It seems your spasming is pretty bad! I'm sorry for you! I know with work and driving it may not b an option but my MIL gave me Valium a month ago, I took half of a 5 mg tab and 20 minutes later pain was almost nonexistant... I could still feel a bit but it took the burn down from a ten to a one! After that my GP prescribed me oxazepam, a slow release less addictive form of Valium. I need two of these forthe same effect, and I get drowsy from them, but they work. I wasn't so buzzed that I couldn't funtion but I wouldn't have driven the car. I know a few ppl on here were prescribed Valium for the spasms and when I told my GP, she said it made sense and set me up right there but the CRS refused to prescribe it, said he didn't do pain management... I'm still grumbling about that but hopefully I'm almost done with him... Although I like him a little more since he cut me :)! I really hope u can find your perfect formula!

hi again Lisa - I'm sorry you're having a rough day.
I'm glad you were able to get a better formulation of diltiazem. I really hope that works for you and that the headaches subside. Quite a number of people report heachaches with dilt and especially nitro, but the headaches seem to disappear over time. I really hope you are able to find the right combination of treatments!
BTW - have you discussed botox with any of your docs?
I hope your day gets better!

Doc says no botox for Crohn's patient.
Matt Meecham, have you tried the Superbalm by Dr. Wheatgrass. It is supposedly exactly like the Skin Recovery Cream, except it has 300 times more wheatgrass. I read the ingredients and the Skin Recovery Cream has tea tree oil in it, which can burn. Do you order from CA?

hey Lisa - I'm sorry that botox is not an option for you. That seems very strange, since it wouldn't involve trying to heal from a surgical intervention. I really feel for you. These fissure hurt like a $#*%! I'm sorry I don't have any practical advice ... instead I'll offer a hug
Matt Meecham may be able to help you out with the wheatgrass, but perhaps you can post a new topic with a title asking about the wheatgrass. That might get more people's attention. I'm pretty sure a number of boardies have actually tried it.

I think the reason the doctor thinks the Botox is not an option is because my autoimmune system is so compromised, and I am on an immunosuppressant drug to make the autoimmune system stop fighting my body itself, and do what it's supposed to do. And Botox is essentially botulism, so my body could very well not be able to fight it off. I think that's why, anyway. My best "armchair doctor thinking."
I will do a search for the wheatgrass thing. You can't buy it locally, have to order it.

Oh d'uh! of course, that makes so much sense now that you point it out. Well son-of-a-b***%. I'm so glad you came here. Everybody is so supportive and most of the people here are a lot sharper and more knowledgeable than I am! Please forgive my ignorance. I'm working on learning more about crohn's since you posted.
I've seen the wheatgrass online too. Ordering it looks pretty straightforward. I really hope it makes a difference for you!

Hi Lisa-
I thought I would chime in. I have Crohn’s impacting mainly my peri-anal area. I was finally officially diagnosed last November after ongoing(5 years) peri-anal disease(fissures, fistula, abscess) and started treatment with medication – which isn’t doing much yet. It took me so long to get diagnosed since I don't have GI symptoms.
I had a LIS in Jan 2010. If you search my user name I have one main thread I posted my experience in. My healing was very slow and hellish but I had a lot cut – 2 fissurotomy, 1 skin tag removed, fistulectomy, and LIS. My CRS at the time suspected Crohn’s from the look of the fissures but still performed the LIS.
I tried all the standard conservative treatments for years.... The LIS for me was a god send. I had 2 active fissures and had spasms like crazy. I am still not 100% and have one area that still opens up once in awhile. Not sure if this is where the fistula was, skin tag, or old fissure. But overall my quality of life is much better than it had been the previous 5 years that I dealt with fissures. I think the LIS enables me to heal now anything new that pops up since my muscle is relaxed.
There is research that suggests fissures should be treated aggressively in Crohn’s patients. Since untreated fissures can lead to more issues down the road – plus severely impacts quality of life. My CRS used a closed procedure so the wound for the LIS itself was only a couple of mm. So maybe another opinion might be worthwhile as others have mentioned?
Also, I had used Wheat Grass before my LIS. It seemed to help but didn’t cure me. It does have some alcohol in it so it may burn a really acute fissure - it did mine. But on my other more chronic fissure I think it did help it..... My newest thing that I have found soothing is Calmoseptine. I found the people on the Crohn’s forum recommend this.

Best of luck.

owwwwww wrote:Doc says no botox for Crohn's patient.
Matt Meecham, have you tried the Superbalm by Dr. Wheatgrass. It is supposedly exactly like the Skin Recovery Cream, except it has 300 times more wheatgrass. I read the ingredients and the Skin Recovery Cream has tea tree oil in it, which can burn. Do you order from CA?

Dear Lisa,
I have a lot of empathy for you -- I know that the pain is debilitating and demoralizing, and I hope you can find something that will bring you some peace. I actually have the super balm, but I didn't get it delivered until the day before my surgery, so I can't really say if it worked to minimize the pain of the fissure, but I can certainly attest to its healing capabilities. Any cut or scratch I get, I quickly apply a tiny bit of the balm, and by the next day, the wound is pain free and mostly healed over. You can actually go to Dr. Wheatgrass's website and ask him questions about your condition, and he answers very quickly. He was very helpful to me.
I look at it this way -- the cream is a bit pricey (about $30.00 for 6 oz.), but if it didn't work on the fissure, it is a dang fine thing to add to the medicine cabinet. Just a tiny bit works wonders. I have a 3.5 oz tube of just the regular Skin Recovery Cream, and I have had it for over two years. It is still half full! I even use it as aftershave on quick-shave days (soothes the little nicks). God bless you.

Oh, and I ordered the super balm from CA, but I got the Skin Recovery Cream from wheatgrasskits.com in Utah (closer to home).

Hi Lisa. I just ordered the Wheatgrass, off a US site, grassfactor.com