Hello All! I'm 18 and my 19th birthday is this coming Tuesday. I have been suffering from an anal fissure since last Saturday, diagnosed on Monday. I was prescribed an oral numb agent (to be inserted via rectum), a hydrocort suppository, stool softner, and told to buy tucks wipes for cleaning. I also had an internal hemorrhoid, but that hasn't been causing me any pain since about Friday. I had very few bowel movements that were minuscule up until Thursday afternoon when I had a proper one that hurt like hell and a little blood came out. Strangely I felt much better. I had another proper bowel movement yesterday that hurt a little less, and one that basically didn't hurt too much (during or after) today. There has been no spotting or blood in my bowel movements since the one I mentioned that happened Thursday.

Do you think this is a sign that I'm healing? I've changed my diet to include water and only fiber-y materials like apples, and have (begrudgingly) cut coffee, tea, soda, and other sources of caffeine out of my diet. I'm hoping to be all good by my birthday, and I was wondering if any of you acute anal fissure sufferers would have any time frames of when it... stopped bothering you so much.

Thanks!

(I listed the medicines that I was prescribed as they seem to help, and it may be useful information for future anal fissure sufferers who happen to peruse my thread)

Hi X900
& Welcome!
18 is just too young to be suffering! - The good news is you have time on your side to deal with this because your fissure is very new and you are already taking some great steps to try and nip it in the bud. I was a chronic sufferer, so it took me a long time to heal, but from what I read, a few people on this site have identified having acute fissures here and they can take only a few days to settle, so fingers crossed that this is the same for you too - unfortunately only time can really tell but it's a great sign that the pain is already decreasing and the bleeding has stopped too.....
Please please please though take this is a warning!! If this does resolve, don't go back to old habits of allowing yourself to become constipated or straining excessively to go, because so far you have had a minor taste of what happens to a lot of people for weeks & months on end and it is a horrible thing to have to go through - you only have to read of people suffering here to get an idea. Just eat sensibly always (always lots of fruits, salads & veggies in your daily diet & moderate "junk" food), and forever drink lots and lots of fluids to stay hydrated and aim for regular and soft-solid stools that pass easily when you go to the toilet!! I would hate you to have to go through what a lot of us have here and I think others reading would say the same to you.
Take good care of yourself always and hopefully this passes for you very quickly, so you can have a brilliant 19th birthday!!!!......Have fun!!

Thanks for the warm welcome and birthday wishes, Ever the Optimist! Yeah, before the fissure I had the nasty habit of holding off bowel movements, wasn't eating any fruits, and only drank about three/four glasses of water a day. Plus I work out at the gym, and, while I don't lift much, it's still heavy for my body. I think all of those factors did me in. I definitely do get in my servings of leafy vegetables though. I am going to try to keep up my newly found dietary habits so I never have to experience such pain again.

PS: I read quite a few stories on these forums before sharing mine, so I do not want to fall back into my old habits out of fear of being a chronic sufferer! I was glad to find these forums, however; because I no longer feel so alone about my fissure struggle.