Hi!! I've been reading this forum for days and finally decided I could use some more personal help, if possible. I have an outdoor job right now (field research for my phd) and every day I'm not working is a day of work i'll have to make up for later; no such thing as sick days for me, but i have to rest given the active nature of my job. Anyway, I think I have both external hemorrhoids (at least, from the looks of it...) plus a VERY painful fissure. I went to the ER a week ago in absolute agony that even Vicodin wouldn't dissipate. (I'll talk more about the pain med situation later.) Doc did a quick exam and I think (through the morphine fog) he said that i had hemorrhoids but that they weren't enough to explain the extreme pain I'd been experiencing. Finally saw a surgeon for consult who tends to do a lot of GI work (I live in a remote area & can't see a single GI specialist within 3 hours of me for a month.) The surgeon never examined me but said I probably have a fissure, and that either way I was to take some suppositories, etc. Because I'm only 31, he didn't think it likely I had anything serious. So here are my symptoms:
1) almost constant burning sensation in rectal area (no itching)
2) spasms & excruciating, sharp pain that comes in bouts, particularly when I have to pass gas, which is wayyyy too often this past week.
3) blood on stool or also just coming from there without a BM, primarily within the last 3 weeks or so now
3) very dark/blackish stools for the majority of my BMs during the 2 weeks prior to my ER visit.
4) something visible externally that is very tender, presumably my hemorrhoid
5) burning pain has been intermittently but steadily increasing these past few months until these last 3, which were precipitated by some constipation, but I do not remember that happening at all within the day before the excruciating pain started...
And, here's what I've been taking in the last 3 days since my doctors visit:
1) Fiber gummies, 2-3/day (5-7.5g, on top of trying to eat fairly well)
2) Simethicone (Antigas), around 540-720mg total daily (which I believe is a lot)
3) Anucort suppositories (only active ingredient I can tell from the box is hydrocortisone, and I don't even have itching...)
4) Tonolane cream for hems (contains pramoxine hydrochloride 1% and zinc oxide 5%)
5) Vicodin - I know this can be bad for C but the pain has been solo debilitating. I don't want to stay on it too long of course.
6) Miralax
Thus far the pain is not subsiding much although rarely as bad as the ER night. I went several days after ER episode w/o a BM and when i finally went, it had one hard part and the rest very soft. This was before I started taking the Miralax, mind you, although I was taking a small amount of henna softener. I felt like I was going to pass out afterward - got suddenly dizzy with foggy feeling and ringing in my ears. I really thought I was going to pass out and decided to wait on the warm bath I had intended to take, despite my extreme post BM throbbing, because I was sure I'd pass out and drown. NOT my funniest night ever, lol. Later in the week, the first night I took Miralax (night before last), I took the full dosage in the evening and had horrible diarrhea in an hour along with excruciating gas and bloating all night (the passing of the gas being the cause of the throbbing, seizing pain like knives down there.) I fearfully took only a half dose last night; no BM yet although it's been just under 2 days so hopefully it will work without killing me. I'm starting to hope it does... :@
It's great to know I'm not the only one in pain, though I wouldn't wish it on anyone. In addition to general advice I may not yet have found on the site, my main questions are:
1) does this sound like a fissure?? I think so, but still... Be nice to know seeing as the doctors don't feel the need to give me a colonoscopy at my age (which I'm ok with). The black stools I was having made me worried it might be something more, but docs (non-specialist) didn't seem to care.
2) if it is a fissure, why the heck am I taking the suppositories and cream that I am? They aren't what people have been mentioning on this forum, although since I seem to have external hemorrhoids too, the cream at least may be helpful. But the suppositories? What do you think?
I read up a lot on the Miralax and it looks like I'll have to just keep experimenting. I also just ordered Calm magnesium supplement online and hope it helps for both softening stools and insomnia. Lastly, I haven't had many BMs lately but do not use TP right now, only wipes (mainly the ones with witch hazel although they don't feel awesome.)
Sorry for the length. Maybe I fall into some kind of category that those of you can help me with since I'm stuck in the middle of nowhere without chance of seeing a specialist anytime soon...Thanks in advance for any help and for the good sense of humor you all seem to have about this ruthless condition!