Hey everyone! 
So here's my story in a nutshell. I delivered my first child on April 6th and by the second week, I was having extremely painful BMs. Initially I chalked it up to typical postpartum recovery. By week six I inquired at my OB appointment about how normal it was to feel like I was pooping shards of glass, blood, and hours of debilitating pain afterwards. She said it could be bad hemorrhoids and suggested a GI doctor.
I get an appointment just around week eight PP and she breaks the news: it's a fissure. The pain of a digital exam was so great I couldn't let her use the scope to check things out further so she prescribed me Rectiv.
I've been using Rectiv for almost two weeks now and there seems to be no improvements. In fact, applying the Rectiv causes itching so bad that I scream into a pillow and dream about using a toothbrush to get in there! Ugh! Has anyone else reacted to nitroglycerin this way or am I having a bad reaction? 
I'm calling tomorrow to go in for a follow up. Nothing feels better. It's starting to control my life and, being a new mom, I'm getting really depressed some days that I can't be active with my son. It hurts to nurse him because I have to sit. 
I should mention also that my diet is perfect for having good stool. I go daily between 9-11am and it's as soft as can be without being diarrhea but it still feels like passing a broken jar. I get 25-30g fiber a day, drink 60-90 oz of water a day, take Metamucil and prenatals without iron so no constipation. 
I'm losing my mind, I really am. My husband keeps assuring me there will be an end but I guess I'm having trouble seeing it since this pain is ten weeks ongoing, every day, without fail. 
So yes... I guess I'm mostly curious about my reaction to Rectiv when all is said and done. And also, for any moms that had this problem, did it get resolved and did it come back due to a second delivery? It's so disheartening that the one thing scaring me about delivering a second child is the havoc it'll cause to my anus!

dear it's really sad to hear that u got fissure n it's not healing. I m not female so can't help u answering ur questions about 2nd delivery but one thing that u may ask ur Dr is that u can have a c section if u dont want to go through normal delivery.
do u have spasms also?. n yes nitro can cause such reaction like itching burning headaches etc. so do ask ur Dr about it. n did ur Dr. discuss with u LIS if u r having spasms also.?

Thanks for replying!
I'm not sure a cesarean would help as I'm worried that, also, the pressure of a baby sitting on the colon will cause issues too. You know?
We haven't discussed surgery yet because I was completely uneducated in regards to fissures when I first went. I assume she didn't bring it up because she wanted to try the ointment first and I was hopeful it would help. I assume I'm having spasms - after a BM, I have throbbing/burning/stinging pain for hours. Sometimes a couple hours, sometimes upwards of 8+ hours. :/

Your fissure should go away, because 1) acute (recent onset) and 2) your stool consistency is excellent.  You are right.. you are having spasms and its affecting the healing.  Use the tailbone trick (chinese medicine trick) to control spasm while "going" and talk to your doctor about the side effects of the ointment.  She would probably switch to Diltiazem.  Also, see if she could prescribe any anxiety inhibitor pill.  You may have to stop lifting or holding the baby for a while (First and foremost, I am sorry that it's such an awful advice and secondly, I know it is impossible to do that for a new mom).  But it will help your fissure heal in a week's time.  Pop a vitamin E pill every day until your fissure is healed.  Consume fruits with lots of vitamin C and A.
I am pretty sure you will be healed within a week.  I will pray for your speedy recovery.

Hi New Mom, 
I'm so sorry you're dealing with this! We all know it's not fun and we are here to offer our best experiences. 
I'm currently on rectiv. I have not had the itching side effects though. I'd check with the specialist to see what else they recommend. I've been taking just that (and coconut oil) for the past 5 weeks and just this past week it really seems to be making a difference.
My story is that I had really bad food poisoning (complete with far to frequent and runny bowels) that caused the fissure. My doctor also thought it was a hemmy and prescribed cortisone suppositories and suggested I use witch hazel. So I used a TON of witch hazel and all the hemmy creams. Turns out that only makes fissures worse. Witch Hazel is a skin toner (i.e. it pulls the skin tighter) and most hemmy meds decrease blood flow to the area. Rectiv increases blood flow to aid the healing process. (So for 2 months I did all the wrong stuff, now for the past 5 weeks I've been on the right stuff)
My husband and I are planning to try for a baby sometime soon so I've been trying a bunch of natural remedies. 
Check out the other links on this forum for supplements and such. I've found that Extra Virgin Organic Coconut Oil helps me. It lubes up the area, keeps the skin moist and tender, and doesn't cause any burning. (I also drink raw cold pressed coconut water and have a hot water with organice raw honey every day) 
Just be careful what you use, a lot of "safe" products contain alcohol which can aggrevate the fissure. A lot fo ppl use aloe, I did for awhile but after I discovered my aloe (though super expensive and 99% organic) had alcohol derivatives in it I quit. A lot of ppl use fresh aloe straight from the plant.
It sounds like you're doing all the right things by keeping your stools soft. Honestly, the best thing that has helped me so far (since stopping all the wrong meds) has been to keep the stools soft, not push when I go, and relax. People say stress makes things worse and that used to drive me nuts because when you're pooping glass how can you not stress? But trying to stay as stress free as possible really helped me. 
It sounds like your little one is truly truly lucky to have you. Keep up the good work :) 
BIG HUGS!

I totally hear you! Mention to the doctor you heard witch hazel doesn't help fissures and see what they say. I read on here once that someone rinses them off with warm water then uses them. Other ppl use baby wipes. 
Honestly, pooping glass is miserable, but sometimes the emotional roller coaster is worse. I know I've been really depressed and also really stressed at other times during this process. Having bum pain does a number on your psyche and I imagine as a new Mom you're trying to balance a lot of things. Just know we're here for you! 
I'm sure you're already doing this but warm baths after and/or a before a BM would help relax me and soften up the tissue. ALSO applying vaseline to the bum and trying to push a little inside but not putting my finger inside (tmi sorry!), before a BM was a GODSEND on tough days. 
I hope today is a little better!

Yes, an anal fissure that lasts more than six weeks, is called chronic.  However, based on the fact that the fissure was due to childbirth, I presume it is an Anterior (front) anal fissure.  This kind of fissure is very hard to heal within six weeks. It is usually in the 12 o’clock position and is closer to the vagina.  Fissures developed through constipation or diarrhea are in the 6 o’clock position (posterior) and are closer to the spine.
Ok, enough of the basics.  The ointment given to you probably is not helping, because anterior fissures are not  necessarily associated with tight sphincter muscles, (although there is a chance of developing such tightness, in the future, due to anxiety or other psychological factors). Given the fact that you are already having negative thoughts on your future "second delivery" :), & your ordeal at the doctor’s office, indicate that you have anxiety. 
I think getting anxious will invite more trouble and this is the reason why I mentioned about the need for an anxiety inhibitor, preferably "Valium".  However, you may have to take the “nursing” factor into consideration prior to making that decision.
Like I said, the fissure should heal within a week with proper care, naturally.  Try eliminating or reducing any food intake that has calcium and/or iron.   Try a fissure-friendly diet, like for example, eat fish instead of meat or replace the milk with plain yogurt. Also, try checking food labels to see if the content has been fortified with calcium or iron.  I see a couple of people (including myself) here on the forum that are doing good with the help of magnesium supplement.  You may look into that as well.  It does a dual job - relaxes muscles and softens stools.  Talking about softening stools, I don't see any mention about Miralax or any other stool softener in your thread.  Do you take any?
Anyway, the treatment (i.e, if everything fails, especially “Valium”) is different for this type of fissure.  I think it is called “Advance flap surgery”.  You may have to do some googling to find out more.
PS: I also think, you probably are allergic to the ointment.  I don’t know for sure.  I wish the ointment had worked successfully in at least relaxing the external sphincter muscles, if not the internal ones.  I bet you know that, one needs to relax both, external and internal s-muscles in order to have a clear path for the stools to exit.
Now about the tail bone trick.  Well, during our BM we tend to narrow the elimination path, every time spasm hits. 
"If your feces are normal then the easy way to relax the sphincter is by pressing hard under the tail bone upwards, about 45 degrees into the body, for 30-60 seconds. This point is commonly used in TCM" (Traditional Chinese Medicine). 
Since you asked, I have copied/pasted the quote from
http://curezone.org/forums/fm.asp?i=1736320#i
Well, I hope everything turns in your favor and you have an absolute speedy recovery.  Take loads of care.

yea sitz bath do help a lot. do take a lot of sitz bath it will break spasm n help healing. but it should b for around 3 to 4 times of 30 min duration. some people say Epsom salt also helps in sitz bath. when this time u c ur Dr. do ask about LIS just in case conventional measures fails. yes usually fissure older than 6 weeks is termed chronic. wish u all the best

yea sitz bath do help a lot. do take a lot of sitz bath it will break spasm n help healing. but it should b for around 3 to 4 times of 30 min duration. some people say Epsom salt also helps in sitz bath. when this time u c ur Dr. do ask about LIS just in case conventional measures fails. yes usually fissure older than 6 weeks is termed chronic. wish u all the best