Chronic hem/fissure sufferer here-
Shout out to my homies in pain…I’m in pain right friggin now like the rest of you…
Got my fissure last year around this time. Holiday food was the last straw apparently. Suffered through Christmas and the new year with the burning agonizing pain described by all here. No bleeding ever. Saw doctors, saw hem specialists, tried diltiazem, all for naught. Self-dilation seemed to provide some relief, but it was usually temporary at best. Then I changed my diet. I cut out about 85% of the gluten in my diet and started a pretty stringent regimen of Yogurt, fruit, steamed veggies, and fish. With the diet came hope, in the form of less pain post-bm, less lying in bed all day and all night instead of living my life, etc.
Eventually I felt as though I had healed. I was having bm’s without pain, and not suffering at all. The diet had worked, or so I thought. I’m pretty brave when it comes to going up there digitally for lubing or applying medicine or whatever, got over that grossness pretty quick I suppose. So I have a pretty good idea of how things “look” down there. I noticed I had a bump where the fissure had been, it felt rough like a scab or scar. It didn’t hurt, but it didn’t heal or go away either.
Jump to October, bam. Fissure ripped open, agonizing pain for hours every day. I’m talking worse pain than the original. Knowing what I was staring down the barrel of only made things worse. Every bm was a spasming nightmare, every day an exercise in not killing myself over the pain (I exaggerate, but I’m sure some of you know what I am talking about. AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARGH!
So I’ve been doing a lot of online research (lots of time in bed with the laptop). There’s a million gimmicks and gadgets out there all designed to cure hems and fissures. I have always been critical of things like this, but I categorically refuse to risk incontinence or any further decrease in my quality of life. Medical doctors have never worked out for me my whole life, and I don’t believe in LIS as a solution for me. I’m happy it’s worked for so many, but I’m not going there. No botox either. I’m not gonna try and “pray the fissure away”, either lol, in case you were wondering.
In the process of all this research I came across some stuff I didn’t see last time concerning fissures and then, claiming chronic fissures are an auto-immune problem, and they indicate a lack of antioxidants in your system. I’m not exactly sure why, but this resonated with me on a level none of this other stuff has. I did some more reading, and found that wheat grass powder is one of the best ways to flood your system with healthy natural antioxidants and minerals related to a healthy immune system.
So I went and bought some a few days ago and took some as directed each day. On the first day, my stomach didn’t like it, and growled and grumbled all day. I was afraid I had done something bad to myself, and was going to pay for it dearly at my next bm, but nope. The next day I had an easier time on the toilet than I had in a month, and when I did my usual self-exam/lube/clean, and THE SCAR WAS SMALLER!!!! It felt smaller and smoother. I still had my usual day of laying around doing nothing but being in agonizing pain, but it subsided a little quicker. More wheatgrass, in juice this time, much easier. Also I am sticking to the recommended dosage not going nuts with it.
Day 2 on wheatgrass, smaller scar, less pain duration (not intensity). Sitting at my computer for longer than 10 seconds the first time in a week. Definitely on the mend. The only thing besides the wheatgrass I have changed is my diet is pretty much 100% gluten free, not much red meat, not much starch if any it’s rice. I also drink a lot of water every day.
Well, today is day 3 on wheatgrass, and I’m in bed on my stomach again. But I feel the pain slowly drifting away, starting sooner each day, and more importantly, the scar is shrinking every single day. I’ve had that same scar for a year now, this is the first thing that has put a dent in it. Even though I’m still in pain, the size reduction of the scar is undeniable.
I’m committed to finding a non-surgical, non-botox method of treating myself successfully. I’m currently not working at a job, I’m in school with all online classes right now, so my responsibilities are low. I’ve also got a little cash set aside to work my way down the various treatments until I find the right one. If the wheatgrass isn’t it, I’ll find it. Over the weekend I ordered a few products, I’ll report back on their effectiveness as well.
Right now I’m using DR. Wheatgrass cream as well, which I ordered online. It corroborates the Auto-Immune theory. So far, it has made me itch pretty bad down there, and a little burning, but it subsides in a few minutes. I’ll stick with it and let everyone know how it goes…but I would say try wheatgrass powder for sure, You’ll know in 2 days whether it’s helping or not.
Anyway, it’s horrible to be back…you know what I mean

Day 4 of wheatgrass powder usage. One little scoop in 8 oz juice, then 8 more oz water to rinse (it's a little gritty). Taste is tolerable, but I do drink it fast.

Day 3 for Dr. wheatgrass ointment. 3 times a day, downtown, all up in it.

So my pain has gone down significantly. I'm 1/2 hour post-bm, shower, and walk (regular routine in the morning), and feeling only a mild irritation down there. Also, the scar is smaller today, again! There was zero pain during the bm. The real pain comes after for me for some reason.

Usually after a bm I am in agonizing pain, with no hope of getting in a car or doing anything meaningful or fun. Yesterday I worked at the computer in the evening, and even got to play some games.

I sat in a chair for more than 5 minutes without pain. That is significant progress from laying on the floor writhing in pain, switching from one yoga pose to the next and wanting to die (that was friday and saturday for me, and most of the preceding 2 weeks). Today I won't be shaking and sweating and then pass out from the pain like I did 3 times last week.

Today I will get in the car and run errands, once the "fire down below" goes down a little.

At this point I feel like it has to be the wheatgrass powder that is mainly helping, it makes my eyes flip open and I get a jolt of electricity when I drink it. I'm energetic and motivated. Also, it seems to soften up stools a little too, and I haven't had a burning, acidic poop since I started the wheatgrass powder, in spite of drinking a few beers last night and the night before! Gluten free beer is an AF sufferer's best friend sometimes, I miss eating steak and potatoes, and the occasional fast food binge. Indulgences are little bits of happiness in a life of self-denial...
I'm really hoping the scar continues shrinking, this is the real indication of healing as far as I am concerned. Lack of pain isn't enough if the chance of relapse remains. I want to go back to life as I knew it before all this.

The DR. Wheatgrass cream seems to help too, but I have to admit it burns a little, and makes me itch a little too. i am chalking this up to something good happening, like healing, and not itching it. The burning is very much like the lidocaine burn, hot and numb, hard to tell what's going on down there. But I'm just going with it for now.

Anyway the short form is-
Wheatgrass powder seems promising, and I'd recommend trying it if you haven't.
The Jury is still out on DR. wheatgrass cream, but so far it seems to be helping more than hurting.

I hope this post helps someone...

Thank you for your report on wheatgrass. Glad it helps you. Please keep posting about your progress.
I found barley grass powder I am going to buy. I will try anything. Still hoping for miracle

Mid-day Tuesday update:
Had a 2nd round in the bathroom today, not the norm for me. The stool was soft and mostly green. I've been eating a lt of veggies lately, but this was definitely wheatgrass green, really dark. The miracle of this was that after the bm there was even less pain than before. I did my shower and cream routine and laid back down in bed, waiting for the fireballs.

I'm not completely out of pain, but I have been able to sit at my desk and get some work done, normally this can only happen 8-10 hours after a bm, after laying in bed all day in agonizing pain. Today even with 2 bm's my pain is like a 5 rather than a 9-10,000 like Saturday and Sunday.
So far, so good. I don't want to get too optimistic too fast but I'm feeling more positive about this than anything I've tried so far. Like most of you, I've tried a lot, with limited success.

I'll report back in soon.

Hi butthurt2013

Yeah every now and again we hear of people' success with wheatgrass.
Seems for every "said" remedy out there, there is at least a handful
of people it may help and a handful or more that it doesn't.

Good you can get that finger up in there to inspect things for yourself.
I was like that too, it really gives a better since on how your progressing.

Yeah, the ideal of the auto-immune response comes up every now and again also
and I think there something to that.

Good luck on the wheatgrass; hope you'll keep progressing with it.

s
w

Last night I sat at my desk for about 5 hours with no pain. Woke up with not only no pain but not even a twinge down there. No trip to the bathroom today yet, which is a double edged sword for me. It gives the are a longer break for healing certainly, but honestly it gives me a lot of anxiety that it will happen later in the day at a less convenient time. And when I get it done in the morning, the "pain window" ends with more usable day...we'll see what happens I guess.

Another night making music and playing games at the computer, never felt a thing. I sit on one of those yellow foam donuts, and try to concentrate on good posture.

No BM yesterday...lots of anxiety about this morning. Usually after 2 days with no BM I'm looking at a big, hard, pain in the butt and worst case an enema (almost always makes things worse).

Today none of that happened. I had a big, soft, almost black stool. Nothing I eat does that, it's gotta be the wheatgrass powder. I passed about 4-5 feet of yucky clay, anticipating a rip or at least intense pain, I got none of that. Normal ritual of shower and wheatgrass cream, only a mild twinge during washing and application. I stand on the toilet seat and squat. I also help the stool pass by pushing it out from the outside, so I never ever push from the inside. I lube up the fissure with surgilube. I take a few fingers and push in underneath my tailbone (outside the body) and slide my fingers down towards browntown (never actually touching anything gross), pushing in the whole time, but only downward. This essentially pushes the stool forward on it's way out and avoids a lot of the pressure on the fissure. It seems to be producing he same effect as the German toilet seat I see on this forum occasionally, but it is free. I go exactly like this every time. No toilet paper ever (for like a year now). Unscented baby wipes soaked in witch hazel. I carry a pack in my back pack ready to go. Easy enough to explain if seen, I have a 3-year-old. Warm shower after with a little soap (Dr. Bronners tea tree oil variety, diluted well). I have a shower head on a hose, a little warm water massage after the clean seems to help.

The scar is smaller again. It's working for me really well so far.

I have some other meds on deck to try if the wheatgrass doesn't work on the fissure, but I am hopeful I can return them in a few weeks since they are guaranteed and at this point I don't anticipate needing them at this point.

I have to say I am addicted to wheatgrass powder at this point. Even if the fissure heals completely i will continue taking it daily, most likely for the rest of my life. I FEEL different after about a week on it. I feel clean inside, like I've just finished a course of antibiotics and woke up feeling well after a really bad stomach flu or something. I'm more alert and energetic. I sleep harder and the right amount of time (this is a big one for me, I'm a bad sleeper). There have no adverse side effects at all. it makes my stomach grumble a little, but not painfully. I generally don't like taking supplements of any kind, fruits and veggies should be enough. But this stuff is making me feel great, and I'd recommend it to anyone who wants a little boost to their general wellness.

And for those with our cursed malady- This could be it for me, maybe you too.

I'll continue to update my progress.

4-5 feet!
Yikes!

So glad this is working for you.

Hy Butthurt! I started taking wheatgrass powder today. Took about a half of teaspoon in large glass of water on an empty stomach (to begin with smaller amount). It causes some movement in my intestine for a short period - nothing bad. Can you tell me how much of the powder you take measured in teaspoon (flat or heaping?). Do you take it only once a day on empty stomach ?

Once a day in the morning, on an empty stomach. My powder came with a scoop but it's pretty small, maybe 1 heaping teaspoon. I have been considering testing twice a day because it feels really good. Stick with it, I'd be interested to hear some others' results as well.
Good luck!