Thank you everyone so much for the help! I'm sorry I've waited so long to respond.
My situation has been pretty much the same since last post. Magnesium, water intake, and fiber intake have all been upped. After every bm I immediately jump in the shower. The pain would be 100x worse if I didn't do this. The pain varies in intensity depending on the hardness of the stool... unfortunately today I had my hardest one yet -- I think I may have missed taking my magnesium pills and that's why. Pain was awful until I got in the shower. And no blood since day 1 -- I hope that's a good thing?
So I've had this for about two weeks now. Things are pretty much at a standstill. Worst pain is right after bm until I get in the tub. The rest of the time there's discomfort/mild pain if I bend over and just randomly throughout the day I can "feel it" sometimes. I still use toilet paper (damp toilet paper) and haven't used vaseline yet so maybe I'll give that a try and start using baby wipes.
When is it time to see the doctor do you think? My pain isn't as bad as people have described on here (at this point I would never get the surgery) so should I keep treating myself for a few more weeks, go to the doc if things get worse?
Just wanted to update! Thank you all so much for the kind words, they really helped me when I was feeling bad over the past two weeks.

sk22 wrote:Thank you everyone so much for the help! I'm sorry I've waited so long to respond.
My situation has been pretty much the same since last post. Magnesium, water intake, and fiber intake have all been upped. After every bm I immediately jump in the shower. The pain would be 100x worse if I didn't do this. The pain varies in intensity depending on the hardness of the stool... unfortunately today I had my hardest one yet -- I think I may have missed taking my magnesium pills and that's why. Pain was awful until I got in the shower. And no blood since day 1 -- I hope that's a good thing?
So I've had this for about two weeks now. Things are pretty much at a standstill. Worst pain is right after bm until I get in the tub. The rest of the time there's discomfort/mild pain if I bend over and just randomly throughout the day I can "feel it" sometimes. I still use toilet paper (damp toilet paper) and haven't used vaseline yet so maybe I'll give that a try and start using baby wipes.
When is it time to see the doctor do you think? My pain isn't as bad as people have described on here (at this point I would never get the surgery) so should I keep treating myself for a few more weeks, go to the doc if things get worse?
Just wanted to update! Thank you all so much for the kind words, they really helped me when I was feeling bad over the past two weeks.

Sorry things aren't going better for you. I wanted to thank you for posting about periformis syndrome, I too was getting confused about my hemorrhoids/fissures and the pain from butt traveling down my leg. I walk on a treadmill almost every day and had found quite by accident that stretching my leg muscles would pretty much alleviate my leg pain. Now I have a name for it and have looked up better exercises. Back to the fissure topic, Miralax has helped me the most, it's truly a chronic constipation, hard stool cure. My Doc didn't recommend it but his nurse practitioner did...and it works! You have to start slowly and fine tune it, too much and the trots will make matters worse, made that mistake last year. I've been taking one dose one day and a half dose the next...rinse and repeat. The other thing that seems to help a lot is a coconut based suppository I get off Amazon. It's for women, my wife has used it before, but it works wonders for a fast fissure heal. Also I use tucks to wipe, you're probably better off not going near TP. For shower times, I installed a hand held wand for getting hot water on the sore spot, a bit awkward but it works. Wishing you better luck in the future, and thanks again for the info on periformis syndrome.

Thank you for the tip about the coconut, I just ordered some coconut oil last night so I hope that helps.
This video has helped me SO MUCH with periformis syndrome. I've been doing the second stretch every day since August (originally was doing it twice a day but went down to one a day in October). It works so much, but don't push yourself. I made the mistake of thinking that if I pushed myself (held the stretch longer, etc.) it would help more, and I strained the muscle in September. Not fun, so just take it easy. Holding the stretch for about 5 seconds 20 times a day is what I do now. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tFtUgS69rPk I still have pain but the intensity/severity is like a level 1 from the level 8 it used to be. Heating pads help a ton too.
Will keep updating, just hoping I'll heal! :)

hi,
I apologize I just now saw this. This diet works very well for me I will be happy to share it, maybe you can find something here to help but also even improve mine!
I should add with this way of eating I don't take any stool softners or anything. this eating is all that it takes. i do go out to breakfast on sundays with my husband also eat dinner out that day, if i feel a need i use MOM for a stool softner. but with my daily diet i dont need to take anything
This is my refined and tried an true diet I have figured out and also with the help of this board and the people here. It works very well.
morning:
i first get up, if i dont get on the treadmil i high step walk in place to get my blood going and it makes everything move and get the morning bathroom that we all need here first thing. it works everyday that way.
i drink my first glass of water
i eat oatmeal i even over cook the one minute for 2 minutes. i scoop out about 1 1/2 table spoons of ground flax seed into the bowl before i pour my oatmeal into it.
i just started adding some cinnamon.
i always add a touch of honey to sweeten and also most importantly for digestive properties.
i drink water with my breakfast (so this is the second glass)
for snack about 10:30 i eat about 4 - 7 dried prunes with No sulfates or sorbate just prunes (trader joes has these)
i then eat for a "lunch" a fresh fruit smoothie
i buy the fresh fruits already cut, this is my mix
I start with a couple TBSP. of non fat yougurt, i also this week bought lowfat yougurt instead so i am using that.
PLEASE NOTE" not only am I aiming for soft stool but i don't want to overeat and have allot of bm
in a blender
2 pieces of cut honeydew melon
2 pieces of cut cantelope
1 or 2 pieces of pineapple
5 to 6 apple slices
some watermelon chunks
i also use 2 or 3 pieces of frozen mango
i add some probiotic I bought it at a health food store they told me that the refridgerated one that I bought is the best, it really seems to help. You only drink out of this TINY TINY container and just 1/4 of it. it has like 50 billion probiotic in it.
i then fit in my olive oil. 1 tablespoon (just added a touch more today)
sweet potatoes are also very good for soft stool
salad
i think i need more protein but right now this is what i do. i also take 250 mil magnesium vitamin at night if i feel i need to. its really depends on the time of month for us women our hormones can effect our bathroom habits. so for me my dinners change due to this factor.
dinner
varies,
one fish taco
salad
whole wheat pasta with red sauce desert if I like
i have a variety i do for dinner
i do believe i eat to set up a healthy dinner, my day eating is all about eating SUPER well as you all know here to have soft stool
I do also drink prune juice in the evening. it why i dont eat allot of the dried prunes dont want to much.
well this is what works for me. My main problem is like suzy said ALL can go well, but its that first piece that can get me. its so frustrating with that argh.
but i feel good and this works for me. this is my set goal for a eating day. I do change things add things, but for me getting some fruit in is most important and the oatmeal as it also keeps me full for a long time.
this is my basic, i have more also but will post if i think of it.

.......its still me
i do stir fry veggies with sauce, a bit of friend rice, not white fried rice.
or vegetable lasagne
there are allot of things you can do for dinner

.......oh wait
its been said here but also when i left my doctors once as my back was to him leaving the last words he once said to me is "don't strain"
well that is also some good advice. when im i sitting in the bathroom, as you are, i tell myself "I don't strain, I don't push" I sometimes even add "Ever" it also helps mentally for me. I actually say that, why and what this does it you take a breath to say this and your lower body relaxes, it really does, it does not allow you to strain or push,
this also is added help. it works well for me too. saying that you take a deep breath and it has a relaxing effect on the lower part of the body.

sk22 wrote:Thank you for the tip about the coconut, I just ordered some coconut oil last night so I hope that helps.
This video has helped me SO MUCH with periformis syndrome. I've been doing the second stretch every day since August (originally was doing it twice a day but went down to one a day in October). It works so much, but don't push yourself. I made the mistake of thinking that if I pushed myself (held the stretch longer, etc.) it would help more, and I strained the muscle in September. Not fun, so just take it easy. Holding the stretch for about 5 seconds 20 times a day is what I do now. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tFtUgS69rPk I still have pain but the intensity/severity is like a level 1 from the level 8 it used to be. Heating pads help a ton too.
Will keep updating, just hoping I'll heal! :)

Thanks for the link, been doing the exercises a couple times a day and yes still a slight pain but nothing near like it was. I started using a heating pad not too long ago simply because I got tired of getting in and out of the bath and forever drying off and changing...it seems to help with both problems. Also the suppository I mentioned is by Carlson and can be found on Amazon...called 'Key-E Suppositories with Natural Vitamin E'.

Hey Perfecteater Thanks for posting your diet. Great dinner ideas too! And no stool softeners? Congrats! I know my diet consists of the same things almost every single day...nice to get some new ideas.

Please check out what worked for me:
http://anal-fissure.org/t4752-what-worked-for-me-what-didn-t-work

hi Fernie1
I tried stool softeners and may again but I found it works better for me not to have them, my colon seems to work better on its own, meaning when stool softeners are used it does not just flow out as well as when the body does this naturally, does anyone else know what i mean here? the stool softeners seem to make it stick more.
as you know we write here about allot of difficult stuff, but this was a big difference for me, so maybe someone else will notice that feeling by your colon. it moves more naturally for me without stool softeners. and quicker that i dont sit long.
so maybe this will ring a bell for someone here.