Hemorrhoid Banding Diary

My rubber band ligation experience

Do you have Hemorrhoids and are contemplating or have had a Hemorrhoidectomy? If you are thinking of surgery, or want to ask questions on anything to do with Hemorrhoids, or want to share with others who have been through this, this is the place!

Return to Hemorrhoids and Hemorrhoidectomy



Hemorrhoid Banding Diary

Postby Dnank » 07 Dec 2016, 15:43

Since it's been a more difficult recovery than I anticipated, I thought I would document my experience with hemorrhoid banding. I have been an AF sufferer for over a year and have received great comfort from this forum. Even though it's mostly AF related, I wanted to keep track of my recovery from hemorrhoid banding here too. My internal hemorrhoids probably were a result of the same problems that caused the fissures. I think they are related. Pushing too hard to go number two is never a good thing.

I had the procedure done last Friday morning, over five days ago. The prep for the procedure consisted of not eating anything. I was only allowed clear liquids the day before and nothing the day of. An hour before reporting to the hospital, I had to give myself an over-the-counter fleet enema. Never easy for a fissure and hemorrhoid sufferer, but it wasn't bad because I wasn't having a flare-up of either at the time.

Dressed in an open-back gown, I was given an IV. I was put to sleep for the procedure. I was wheeled into the room and spoke briefly with the GI doc who I saw prior once for an office visit and once for a colonoscopy. During the colonoscopy, he found the hemorrhoids. I was quickly out and the procedure took 16 minutes. Four hemorrhoids were banded. When I awoke in recovery, I felt fine at first. After nearly an hour I started to feel pain which quickly got worse. I was given an ice pack which did seem to help somewhat. A short time later I was asked if I wanted to get some pain meds, to which I responded absolutely, even though I feared constipation. The GI doc wrote a prescription for Vicodin without speaking to me. He glanced over at me while the nurse was speaking with him. He has no bedside manner. Vicodin helps but I have only taken two since the procedure for fear of constipation.

They kept me for a little over an hour and then my wife drove me home. I'll continue with what happened after I got home in the next entry.
Last edited by Dnank on 07 Dec 2016, 18:26, edited 3 times in total.
Dnank
Salt Bather
 
Posts: 98
Topics: 4
Joined: 27 Oct 2015, 18:17
Location: PA, USA
Has thanked: 1 time
Been thanked: 7 times
Gender: Male

Re: Hemorrhoid Banding Diary

Postby Dnank » 07 Dec 2016, 16:15

Day one was painful. Nothing I couldn't handle, but very unpleasant. To put it perspective, the pain in the anal area was pretty bad but not as bad as I have had from fissures. There is also a very uncomfortable feeling in my stomach all the time. I always feel like I need to go. Also, urinating was difficult, especially the first day. Weird sensation. There was a bloody piece of gauze between my cheeks that I didn't even know about until later in the day. I removed it and cleaned up some blood. I continued to leak a little blood during the day.

The next day, I felt a lot better but was scared of having my first BM. I was actually able to eat some the first day so I figured I would have to go. I was cleaning up and found a band between my cheeks. I had a lot of gas since the procedure which I am carefully passing. I haven't been straining or wiping hard so seeing the band concerns me. Since it's the weekend, I plan to call the doc on Monday. I think I had a small BM the first day after procedure day and it hurt but not as much as I thought it would. There was very little or no blood during the first BM. Since then it has actually gotten a little worse. The upset stomach pains continued.

Day two after BM I found another band in the toilet.

Day three was a little worse than day two. The pain during and after BM is bad. I can't do much but lay around. There's no way I could work after this. I called the doc and an assistant called back and said losing the bands was okay just continue the suppositories they gave me. I insert two a day, morning and night, to reduce swelling and promote healing. Since finding these two bands I haven't found any more, although I could easily miss it in the toilet after BM. The assistant had no other info for me. I asked how many he applied per hemorrhoid, but she didn't know. I gave up getting more info because it doesn't really matter anyway.

Day four same as day three.

Day five I woke up feeling a little better. I have been taking a sip of Milk of Magnesia every night before bed to help keep my BM soft. I also take my usual daily dose of Miralax and two Amitiza pills (8mcg each) per day - one at breakfast and one at dinner. I have been eating light to avoid large BM. I've learned not to overdo the fiber, even though they always tell me to up it. I know what my body needs as far as that's concerned. I had a larger BM this morning with some blood. I pushed a little harder today. I've been afraid to do that previously. I always have to push to go. I get so jealous when people say it rolls right out of them. The after pain has been about the same as yesterday. I have a very upset stomach for several hours and anal pain/burning that has been lasting into the evening.
Last edited by Dnank on 10 Dec 2016, 11:34, edited 1 time in total.
Dnank
Salt Bather
 
Posts: 98
Topics: 4
Joined: 27 Oct 2015, 18:17
Location: PA, USA
Has thanked: 1 time
Been thanked: 7 times
Gender: Male

Re: Hemorrhoid Banding Diary

Postby Dnank » 08 Dec 2016, 15:47

Day 6: I decided to eat a very light dinner last night and had very little food today. I skipped the MoM last night too. I want to avoid a BM today to give it some time to heal and have a nearly pain free day. It's been nice. It still hurts a little all the time but it's mild. I've had an upset stomach much of the day but no urge to go yet.

When I try to insert a suppository it's very painful at one particular spot - the lower right. It feels like a fissure to me, and I have the classic after-bm burning pain for hours. From what I've read I shouldn't be experiencing this kind of pain from banding at this point. Maybe the procedure caused a fissure. I'm not sure what's going on. Hopefully taking a day off from BM will help it heal. It did a couple months ago when I had one. I'm a once a day regular usually but if I eat very light I'm able to skip a day without constipation.
Dnank
Salt Bather
 
Posts: 98
Topics: 4
Joined: 27 Oct 2015, 18:17
Location: PA, USA
Has thanked: 1 time
Been thanked: 7 times
Gender: Male

Re: Hemorrhoid Banding Diary

Postby chachacha » 08 Dec 2016, 17:08

I had four hemmies banded, two at a time, about 6 months apart. I had no pain whatsoever, other than some pinching when he put the instrument up my bum and applied the bands. I was fully awake and had no sedation or numbing agents for these procedures.

I wonder if your doctor just did too many at once, or if they were too close to the dentate line? Anything close to the dentate line will cause pain, and those usually shouldn't be banded at all. Or, maybe you do have another fissure, especially if you think that the symptoms are the same.

Very sorry that you're experiencing so much pain and I hope that it subsides soon.
Fissure since about 2007
Fissure diagnosed in 2011
Diltiazem for two years - didn't work well
LIS January, 2015
Hemorrhoidectomy December, 2017
chachacha
Moderator
 
Posts: 1111
Topics: 19
Joined: 16 Jun 2013, 16:00
Location: Canada
Has thanked: 28 times
Been thanked: 207 times
Gender: Female

Re: Hemorrhoid Banding Diary

Postby Dnank » 08 Dec 2016, 18:04

It's very interesting how widely varying the banding stories are. I can't see how it could even be done without anesthesia. I was in bad pain the entire first day.

I just had a strong need for a bm and I couldn't put it off any longer. It was small with no blood so hopefully I won't have much after pain. Since the banding I have very strong stinging and burning immediately after bm which is different than my fissure pain. It only lasts about 5 min. I think that's common with hemorrhoids.

Do you know when the bands and hemorrhoids came out? Did you ever see anything in the toilet? It's been nearly 7 days for me.
Dnank
Salt Bather
 
Posts: 98
Topics: 4
Joined: 27 Oct 2015, 18:17
Location: PA, USA
Has thanked: 1 time
Been thanked: 7 times
Gender: Male

Re: Hemorrhoid Banding Diary

Postby chachacha » 08 Dec 2016, 18:23

I think that a lot of it has to do with individual surgeons. I had more hemmies near the dentate line, and my surgeon just refused to band them because it would be too painful (and also did only two at a time for the same reason). Perhaps your surgeon figures that the pain is worth it?

I had them banded about 10 years ago, and honestly don't remember if I saw any bands come out, but my guess is that I didn't.
Fissure since about 2007
Fissure diagnosed in 2011
Diltiazem for two years - didn't work well
LIS January, 2015
Hemorrhoidectomy December, 2017
chachacha
Moderator
 
Posts: 1111
Topics: 19
Joined: 16 Jun 2013, 16:00
Location: Canada
Has thanked: 28 times
Been thanked: 207 times
Gender: Female

Re: Hemorrhoid Banding Diary

Postby Dnank » 09 Dec 2016, 11:45

Day 8: Eating very little and trying to go without a bm today. After I went yesterday I experienced burning for about 5 hours. I know that is slowing any healing that is taking place. I have a painful spot on the lower right. It's very sensitive and I can't even pass gas without significant pain. Sure feels like a fissure to me, but I guess it could also be a banded hemorrhoid or spot where the hemorrhoid was.

Just wish I knew when I would be getting better. It would make it easier to get through the pain. I'm only in bad pain for 5 to 6 hours after bm, and of course during bm. There hasn't been much change for 3 or 4 days.
Dnank
Salt Bather
 
Posts: 98
Topics: 4
Joined: 27 Oct 2015, 18:17
Location: PA, USA
Has thanked: 1 time
Been thanked: 7 times
Gender: Male

Re: Hemorrhoid Banding Diary

Postby Dnank » 10 Dec 2016, 12:03

Day 9: Had an incredibly good bm today - mild pain and no blood. Finally some progress. I really deserved it after what I've been through.

I have been suffering from chronic constipation that comes and goes for several years now. I go regularly but sometimes have hard and dry stool that is difficult to pass. That's why I take the Miralax and Amitiza. I have also experimented with many other home remedies without much success. One home remedy that I think does help me is Olive oil. I haven't taken it enough to say for sure, but I have taken a tablespoon per day (by mouth) for the last 3 days and I think that might have contributed to the good bm today. I've taken it in the past occasionally and noticed it helps everything slide out easier. I've read that it keeps the intestine walls moist and other people had reported success with it. I plan to continue that.

As for the pain, it has been mild so far today. I still feel a pulling pain (hard to describe) on the right side that comes to a sharp pain at a specific point. It's much less painful today. Taking a day off from having a bm always helps me. After two hours, the after-pain has so far been mild too.
Dnank
Salt Bather
 
Posts: 98
Topics: 4
Joined: 27 Oct 2015, 18:17
Location: PA, USA
Has thanked: 1 time
Been thanked: 7 times
Gender: Male

Re: Hemorrhoid Banding Diary

Postby Dnank » 11 Dec 2016, 13:15

Day 10: Had to go again last night around midnight. I had a larger dinner than I have had since the banding but still probably smaller than regular dinner. I felt very full and bloated after that. Then this morning after medium sized breakfast, I had a large bm. I'm still having pain during but the after pain continues to be less. No blood. I took two Amitiza as prescribed today after only taking one the day before. It seems like Amitiza has a greater effect if you eat more. When I was eating very little, Amitiza didn't seem to cause a bm but I think it is responsible for the more frequent bm's now.

Had another large bm later in the day and I have felt very bloated all day. Luckily it has been soft and easy to pass.
Dnank
Salt Bather
 
Posts: 98
Topics: 4
Joined: 27 Oct 2015, 18:17
Location: PA, USA
Has thanked: 1 time
Been thanked: 7 times
Gender: Male

Re: Hemorrhoid Banding Diary

Postby Dnank » 12 Dec 2016, 10:50

Day 11: Stomach feels much better today, not like I need to go all the time as I have the last couple days. Hopefully, I will have an opportunity to heal more today. I still feel mild pain all the time at that one spot but it seems a bit better today. It is taking a long time to completely heal.
Dnank
Salt Bather
 
Posts: 98
Topics: 4
Joined: 27 Oct 2015, 18:17
Location: PA, USA
Has thanked: 1 time
Been thanked: 7 times
Gender: Male


  • Similar Topics
    Replies
    Views
    Last post

Return to Hemorrhoids and Hemorrhoidectomy



Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 4 guests