I had a hemorrhoidectomy performed on November 17th 2010. I have not been the same since! As a result of the surgery, I got some AF's that are extremely painful. Luckily, I only have one BM per day. Ever since the surgery, my BM's have caused me extreme pain. To put it into perspective, on a one to ten scale my pain is a TEN+!! He put me on 3 different pain killers. (the first two did not work) and nitroglycerin and lidocaine. Since starting the nitroglycerin, the extreme pain has shortened from 5-8 hours after a BM to about 45-60 mins. This extreme pain is followed by cramping, discomfort and itching for 3-4 hours after. After this I feel 100% ok! I have just passed my 6th week since the surgery and I still experience great pain after BM's. I have altered my diet to include 64 ounces of water, 2-3 colace a day, and lots of high fiber food such as beans, wheat, fresh fruits and vegetables. At this point I am frustrated and ready to resume my life!! I NEED HELP!!!

Hey there Paininthea$$,
I'm so sorry to hear you are in so much pain.You have already went through the worst anal surgery there is getting the hemms removed. I can't believe you have developed a fissure but have read of another person on this board who had the same thing happen( tootie). She did heal her fissure as far as I know using the diltiazem ointment,and the diet and warm baths. I see your taking colace as a stool softener. I'm not sure if you have tried miralax, but you may want to give it a try. I took colace for 8 months with my fissure before switching to miralax after having LIS and have had much better results. You have to give it a few days before it really kicks in and starts working.
I see you already know to drink plenty of water and there's many foods you need to avoid while trying to heal the fissure. The warm baths for 20 min. or longer will promote blood flow down there too and will help heal the fissure.
Please don't get discouraged! You have been through the worst anal surgery already. Since you just developed the fissure, you have a really good chance of healing it! Having the nitro already is a good start.
Just be sure to avoid fried,spicy, sharp food like nuts, chips,pop corn and red meat and cheese which can cause firmer bm's.
Please don't feel alone. I wanted to die with my fissure. I thought about making it happen many times before I got my surgery.... We're here for you! Take care:)
Dawn

Dawn, thanks for the recommendation. I am going to try Miralax starting today. Prior to finding this site, I read so much information on fissures and anal stenosis using Google. Honestly, what I have read has terrified me. I hate been experiencing the shards of glass every day for 6+ weeks. It's been tough on my and my family. Does the Miralax help eliminate the shards of glass feeling? If not what helped you get rid of that??
P.I.T.A

Hey there,
the shards of glass is the worst! It mentally takes a toll on you having a fissure and the fear it puts in you can't be understood by anyone who hasn't been through it!
The one thing that really helped me with the shards of glass feeling was figuring out what not to eat! Anything sharp like chips, nuts, etc...would tare me apart. The miralax definitely produces a softer, easier to pass stool.
I take the full cap(17g's) once a day. You can probably start with the same amount and then adjust according to the results you get. Many people on this board adjust their dose as needed.
The baths really helped me in the beginning. I kept them warm through out the whole soak by adding more hot water when it would cool. Take as many as you can and stay in for at least 20 minutes at a time. You can air dry or blow dry your bum before applying your nitro.
Don't let what you read on the internet freak you out! That's what kept me from getting LIS for so long. All the horror stories
Just remember when you start to get good results and things are feeling better, don't stop your regimen. It takes awhile to completely heal your fissure and if by some chance it doesn't happen, don't be afraid of LIS. It is nothing compared to the surgery you've already had. God Bless, take care!
Dawn

I agree that changing to Miralax helped me a lot. At first I had trouble with it making me feel a little lightheaded and flushed and had quite a bit of gas. Someone else on the forum suggested putting it in hot water (like in herbal tea or just by itself) and taking it in the evening like that. That seemed to help me. I only take a fourth of the dose (1 tsp) because with more, I go too often. But I am pretty sensitive to medications. I would also consider drinking even more water. I aim for around 90 ounces a day- maybe less would be ok but I am now afraid to find out! I also live at high altitude and in a very dry climate which is a challenge in terms of keeping hydrated. Good luck and try not to get too discouraged. This forum has been so helpful to me and I am so thankful to those on it. Before I found it, I was terrified by what I read on the internet. Something else I just recently learned about from my CRS is an appointment called Calmoseptine. It has helped literally calm things down for me- it is for symptomatic relief mainly.

Hi,i can understand the pain you are going through.Ive gone through those horrible times and thought i wud never get out of it.Ive had LIS and been ok with it.
Do everything you have to for the fissure.Im still on movicol which helps a lot.
Dont be scared of LIS and thats wat gave my life back.
Thats the last option anyways.You will get through this phase.

Thanks for the advice! I have added Miralax to my daily routine as well as up'd the amount of water that I drink to close to 70+ ounces. I also bought some vitamin B6 because I have read that this has helped some people with overcoming their fissures. I have to admit that passing a stool is not as painful as it was last week. However, I still have a great burning sensation on the outside of my anus that is BRUTAL for close to 15 minutes after every BM. Any suggestions for this problem? One more question, does anyone have a BM away from home?? If so what do you do to manage the pain?? Personally, I have confined myself to my home throughout this whole ordeal. I am afraid of having to have a BM away from home.

You might try reading some of the threads on "squatting." Many doctors recommend this method and some people here adhere to that practice also--it's easier on the rectal area (less pressure) when passing stool.

Hey Pain,
I never had a bm away from home with my fissure either, except for vacation and I had everything with me that I needed. I basically didn't do much until my bm's were over.
I really had to put my life on hold until my fissure days were over. I had moments of enjoyment but was really consumed by mostly taking care of my butt. I couldn't just wipe. I had to use a shower wand to spray my rear and I took a bath after all my bm's :roll:
Baby wipes and vaseline would probably be your best bet for cleaning up and as Cheryl said some find squatting helpful. It really didn't work for me but I have read that it is the best and natural way for the anatomy.

Thank you all! I have now gotten past the shards of glass stage as well as the "jump in the shower after a BM" stage. I am taking a multi-vitamin, colace, and miralax daily. My only concern is with the miralax. Since I started using it, I have gone from 1 BM to an average of 3 BM's daily. Sometimes I can go up to 5 times, but it's rare. I've been thinking about cutting the dose in half. However, I am afraid of getting the shards of glass pain again. An suggestions?