by Luka » 09 Apr 2013, 23:34
Hello cuzzy,
I'm sorry to hear about your fissure. These things are a beast and very tough to get rid of once they become chronic, but there is hope. Like Marg said, there are ways you can manage it without surgery. It may or may not heal that way, but if you don't want to go the surgery route, there are things you can do to manage the pain and help healing. I have no choice but to manage this on my own right now since I don't have health insurance and can't possibly afford the surgery right now. Plus, surgery scares the heck out of me and, from what I've heard on here and other websites, recovery is no walk in the park for most people. My fear is that my pain (of what little there is now) would be far worse after surgery, so I'm very hesitant to get it. My pain is manageable now, thank God, although it goes up and down. Some days are better than others, but it's nothing like it was a few months ago when I developed this over Christmas. If it ever did get to that level of pain again, though, especially on a consistent basis, I wouldn't hesitate for a second in having the LIS surgery. It was excruciating, life-destroying pain that I NEVER want to experience again.
I am still taking Diltiazem (I'm on my last week... it's been almost 12 weeks for me). I believe that is Anoheal in the UK? I'm honestly not sure how much it's helped me, though. Some days it seems to make things worse since it can burn the area a bit when I apply it. It does help to relax the sphincter, though. I haven't tried Nitro yet, but since I can be prone to bad headaches, I don't think it would work for me.
There are many great tips on this forum, including the ones already mentioned by Ever the Optimist and Marg. Just be sure to keep a healthy diet with a good amount of fiber, drink LOTS of water throughout the day, take stool softeners (if you need them), do gentle exercise like walking, keep the area clean with wipes, and don't strain. Also, try to reduce stress in your life. That's been the toughest part for me since I know part of the reason I developed this was due to extreme stress. That's what I've been doing, along with the Diltiazem twice a day.
I wish you well and hope you heal and feel better soon without any need for surgery. : )
January 2013 - Diagnosed with fissure. Eventually turned chronic.
History of IBS and anxiety disorder, along with fear of using bathrooms other than my own caused it.
Tried Diltiazem, but eventually developed a rash.
LIS surgery scheduled August 26th.