Hello!
After coming to these forums for a few weeks now to read about everyone's experience/suggestions/and advice on how to go about treating anal fissures, I figured it was time for me to post about my AF problems and to see if anyone out there had any similar experience to mine and could offer me some suggestions to kick this thing in the rear! haha. I'll start with a little bit about my AF history. (sorry if it is really lengthy, but want to provide as much detail as i can)
It all started the first week of April (about 2 months ago) around Easter. I'm not sure what caused the AF to occur, if it was a big bowel movement or not but I remember one day after a BM i felt a sharp, searing pain, burning sensation during and after the BM. I noticed after my first wipe there was a good amount of blood on the toilet paper. This lasted for a few weeks after, where each BM was the same sharp pain, almost like a rip at first and then burning sensation to follow. The burning sensation would last almost half the day after the BM and it would be uncomfortable for me to sit down. This lasted about 3.5 weeks and the blood started to diminish towards the end of the 3.5 weeks, where i would see minimal blood after the first wipe. Pain was also diminishing and the burning sensation occurred during the BM and only a little bit after, unlike the whole day during the previous weeks. During the 5th week I noticed that there was no blood at all and then there was almost no pain at all. There was only a slight discomfort but that was it, and i was estatic that the AF had healed and soon i wouldn't even noticed anything during BMs. Sadly, this only lasted for that week. The following week after a BM the sharp, ripping pain had come back during a BM and of course, there was blood on my toilet paper again. This was the beginning of the month of May. Since that day, I've had sharp pain and slight bleeding during each BM and then only bit of discomfort after the BM. The burning sensation did not linger this time and i was able to continue on with my day as if I had never had a AF. After about 2 weeks after this, I had another good week where there was minimal blood and no pain once again. This time it last about week and half, but of course that good run ended too soon.
Starting a few days ago, I noticed the same ripping pain, but not quite has sharp or searing and no burning sensation at all. There is however a good amount of blood on the first wipe and no blood on the second and rest of wipes. It was been like this for the pat 3 days and I got fed up so I now turn to all of you for help!
So where I stand is, 2 full months of AF problems, started off really bad with lots of sharp pain, ripping pain and during each BM and then burning and discomfort for the whole day after. Then got better about 4 weeks later where i had no pain or blood and then a week later the pain/blood returning but pain diminished and blood started to diminish. Then 2 weeks of that and then got improved for a bit again but for only a week and half and then now starting 3 days ago, back to slight discomfort, not as much ripping or searing pain but still feels like pricking and NO burning sensation at all, but blood on toilet paper. The pain right now feels like the BM is stretching my opening and it feels like a small prick or over stretching and I'm guessing it's my AF trying to heal but the BM is making it stretch. But there is no burning sensation and not sharp pain during the BM. I feel fine afterwards and I can resume normal life and sit down regularly. It's almost like I never had a AF symptom during that BM. So overall, 1 full month (April) of bad AF with sharp pain, ripping sensation and burning during and after BM and then 1 Month (May) of ups and downs of good week and bad weeks. With minimal pain and discomfort during BM and pretty much no burning sensation or pain after the BM. But Blood is on and off from very little faint blood to a considerable amount of blood. The last few days have been bad symptoms.
My diet has been pretty consistent and healthy the past few months as well. I've been eating pretty much only whole grains, fruits, veggies, lean meats since January. I've actually lost 60 pounds in weight! Which is another reason I'm sad about my AF since after getting my life and body back in order, this AF is a step back in my new healthy life style I've been taking metamucil everyday (2 teaspoons a day, lemonade flavor) and the last 2 weeks i started on Dulcolax as my stool softener to see if it can help me finally heal my AF after 2 months and prevent what i think is a re-tear from occurring after my good weeks. I also take warm baths everyday as I've heard that can aid in healing.
Pretty much, I can't tell if I'm getting better of if all this getting better for a week and then the blood and slight pain returning is just re-tears? I've heard of people getting re-tears when they are trying to heal their AF, so I assume that is what is going on with me. I feel like it's a good sign that my symptoms have improved greatly since that first week of AF about 2 months ago compared to where I am now. Just the fact that the pain and burning sensation is so minimal now, but the blood returning scares me so much.
So my question to anyone that can help or give me advice is what is going on with my AF? Is it a re-tear? is my AF healing at all or am i getting too optimistic? Has anyone else had a similar experience? Is there anything else I can do to finally heal this thing? Right now my AF is manageable but only if it is getting better. I don't want it to get worse from here and go through these ups and downs forever.
Thanks and hope everyone is doing well!

Hi and welcome to the support group ,
Sorry you've begun to experience the ups and downs, physically and mentally, of this condition .
My first question would be...have you self-diagnosed this to be an anal fissure? It does sound as though the symptoms would appear to be a fissure...but I would always want to know for sure....sometimes different conditions carry with them similar symptoms and the only proper way to diagnosis this would be by a CRS. If you haven't done so, I would highly recommend it. If this is the case , and you are dealing with a fissure, the crs can prescribe you with a muscle relaxing cream, which you apply to the area, as an aid towards healing. :D
Your diet sounds good, as long as you are getting in the right amount of fiber and plenty of water along with the metamucil and stool softener to help keep your bm's smooth. The warm baths also the right thing to do...a few times a day if you can.
Re-tears are common..yet there is no reason that you shouldn't remain optimistic .... these things do often heal on their own..as long as you remain consistent with the diet and baths, and keep your stress level down to a minimum if that's possible.
If you search around on the tips page, there are quite a few suggestions there of different natural remedies people have found helpful while trying to heal .
Congratulations on that amazing weight loss That's an inspiring accomplishment
Best wishes for your healing
Angel

In my experience metamucil makes the bms too wide and bulky, so I don't use that while trying to heal. I found Miralax or Restoralax to be very helpful in keeping the BM soft and easy to pass.

Hello!
Thanks for the warm welcome! :D
My diet does consist a lot of water, I drink more than enough a day, as I can tell with my urine mostly be clear. Also, I'm going to be taking more warm baths a day to see if that helps with the healing and reoccurrence of blood or re-tearing.
Thanks for all the advice and kind words Hopefully, I'll have more progress soon.

Hmm, I guess I have noticed my BMs are a little on the bulkier side as of late ever since taking Metamucil. But it always seems to vary on the day and what I eat. Is Miralax a laxative or a stool softener or both? I'm afraid if I start taking more supplements my body will become dependent on it. In your experience has your AF healed or gotten better with Miralax and are you finding you have to take it regularly to be consistent with each BM?
Also, I have noticed that ever since I started taking stool softeners (Ducolax) my BM has not changed at all and I started off taking 2 doses a day. I'm considering taking 3 doses a day to see if I see any changes. I may consider Miralax though if Ducolax doesn't seem to be working.
Thanks for all the advice!

I ditto Baba's response....I forgot to include that in my post....Miralax has worked very well for me also, and many others around the forum....I take one full dose every evening...some people take more/less, it's all a matter of adjusting the dosage according to your needs. It is both laxative/stool softener. It was recommended to me by my crs as a safe supplement for longer term use. I began using it because I was having an issue with not being able to get everything all out with my first morning bm. I would usually have to make a second trip to the bathroom within 1 to 1 1/2 hours after first going to "finish". It has helped me in that regard for the most part...occasionally, like you, if I stray from my normal diet regime the day before, I may have to make that 2nd bathroom run. I figure the least amount of "going time" the better for healing. I do, also, take a stool softener in addition to the miralax, one dose in the evening as well...this, with the diet I follow now, has ensured the smooth bm's I'm looking for.
You know, it's hard to say that just one thing helps with healing a fissure...I believe consistently smooth bm's are key..no straining...but there are definitely other factors that will contribute to healing. There's hygiene, eliminating stress, no heavy lifting/straining...it's a combination of things that will aid with conservative measures to heal a fissure.
You are welcome...hope you find the right mix that works for you
Angel

kagenaruto23 wrote:Hmm, I guess I have noticed my BMs are a little on the bulkier side as of late ever since taking Metamucil. But it always seems to vary on the day and what I eat. Is Miralax a laxative or a stool softener or both? I'm afraid if I start taking more supplements my body will become dependent on it. In your experience has your AF healed or gotten better with Miralax and are you finding you have to take it regularly to be consistent with each BM?
Also, I have noticed that ever since I started taking stool softeners (Ducolax) my BM has not changed at all and I started off taking 2 doses a day. I'm considering taking 3 doses a day to see if I see any changes. I may consider Miralax though if Ducolax doesn't seem to be working.
Thanks for all the advice!

Miralax draws and keeps water in the bowel to keep the stool soft - it's not a nerve stimulating laxative. Magnesium will so the same, but tends to cause cramps in some folks. I always used Magnesium before I discovered Restoralax.
I don't think Dulcolax stool softeners work all that well, at least for me they didn't and I soon stopped taking them. I figure the Restoralax really helped my fissure heal, along with self dilation. :D

I'm currently thinking about trying Miralax, but i'm still on the fence about it. I think my biggest concern is that it is a laxative and i don't want my body to become dependent on it. But based on your response, is it not your typical laxative? And how effective is it in helping keep your stool soft? I also was on Dulcolax for about 2 weeks but it did nothing for me and my stool did not change at all, so I need to try some different methods to keep it soft so that it can help with the healing.
It seems to be trying to heal but every BM just causes it to start from the beginning even after going for a week with out any blood.
Also, does anybody else have minimal/to no pain with AFs but still have blood? I still feel the initial prick/ripping pain in the beginning of my BM and from that i know something got stretched too much but after that second it doesn't hurt at all and afterwards I'm having no prolonged pain/burning for the rest of the day till my next BM, but there is still blood.
Thanks!

Kagenaruto: I take Movicol which is the UK equivalent of Miralax. I've been taking it for about 2 years now. You don't need to worry about dependence as it's not a laxative but a stool softener, that is: It doesn't physically induce muscular contractions in your intestine like other laxatives will, rather it draws moisture into the stool allowing it to be softer. Several doctors have all told me this.
Although I'd rather not have to take it, It has made the passing of stools much easier for me, and if you're suffering you should give it a go. Even if it's just for a short while to give the healing a head start.
Good luck!