Hi. I'm new here. I just found this page yesterday evening and am really glad I did.
I have had a fissure for I think about 2 months, self diagnosed with use of a mirror. Two months ago I was traveling and not eating well (Tesco microwave meals and coffee). I didn't even realise that I probably hadn't had a sip of water for the entire month of travel until I was horrendously constipated and I actually felt the tear as it happened - good god that was horrible - and saw the blood on the loo paper.
I got home, did some google searching, took a mirror to the situation to see what the heck was going on, and I saw it. It's been a month, I've tried to take on more fibre and drink more water. Tried laxatives and stool softener. At one point I thought it was healed, until last week it ripped open again.
To be honest, it hasn't really ruined my life thusfar, it's just pretty annoying and hurts to take a BM. After a BM it will hurt for maybe a half hour, but not crippling pain, just the same kind of sting like a scab on your arm had been dislodged - just a regular cut kind of pain.
I decided about an hour ago that I maybe my self-treatment isn't working and I should see the doctor, so I have an appt for tomorrow. I'm not really sure what to say to him..."so I came here because I have an anal fissure and need it checked out."?? I've seen all these posts about doctors diagnosing fissures as hemorroids, and I'm pretty sure I don't have that. I just need this pesky cut to heal up and stay healed.
I'm really glad I found this group, it's such a sensitive topic and I haven't told anyone, it's nice to know I'm not the only person with this problem.

"so I came here because I have an anal fissure and need it checked out."

Yep, that's the easiest way. With my first AF I wasn't sure, but with my second (current one) I went in and said I had an AF and need something for it. (As an aside, I didn't realise because it didn't explicitly say, but what I was given initially was hemorrhoid cream, so when I went back I also explicitly asked for the meds I wanted too!)
What laxatives are you trying? TBH, Lactulose and Fybogel did nothing for me, really. I gave up the fybogel for normal prune juice because it did the same job, and tasted nicer. I have found movicol/laxido works, though, so I'd specifically ask for that - if you're brave enough!
Try and get an ointment too. If you're not in too much pain now, hoepfully you'll get it before it becomes chronic.

Welcome Cymraeg! I think you did exactly the right thing by making a doctor's appointment. You don't want to let this go on too long. I had the same experience as Bernie - I was given hemorrhoid cream at first too - and I'm quite sure that made the situation a lot worse for me. So you might want to double-check that your doc is giving you the appropriate meds. I was given diltiazem. Others get nitro ointments. If you catch the fissure early, these meds have a decent chance of working. And don't worry about talking to your doc - mine told me that he sees butt problems all the time.
Good luck!

Sorry to just be a bit of a 'me too' but I agree strongly with Bernie and hopetoheal. You are definitely doing the right thing seeing a GP as soon as possible.

GPs do often deal with this sort of thing - I've seen different ones and they've all been good. I originally went in ignorance and was quickly and correctly diagnosed. If you're currently not in much pain then be sure to get your treatment going soon and with luck the fissure will be sorted.
You will want to ask about the creams and ointments: GTN (aka nitro) or diltiazem seem the popular ones.
I'd also recommend laxido or an equivalent macrogol based stool softener or laxative. In the UK these are available over the counter.
Good luck, and then don't go back to coffee and fibre-free meals for months on end and you'll be fine.

Thanks Spamfree, I'm still trying to mentally prepare myself to go off of coffee. I think that might be more painful than an anal fissure. Thusfar I've been drinking 2 huge bottles of water as a chaser to my lowly one cup of coffee (down from my normal two cups!)
Thanks for the warm welcome and advice. I've jotted down your suggestions to talk about in my appt tomorrow. Crossing fingers!

Cymraeg wrote:I'm still trying to mentally prepare myself to go off of coffee. I think that might be more painful than an anal fissure.

Well there speaks a person who has not got a bad anal fissure. Ask some of us whether we'd prefer daily root canal treatment or an anal fissure - at the least, there would be a pause while we consider the alternatives...
To come down from coffee you could try decaffinated; and then perhaps try one of the caffeine-free substitutes (Nocaf, Barley Cup, Prewett's Organic Chicory). I'm on hot chocolate (but no coffee or tea at all). Similarly with tea: there are plenty of caffeine-free substitutes
Yes: I think it's a great idea to make some notes to take to the GP (otherwise I often forget to mention one symptom or ask one question). It also seems to get the agenda onto the things I'd like to discuss. The waiting before the GP's appointment is the least comfortable bit in my experience.
Given you've caught it at an early stage I really think you'll be fine.

Well I just got back from the doctor's with prescription in hand. I was prescribed laculose as a stool softener and Scheriproct ointment.
I have another appointment in 2 weeks and we'll see how they're working then. Crossing my fingers that things will start to heal up...

Hi Cymraeg,
Well that seems a good start.
Lactulose goes down easily - it tastes like sugar syrup (which is basically what it is, but a couple of single sugars in combination that we don't digest so it picks up water on the way through and comes out). For me it helped (but not as much as the newer macrogol-based treatments). Lactulose has few common side effects (flatulence perhaps being one occasional one). I found that as time went on I had to adjust the amount of lactulose to get a balance between getting soft enough stools and too many BMs (almost diarrhoea) - so after an initial period taking whatever is recommended you might want to bear that in mind.
Scheriproct may be a bit of a first-line response because it is active against haemorrhoids mainly, but also may well help an anal fissure. Basically it's a corticosteroid that should act to relieve the pain - thus the muscle should relax and the fissure heal. It's great that you've got an ointment (rather than suppository).
So that may well sort out the fissure - especially as you've caught it at an early stage, and if you take those in combination with all the other conservative methods: drinking fluids (but trying to avoid caffeine and alcohol), eating fibrous foods (fruit and veg), keeping the area warm and clean, exercise if it helps you...
It's also brilliant that you've already got another appointment for two weeks time: if things are sorted out by then you'll be fine and signed off, and if there's no substantial improvement by then, then I guess you might be moved on to a macrogol stool softener and/or a GTN or diltiazem.
Good luck.

Yeah I'm really glad I went to the doctor, and he said so as well, that he's seen these go on, and he's seen them get infected or spread to a larger tear or even more fissures could occur, so I dodged a bullet.
He was in the process of prescribing nitro something, but then he seemed to rethink it, and said that that would be more of a second-line, and he wanted to start out with this routine instead. In two weeks if things aren't looking like they'll clear up, then they'll explore further, probing and such.
I must say, the Lactulose tastes really good.
Thanks for the tips. :)

Welcome, and as everyone has said, you have come to the right place. Hope what you have been prescribed sets you on the road to recovery, and it is great that you will see the doc again soon to check up on how it's going. Best of luck!