I'm frustrated and somewhat frightened because I'm still experiencing a lot of pain and it's been 8 weeks since my LIS on Oct. 18. I keep having long stretches (up to about 14 days so far) of pain, followed by some good and borderline days, and don't know what's going on. Yesterday was a good day, and I awoke today pain-free. I had a small, very soft bowel movement this a.m. (my stools have been very soft all along following surgery; I've been taking 2 TBS MOM). I took a hot bath, applied nitroglycerin, and have been in pain all day. I'm not even sure I know what pain from spasms are versus pain from the LIS. I just can't sort things out. I spoke to my aunt (she's a nurse) about valium to relax the sphincter, and she said a lot of patients can't take it because it causes so much dizziness, and even, perhaps, hallucinations. It also causes constipation, as I'm sure many of you know. I have my second post-op appointment on Monday, and I fear I'll be told that I fall into the small percentage that can't be helped. After all, the CRS said I would be feeling better by Thanksgiving, and it has been weeks since. I'm even applying nitroglycerin up to three times a day, which I'm not even sure I'm supposed to be doing, and it doesn't break the pain. Why can't I get out of pain??? This is as bad as when I first tore myself five years ago. I don't think there is any re-tear because there has never been any blood post-op, not even what you'd normally expect the first month.

Hi Queen,
I'm so sorry to hear you are still in so much pain! I'm definitely not an expert but something doesn't sound right here. You should be long past the soreness of LIS in my opinion. Especially persistent pain.
I also wonder if you aren't having spasms. If you are then it's imperative to stop the spasms in order for the fissure to heal. I know Valium has some side effects but that really doesn't mean you will experience them... I think just about all prescription meds do.
I didn't have any problem taking the valium. Neuropathicguy took them for a very long time before having his LIS. Fissy also took it to settle her spasms after her 2nd LIS, and there have been a few more boardies recently who did also. It's really not all that uncommon for some to get the post-op spasm-ing...
I think a good stool softener is definitely a must. NG and I both took Miralax and had no problems with constipation. I know we're all different and I'm not trying to sound pushy but if you are still having spasms at 8 weeks, something has to be done to settle them! I think there's other muscle relaxers besides valium that may help...
A couple of boardies took the baths and were able to get the spasms to settle but I believe it took a couple of months.
I hope you are able to get some answers at your post-op appointment. I know this has to be so frustrating and you must be worn out.
I doubt you are in a percentage that LIS doesn't work for. Please don't get discouraged. There have been folks in here who needed more than one LIS to heal since their cuts weren't sufficient the first time. It's still very early for you right now and I doubt that's the case.

I agree with Dawn - it doesn't sound quite right that things haven't improved with the LIS. Some doctors don't seem to know what they are talking about, unfortunately! Could you get a second opinion from someone, just to set your mind at rest?
I took valium for quite a while - it really helped me - and it won't cause constipation if you take miralax/movicol to counterract it.

Thanks for the reply, Val and Dawn! You guys are so encouraging! I'm sorry it took me so long to reply, but I was away from the computer for a couple of weeks (Christmas holidays). I'm doing much better since December 16. I was in pain a lot that week, and that evening, my pain broke unexpectedly. I've been having light or no pain since. During my second follow-up on December 19, the CRS examined me, and said the surgical site is still partly open, and that's probably why I'm having pain. He also prescribed a muscle relaxant (it's at home - I can't recall the name), which I haven't had to use because I'm on the best stretch since the LIS on October 18. I just take it a day at a time, continue on 2 TBS MOM, and take sitz baths. The CRS also said it's okay for me to use nitroglycerin 3x per day, but he thinks nifedipine (if fresh - less than a year old) is probably better. I'm afraid to switch right now because I've been doing so well lately. The area seems less sore, too, although not completely healed yet. My CRS has about 50 years of experience, and he said he never saw a muscle as tight as mine. He cuts more conservatively in woman for a number of reasons, and I was afraid he didn't cut enough, given my tightness. He thinks I'll be alright, and by the next appointment (mid-January), I should be having more good days than bad. I think a lot of it is guesswork on their part. I'll try to post every now and then, so that hopefully someone can be encouraged by my post-LIS trajectory. The CRS's nurse had told me I'd be in pain for weeks, and that the pain from LIS is very underrated. From what I read, though, I was expecting a few days of light pain. I guess everyone is different.

I'm very late chiming in. I'm so sorry you've had a difficult road, but it looks like you are beginning to see improvement. I'm sure everyone is different Slowly but surely, you seem to be getting there. Just continue to be patient and mark the improvement.

Thanks for the reply, Jojo1. Yeah, I've been doing better the past few weeks, but I still have degrees of pain each day. The CRS said I'll be having spasm for quite a while. My main concern is that he cut enough, given the extreme tightness of my sphincter. Because healing has been an unexpectedly lengthy and painful process, I'm not keen on a second LIS. I just want to go forward with my life, and not have decisions tempered by possible pain. I would rather that he cut more liberally just in case, but maybe I'll see the wisdom in his decision in the long run. I'm just trying to be patient for now, and am grateful that I'm in less pain.

How are u doing Queenofpain? God willing alot better

Thanks for asking, grannymaria. I can't always find my posts (not sure what I'm doing wrong), and that's the reason for late reply. I began to turn the corner around 8.5 weeks, but I still have degrees of pain each day. I was especially doing better the past few weeks, but have been having a measure of pain since another follow-up with the CRS this past Monday. I had just told him I was doing very well, and that very day I began experiencing pain. That's why I don't like to count my chickens before they're hatched. I think external exam, though brief and painless, put me into pain (spasm?). Also, coincidentally, my stools haven't been as mushy this week with 2 TBS MOM, as they have been. They have been fairly well-formed, and that puts me into pain. I'm wondering if I'll ever be able to tolerate a normal stool (I tore myself 5 years ago, and though the fissures have healed, per the CRS, things have never felt normal). I'm afraid of staying on MOM, but it works the best. I've been praying for healing for 5 years now.

Hi, queen -
I'm scheduled to have LIS and a fissurectomy on Monday. I'm a little nervous (not about surgery, but about my quality of life thereafter) . . .
Are you glad you had the surgery? I'm really wondering if I'm doing the right thing . . .

Hi SB,
I only had LIS, and not a fissurectomy. The CRSs nurse said he also looked through the layers of muscle to see what was causing all the pain (I never heard of this; maybe this contributed to my pain). But to answer your question, I'm very glad I had LIS. Even though I experienced a lot of pain in my recovery (and still deal with pain on and off), I'm glad I went through with it. My CRS said he never saw a sphincter as tight as mine, and that I would never make it through life without surgery. Even the last few years (I tore myself five years ago) when I wasn't in pain, that area did not feel normal at all. It seems I could never tolerate a normal stool, and didn't want to spend my life on softeners. I'm very glad I did it, but my main concern is that he cut enough, and that I don't need another LIS. It seems like many, if not most people find the LIS much less painful than the fissure. It was a short procedure (10 - 20 minutes). Just make sure you have a regimen in place you can trust to keep the stools soft following surgery, drink plenty of water, and chew your food very well. You might find it a breeze. My case is not the best example. Narcotics made me nauseous, so I rode out the pain. Many people don't even require pain meds, though. I'll pray for you. Surgery is better than having no hope, SB.