Thought this article was interesting in regards to the healing creams - http://usagiedu.com/articles/analfis/analfis.pdf Also, my appt. with the CRS is not until August 5th, but I have an appointment with the regular Doctor tomorrow afternoon, so I am going to explain my symptoms, let him know that I believe that I have an AF, and most importantly - get him to prescribe me some healing cream! I figure I will ask him for the Anoheal (dilitiazem) first, and then if he can't get that, then I'll ask for the GTN (Glyceryl Trinitrate). I just hope he knows what I'm talking about when I mention these creams, and he doesn't give me a hard time when I ask him to prescribe one to me! He's been around many years, so he's had to have dealt with plenty of "down there" issues, right? Any tips, or important things to mention guys, and I'm all ears! I'm relieved I at least have an appointment with a Dr. tomorrow, maybe not a CRS yet, but general doc nonetheless, just hope I can get the darn cream tomorrow!

Hey, did you end up getting anything prescribed? I've never heard of those drugs, aside from the Diltiazem/Nitro but those two u mentioned seem to be somewhat different. Best of luck

Well.... went to the doc.... told him my problem and he checked it out... He told me that it looks like a hole there that is oozing blood and that it could have started out as a fissure, but just gotten worse! He said I need to see how deep it is. He recommended me to a really good CRS, and I was lucky enough to make my appointment for this coming Wednesday! He's one of the best in the area. Honestly, I believe this is something that I've had for a very long time.... I always thought it was hemmeroids, and I was able to manage it.. only if I had a particularly large stool passing or constipation did it act up and cause blood/itching/burning/pain... What made it really bad I think was when I got very constipated several weeks ago, right after that, it was bad and I knew I had to have it checked out..... so I think maybe it turned into a fistula? Ignored fissures can turn into that, right? Either way, I'm glad I have an appointment this Wednesday with one of the best CRS in the area.

Oh, he also gave me some triple antibiotic ointment and told me to apply it a couple of times a day. The pain hasn't been too bad the past few days.

When my crs checked me out, both my family doctor and I had no clue it was a fistula. When I seen the crs, he just looked at my butt and said in less than a couple minutes it was a fistula, and that he said it looked like it has been there for a while, even though I never experienced pain in bm's before the time it gave me trouble a month or so ago. Right then and there he operated on me for about 15 minutes and I went home more comfortable than when I got there.
Sometimes if a fistula is aggrevated (from tough, large, hard bm's) an abcess, that may look like an external hemorrhoid, forms, about the size of an almond, and eventually goes down in size after a day or so. If it does get big, there is usually some yellowish type of liquidy discharge. If you feel the area with your finger, ontop of your "opening" you may feel a little lump if you can't see it already. After a few days of extreme bm and post bm pains, I looked at my area and felt the tiniest of lumps at 12 o'clock around my "opening". That was the "abcess" from the blood rushing to the fistula, trying to repair it. Like I said at first my family doctor thought it was just a hemorrhoid, so I didn't know any of this. Your lump may be somewhere else around your opening if your fistula is in a different spot.
That's really good news that you get to see your crs so soon, especially one referred by your family doctor. I assume it's this Wednesday? I'm really happy for you if that's the case because they are the pros when it comes to this - they'll take care of you in the most appropriate way, and you'll not only know for sure what the problem is down there, but they'll go on about fixing it too!
You have nothing to worry about now. The most pain you'll encounter is the crs maybe sticking a finger in there to see what's going on. We'll be all here for you when you get back, and there will be someone here that will answer your questions to which problem the crs diagnoses you with.
Good luck! Don't miss that appointment for anything!

Adam, thank you very much for that comforting post. It is this Wednesday the 20th. And the CRS has been around for over 30 years. I'm REALLY looking forward to my appointment, I wish it was today! I just want to know exactly what it is and what the best course of action to take is. I feel like it's something that I should have gotten checked out a long time ago. I feel like an abscess may have formed like you were talking about, because back on 6-20 when I woke up in the morning the pain was really bad! I limped while walking, couldn't sit down... since then it's gotten much better and the discharge a lot less... Anyway, thanks again for your post! I can't wait for my appointment on Wednesday! I certainly will not miss it!

You're welcome, I'm just trying to give you as much information as I can to help you along like the others here have helped me (Dawn, hopetoheal, Val, Dexterdude, NG).
I am not going to say that what I think you may have because all symptoms seem to be the same for a fissure, hemorrhoid, or fistula. I was afraid mine was a fistula because it seemed the most disgusting of them all, and was shocked when the crs told me it was a fistula! But only shocked for 15 minutes because that's how long the surgery was, and I knew after that, it was the road to recovery.
Before you leave the crs, you have to make sure you clearly understand his directions on how to care for yourself, they may give you a pamphlet on self-care like in my case, but it wasn't specific enough in my opinion. Make sure you clearly describe your actions at work as well before you leave so they can tell you if it's okay to, and when you can get back to doing such actions.
After you see the crs make sure you let us know how the appoinment went, and ask us any questions you have we may be able to help a little.