I have been battling the evil for over 4 years, been doing better and better, thought I had this thing cured. On the weekend I had some stomach upset followed by the runs. You know what next.....pain pain pain, spasm, burning and a big sore on the outside down there.
I am at the end of my rope. The only treatment I have not tried and botox and surgery. I fear I will have to live the rest of my life with this thing. Come on folks, lets figure out a cure for this thing. Please help.

Dude! Why not surgery? Have you found a good CRS? I've only been suffering for 5 months, and I'm going to get it done in a few weeks if I don't continue to make very specific progress benchmarks. The folks around here who have had it generally say they shouldn't have waited so long.

I have seen a CRS - got me out of his office quickly, said it was nothing, he's the best in the area from what I've been told.
I guess it's time to seriously consider surgery, the thought of getting cut down there freaks me out, oh my.

I have a theory about people who decide to spend their careers taking care of buttholes. I'm thinking they aren't the most socially appropriate people in the world. I call mine the a$$hole doctor, and he is. How long ago was your visit? Did you have the spasming and the sore back then?

Actually, I have a theory that because it is colorectal surgeons who deal with anuses, it's a big reason we have so much trouble getting fissures taken more seriously. Colorectal surgeons have little interest in the mere fissure, which they find boring and probably unpleasant to deal with. What interests them is the bowel resections, the advanced surgical techniques to treat cancer, IBD, and a host of other things they find infinitely more interesting. THey see someone walk into their office with a fissure right after seeing a patient who needs their colon removed and they are likely going to be a bit dismissive of the fissure patient. I would rather see clinics set up specifically with specialists to treat only problems of the anus/rectum where all the latest and best, least invasive treatments are available, including western/traditional, acpuncture/herbal, homeopathic, and physical therapy. As common as hemorrhoids and fissures and other anal problems are, it would be a booming business.
I'm so sorry you've had a relapse. I too am not the biggest fan of LIS, not only because I am not a candidate for it, but because as more research comes out we keep finding out that sphincter function disruption in the more long term (like years down the line) is actually quite higher than previously thought. We need more and better options.

3 years now wrote:I have seen a CRS - got me out of his office quickly, said it was nothing, he's the best in the area from what I've been told.
I guess it's time to seriously consider surgery, the thought of getting cut down there freaks me out, oh my.

I can so feel you on these doctors and their lack of compassion over this thing. I got an appt. this Thursday to see a CRS and so help me, if he turns out to be this uncaring human being, I don't know what I'm gonna do. I can't afford to see every single CRS in my area just because........my last visit with a new dr. turned bad and well, if this does too....I just want be the same, won't be the same. Good luck, kid

jr2 wrote:Actually, I have a theory that because it is colorectal surgeons who deal with anuses, it's a big reason we have so much trouble getting fissures taken more seriously. Colorectal surgeons have little interest in the mere fissure, which they find boring and probably unpleasant to deal with. What interests them is the bowel resections, the advanced surgical techniques to treat cancer, IBD, and a host of other things they find infinitely more interesting. THey see someone walk into their office with a fissure right after seeing a patient who needs their colon removed and they are likely going to be a bit dismissive of the fissure patient. I would rather see clinics set up specifically with specialists to treat only problems of the anus/rectum where all the latest and best, least invasive treatments are available, including western/traditional, acpuncture/herbal, homeopathic, and physical therapy. As common as hemorrhoids and fissures and other anal problems are, it would be a booming business.
I'm so sorry you've had a relapse. I too am not the biggest fan of LIS, not only because I am not a candidate for it, but because as more research comes out we keep finding out that sphincter function disruption in the more long term (like years down the line) is actually quite higher than previously thought. We need more and better options.

It occurs to me that chronic fissures are more like ulcers than injuries. Why don't we treat them like that? I wouldn't want to do anti-biotics because of the constipation factor, but why not use local antibiotics? Why not wound care instead of simply loosening the sphincter?
There's a story on the boards of a man who had multiple chronic fissures. He tested negative for crohns, but they gave him the medicine as if he had crohns, and it all healed in a matter of weeks. I have a friend who's fissures disappeared when she discovered that she is gluten intolerant and cut that out of her diet.
It just seems to me that most people who don't respond to basic methods must have something going on more than just a tight sphincter.
I wonder if anyone has tried giving themselves enemas loaded with antibiotics or antacids. (I'm not suggesting anyone try, I'm just wondering if its happened.)

coconut,
In my case, I've tried it all... Honestly, tried it all. I've had a compounding pharmacist compound more concoctions for me than you could imagine. Fortunately, I've had good CRS resources who have been willing to let me try anything I want as long as it made medical sense.
I do believe fissures are far more complex in some people than others. I think there are "garden variety fissures" that are usually caused by passing a hard stool or being constipated (or having a bout of diarrhea), that usually either resolve on their own or do really well with surgery, whether LIS, dilation, or Botox. But this isn't necessarily the course that will work for more complex kinds of fissure problems.
It's a problem that causes so much pain, physically and mentally, it would just be nice if there were more options, more research.

coconut wrote:

jr2 wrote:Actually, I have a theory that because it is colorectal surgeons who deal with anuses, it's a big reason we have so much trouble getting fissures taken more seriously. Colorectal surgeons have little interest in the mere fissure, which they find boring and probably unpleasant to deal with. What interests them is the bowel resections, the advanced surgical techniques to treat cancer, IBD, and a host of other things they find infinitely more interesting. THey see someone walk into their office with a fissure right after seeing a patient who needs their colon removed and they are likely going to be a bit dismissive of the fissure patient. I would rather see clinics set up specifically with specialists to treat only problems of the anus/rectum where all the latest and best, least invasive treatments are available, including western/traditional, acpuncture/herbal, homeopathic, and physical therapy. As common as hemorrhoids and fissures and other anal problems are, it would be a booming business.
I'm so sorry you've had a relapse. I too am not the biggest fan of LIS, not only because I am not a candidate for it, but because as more research comes out we keep finding out that sphincter function disruption in the more long term (like years down the line) is actually quite higher than previously thought. We need more and better options.

It occurs to me that chronic fissures are more like ulcers than injuries. Why don't we treat them like that? I wouldn't want to do anti-biotics because of the constipation factor, but why not use local antibiotics? Why not wound care instead of simply loosening the sphincter?
There's a story on the boards of a man who had multiple chronic fissures. He tested negative for crohns, but they gave him the medicine as if he had crohns, and it all healed in a matter of weeks. I have a friend who's fissures disappeared when she discovered that she is gluten intolerant and cut that out of her diet.
It just seems to me that most people who don't respond to basic methods must have something going on more than just a tight sphincter.
I wonder if anyone has tried giving themselves enemas loaded with antibiotics or antacids. (I'm not suggesting anyone try, I'm just wondering if its happened.)

CoCO thanks for bringing that up....I'm definately gonna purpose that question to my doctor come this thursday and see how it goes....also my daughter is studying to be a nurse and she came home this weekend and she told me that decreased blood supply is somehow preventing my fissure from healing, it starts with a I and can't think of the name right now.....she also took a look at my bum and told me that that pink flap I had, which is healing, was a genital wart.....can't tell you how embarrassed I was to know that.....but I have had the HPV virus since I was a teen and I guess the stress of this fissure has brought it out. My daughter lives out of town......and it was a blessing to hear her talk so professional to her old mom...(smile). I'll let you guys know what my dr. says about anti bodies.

3 years now, yes, the evil never truly goes away to begin with, I got the feeling that fissures that are truly chronic never heal completely, we either get used to them or manage them so well that we can have some type of normacy for a while until a flare up comes our way and while it is never as bad as the first time we got them they still a pain in the butt.
Sorry to hear that your fissure is back in town for a visit.