Hey guys
I posted in my introduction (yes still a noob here :)) that a referral had been made from my GP to have the surgery to remove my skin tag, Piles (ext and int) and fissure.
After speaking with my GP yesterday to ask if they can hurry up the referral, she said there was no record of a referral on my notes!! (thank god I'd called them!)
She has however placed another referral and marked it as urgent as it was a mistake on their part - however, she explained it wont simply be in for surgery then out, she said the hospital would try this oitment (I am sorry, I know it begins with a D and gives headaches) for three months and monitor me, then decide about surgery
I burst out into tears as I cant imagine waiting for at least 6 months (3 for referral acceptance, 3 for monitoring by the hospital). So my GP has given me the oitment now and she is monitoring me, so when it comes to the referral, I should (fingers crossed) go straight for surgery.
Please excuse my rant , its just comforting to know I am telling my troubles to many likewise sufferers.
Lets just hope this gets a move on things because I am going to beat this thing as I want to enjoy myself and get on with my life, without having to feel like a cow being branded with a hot iron

Hi catsitter, sorry you're going through this.
I'm currently on my second stint with an AF (the first was healed with botox) and I've been MUCH more proactive this time seeing the GP every 5 mins, in the hope I wouldn't have to wait 9 months, like I did with my first. Well, I finally saw the consultant who 1. couldn't see the AF at all (but could tell by my spasming that I did indeed have one), but 2. told me the ointment that the GPs kept insisting I use is totally useless on AF and can in fact make it worse. As he couldn't see the AF, I was given an ointment, and will hopefully be getting another appt through the post soon, so he can have a look and hopefully I'll get botox again, or surgery. I'm now at 9months with AF and despite being more proactive, it's taking longer than my first. :roll:
About ointments, is it Diltiazem? That doesn't give you headaches, so don't worry about that. The first [real/useful] ointment that I was given was rectogesic (nitro) which gave me awful awful headaches, but - wow - I did not realise how much pain I was in! But I went back, and was given the diltiazem. I have to say, I don't think it is as effective as the nitro, but with a good laxative, I am mainly painfree!
Am I right in thinking you're on lactulose? As someone who lived on that for 18months with my first AF, and for 6months+ with this one (ie coinciding with me finding this forum!), it doesn't do any more than drinking prume juice (imo and experience). Go back to your GP and request movicol (also called laxido, and a few other names, but it's a macrogol powder to mix with water). It really works! Sometimes, a bit too good, and I'm still trying to find the balance that works for me. (Some people on this forum seem to take much less than I need to. I was told to initially take 1 sachet twice a day - too much. I tried 1 sachet a day - too little. So atm every 2nd/3rd day, I'm missing a dose, and that seems to work well for me.)
I hope your referral goes through soon, so you can get some relief!

Hey and thanks for your reply and I'm sorry for the pain you feel - I am totally with you
I was given rectogesic last august and noticed a difference but it burnt when applied - which then lead to me being prescribed instilligel anastethic to numb it before applying recotgesic. I do admit though, I didnt get headaches from this cream (phew).
And yes the D oitment is Diltiazem which you mentioned, and my gp did warn of headaches with this, but hopefully, I'll be like yourself and not suffer them.
Lactulose is my new water! I have been prescribed a large number of bottles since Aug 2010, and have one in work, and next to my bed, Its my life saver, however, it still doesn't make all BM's completely soft.
Thank you for your recommendation of movicol, whats the difference between this and lactulose?

Haha, I was drinking so much lactulose, I was beginning to be worried about the sugar on my teeth! And like you, I found not all the BMs were soft. The Movicol started working almost immediately, and it did make everything soft. I use one sachet in a glassful of water with breakfast and one at teatime.
According to this wiki site is an osmotically actinv laxative, and is grouped with lactulose.
If you're happy with the rectogesic and instilligel, you could always use it again, if you did get headaches from the diltiazem or if the latter didn't work. Personally, I found the rectogesic works marginally better than the dilt, and was easier (because the dilt has to be kept in the fridge), but I did get headaches so couldn't keep using it.

oh ok, thank you very much. I'll manage with the lactulose for now (have been for 9 months, 2 more weeks wont matter :D ) and on my next check up I'll ask them about the Movicol.
Very grateful for your replies, have a lovely, pain free day

hey catsitter,
not sure where u r writing from - canada, uK, latin america?
doesn't sound like USA or you won't be going thru this 3 month wait and see process.....
if you have access to Metamucil wafers in addition to your lactulose, these should help. they are much more gentle than miralax (i never used miralax) and take about a couple of days to work in. they taste so good - it's almost like a treat!
anyway, i never had the recto cream but i did have the D - diltiazem - and to me, it made a world of difference. just be good about putting it on.
there is also a very little known cream that doesn't get any attention called Sufrexal. you may want to look it up. it helps healing wounds on top of helping to relax muscle. so where diltiazem and nitro/recto will help with relaxing the muscle, Sufrexal takes it a step further by actually working on the skin (fissure) to heal up the wound and close it.
good luck!

Hi Happyass (<-----how I'd long for one of those right now!)
I am from the UK so get treated through the National Health Service for free, but have to suffer long winded (excuse pun) waiting lists.
My referral was put in 2nd may, and I happened to call yesterday to be told that it hadnt!
The next step is to wait 3 months at most for appointment, then a further 3 months where they monitor my success with diltiazem, however, due to my GP's negligence on referring me, she is starting me on diltiazem now so I dont have to do that at the hospital. So hopefully, when I'm referred I will go straight for surgery, no faffing about.
In the UK, they try all treatments first before surgery which is a bit of a pain as it only lengthens out what you actually need - which is surgery.
I appreciate your recommendations and am researching into them right now.
Thank you

Catsitter, I am in Canada and had a similar problem to you when it came to the referral. I went to my GP and he said he would send in a referral to a place called the Rudd Clinic here in Toronto that specializes in ass problems. After not hearing from anyone for a week I called my GP. His office said they sent it in but did not hear anything and I should expect to hear back in a week or so. In the pain I was in I just didn't want to wait a week to only find out the appointment would then be another 2 or 3 weeks out. I called the Rudd Clinc myself and explained the situation and the fact that the pain was unbearable. The receptionist put me on hold and when she came back she said normally it takes a few weeks to get in but after speaking to one of the Docs she said if I could make it Monday morning they would see me (it was currently Friday afternoon). I said no problem and thanked her. That being said, if you know where they are referring you to why not give them a call and explain your situation...... Squeaky wheel gets the grease as they say!

Hey guys, just a quicky update having just come from the docs.
I am very happy with the Diltiazem so far however the results havent been as healing as I'd first imagined.
My GP has now said my pile has shrunk but left another skin tag, and I actually have 3 fissures which she drew to explain where they were. (reminded me of a tea towel holder hehe)
She said this is even more reason for the hospital to hurry with the referral so fingers crossed things should start in motion.
She (my GP) was not at all happy with the fact my first referral hadn't been submitted and couldnt apologise enough and will try to speed this up. Another month on D and Lactulose, and by then we should have a date (hopefully).

Sorry you're dealing with delays, I went through alot of that too. At least now you're on track and hopefully won't be suffering much longer, I know everyday with an AF is a chore! If you stick to the cream and keep stools soft maybe you'll get the healing started by the time you have surgery and then you'll have less healing to do after. I had stopped retearing and bleeding for awhile before surgery it may be why my recovery was easy(?), I still had the all day burn though. Good luck, I hope you get your date soon!