Glad to have found this forum, it’s amazing. I really hope and pray every day that we all get well. Here is my story, and some questions.
I started to have pain following a particularly hard BM in December 2012. I recognized the symptoms of a fissure, having had one some 20 years ago after childbirth. I promptly got a referral to a clinic that only does bums. Dr. told me I had a fissure and hemorrhoids and gave me nitro ointment and instructed me to make sure that when I applied it, I put my whole finger up there. He also recommended several sources of soluble fiber and plenty of water. After a few treatments, I promptly developed spasms which as you all know are just horrible, I could use descriptions such as “shards of glass” but you all know the pain. The doctor had me come back for 5 five-minute appointments where he would prescribe painkilling anal bullets that were only made in the pharmacy in his building (nowhere else in the world…go figure), and tell me to keep doing what I was doing, even though it wasn’t working. Then I’d go to the pharmacy to get them and they would never have the ingredients to make them up. I decided this doctor was a bit of a quack and gave up on him.
I’d get all dressed for work (a new job none-the-less), have one bm and walk out with my eye makeup running down my face and sweat stains all over my clothes . I lost 9 pounds between February and June.
I researched and got referred to another very well-known colo-rectal surgeon, with great credentials. That was 7 weeks ago. He took me off the nitro cream, put me on Nifedipine (no “full finger” insertion required, he actually was shocked that this had been suggested to me) and 6 weeks of Flagyl antibiotics. He gave me strict instructions not to drink alcohol, coffee or tea, chocolate, dairy products or citrus AND no hot baths! I’ve followed his instructions to the letter but would probably say I’m only 20% better, mostly because the Flagyl seemed to make my bowel movements more normal, less runny. I’m thinking of giving up the cream, I don’t think it is doing me any good. I’m still crying every day on the toilet, lots of blood, even though my stool is quite soft.
Will this ever end? I’m so depressed and have never suffered this much in my life. My life revolves around the pain and the locations of the nearest toilets. And can someone please tell me why travelling in the car makes it 10x worse? Is the bumping around? I swear, I can hardly do any driving anymore! And is there such a thing as a colo-rectal surgeon with some compassion? The two I’ve seen have made me feel horrible about myself…