It's a horrible thing, that we can heal, and then get re-tears. I am very afraid of re-tearing, and am consciously doing less, trying not to over-do things, to avoid a re-tear.

If I do too much, eg dance too much, hike too far, do too much bending over and physically demanding house work, I get a burning bum. Is this a re-tear? I used to blame the burning on a hemorrhoid, but the hemmie has actually gone away.
I have a skin tag, and there is always a little soreness to the touch at the base of the tag, but the burning usually feels at a small distance from the anus - nearer the urethra, and to the left. Not near the original fissure. And where I feel the burn, there is nothing to see, and nothing painful to the touch.

So tell me - does a re-tear feel like the first tear, do you get spasms, is a re-tear milder, could it feel like a surface burn? What am I experiencing? Why do I still burn if the fissure is healed, as the CRS said it was?

Hi Scientist,
This is a really interesting question - I'm not sure it's a "retear" as such, but more a reminder that you do have scar tissue there and the area is more vulnerable now.
I have the same mindset as you in that I always have a conscious fear of retearing, not so much in movement but more when I'm on the toilet still. If I feel I have a more difficult BM, I can always feel a little soreness there too and pressure & and sometimes the odd dull twinge sensation. I believe in my case, it's just overstretching the scar tissue slightly or awkwardly somehow. I still fear sometimes it's the trigger of an old scenario......but after a few hours, I normally realise I've just "overdone" it somehow.
I think a "retear" of a chronic fissure could be more of a surface burn sensation and possibly milder than a brand new acute tear but to be honest, I really don't know - It would be interesting to get some more opinions on this.......:)

This is a really good question. Nowdays I feel almost normal. I wouldn't called myself 100% healed because if I have any straining - I feel like I am sore. Which of course did not use to be the case before my AF.
I do feel what you feel if I over do it. I have spotted a tiny dot of blood two times - but no pain. I feel if it was a true re-tear I would have significant pain not just soreness or only a tiny spot of blood.
At least now AF does not control or define my life like it did the first 3-4 weeks - but will I ever go back to 100% normal? I do not know

That's the million-dollar question rw76! Nearly two years on and I am asking myself exactly the same question..........
I am 100% healed but why doesn't it feel like it at times??......Most of the time "normal" and then one harder BM & some soreness again ??.......

two years?

I was going to give myself one year.
Not quite sure exactly what I'll do if I'm still hurting in a year though.

It doesn't sound as though I'm re-tearing though, just as you say, stretching the scar tissue.
I don't mind the burning that much, really I don't - I just wish I could stop being afraid.

Anyone with a bona-fide re-tear willing to tell us what it's like?

I have read some people here saying that they were back to miserable pain. That's what I would consider a re-tear.
Are you still using the nitro Scientist? I am using the diltiazem but thinking about dropping it to once a day. I have skipped a couple of times and does not seem to make a difference when I do.

Yes, I'm still using it twice a day. The CRS said to use it for four weeks "after the last pain". That's part of my question, really. What kind of pain? It's been a couple of months since I've had any spasms, and I don't know if the burning counts. I thought I might just use the nitro up, or keep using it until Christmas, whichever comes first.

Maybe I should give it up for a week to see what happens.

Re-tear I think is when back to near original pain.
I was 'healed' for about 1.5 years. During that time felt like I had a few near misses but each time back to normal in a day or two and nowhere near bad pain. Walking was fine for me, and fast hiking. I avoid running though as that was what triggered my first and second tears some years ago.
Occasionally during the 1.5 years I would occasionally feel a twinge, like for example if I slipped slightly on a slippery surface. The tightening of the body (and bum!) to avoid falling, during this I would feel as if someone stuck a pin in my butt. It was only temporary however, but the fissure always made it's presence known.

For a few weeks now I;ve had issues but right now feels like re-tear again- back to where even trying to release gas hurts. So of the few re-tears I've had over the last few weeks, this feels worse. Think I might have to try a laxative to try and help the recovery process again. I have fybolgel but as my diet is high in fibre I think this won't help so probably need a different kind as right now I seem to recover a bit then problem again.

So re-tear - complete pain while passing stools and even trying to pass wind (for me anyway) and where the severe pain lasts for days, if not weeks.

Ugh I am just tired of using the diltiazem - but truly I am probably relaxing a bit too soon. I am probably going to do it for another month or so. LITERALLY A PAIN IN THE A** this fissure stuff is!

Superfissure,
I'm really sorry to read this.
I really hope it is just a difficult period for you and things start to improve again for you very soon.
Are you going to go back to check it all out?