I say get a second opinion ! If you can afford a private consultation go for it !
You are soooooooo young and should not have to suffer like this, find a good colorectal surgeon who wants to help you :D
Oh and NEVER EVER STRAIN !

Hi ,
I feel for you , im in the same boat, the surgeon ive seen isnt keen on surgery either because of my age and the fact i want at least one more baby but like you i cant take the pain any more, im on the diltiazem and GTN ( i suffer the headaches and the dizziness as its better than the anal pain, i got botox a month ago but to my extreme distress it hasn't worked. ive just been given lidocaine which is an anasthetic, not sure if its working as i only started it today , along with the tramadol and gabapentin its dulling the pain so i would see if you can get something to mask the pain for the time being, ~(mind you , you will feel like a zombie but its better than the pain)
You should just keep going back to the doc and surgeon over and over until they do something, thats what im doing just now, i am either at the docs or phoning every day but i know its like hitting your head against a brick wall.
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18 isn't that young at all. I'm only 21. I can't believe a doctor would refuse to operate on you when you're legally an adult...

Hey Kyriakos,
Haven't heard from you for a while, how are things? Hope you're still okay and hanging in there man.
Let us know how it's going, since we last spoke I've tried Valium (diazepam) and it seems to help with my spasms. My understanding is that Gabapentin (marketed as Neurontin here in the States) is more of a pain killer but Valium is more of a tranquilizer and muscle relaxer. I'm not trying to give you medical advice, of course, but maybe it's at least worth discussing with your physician? The Valium doesn't constipate me either which is really nice.
I still can't believe they won't authorize LIS surgery for you, though, after all the treatments you've tried already that just seems crazy. In the worst case, would it be possible to get it done in a different country? I don't know how the European health system works (especially since the UK isn't part of the EU), but 18 is supposed to be a great time in life, you shouldn't have to suffer unnecessarily when there are still alternative options -- albeit with some risk -- to be explored!!

Hi just wanted to say i've been put on Gabapentin, you are right NeuropathicGuy it is a pain killer but its specifically aimed at nerve pain which should technially help the fissure pain, i have been on that a week now and i think between that and the Tramadol something is working. It makes me feel like im on another planet and really clumsy not to mention it plays havoc with my stomach but id rather that than the alternative. I get to see my surgeon a week Tuesday !!!woo hoo, i am going to demand he gives me surgery or he will have a dead body on his case.

Peachy724 wrote:Hi just wanted to say i've been put on Gabapentin, you are right NeuropathicGuy it is a pain killer but its specifically aimed at nerve pain which should technially help the fissure pain, i have been on that a week now and i think between that and the Tramadol something is working. It makes me feel like im on another planet and really clumsy not to mention it plays havoc with my stomach but id rather that than the alternative. I get to see my surgeon a week Tuesday !!!woo hoo, i am going to demand he gives me surgery or he will have a dead body on his case.

Hey Peachy, that's awesome! I did a similar thing, I set up appointments with three different colorectal surgeons (plus one gastroenterologist just for good measure :)). So far I've seen two of the colorectal surgeons, my first goal was to make sure they understand that I'm in completely debilitating agony, and once that was established, I demanded a roadmap forward one way or the other. As it stands, one prefers botox and the other says she can get me in for LIS anytime I want, so we will see. My symptoms have been less severe this week than last week so I need to see if it lasts before deciding. I think I'm going to cancel my appointment with the third colorectal surgeon since I don't think it'll get me much more than I have already.
I tried Neurontin before, because I had some problems with peripheral neuropathy (weird itching, tingling, pricking, crawling skin sensations in my limbs) earlier this year and it did seem to calm those down. I tolerated the mental effects pretty well but it was indeed a bit hard on my stomach -- I got cramps and sometimes diarrhea. The Valium doesn't do too much to me mentally at the low doses I'm taking, other than making me feel less worried (which is great after all the fissure anxiety) but I think the main thing is it stops or at least reduces the post-BM spasms since it's a benzodiazepine class muscle relaxer as well. It works fast too, on an empty stomach I can feel the effects within 5 minutes, with food it takes maybe 10 minutes. If I take too much at once I do get clumsy too, like my legs get too relaxed and don't want to respond as quickly as they normally do and I end up tripping over myself like a doofus :)
Anyway, I'm happy you get to see your surgeon soon (hopefully you mean this coming Tuesday the 25th), I've read a few of your past posts and it seems that you've been on this fissure adventure far too long already. Hope you have a good evening and can post some happy news early next week as far as getting that misbehaving butt muscle cut down to size!

Good for you Peachy! If you remember from my initial posts, that's what I told my CRS..that if he didn't do the LIS, that "I'd throw myself in front of a train, you don't want that on your head, now do you?" Yes, I actually said this, only half-jokingly.
To the young 18 year old...dude, don't give up..go back and read my story and how well my surgery went...and don't stop trying to find a doctor to perform the LIS until you do!! They are all different obviously, with their own ideas and agendas on this matter.

hi guys sorry i forgot about this board...lol i seen a surgeon today and she told me she will be giving me botox injections within 6 weeks.....i dont know what to make of this? good or bad news? she said if it doesnt work she'll give me LIS surgery but to be honest i'm terrified of being left incontinent so young.....

Hey kyriakos, I think the Botox injection is unlikely to hurt anything. I had it done before too. But it's not a magic bullet so it may or may not fix things in the long run. It's not a bad thing to at least try IMO though, since you've got nothing to lose by trying it.
How's the pain lately? Last time I remember it was really bad. Any improvement?

I wish you the best of luck with Botox . There is only one person here who actually healed with those. It can be very painful procedure and you will be somewhat sore afterward . Botox needs about 1 to 2 weeks to show effect , so be patient with that.
LIS will NOT make you incontinent if you have a surgeon who never had a case and especially man are not prone to that side-effect since their sphincter is longer and stronger !!! I am a woman and had TWO LIS surgeries and am not even close to be incontinent !
I know of a 7 year boy who had a procedure done - he suffered from fissures all of his young life :( . Fissures are VERY common in young people and babies too- so you are NOT any deviation in that respect.
It is actually up to you of when you will think that enough is enough and have that LIS. In the meantime , if you can live normal life with that fissure , definitely try more conservative approach. Just know that Botox can also have bad side-effects - did they give you a "disclaimer" form ???? I would suggest you read it .
You are very lucky that you do not have spasms - that is tremendous advantage in pain management. But, I also wonder if your sphincter is actually hypertonic or not :roll: ? Did your doctor ever made a comment about your "butt being very tight" after examination ? Could he feel spasms ??? :roll: