Hi,
I just joined today. I've been suffering from AF for about 2.5 months now, and it has honestly kept me really depressed all this time. I went to a specialist yesterday, and he prescribed me Diltiazem. I read a lot of reviews on this stuff, and honestly, the side effects have me worried about using it. Plus, a lot of the topics here regarding the effectiveness of this medication have really left me even more depressed. Haven't come across a single post where someone has reported using this thing, and after a while, their problem was gone. I've been on a no meat, high-fiber diet for the 2.5 months since this thing started. I tried sitz baths for about a month, used Anusol and Proctodesyl for about 2 weeks (each). Nothing worked. I cant use suppositories because I feel too much pain when I try to insert it due to the fissure. I've honestly forgotten now what it's like to have a pain-free, and blood-free bowel movement. I only go in the morning when I really feel the urge. Other times of the day, I just avoid it coz I just can't bear the pain and hate seeing the blood. Is there anyone here who has used Diltiazem and reported full recovery, even if it has taken a month or two (though honestly, even the thought of another day of this suffering sends shivers down my spine). I guess I just really need a moral boost right now. I would like to hear an honest experience, and not something made up just to make me feel better.
Thanks guys.

Hang in there!
Diltiazem has been helpful for me, I've been pain-free for close to three weeks now after a full 3 months of battling a fissure.
I've heard that diltiazem helps some people, but not everyone, best to talk to your doctor.
Keep in mind that while ointments are good, the BEST thing for you is to keep BMs soft and thin! And high-fiber high water diet doesn't always cut it, and sometimes too much fiber makes the stool too wide. This was my experience.
Many people take Miralax (aka Restoralax) stool softener, and once I began taking it and found the right amount for myself, that's when things began to improve.
The diltiazem has helped me, but my saving grace was Restoralax.
Keep your BMs soft and give it some time, then the pain will begin to lessen. After you are pain-free & blood-free, make sure you stay on top of it so your butt can fully recover, it takes time, but stick with it! I would keep up with the sitz baths too, warm water can help with pain, help you relax, and keep clean.
I felt horrible only a couple weeks ago, now I feel like I'm really on my way to recovery.
Good luck! Be patient with yourself, you'll get through it!

Hi there,
Thanks for your response. It has actually instilled me with confidence. I'm inclined to agree with your opinion on too much fiber. When my problem started, I began using Metamucil Fiber Supplement. But thought that adding "bulk" to the stool probably wasn't the best idea, since I had a fissure and I wanted to keep it soft and easy to come out. So I stopped. I've restarted though, on the specialist's advice. My concern regarding laxatives though is that frequent use of them will make me dependent on them for bowel movements. Regarding laxatives though, would you say Dulcolax pills would be ok? Did you use laxative everyday, or less frequently, like once in a few days or a week? I guess I should give the Diltiazem time. After all, I did just start using it yesterday, and the specialist advised me to use it for about 3 weeks, 3 times a day. As far as baths are concerned, I can only take them occasionally, since I work a 12-8 shift, but leave home at 10 am and get home around 10 pm. After that, I'm too tired to do anything. Will have to see about the baths. I don't really know, I guess if the specialist prescribed me Diltiazem and Metamucil, he knew what he was doing, and they should work for me. I'll give it about 3 weeks, and hope God helps me out too :)
Thanks again. Appreciate your response. And congratulations on your recovery! Can't wait for the day when I'll be in the same position as you.

You should check out other people's comments on this forum! It seems that many people prefer Benefibre over Metamucil for a better stool consistency/ bulkiness.
Miralax (US) Restoralax (Canada) are the same laxative, and its actually a very gentle laxative that is safe for you to take long term. I spoke with my doctor about it and the amount I was taking and he advised me I could keep taking 2.5 doses/day for another month, and then I will start to come off it slowly so I don't re-tear.
Another option for some people is prune juice. I initially healed myself this way until it suddenly became ineffective for me. I would take about 1 cup of prune juice every night before bed, but it works differently for everyone! Be careful that you don't give yourself diarrhea, it can cause things to worsen!! You want your BMs to be the consistency of soft ice-cream or toothpaste.
I've also seen Milk of Magnesium mentioned on this forum too, I haven't tried it but my doctor said that would also be safe to use.
Really, it just takes a lot of trial & error to see what works for you. I kept a food/laxative/BM journal for 10 days until I figured out the right combination of meals & laxatives for myself, and I've been sticking to it for the last 3 weeks. I also have enough fibre in my diet to not need any supplements. I did some research into fibre and found there is soluble fibre and insoluble fibre. They are both good, but for the sake of fissures soluble fibre is better- it is less bulking. So I make sure my diet was heavy in soluble fibres (brown rice, oat bran, oranges, grapefruit). But remember too that fibre is nothing without water--- drink lots of water!
In the meantime, if you can't take baths for pain relief, I would suggest a heat pad... they provide some comfort to sit on when you're in pain!
Hopefully something out of this can help you,
keep 'em soft!

Hi,
Thanks for your feedback. I really appreciate it. I just posted a new discussion, "Sphincterotomy". Maybe you could read through that in your spare time, and see if you might have any feedback to provide for it too.
Thanks again.

Would like to share my anal fissure healing story....
Around Nov 2011, first time i experienced pain and also blood in my stool. I used to get blood from long time occasionally whenever i ate spicy food but it didn't bothered me until nov 2011 when i started experiencing pain in my ass. I am a big lover of spicy food and asked to add extra spice when ever i order food, of-course i now learned the lesson :). I visited a pile specialist hospital, a very young doctor diagnosed me and said it was a acute fissure and told me not to worry. He prescribed some pain relieving medicines, fiber supplement & a gel and asked me to keep the stool soft. Pain didn't reduce and bowl movements where big painful. I used have pain at least couple of hours after the bowl. I revisited him with in 10 days and he said i didn't apply the gel properly. Finally the pain reduced after one more week. i used to feel normal and didn't feel any pain or blood in the stool. but the story didn't end there .......
I was overconfident on the healing and back to my normal food habits. One day (jan 8th 2012) i had a deadly combination of red meat and very spicy fish curry. You know what, you might have guessed it right... yes, it's back again in worst condition. This time i didn't had big pain but two sentinel piles were visible big time and used to feel pain for 4 hrs after bowl movements. I again revisited the same hospital and a senior doctor diagnosed this time. In addition to fissure, he also unearthed multiple hemorrhoids (both internal and external) and said the fissure is now chronic. He advised Surgery would be the best option. I enquired about painless (HAL-RAR) treatment out of my desperation, but he said surgery would be the option since i had Fissure, piles. I was very scared and cursed for my situation. He prescribed 2% diltiazem ointment and said the chances are less for my condition.
I was very disappointed and don't know what to do next. My thoughts went multiple directions, one end was reluctant for the surgery and ready to bear the pain for ever and on the other end mentally prepared for the surgery. I prayed god (Saibaba, shrisaibabasansthan.org) to give me another opportunity and promised i will visit his temple 4 times in 2012. Started browsing abt the fissure and diltiazem. Some said it worked for them and also read lot abt surgery experience.
With multiple thoughts, started applying the ointment and had sitz baths twice a day. Also consumed min 4lts of water per day. Told my boss that i was suffering from an issue (didn't reveal though) and asked his permission for work from home. for the first one week, i had pain for 4 hrs after bowl movement. As a back up, planned for vacation for the surgery. After 2 weeks with God's miracle the pain reduced, but i was not very confident of the healing and used to check regularly the sentinel pile size. It reduced a bit in the first 2 weeks. I read in lot of forums that it might come back after couple of months, so i was watchful. Now a days, i am bit confident that it went away (at least i am not feeling pain nor any blood in my bowl movements even after i eat mild spicy food). Slowly i started increased my spicy food (but never like before and i don't thin i ever end up with the original spice level) and don't feel any issue now. In the end i think Dilitizem ointment worked very well in my case and sentinel piles also reduced drastically ( i don't feel them now except external piles masses). I am very thankful to baba for giving me another opportunity. Please be confident and have faith on God. Try out diltiazem at least for few weeks do not rule out completely. Wishing all of you to recover from this issue at the earliest, i know how painful, embarrassing the situation was.

Ohh, how it sounds familiarly to me. I've tried it ALL and Dialtizem doesn't help me at all. I've also had a Botox injection and continued using Dialtizem with no results.
I've suffered from AF since Nov 2011, had Botox in Feb 2012 and next week I'm going for control to my surgeon.
I'm still living in hell of pain, so to speak, and have no idea how to relieve my pain. Bath, different type of salve, heat pad I do it all! And stool softener!
I do not use Movicol (the name in Denmark)- (Miralax in US), but I use what you call in US Milk of magnesia. It helps a lot, I found the right proportion for me and the best part is that you won’t be dependable on them. I’m taking it every day morning and evening.
However I will strongly recommend staying away from such strong laxative as Dulcolax, as it stimulates your intestinal, where Miralax just adds water and fiber to your BM, which makes it softer :-)
I really hope that you will have better luck with Diatezem then me :-)
:)