes, sadly some fissures get misdiagnosed as hems most of the time.
You are right you probably have been having no only the hems but also fissures for a while on and off.
It wasn't until I came across this site that I truly understood what a fissure was and the difference between them and hems.
Actually what i thought to be hems for decades has been fissure problems as I don't have hem problems.
When fissures are chronic they tend to take a bit longer to heal with proper care and by experience they just get better to comeback years later, that happen to me for a while until chronic diarrhea make them and on and off problem for me in the last two years.
I am glad you have the nifedipine to treat the fissure and keep the stools soft and easy to pass, also make sure that before a BM you use something to lubricate the area to minimize irritation after the BM.
I imagine that you have also spams but the cream will help with that.
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Re: One day at a time

Postby Darkeyes » 12 Apr 2013, 20:30

Thanks Marg6043. I appreciate the advice. I do need to start lubricating before a BM.
I get an intense burning sort of pain from 10am until about 4pm. Is that the spasms that everyone talks about? Or do the spasms feel different?
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Re: One day at a time

Postby marg6043 » 12 Apr 2013, 21:31

Darkeyes, when my fissure was fresh the spams were on going as soon I had a BM, they were like waves of pain and cramps in the anal area, I spend many nights sleepless because the pain of spams.
Then its the pain and burning that comes with irritation when you have a BM, my spams took 4 months to disappear with treatment (nitro) the cream will not took the irritation but it did took the on going spams, so I could sleep.
When I had days of intense discomfort of spams that didn't go away I took pain killers and that help.
The irritation is a burning sensation that drives you crazy, then you get the itching.
I developed a rash from the nitro after 4 months and then I blistered, that is when I discovered that lubricating with vaseline or baby desitin will ease the irritation, it took 6 months to finally go away slowly and now 10 month later I still have the fissure but only once in a while a mild spam and mild irritation that I can live with and do not affect my quality of life.
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