Hi everyone
I know I have only had my fissure for such a short time in comparison (3.5weeks and the worst 3.5 weeks of my life) but I have literally become obsessed with what to eat/what not to eat/will I be constipated/how much stool softener to take etc. I need it to get better enough for me to start to know my own body but at the moment I think I am so desperate for it to get better so that I can have my life back that I am trying everything all at once which is just making my BM's too soft and the ongoing pain last almost all day. I keep reading posts and have got prune juice, mangoes, aloe juice, coconut oil, Miralax etc etc. If anyone makes a suggestion I send my husband out to get it!!
Can anyone remember back to when they first got their fissure and what are the main foods to eat and avoid and in what quantities? I don't think I need to be overloading on so much but I am literally scared of what I can and can't eat. I am just frustrated and want this to heal so I'm probably not giving anything the chance to see if it works. Please help me!

PS - i think what I am trying to ask is looking back, if you could have stuck to one or two main things to really give your fissure the chance to heal what would they have been (creams/medications/foods)? I just want to try and beat this before it becomes medically "chronic" (although I've barely been able to sit, walk,function over these last 3 weeks so can't see how this isn't chronic!

I found it helpful to cut back on food, period. Too much fibre and prunes and I would spend a good part of the day camping in the bathroom. No sooner would the spasms end and it would be time to have another bowel movement with more spasms. Now I usually go just once a day in the morning and get it over with. That way the fissure gets a chance to rest and heal. Don't worry too much about it becoming chronic, even the chronic ones will heal with proper care. The one I have now I've had for 3 1/3 months and it is healing. My longest one lasted 7 months and healed just before I was due for surgery.
You will find what foods work best for your body - the most important thing is to keep the bowel movements soft and no straining. I've found the bulb syringe enema very helpful in softening the first dry stool.

you really do have to experiment with foods and softeners and such to learn your own body. I changed to a lot more whole wheat and fruit and yoghurt with Miralax with some fiber pills, but not too many as they can really bulk up your stools.
Over a period of time, I found a combination that I liked to eat and kept the bms like 'toothpaste' coming out. That's the ideal... just sit there, not push and let the toothpaste squeeze out. Lovely image, yes?
Lots of great suggestions for food here here.
It also helps if you can do two or three bms per day, rather than just the one. Sometimes in the PM, i just go in and sit, see if something happens... just for a couple minutes and don't push, because sitting for a long time pushing can hurt. If you can do two or three bms per day, there's less of the dreaded 'big one' out there waiting.
take care, feel better

In my case, i've found that spicy foods greatly inflame and cause a lot of pain in my fissures so I stay away from those completely. Outside of that i drink a LARGE amount of water throught the day. Of course this causes me to pee a couple of times every hour, but it helps make the stool softner very effective. Also i've found that incorporating prune juice into my diet has help make me more regular and consistent as well. I would also advise a bowl of oatmeal every morning. I used to take metamucil 3 times a day, but i've since stopped since it made my stool too bulky for my fissure to handle. Outside of the large amounts of water, oatmeal in the morning, and large cup of prune juice at night, I basically eat a normal diet.

I have to disagree with the post regarding aiming for 2-3 BM's per day. But of course, you will have to figure out what works best for your body and everyone is different. In my experience as long as you are taking enough water, fiber pills, stool softeners, etc to have 1 soft, but formed (not too soft-that is a problem too) BM per day - that is ideal. Multiple BM's per day is further aggravating an area that is trying to heal. As I fine-tuned my uniqpue regime, I would only make 1 change per day so that when I had a BM the following day, I knew what I needed to tweek in my regime that day. Presently, I'm taking 10 fiber pills/day, loads of water, a high fiber bar (12 grams), only a couple stool softeners/week if it appears to be getting too hard, multiple sitz baths, 3 prunes/day and my medicines. good luck with your process, you will find what works for you, but definitely give yourself time, compassion and patience because the stress can definitely further aggravate things.

Hi Gettingmedown,
I have to agree with Sailorgal regarding the toilet visits as one BM per day is ideal. Anymore and you will get constant spasming which will prolong and prevent healing.
Secondly do not get too hung up it becoming chronic as all this means is that you have had the fissure for more than six weeks.
So the most important thing is to avoid constipation and avoid straining. You need to be in a position so when you do go to the bathroom you can go instantly and let nature do it's trick rather than having to assist with pushing and straining. So there are two elements you must consider in your diet the first to stop constipation and the second to keep things soft as any sharp food will pull at the fissure on the way out.
So lots of fibre is essential, wholemeal breads, brown rice, bran, fresh fruits and vegetables, wholemeal pastas, baked beans, lentils, soups, etc. Avoid all processed or spicy foods so by processed I mean white bread, white rice, ready meals, pizza and any junk food in general. Also avoid alcohol as this dehydrates you and dries out your stools making them harder to pass.
When my fissure was at its worst I would stick to porridge or bran flakes for breakfast, wholemeal sandwiches for lunch and soup with wholemeal bread for dinner. I also snacked on pineapple and mangoes.
When increasing your fibre content you must also increase your water intake (believe me you could never drink enough water). The fibre soaks up the water and pulls it into your bowels and makes things easier to pass.
As for medication get some magnesium tablets or stool softeners (I took one 250mg magnesium tablet per day and it worked a treat). And finally the holy grail of softeners... Start taking Miralax (or Movicol depending on what is available in you country)
Stick to the above and your BM's will be like toothpaste
Davo

Davo:
How much Miralax were you (or are you) taking per day? A full dose? More? Less?
Were you ever concerned that taking lots of fiber would make your stool too large (i.e., wide), making it harder to pass easily, especially if you were having a spasm?
Also, doesn't the Miralax and fiber work against each other (i.e., the Miralax makes the stool softer; the fiber bulks the stool up)?
Sailorgal:
How do you know if your stool is too soft? What do you consider the ideal consistency?

I take one sachet of Movicol per day which makes up 125ml of liquid. This is the same amount recommended by hospitals to keep stools soft post surgery.
I never had problems with eating too much fibre providing I drank lots and lots of water. Yes it can bulk them up but for me it made them longer rather than wider - the only issue my CRS mentioned regarding eating lots of fibre is that it can give you a bit more gas than usual !!
The ideal consistancy for me is like whipping cream, toothpaste or a soft ice cream. If there is any actual liquid then it's too soft and that can irritate things.
Davo

Thanks Davo! This forum (and your posts in particular) have been VERY helpful.
In addition to the fiber you get in your diet, do you take any fiber supplements? If so, how much do you take? What kind has worked well for you?
By the way, how are you feeling after your surgery? Knowing what you know so far, would you do anything differently?