I've heard a few members say they could handle even a little hard poop after healing, but it'd be nice for reference to know how many of you can eat reasonably normal when you're at your best? I mainly ask because I used to eat healthful things that had a little more fiber in them, meats, etc, and I do miss them.
My issue was never constipation, I just ate so much so soon one time and strained like mad the next morning that I had a minor fissure. I didn't take care of it, then did something similar minus the straining at the advice of my doctor, and opened up an even worse one!
Will I ever be able to eat fiberous things again, or beef, or yogurt? My fissure is healing, but anything but liquid stool can still upset it. It's like my anus can't really dilate at all anymore, and I worry that the long term consequences of eating to please it might be bad too.

Hi Anonymon,
I think I eat reasonably normally these days! I'm just still very careful by choice because I simply don't want to return to those really painful acute fissure days....
I do eat red meats (maybe once a week) but I ensure that it's not a well-cooked steak, a processed fast food burger or anything tough. I'll eat meats that have been well marinated in casseroles or stews, so they are really tenderised. I kind of go by that instinct that if it's soft and easily chewable that's it going to be better for my digestive system to process and I don't seem to have issues with that. Fish/ chicken & turkey are all OKs for me too. I eat bio-yogurt daily with bran cereal - again, this doesn't cause me problems. I'm more wary of the really thick style yoghurts however as these don't seem to pass through as easily....I'm OK with small amounts of cheese/ eggs. I use Quorn a lot now in wholemeal spaghetti/ pasta dishes......
I believe in eating slowly, chewing well and following every solid food I eat with a glassful of water to wash it all down.
I think if you are tempted by a fissure-unfriendly food then just a very small amount now & again and just ensure you are eating lots of the healthier stuff with it and taking lots of fluids. - In moderation, I guess!
I am so happy that Chocolate does not cause me any issues and actually produces more of a laxative effect! Love it but obviously wouldn't recommend that for you right now!
My view is, the more natural the better....and stay away from the processed, refined, white, fatty foods - I think they are some of the worst. Fissure aside, these types of food long-term and if eaten frequently can lead to weight issues/ obesity, to possible heart, diabetes & a host of other medical conditions, so best to largely avoid them anyway.

Yes, you may be able to Anonymon: but as you alluded to not at the same levels as before.
At least this is the way it is with me. Since my last fissure i wanna say some 20 months ago and counting, I have had at least a dozen of BM's that I was sure could have easily ripped me open again if it were not for the changes in my diet regime.
I was so proud of my anus as I got up from the potty and glanced back and looked at the light brown bloodless stool. (stay with me now)
But I dare not try to go back totally to the way I ate before. Its a cumulative thing with our fissures. I we continue to do this or eat that, and strain and push on toilet, our hibernating fissures wont hesitate to reappear.
It is tricky though, I always ask myself can I get away with two slices of pizza this week, ahh I better stay at one. Ok I had two hard BM's this week, can I survive two more without a retear.
Most of the time I wont even try to see, but I will just back off until the stools soften up a bit. So again I will definitely say it is a guessing game once your finally healed as to what you can eat again without retears
But I think definitely, you do not want to go back to the same eating habits just prior to your attacks.
You can probably "cheat" here and there, but you bet not overdo it, because guess who wants to cheat you out of a painless butt............
HTH GL

Why not take a dose of Miralax every day? That should help you maintain soft stool without fearing every bite you take. Miralax is safe for long-term use.

I should add that in between my two fissures (first one in 2009, didn't heal until mid/late 2010 after LIS - second one exactly 3 weeks ago), I ate anything I wanted. Lots of dairy (cheese, 2 glasses of milk per day), a steak here and there, pizza, candy... I mean, I ate fruit and (raw) veggies, and mostly whole grain wheat bread. It's not like all I ate was garbage - I'm 5'3" and 125lbs (down to 117 now). But I was eating a lot of foods that people with fissures have to avoid. I believe in 2011 I was mostly taking Miralax, but then I thought I was doing well without it and stupidly stopped taking it.
There was one day where we went to a restaurant after a show at a local theater. I had a roast beef sandwich (on white bread), and for appetizers we ate cheese curds and a giant pretzel (it came in this big pizza-style box). Talk about bad for a fissure! But no problems the next day. I think if I had stayed on my Miralax, I would still be fine.

My fissure was three years ago and calmed down in a few weeks. I have eaten normally since with only minor flare-ups. Interestingly, my bum is tenderer about a week before my period. A few weeks ago, I had the biggest flare-up in three years, but the cause was NOT using the bathroom when I needed to. By the time I got home, I was desperate for the toilet... and had a sad bum for a couple of weeks. Getting better now, but still a couple uncomfortable hours a day. I can't eat heavy meats like I did in my younger days. Steak is a "two bites of my husband's" kind of deal (chewed carefully and only on special occassions). I make sure to eat fruit and veggies every day and take Metamucil once a day to ensure enough fiber. I instinctively avoid heavy things. But otherwise almost anything can be worked into my day. Again, moderation. Good luck!

Ps... My eyes bugged out a little reading "crime of passion's" roast beef, white bread, cheese curds, pretzel... I would be able to eat a little of any of that meal, but not all at once :o)

I know, right? And I wasn't even on Miralax then (it was around Christmas time). No issues when I went to the bathroom the next day.
I finally found a post I was trying to re-locate that deals with the same issues as mine - whether you have to live on oatmeal, green beans, and water when you take a good softener like Miralax. VERY interesting. Highly recommend giving it a read. I have a feeling we're limiting ourselves more than necessary. I strongly feel healthy eating overall is important, but I'm also starting to think we don't need to have a panic attack over a Friday night pizza or a pork sandwich, y'know?
http://anal-fissure.org/t4497-meatballs-pizza-and-red-wine?highlight=pizza
I decided to be naughty and take a risk early this week. I just really wanted to test the boundaries with Miralax. So I ate my normal healthy foods throughout the day - fruits, cooked veggies, whole grain whole wheat breads, brown rice crackers, and a little over 100 ounces of water. And then I ate pretty much an entire bag of sour patch kids.
Stool was fine the next day. Ideal, really, on the Bristol scale. Only issue was I went to the bathroom 3 times that day (each time ideal, no actual diarrhea). I've been going 2-3 times each day for the past 3 days, so I may need to lower my Miralax dose a bit.

crime@ how much mirilax do you take daily.

I was taking a tiny bit over half a cap once per day, but now for the past few days for no reason at all, my stools have been a bit harder. A 3 on the Bristol Scale. And I'm eating a lot of fruit and just drinking glass of water after glass of water. I'm going to take a full cap tonight. But it's frustrating, because I'm also going 2-3 times a day. Maybe I'm getting too much fiber?