the reason i ask is I'm looking for a referral to a new CRS possibly. My current one has said each of the last two times that my fissures are superficial, said to drink more water, eat more fiber and take baths and said I "couldn't talk him into surgery on those right now".
The problem is he takes only a few minutes with me each time, said he was stunned when Diltiazem worked for me last year and doesn't seem ready to discuss other options like botox or surgery. Maybe that will change when I see him again in November if things aren't any better down there, but I would like a backup and someone that someone else has had a good experience with.
I keep hearing about people who love their CRS but I do not yet. I'll love him when I get healed.

Oh Goodness I wish I could help you out. Hopefully someone can! Not sure if we have any boardies from CT or Western Mass.
I tell you what I fell in love with my CRS after she fixed my butt! Lol.
But seriously, I think finding another CRS in your case is a real good idea. Superficial my arse :roll: It's chronic and I'm not a CRS but it doesn't surprise me at all that diltiazem didn't heal it. Makes you wonder if they think we're stupid! I mean look around this forum. They have to hear all the things in the office that we do on here! It's kind of rare that anyone heals with the ointments once it becomes chronic
It just blows my mind sometimes what CRS's tell their patients....

Thanks Dawn, I am starting to realize that I will likely either need botox or LIS for this issue now and it doesn't make me happy. I have a very, very busy job and taking any time off for surgery or recovery is tough, plus I travel a lot.
Any suggestions what I should ask of my new CRS if I find one?

Read some of the older threads too to help you gain more knowledge. U really can't beat listening to someone who has been there and bought the t-shirt time & time again!! Apart fm being prescribed Dilitiazem, up to now, NOT ONE DR or CRS has helped me! This Forum has given me all the advice I needed and 6 months into fissures, I am controlling them. Happy Reading!!!

I was controlling them as well until the last couple of weekends on the road and now things have gotten worse. Last weekend I returned home and I was sore and raw and I started the Diltiazem again (new rx) but things actually got worse since then to the point where I stopped using it late last night.
It, for me, apparently makes things more sensitive and thinned out down there and now I am having clenching and some spasm after movements where that wasn't happening last week.
Have had two BMs today, both nice and soft, but after each I have soreness down there and I can tell I am in spasm. Not the "I want to jump off a building" spasm I had a year ago, but still it is tight and clenched and I get sniper pains at times.
Not really sure what to do. Damned if I do, damned if I don't because the Dilt certainly didn't help this week and made things worse but aside from that I don't have anything else.

Aww I know what ur feeling right now too well! Look, we all know our own bodies right? If you feel the Diltiazem isn't working 4u then stop using it. I stopped, after 5 months, and Vaseline/petroleum jelly has helped me soooooo much! It eases out our bms. Wish u had use of a bath tub for those dreaded spasms!! Mmm try painkillers but be careful which ones you use as the codeine family, constipate us! Great isn't it!! Hey, be strong and positive. I also think that stressing about our next poop makes the whole experience much worse and TIGHTENS are sphinter muscle up even more!! S...t happens lol.............hope this helps some??

lurker53 wrote:Thanks Dawn, I am starting to realize that I will likely either need botox or LIS for this issue now and it doesn't make me happy. I have a very, very busy job and taking any time off for surgery or recovery is tough, plus I travel a lot.
Any suggestions what I should ask of my new CRS if I find one?

Hey Lurker,
I asked this same question before having LIS. I had to research my CRS online and seen a couple before I felt like I had found the right one.
If you are considering LIS then you really should have a list of questions in hand at your CRS appointment.
Here's an example of all the questions I asked( thanks to some wonderful advice from boardies on here and much research)... I wouldn't use a new CRS but I wouldn't necessarily look for a real old one either...That's just me.
1) How many LIS had she done? She answered more than she could count.
2) Risk of incontinence / Could it happen? She laughed and said NEVER.
3) Ever had anyone get an infection/ fistula? She said maybe twice.
4) What are the chances that LIS wouldn't work and I could need a 2nd
one. She said 10%. This made me scared and I'm not sure if she was speaking from here experience or statistics in general.
5) I asked would she do a fissurectomy w/ my LIS and if that's something she couldn't answer until she was doing surgery and getting a good look? She said No , that she doesn't do fissurectomies, that they are old and make no sense. I was actually glad to hear that, but that's just my personal opinion, plus from reading on here it seems to be a little rougher recovery, but no always.. My fissure was actually cauterized to smooth down the scar tissue. I believe Happyass, another boardie had the same thing done to his.
6) I asked would I be put under anesthesia for surgery? Yes
7) Pain meds? Vicodin
Recovery time? 6 weeks for fissure to heal. She said it would be a good week of taking it really slow. I also had a skin tag removed... All of us agree on here 2 weeks is more like it. It's not that it was excruciating pain but it's really sore and swollen, but it wasn't like fissure pain with my experience.
Basically you need to ask any questions that make you comfortable. If you are leaning towards LIS the you want a CRS who is confident in doing this procedure and has had great success.
Another thing that I really feel I should mention and I have no experience with is Botox, but If you decide to get it or your CRS advises it, then I think it's fair to say that it is temporary. That means there is a chance of having a re-tear when the three months have passed and the shot wears off. Some folks on here didn't get any real positive effects at all after getting it, but some have... Just take a look around the forum and follow the threads, so that you have a good idea of what to expect...If that's something you are willing to do then it's understandable, but only fair to say it's much lower chance of healing statistically and odds are it's going to take more than one round of shots if it does work, or you may need LIS in the end. Some CRS won't even do it. Mine didn't mention it.
Hope this helped some! Good Luck :)