Thanks for your suggestions. I think you are correct and I have tried to change my diet, though not yet to the extent that you have. I do find myself tensing up during BMs, trying to keep the stool small--but this may be causing me more problems. How often do you have pain free BMs? Wouldn't that say that you are healed? You are also right in that this will take discipline. I am willing and able to do everything to naturally heal myself. I guess I'm just looking for others that have ultimately beat this--against what most experts would have said--to help me to stay the course with a good possibility of ultimate success.

Hi Stillhoping,

It's good that you've changed your diet. I think the most important thing is to chew each bite of your food to a fine paste before swallowing. It's difficult in the beginning but you can get used to it. It is annoying to have your meal go cold but so it is. If your food is already half digested before swallowing, it makes much less work for your stomach.

My pain free BMs have been happening over the last week, because I've finally convinced myself to stick to this diet and to continue chewing thoroughly no matter what I eat. Whereas before I kept eating other things or not chewing properly, sitting around too much, tensing up during and after a BM, etc. I have it in my mind to do this for the next few months. If I continue having pain free BMs I imagine it will heal without re-tearing.

Over the past 2.9 years I would have an occasional pain free BM but it would open up again as early as the next day causing a lot of pain. But as I mentioned before a fissure can be unpredictable and persistent, so I can only do what works for now and hope it behaves. And lately, given the completely pain free BMs, something is working for the better.

Today I had another pain free BM - during and after - and this is what I ate yesterday:

Breakfast: Buckwheat with rice milk, banana and a small amount of maple syrup. Two pieces of spelt toast with ghee and a cup of rooibos tea. 6 spirulina tablets with water.
Lunch: Green smoothy (banana, apple, avocado and oak leaf lettuce) (Everything blended in the mixer with apple juice).
Dinner: Quinoa risotto with fried mushrooms, peas and carrots (in olive oil).
Evening snack: dried apricots and liquorice pieces. And over the day I drank 2 litres of water. Everything chewed thoroughly!

Then today, very soft (although quite loose) small stools - barely felt them come out..
Yes, tensing up is something that needs to be overcome with relaxing down there. I just remind myself constantly to relax that area. I take a moment to 'feel' if I'm holding tension there - if so I let it go.

Good luck!

I am glad to hear that you may be on the road to a true recovery--especially after nearly 3 years. It gives me some hope to cure rather than just to learn to tolerate my condition, Thanks for the diet info. I am concerned that it might make for multiple daily bowel movements for me, though--but that might still be better than the too hard stool alternative. Three years is a long time. Is this the closest that you have been to healing? Would you say that in your experience diet has been then main factor? How long have you been following this regimen? Have you been to see doctors during this time? What have they said to you? Have you and or are you using any ointments or creams? Do you soak and do you think it is still of any value for a long term chronic fissure?

Thanks!

Well.. this is the longest I've been without having any pain. Putting up with it for 3 years has been very challenging, and I will consider the 'anal dilation' treatment if diet alone doesn't heal it completely. I've seen roughly 8 specialists and doctors over the last 2.9 years, and not one of them has suggested cutting it out. They all say that I have to be patient and use the creams. And I tell them that I've been patient for 3 years! But I guess if I really want to have it cut out they will do it. But I would have to be really desperate. I mean if it persisted for many many years I would probably have the surgery. But as long as I'm not in agony all the time I can live with it.

I had another check under anaesthetic a few weeks ago and he said it's still there but very small. The surgeon told me the problem with cutting it out is that you're left with an even larger wound, and that there's no guarantee that the fissure will heal, and that it could be even bigger or that you can develop and abscess or fistula after surgery. I don't know. They've filled my head with so much doubt over the years and have said nothing good about surgery so that's why I'm doing this the natural way. I know many people have been very successful with surgery and have healed completely so that's great.

I'm no longer using the creams (Diltiazem or Rectogesic). I've tried all kinds of things like home made coconut oil suppositories, manuka honey, and strong creams and suppositories like cortisone. I think it's possible to heal through diet and lifestyle changes. The other guy 'Buttastic' had a chronic fissure for 20 years! Some people have them for 5 or 10 years before getting rid of them. But I think they must be able to heal naturally. It just takes time, trial and error and determination.

Yes, soaking for 15-20 minutes in a tub is great after each BM. I have a plastic tub wide enough to sit in on the floor. It really calms things down. I do this twice a day, along with squatting on the hot water bottle, avoiding sitting for long periods and being active through the day, walking, yoga exercises, etc.

Thanks for taking the time to reply. Good luck to you!