New here - fissure problem for 3 years

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New here - fissure problem for 3 years

Postby 3 years now » 22 May 2012, 08:19

Hello all - so glad I found this board. There has got to be a solution to fissures. I will go over my history and tell you what I have tried so far:
I got the fissure over 3 years ago. I didn't know what it was at first - just searing pain and itching and burning following BM. It was so bad I wan unable to pass urine and had to go to the hospital. Over months and months it slowly got better. The doctors told me "it will just go away". Well it got slightly better over time and was always with me. It started to control my life and I became almost obsessed with it.
After 6 months and still in some pain, I went to another doctor. He examined me and put me on hydrocortisone cream, colace, and nitro. He told me it would go away in 3 months. Well the creams and colace did very little for me. Maybe a slight improvement but I feared that this thing would never heal.
Over time it has gotten some better, BUT, it inevitably returns with a vengeance and the cycle continues. I have heard so many differing opinions on what works and what doesn't.
I was referred to a colorectal surgeon. He told me I had a "tight rear", in other words my muscles are very tense down there, causing pain from moving the bowels and straining the sphincter. He told me to to do this:
- keep the area as dry as possible, use baby powder, NO SITZ BATHS, it makes the problem worse over time
- no caffeine, NO ALCOHOL of any kind, NO CHOCOLATE, NO spicy food - eat bland food
- limit vitamin C and anything acidic like oranges
- NO creams of any kind - they make the problem worse over time he said, the only one he approved of was NITRO but he said it wouldn't cure it
I have found that too much fibre and good eating is a bad thing, going too often, even if it is soft, just reinjures the area.
One thing i have found that has really helped is: EXTRA VIRGIN OLIVE OIL - you take a couple tablespoons a day on an empty stomach. If you google this you will discover that the oil is a natural stool softener, but it also causes the intestines to "move" and provides a natural coating to the lining down there, helping it protect itself and heal. I take it every other day, keeps me regular enough and makes it easy to go without straining...I found Miralax a bit too strong but maybe I can't take the full does.
3 years now
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Re: New here - fissure problem for 3 years

Postby workingonit » 22 May 2012, 10:32

Hi,
A lot of the things you mention were what my first CRS suggested. I still don't do sitz baths, and try to keep the area dry. I've been wondering about the salves too.
Lately I've been seeing a TCM, and the salves at first seemed to help, but lately I am so itchy from them. I think it isn't the herbs themselves but whatever they mix them in. -sigh-
Wish they spoke better English.
I had the same dietary restrictions, but found that they were unnecessary. I don't drink much caffeine anyways, and the lack of chocolate was really getting me down Image
I was doing the olive oil, but with meals. I will try again in between meals. I stopped because I was tiring of the constant lineup of 'remedies' I was doing every day and wanted to cut down the list. I don't like miralax/movical/restoralax either. I stick to metamucil and a glass of prune juice at night. I have to be careful not to overdo it with the metamucil.
One thing you don't mention is exercise.
I was walking a lot before I started seeing the TCM and then he suggested I not walk much. I'm still not sure which is best. I do find that I am more 'regular' when I walk everyday.
Anyways,
Thank you for your insights. You've been at this longer than my. I guess it has been a year or so for me now. Longer if you count the first time I got one. Only been 10 months since i got it properly diagnosed though.
I should mention that my mom's fissure (healed for two years now) took over a year to heal. She told me this last weekend when I was complaining how long it was taking. She mostly healed it through careful diet.
-Tanya
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Re: New here - fissure problem for 3 years

Postby BillUltra » 24 May 2012, 15:30

I've found that the DIRTY WHORE virgin oil works best for me. The EXTRA VIRGIN has too many of the natural lubricants straned out.
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Re: New here - fissure problem for 3 years

Postby workingonit » 24 May 2012, 16:48

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Re: New here - fissure problem for 3 years

Postby BillUltra » 25 May 2012, 12:39

3 years now wrote: keep the area as dry as possible, use baby powder, NO SITZ BATHS, it makes the problem worse over time

3 years now wrote: NO creams of any kind - they make the problem worse over time he said, the only one he approved of was NITRO but he said it wouldn't cure it

3 years now wrote: colace did very little for me

Just wanted to add that my success was completely contrary to these points that you made I quoted above. I applied the Nifedipine/lidocaine/hydrocortisone cream prescribed by my doc 3 times per day as instructed and it helped A LOT. I took the sitz baths at least 3 times per day and I felt better after every one, also recognizing that, at least to some degree, it was helping clean the dirty feces from part of my open wound. And since I started taking one colace every night I never had a problem with constipation, however that could strictly be attributed to my diet changes.
I should also add that, like you, I also completely eliminated caffeine, alcohol, chocolate (and cookies and ice cream), any spicy foods, and acidic foods and beverages from my diet, and I'm confident this helped very much. Also I acknowledge that lots of olive oil and eating too much fiber can be contrary to your healing efforts.
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