Hello fellow AF-friends and botoxees,
I am curious to hear about other post-botoxees' stories.
I am 4.5 weeks post fissurectomy with botox and am still feeling the roller coaster with the good days and not so good days - and sometimes feeling in the dark if I really am healing or not. If you have had botox treatment for AF, can you please post your post-op update? I understand it varies a lot from person to person. Thank you in advance for sharing your stories.
Sending lots of golden-healing vibes out to everyone's rearend that hurts :)

hi sailorgal,
sounds like we're at about the same point.
i am 7.5wks post-op from botox. was doing really well. CRS told me i could give up the prunes and keep going on fiber diet. i had a break in my routine this past week with a bunch of work meetings and a dinner out. bad idea. this weekend was terrible with an obvious tear and blood in toilet. i have a post-op appt in a few wks but will have to move it up. i'm really hoping the botox induced sphincter paralysis will still allow healing for the next few weeks, but feel like i'm starting over.
PS...i never had problems until i had my 1st child. it's been a nightmare since. that was 1.5yrs ago, coming up on 2.

Hi AB,
I'm so sorry you had a relapse.
What did your CRS say would happen if the botox failed?
If you don't mind my asking, is your fissure anterior or posterior?
I hope the re-tear heals faster with the botox. Do you put anything on the fissure? Any creams etc?
-Tanya

Tanya,
I have an appt with my CRS tomorrow to answer exactly that question.
I have/had 2 fissues actually. One at the posterior midline and one just offcenter on the anterior side. I've basically been a mess ever since birth&breastfeeding.
My pre-surgery regimen was as follows.
1. Calmol after each BM.
2. Tip the Calmol with nifedipine ointment to be able to apply directly to fissure. At this point, I don't believe the nifedipine performs any anti-spasm function. Been using ~6months.
3. 4-6 prunes with every meal.
4. 1 serving frosted mini wheats(FMW) for breakfast every day(6g fiber).
5. 1 5mg valium, at night.
6. 2 100mg Colace taken during the day.
7. A good amount of fasting when things got hairy, which happens around ovulation.
Post-surgery I kept the calmol and nifedipine, and went cold turkey on the prunes and drugs. I still do the FMW mostly because I actually like them. I haven't had pain with the re-tear, but I think that is completely due to the botox killing off the nerve endings. What I'm nervous about is whether there is spasming which has overcome the effect of the botox. Like I said, I'll find that out tomorrow.
I guess I should introduce myself on the site more formally...not sure where to do that yet. I'm very interested in the female demographic and their experiences with botox and LIS. Also, of course, whether anyone has braved a subsequent pregnancy after experiencing chronic fissure.

Thanks for all the info AB!
I'll look for your post in the intro section.
I'll also cross my fingers for your appointment tomorrow!
-Tanya

Sailorgal, I had botox on November 21st and to be honest I wish I hadn't. It made things worse!! I thought it was going to be ok the day after it was done, but how worng I was. Had my first bm and pain was awful plus bleeding which I had never had before. I was sent to the GP who said I had re-tore. I then got a reaction to the botox, infernal itching and rash for 2 months. However I will say just after christmas things got better and I had a week of no pain. Unfortunately the pain returned and I have had some pain, although it is much reduced now. Its sort of on and off pain, it never really properly goes. I am back to using the rectogesic GTN and that seems to be working better than botox!! Although I am getting some headaches this time using it. Had 3-4 days with minimal pain, but then I get a bad day. I am unsure as to whether to have it again. I am still waiting for my follow-up appointment (yes the good old NHS in the UK eh?!) so can tell you more in May. I am still in the same situation as before the botox (only slightly better). However there are a few people for who botox has worked on here. Everyones experiences are different, maybe I was just unlucky with it! I hope you are improved and getting better :)

Thank you for all of your stories -looking forward to hearing subsequent updates.
I am now a little more than 6 weeks post-fissurectomy with botox. altho the healing overal has been much slower than i could ever hope - i believe (and hope) i may have turned a corner. even so, my GP was surprised to see how much pain i was in at 3 weeks so recommended me to seek a 2nd opinion which I am going to today. Between that and my 7 week follow up with my 1st CRS next tuesday - i am hoping for more information and good news to my state of healing.
PS, I was able to travel to Mexico for a week vacation with my family last week. I think that: tropical sun, fresh food, time with family and a general "break" from my life being consumed by this stuff did wonders for my healing. still had pain and my regime of things to do for it, but it didn't dictate my life for a week, hoping to keep that positive vibe up now that i am home.

Hey sailorgal,
That's wonderful that you had a nice get-away! You are super brave.
hope you just hear good news from your appointments!
Cheers,
Tanya

Oh yah,
Just curious, was your af at the front or back? (anterior or posterior)?
-Tanya

I'm not sure, but when I asked my CRS where she directed the botox injections, she said into the left wall and "back" wall - so, i'm assuming that means it was a posterior fissure? will ask at my follow up on tuesday.
the 2nd opinion went well-ish. I found him to be more communicative, educational, not in a rush - willing to answer all my questions. Was surprised (with raised eye brows) that my CRS didn't first attempt a course of nepidp-whatever that stuff is - bcz when i asked her she said it doesn't work - which he of course says is not true. it has a 60% success rate and doesn't hurt trying, but that the botox is certainly considered more effective. so he prescribed me that as well to give it a try anyway. he took a look (and partly with an anuscope) and says the fissure hasn't healed and to keep doing everything i'm doing. whether/when i get a 2nd botox injection is mostly up to me, as well as wheter/when I would go for LIS if it comes to that. I was surprised to hear that the fissure hasn't healed since i'm not in as much excruciating pain and just returned to full days at work this week (with some discomfort, able to take baths there which helps) - but regardless, still feel better and that i'm heal-ING. we'll see when i follow up with my 1st CRS this tuesday