Hi Savaici,
Just wanted to check in and see how you're doing? I'm still holding at 15. I think I'm going to have to order the 16 and 17 and just close my eyes on the cost, as I just can't go from 15 to 18. Do I understand you went from 9 to 11 directly, or did you have a 10 mm in between?
Hope you're still seeing some improvement.

Hi there still at it, but had a drama filled few days when I stopped dilating. Big mistake, and I am now slowly getting back on the 11 mm wagon
Bleeding a little recently, off and on, but nothing like previously.
I went up mm by mm, but could not stick with the 12 mm as was just too painful. I have all the next sizes, ready for when I get there.
Slowly slowly is my motto, just don't stop! Every other day.
Good to see you!!! Hope it's going well for you too. We will get there!!!!!

Well, I have not written on my dilation 'voyage' recently, so a little on my progression since October last year.
I am up by 2mm to 13mm now, and almost ready to move to 14mm... A big step, each time I go up, millimeter by millimeter.
Today has not been so good, as I have a flare up of my Behcet's which always plays havoc with BMs and pain, both anal and genital, from pressure and diarrhea. But, before this flare I had been doing very well, with hardly any passing of blood or spincter spasms. I stick strictly to my diet, and take vitamins and for me, difficult though this all is, this is the only thing that has vaguelly worked.
So, onward I go!

Hi savaici!
Great to hear from you. So sorry to hear about your flare up. It's always something, isn't it? It's great to hear your update on the dilation. I'm still holding on at 15 mm, but have managed the 18mm once or twice. It is amazing how every millimeter makes a difference. I agree with you though that it s the only thing that has remotely made a difference.
Like you, I'm a hawk with my diet and my routine. No cheating. I'm so used to it now it just feels normal.
Sending you a big hug!

It was graduation time again 10 days ago, and am now on the 14mm dilator. Sometimes I can hardly believe that I started with 9mm and am where I am now.
It is difficult, but I keep at it.
What's new on this journey? Well, this is what has been happening:
Still on my very boring diet, which keeps BMs mostly how they should be
Still the odd bleed, for usually no rhyme or reason.
The only real change is this: I have been taking 0.75mg of Lorazepam every night which has helped me sleep through the night. Once upon a time I took 5mg, but cut right down. This is the only thing I take. Anyway, four days ago, because of bad spasms, I started taking 0.12mg at about 4am in the morning, returning to bed and sleep, then getting up at 6-7 am, and having a BM with no spasms. Quite a change. And no spasms during the day. I previously tried Valium and did not work for me, but this tiny amount of Lorazapam does!
And this is where things stand!

I started this the other night again as I have been having spasms up in my rectum. My fissure has healed but I can't seem to loose these. Someone said it may be ani-levator syndrome. Not sure but a dilator does stop the spasm. I have been trying 15 minutes to leave it in. I have had 4 doctors tell me I am extremely tight back there, I think that is the reason. Stress also seems to trigger it but then it gets a life of its own. Does this sound similar to anyone?

Savaici,
Wow, that sounds great! you've graduated!
Things about the same here with 15 mm. I need to get back to attempting the 18 mm again. I agree with you about lorazepam and the spasms. It really helps me too. I try to only use it on my worst days so I don't end up with a tolerance to it, but it is really helpful for the spasms throughout my GI tract. Are you still using MOM? If so, how much do you take?
Reptaronice... If the painful attack of spasms is very severe and very sudden and is relieved with a dilator it could be something called proctalgia fugax. Then there are levator spasms that can happen too, in addition to sphincter spasms that linger after a fissure has healed. Do you currently have a fissure?

Hi there, J,
I take 30ml, near as that, of MofM, every evening. I was taking stool softeners, but gave up on them and just use the MofM.
I am amazed at how the Lorazepam has changed things around in the day. Just 0.13mg has made a difference. I take it when I wake up. I have never developed a tolerance to what I take in the evening, but will watch the day amount as do not want to go higher. It is immediate the release of the tension in the sphincter. I had been so bad, not able to walk, etc., so this has been a relief...but I will not get over confident!
Don't know how often you use the dilator, but I am on every third evening instead of every other evening. Find that is okay for me.
I went off using my Sitz bath some time ago, but not for long, and I use it every time I go to the loo now, which is usually twice a day. It does help me, and not having so much tension there now makes it even easier.
Dilation requires discipline, but I have that, likewise with my incredibly boring diet . Another thing that I swear by are the Smarty Pants vitamins that I take. They have changed my health, turned it around completely. Plus they taste good!

I do some kind of dilation every day, even if it's just with a gloved finger (which is similar in diameter to the 15 mm dilator). I haven't tried the 18 mm in awhile but I'm going to be trying again soon.

I am new to the wonderful world of anal dilation (yeah, right) and the anal dilation group! Thankfully, I no longer have a fissure (due to a successful LIS surgery), but I do have an abnormally tight rectum caused by Levator Ani Syndrome (LAS), which causes daily rectal muscle spasms and severe rectal pain.
I go to a physical therapist that specializes in pelvic floor pain disorders 5 days a week. She does internal rectal stretching and trigger point therapy. She recently suggested I try anal dilation. I purchased three dilators from Amazon (http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/cr/B0097FSGJG/ref=mw_dp_cr?qid=1362464071&sr=8-3) - 1" wide, 1 1/2" wide and 2" wide. I started using the 1" wide dilator last Friday and it has made a huge difference so far! According to my physical therapist, you MUST keep the dilator in for at least 20 minutes, preferably 7 days a week if possible. I insert it once a day and sit in a hot bath and relax and focus on my breathing.
I've also purchased a Squatty Potty from Amazon (http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B007BISCT0/ref=mp_s_a_1?qid=1362463894&sr=8-1&pi=SL75) which has helped make my bowel movements slip out with ease.
I'm also taking some yoga classes and have purchased a relaxation CD from Duke.
I also found some dilators that you can keep in all day. Unfortunately, they only make them in 1/2" and 1" widths. Here is the link: http://m.adameve.com/controller?browseCategoryId=Butt+Plugs&sid=BD4C2A40C58F88CD91681C3C96570677&R=X286
So far so good!
I would definitely recommend talking with you doctor or physical therapist and see if anal dilation is right for you.
Good luck.