Hope you are doing better now. I am also doing the finger dilation. Not at any balance yet. I do not have good internet at home which is why I am not here so often! I get blood from time to time. ot recently as I think everything is so darn tight there!

“Anal self-massage in the treatment of acute anal fissure: a randomized prospective study”

Fabio Gaja, Ivano Bivianob, Laura Candelorob, Jacopo Andreuccettic
Umberto I Policlinic of Rome, Sapienza University, Rome; San Camillo Hospital, Trento, Italy

This article is from the Annals of Gastroenterology (2017) 30, 438-441 and can be found with a search on google. It can be downloaded as a PDF.

I would go looking for it again myself, but my internet is costing me an arm and a leg right now (Rural area; lousy connection; have to use a hotspot at vast expense).

You haven’t updated, I think maybe that’s a good sign that you’re finally feeling better. Hope all is well with you!

Hi, yeah I haven't been updating. It's been a crazy few weeks.

I'm doing a lot better lately in regards to the recovery. Using Nifedipine and dilating really helped speed up healing. My last visit was a couple weeks ago and I was over 10 weeks out of surgery. I'm healing good but not 100% yet. Healing has been extremely slow, but I've since made a lot of progress.

Also, getting my bowels regulated real helped as well. I started drinking this stuff called Kombucha, which is essentially fermented tea. Its very probiotic and has done tremendous for my gut to keep stool nice and formed and regular. I've been drinking it every day for the last few weeks and it's amazing for my gut and regularity.

I'm probably like 90% healed, but I do have a bit of pain and a small amount of blood on the wipe after a BM that's a bit larger than 1" in diameter. I have what the doctor called a "Hypertrophic Papillae" just inside my anus that formed. He said he's not big enough to be concerning but I think my BMs scrape up against it and cause pain and a bit of blood on occasion.

Hey sounds great. 90% healed is amazing. When you can look back and realize you’ve improved means one day soon you’ll be pain free. A probiotic helped me a lot too. Just in pill forum but whatever works. I have zero pain and zero bleeding so I’m not on here anymore but it just happened over night. Best feeling ever. It will happen for you too. I’m positive.

Hello all.

Been several weeks since I posted an update.

This year has been pretty crazy with Covid, the surgery and then my Family and I relocated down to the states from Alaska.

I think with the stress of moving, taking a new job and a mixture of eating junk food, I developed either a new fissure or reopened one of the healed ones. Just the other day I had an abnormally hard bowel movement that was fairly large. I felt that classic glass shard feeling and I knew it happened.

The pain isn't as bad as before (during and after) but I'm seeing that line of blood and blood on the wipe after just about every bowel movement I have now.

This isn't a defeat, it's frustrating for sure but I think if I get back on the dilation and better eating with Nifedipine I think I can probably heal it. I don't feel a tear or much pain when I self dilate with my finger so I think the fissure is small and deeper inside.

Sorry to your that you are dealing with this thing again. Hopefully you are able to get it under control with the ointment. Don't give up ...and lets beat this.

Hey just wondering how you are now, several months out from surgery. Any improvement? Have the meds helped? I’m due to see a CRS next week and I’m wondering if LIS is going to be an option for me. I’m scared to get it since it sounds like many people struggled afterward.

Thanks so much for sharing your journey. I also have been dealing with a chronic fissure for the past 3 years, but I do believe it started almost 5 years ago as well.

I finally was able to go see a CRS and he immediately recommended that I consider LIS. I have been anxious about making a decision because after 3 years, I am living with this issue. I wonder, will this actually heal if I get the surgery?

It is great to hear that yours, after five years of being chronic, has almost 100% healed. Often on the forum those that heal disappear and we only hear worst case scenario info.

So that you for keeping up, it give me hope. Take care!