I have to wait until first week of April for my consultation (1 hour...) and have to travel for six hours by air, etc., etc. But I would rather see a GI specialist than anyone else to hopefully get an answer to the pain
Just a wilderness when it comes to doctors, where I live. Even the dr who does colonoscopies here is not a board certified gastrointerologist.

Savaici--you have to fly six hours to see a specialist? Where the heck do you live???? I hope the gastroenterologist can help you, but unless they are also a surgeon...you might start looking for a CRS because that would be the next step if the GI doctor, ointments, water and fiber supplements aren't a big help.
Wow, and I thought it was annoying that I have to drive an hour to see a CRS!

I have possible IBS. At least I hope that's what it is. I've had a gnawing, spasm-like pain in the dead center of my abdomen (right where the stomach is) for the last few months. Been taking Bentyl (dicyclomine) and also Dexilant (dexalansoprazole) for it with little effect, and supposed to get an endoscopy done at some point due to family history of stomach cancer...
If it's truly IBS, there's a myriad of drug options available. Bentyl is the most popular one here in the States. Other popular ones include Donnatel and Librax. They're all mild sedatives that relax smooth muscle and decrease GI spasticity.

Hey bobcat, hope you're doing ok

I second Steve:)

I am in lousy pain today, to the left side of my abdomen, and as I have Diverticular disease, I guess it that. It has quite taken the pain of my fissure out of the picture. Awful Just want it gone. Trying to be positive (who am I kidding) and know it will go, but just too much now. Sorry, I am flitting about on the board today. Just at a loss of what to do for the pain. Don't often bawl, but this is one of those days that I keep doing it. Roll on tomorrow!!!

Savaici,
I'm looking for your earlier post in order to reply. I also have IBS-C and diverticular disease.

Sorry that I am moving about, so to speak, I am in so much pain I cannot think straight. I wonder if it was the fact that I started having Lactaid I my coffee instead of milk. This pain started yesterday and has gradually increased. I stopped the Lactaid.

I do not know about Lactaid vs. milk.
I was convinced I had diverticulitis, but it was IBS-C (diagnosed by my wonderful Mayo GI doc). Prior to my first visit to Mayo GI, I had lost all confidence in my local GI doc after having been through a flex sig, barium enema, MRI, and CT scan. My local GI doc did correctly diagnose me with IBS, but that really didn't matter very much because I had lost all confidence in him even though I liked him personally. I know it is important to have a belief in your doctor.
Sounds like you may have found a good one at Hopkins. I guess you are already familiar with Mayo. They have GI docs there that strictly see Crohn's patients!

Hi Bobcat, I also suffer from IBS. I'm pretty convinced that's why I have a fissure. I tend towards constipation. To manage I avoid wheat and try and eat healthily. Works to some degree but stress will also bring on the IBS so it's circular now - stress = IBS = fissure = more stress etc.
To make things worse I tried the fodmap diet (have you?) a while back but didn't follow exactly and was still eating choc at the time (def trigger). It's all about fructose malabsorption so there are LOADS of foods you can't eat - like all the fruit I like - apples, pears, mangos, watermelon and on and on. I felt it wasn't working and also cus I used to eat lots of smoothies etc couldn't see how I could have issue with those fruits. But that was before fissure became chronic. Now I dunno if I just convinced myself that I was ok with those fruits cus I love them so I'm so confused about what to eat. I keep food diaries for months but no clear triggers. When on holidays I can sometimes even eat wheat with minimal trouble. Anyways now I cannot risk chance of constipation so I'm going to give the fodmap another try and really stick to it.
I also think too much fibre backfires on me and makes me constipated so I really don't know how I'm going to manage if I do have surgery, pain killers etc - my system just does not handle fibre/laxatives etc like a normal person. AGH it's hard isn't it?