Hi All
5 weeks ago my doctor sent me to see a surgeon who did a colonoscopy and he told me that I have an anal fissure and skin tag. I was given rectogesic & stool softeners to take. I have also increased by fibre intake, fruit & veg and drink loads of water... But it still hurts every time I have a BM and it always bleeds like a cut - just a small bit on the tissue paper. Surely it cant heal if this circle continues? I work in an office which means I have to sit - which is the last thing I want to do at the moment . I am very depressed over it and end up in tears over it because I feel like it is taken over my life (I am only 25).
I dont know of anyone else with my problem so I thought I could get some support from other sufferers here, who understand what I am on about. Next week will be week 6, and from what I here if it doesnt heal after 6 weeks - I will need surgery. Has anyone been able to heal their AF after 6 weeks without surgery??
Thanks for listening x

Hello Sadface,
I too am new here but have talked to a few people. I have had my fissure for 2 months and have been told by others that it will heal it's just a slow, slow process unfortunately. It sounds like you are doing all the right things my friend...most importantly to keep up with the water and stool softeners (I also take Miralax) because if you have a hard BM or have to push too hard you could tear more or re-injure what has started to heal. I know it doesn't seem like things are getting better because as someone said...You take 3 steps forward and one step back as we have good and bad days. I feel your pain and I have been getting very depressed too going to bed at night and waking up and it's still here. I have missed family events because I either need to be around the toilet because of the stool softeners and Miralax or because I am in too much pain. You have to hold onto hope and believe me I know it's hard because we all want this to be healed and gone never to return again. I too would love to hear from someone who has had a fissure for some time and it healed. I know exactly how you feel about it taking over your life I feel the same way as probably most everyone on here does. I am glad you have come here as it is a place to talk to others that know what you are going thru. Never give up one day you will be fissure free we must hold onto that hope. Are you using any topical creams? My doctor gave me Mupirocin which is suppose to help it heal faster and keep away bacteria. I think it is helping altho I'm on my 4th tube. It takes time keep drinking the water and hold your chin up...think positive and know you have friends here.

Thanks for the reply Greyson.
The only cream I have been prescribed is rectogesic which I think is suppose to relax the muscles so the fissure can heal - but to be honest - I dont know if it is any good. Its the lingering pain after each BM which I find the hardest to cope with No position is comfortable.
The doctors have been really nice to me, and told me it will take time to heal this. But I cant stop worrying about it, which is probably not helping either. I will try and think positive from here out. Ive been thinking negitively for the last 6 weeks and that did not help me....

Hi Sadface
Yes you definitely need to stay positive. My advice is to keep up the Rectogesic if that's what your doctor has advised.
I used Rectogesic sucessfully for 11 years on and off. Sometimes the af would heal in a few days and other times it took a few weeks. I found that Rectogesic, a good diet and lots of water were key but maybe once or twice a year despite my best efforts it would tear again. It has only been in the last year that the Rectogesic hasn't worked so well for me. So after 12 years I finally resorted to surgery last week. I am one week post surgery and am in a world of hurt. However my doctor still has me using the Rectogesic on the af. Fingers crossed it works for me again!

Hi Kat
Was your pain very manageable for the 12 years that you did not have the operation until now? I hope that it worked and you never have the pain like this ever again!
For the past 5 weeks in spite of a good high fibre diet plenty of water & stool softeners I still see no improvement - it seems like I have had this for ever! I'm not sure if the Rectogesic does anything for me - but the doctor said that it is the best cream to use as alternatives are not as strong.
All the best x

I sometimes found the pain hard to endure but I guess I got used to it. If nothing else suffering from af has been a good motivator to be as healthy as I can in respect of my diet and exercise. I found any relapse in the diet would cause me to get constipated and to then re-tear.
The tear that has led me diwn the surgery path has been the worst and most painful yet. It occurred last August and was caused when I had a skiing accident (I hit a gum tree and had to be stretchered off the mountain) and I took panadeine forte (paracetamol and codeine phosphate) and ended up badly constipated from the painkiller. The tear then just didn't heal. So after about two months i then went to see my GP. It took about four months for me to get into see a specialist. Even with top level health insurance i had to wait a long time as there's just such a shortage of doctors where I live. In March he did a colonoscopy (and banded three haemmeroids while he was there) and then he had me just keep using the Rectogesic for the af. I went back to him a couple of weeks ago and he said given it was now nearly a year since this af had torn that he would do the surgery. but he saw it as being a last resort and I had to convince him that I had used the Rectogesic religiously (I was using it about four times a day at that stage).
Interestingly he said that before the year 2000 he would do dozens of these surgeries a year for af but since the introduction of Rectogesic in the late 90s that he now does only 3 to 4 surgeries a year as Rectogesic works for most people.

I'm hearing alot about Rectogesic as I am in the United States...Is this stuff available here??

Ok I found out that for the US it's Nitroglycerin ointment and I'm waiting to hear if my doctor will call me some in at Walmart. Hoping this will work for me.