by jr2 » 18 Apr 2012, 08:17
Hi! I'm so sorry to hear you've been suffering for so long and that you've been having some troubles with a diagnosis. Fissures can often be missed on examination, even by specialists. Idiopathic anal pain simply means you are having pain and that particular doctor can't find a reason for it. It's sort of a wastebasket term when a doctor doesn't have a label to give to it.
Switching to the Anoheal should take care of those nasty side effects you have had with the Rectogesic, and will essentially do the same thing, help relax the muscle and bring added circulation to the area to help with healing. Most people who can't tolerate the Rectogesic do fine with the Anoheal.
Botox could be the next step if the trial of Anoheal doesn't work. Surgery is also an option.
The key with fissures is to keep your stools very soft. Everyone accomplishes this in different ways depending on their own individual bowel tendencies, but most people need to use some sort of stool softener to keep stools soft enough. Fiber and increasing fluid intake can help too, though some people feel too much added fiber bulks up their stools too much. People on this forum often use Miralax (called Movicol I believe in the UK) or other stool softeners such as Colace, prunes or prune juice, magnesium, etc. it takes a lot of experimenting to find what works for your individual system.
Reducing the stress you are feeling is also key to your healing. The stress only causes more muscle tension and increases inflammation. Whatever you can do in this regard is essential. Deep breathing, meditation, walking, taking a long bath (which will also help th fissure to heal and give you pain relief), listening to music...whatever it is that helps you with stress reduction.
You've come to the right place to find people who totally understand your pain and frustration and anxiety. This is a wonderful place for information, support, and sharing.