new here, but been in pain for years

Discuss any questions, problems or share your solutions here...

Return to General Anal Fissure Discussion




new here, but been in pain for years

Postby beansbeans » 12 Oct 2013, 16:18

hi everyone,

wanted to come and introduce myself. i previously had an account and posted once or twice, but that was a few years ago and i'm not sure what happened to my old ID (koolkat330). anyway, this is my ongoing story -

three years ago i was in college, and didn't want to have a bowel movement in a dirty club, so i held it in. for whatever reason, i didn't go for over two days... and when i did, i gave myself a large anal fissure. i did the sitz baths, and some suppositories and it went away. but then a few months later, i would have another, in a different location. i'd go on some miralax/stool softener for a few months, then it would go away. i'd wean myself off the medicine, then another would crop up, in a different location. it appeared my skin down there was simply not very elastic, and every time i tried to come off the stool softener, a *new* fissure would appear. the old ones would indeed heal (confirmed by my gastroenterologist) but new ones always formed.

this was my life, on and off, for the last three years. i've seen specialists, but they just kept advising me to eat more fibre, drink more water. but the only thing that would make my life normal was constantly drinking miralax - which i wasnt a *huge* fan of, but did it anyway. i'm only 24, didn't want to be on medicine forever...

well, anyway, three days ago i had an itch down there. stupidly, i scratched it. the next day i was in IMMENSE pain due to a hemorrhoid (external) flare up. i had one there before, and it went away into a skin-tag-like item, but i guess the scratching irritated it enough to flare up into a full hemorrhoid again. i put some witch hazel on it, and it has improved (shrunken slightly) over the last two days.

however, in my scratching, i swear i caused at least two MAJOR fissures. i was in a full sweat on the toilet, tearing up, trying to get some poo out because i know holding it in will just make it worse. then i took a sitz bath.

i don't know what to do anymore. any idea why i'm getting so many fissures? they seem to be new ones every time, each in a different location. i had a sigmoidoscopy a year ago, and they said my colon looked perfect. right now i'm just trying lots of sitz baths, i forgot how excruciating fissures were. i havent had a full fledged one in over a year (due to constantly being on that polyethylene glycol). its been THREE YEARS with no real end in sight. yes, my "end" comes when i drink my miralax, but i can't be a normal person... i hate being on medicine forever and i dont know. im not even sure its safe! and now im in bed, in so much pain due to my hemorrhoid and two huge fissures...
beansbeans
Fibre Addict
 
Posts: 11
Topics: 2
Joined: 12 Oct 2013, 16:10
Has thanked: 0 time
Been thanked: 1 time
Gender: None specified

Re: new here, but been in pain for years

Postby beansbeans » 12 Oct 2013, 16:25

i just need to vent. i'm so frustrated i've had fissures on and off for THREE years and been on miralax for the same. i've seen specialists, doctors, nurses, surgeons, everyone. nobody can seem to tell me why my butt is so fragile. i can heal my fissures, but can't ever keep new ones from forming. in the three years, i've had about a fissure every other month - but small, managable ones. maybe a 7/10 on the pain scale, and only during BM. now, mine is a 9/10 on the pain scale ALL DAY and about an 11 when im having a BM. i feel broken and stupid. i don't drink an excessive amount of drink/eat large amounts of fiber, but i am going to now. i can't take this pain!
beansbeans
Fibre Addict
 
Posts: 11
Topics: 2
Joined: 12 Oct 2013, 16:10
Has thanked: 0 time
Been thanked: 1 time
Gender: None specified

Re: new here, but been in pain for years

Postby Deleted User 2950 » 12 Oct 2013, 18:07

:smilyhug: Its going to be ok beansbeans :smilyhug:

Way to vent and let it out. Its perfectly normal and ok to have those strong feelings my friend. I use to be just like you in constantly healing but then getting new fissures. So take heart my friend, you will ultimately triumph over this. Heck, i battled mine for two decades before I finally found the right diet.

I'm sure you will beat yours in well under that time with all the knowledge there is here. I would first indeed concentrate on my diet as you suggest. About the fiber. Now is the time to start learning about the two fiber flavors...soluble and insoluble.

Because you say you keep re-tearing I'll assume your stools can get pretty hard and large.
Too much insoluble fiber along with not enough soluble fiber and water among other things
can do this to you.

Its a steep learning curve for sure to understand what our body needs to produce and
maintain decent stools, but the sooner you start learning these the better. Your on the
right path by coming here, that search box up in the top right side of each page will supply
you with countless opportunities to increase your knowledge here.

But please feel free to ask and you will receive responses. You wondered.....
any idea why i'm getting so many fissures?


I would say that perhaps you may be pushing too hard while on the stools. I would say that drinking more water is probably needed. I would also try the pretroleum jelly lubing before bm and see if that helps cut down the new fissures. I would also go the natural laxative way like your olive oil or coconut oil or flaxseed, magnesium etc.

I guarantee that if you try these things your recurring fissures, hemmys will be reduced and or stopped.

HThelps GL to you
Deleted User 2950
 

Re: new here, but been in pain for years

Postby beansbeans » 12 Oct 2013, 18:19

hi buttastic (love your username, lol!) thank you so much for the long and thoughtful response. i am about to go into the tub for a soak, but wanted to throw out this piece of info first - i keep getting fissures, new ones, in new places (although since i've had so many in the last three years, i'm sure "new" ones have appeared where there once were old ones, i am running out of room on my butt.). but i have been on miralax for the last 2 years straight, no breaks. and my stools aren't even close to being hard! not even a little bit. they are smooth, i would say... almost toothpaste in texture, and i use very little effort to push them out (due to the magic of miralax). but even with these "perfect" poos, i still get fissures from time to time. it seriously feels like my butt is spontaneously forming them whenever it feels like it. the FIRST fissure i got, was definitely caused by me holding in my poo and then it being very hard and large coming out. but since then, almost every fissure i get i couldn't figure out why. SO frustrating. most of the time when i get my fissures now, i am not pushing at all when i poo! it slips right out!

now that i'm off to the tub, i'm going to look into all those things you mentioned. thanks so much. ill be back with an update...
beansbeans
Fibre Addict
 
Posts: 11
Topics: 2
Joined: 12 Oct 2013, 16:10
Has thanked: 0 time
Been thanked: 1 time
Gender: None specified

Re: new here, but been in pain for years

Postby beansbeans » 12 Oct 2013, 18:20

oh a quick q about the petro jelly! do you just put it around the outside? or do you have to use a finger to lube the inside as well? i would imagine it would get a little messy sticking a fingertip up there when you feel a poo coming..
beansbeans
Fibre Addict
 
Posts: 11
Topics: 2
Joined: 12 Oct 2013, 16:10
Has thanked: 0 time
Been thanked: 1 time
Gender: None specified

Re: new here, but been in pain for years

Postby Deleted User 2950 » 12 Oct 2013, 18:41

Hey beansbean

Thats great that your not pushing and that your stools are soft, your ahead in the game. Now we have to look at that darn sphincter muscle that may be causing those re-tears. Are you spasming a lot down there and seem to be always tight?

Yes with the petri, taking your finger and inserting it up inside over your fissure before you actually are sitting on the stool really "helps things out". Some people cant get the finger in there as they are too tight or sore. In that case a syringe or a q-tip may help you get it up in there. Many people here do use the miralax long term though with no apparent affects, just to let you know.

Looks like you need to find a competent Colon Rectal Surgeon to help sort things out for you to see whats going on with your hemmy/fissure and that it does not get worse or infected.

GL
Deleted User 2950
 

Re: new here, but been in pain for years

Postby beansbeans » 15 Oct 2013, 07:44

Hi everyone,

I've had fissures for three years now. But this morning when I tried to poo, even though I've been on miralax, it was excruciating. I felt like I couldn't do it, but obviously I had to. Tried squatting, knees up, everything. It hurts so much and even does now. It feels worse than yesterday and now I feel so discouraged and sad and angry. And scared. I was hoping today I could wake up and have an easy pop because I had upped the miralax. I guess not. Now I'm sitting and work with a very sore bottom. I'm going to try two doses of miralax today...

So sad and in pain at my desk Job :(
beansbeans
Fibre Addict
 
Posts: 11
Topics: 2
Joined: 12 Oct 2013, 16:10
Has thanked: 0 time
Been thanked: 1 time
Gender: None specified

Re: new here, but been in pain for years

Postby Just 'Pain' Tired » 16 Oct 2013, 00:57

So sorry for your suffering. It can be quite a journey to figure out what you need to do. Getting a good assessment or two might help. I have healed (more or less) after a very large AF (the naturopath I saw who has seen people for AF and hemmies for almost 40 years said it was at the top of the severity scale--not that there is such a thing). So, if I can get better....I have hope that you and others can get better. I haven't had your specific problem of getting AFs in different places, however. I do think some important things you can try include getting that right mix of fiber (soluble and insoluble)and lubricating before bm's (if you can, get some lube up inside a little...use qtip or gloved finger). I'm a female with anterior AF but a male friend of mine (who had the usual posterior AFs) swears by watching your posture on the toilet and taking a fiber supplement. My pain was so intense I thought I would pass out on while on the toilet...severe afterwards,too. Post BM sitz bath (or bath) was most helpful. Also, get some ointment with lidocaine and use that pre-bm. Hope you get some help and start healing!!!!!!!!!!!
Just 'Pain' Tired
Proctosphincteranalogist
 
Posts: 209
Topics: 10
Joined: 14 Apr 2013, 16:00
Has thanked: 0 time
Been thanked: 4 times
Gender: None specified


  • Similar Topics
    Replies
    Views
    Last post

Return to General Anal Fissure Discussion



Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 43 guests