Hi all,

About 9 months ago I started taking Psyllium husk on my doctors advice to help with my IBS, unfortunatley it ended up giving me a huge BM causing me to tear. It took a few months to heal but ever since then I keep getting recurring fissures every couple of weeks. The doctor says they are just superficial but they can take weeks or months to heal, so it just means most of the time I feel sore or uncomfortable.

It's strange because I have soft bms every morning but it's almost as if they are too soft and they'll often be sticky with bits of undigested food, and I will have to strain to get them to come out, sometimes bits will break off causing incomplete evacuation. I use rectogesic every night before I go to bed but it's not helping with the retears

I've tried adjusting my diet, going gluten free etc, but no matter what I eat I just seem to get these soft sticky stools. I thought soft stool was good for fissures?

I'm not sure what to do next, I tried movicol but I don't think it helped as my bm just ended up being too long and thin and more difficult to pass.

If anyone could offer me any advice I'd really appreciate it, as I don't know what to do I don't want to have to live like this for the rest of my life.

Hi Tejas123, I take psyllium husk--one capsule every night. It helped me sustain 10 months with no fissures. You may have been backed up a bit with the huge BM? I will tell you however that I've spent three years suffering with fissures on and off and was ok from Jan to about November of last year and after an exercise class I had a normal BM and tore again.

So I spent three months during the holidays with major pain, discomfort, couldn't sit or lay down without terrible pain.

I went through three tubes of hydrocortisone cream and nothing. Long story short, I ended up having LIS surgery last Friday and it was the BEST decision I've ever done. the LIS surgery was a piece of cake. Very scary and terrified I went in with a leap of faith and desperation because I could not take the pain any longer and I want my life back.

I too have the soft toothpaste consistency BMs and I do not have an explanation for that. I have too many soft stools and sometimes diarrhea which caused my fissure so not necessary constipation causes the fissure.

But I find the psyllium husk helps me more than hurts me. I cannot take any of the other things out there-Miralax and even too many stool softeners will give me the runs. So that is my only resort.

What I have found many people on this site--we all have different things that work for us. So do some trial and error yourself to see what works good/bad for your diet. Warm to hot sitz baths will help with the pain.

Keep eating your fiber and if you can tolerate it, the psyllium husk. Try taking one stool softener if you get backed up.

I'm sorry I and more to offer you but I will tell you from experience, go back to your CRS and see if LIS surgery is a good option for you. Do not wait or hesitate because of fear. The LIS surgery is the best ever decision I have ever made and I am already having good normal BMs, still soft but pain free.

Good luck and feel free to ask any questions you may have. This is great site and the best resource for info.

Hello thanks for the response hatetopoop. I'm too scared to try the psyllium again, it gave me large bm in general so I don't think it would help me, you're right when you say that different things work for everyone.

I hate having IBS it makes it so difficult to get bms right, feels like I have no control over my own body. I'm eating between 20-25g of fibre a day, any more and things get too bulky or I get diarrhea.

One doctor I spoke to said that I'd be too young for surgery (I'm 26) and as I'm female they don't like to do it pre childbirth incase of incontinence. I've not seen a crs or a specialist, as I'm in the UK so it's all on the NHS. The doctor just seems to think I should just put up with it as the fissures are superficial, not very helpful!

Sorry to hear that..there have been many people on this forum younger than you, that have had surgery with success. Try to see a specialist or CRS to be sure. The hydrocortisone cream (Analpram) worked well for me for a while. It helped heal the fissures and the pain. Ask you doctor for a remedy. I can't believe he told you to "put up with it". No one should endure fissure pain not one bit! Do not give up. Try to get a 2nd opinion. There are also many alternative remedies on the internet. Anuice is a small device you can freeze and use for the pain. There are also other creams and suppositories.

Good luck and never give up on your health.

PS the risk of incontinence is so very small 2% if that. But doctors have to tell you that so there are no surprises.

Being told to put up with it in this day and age is shocking. Obviously they just don't understand the degree of pain some fissures can cause, or the affect they can have on ones life. They almost deserve a nice chronic fissure for that ...but I wouldn't wish one on anyone.

IBS is a nightmare and have the same issue and I feel for you.
Even though the UK has the NHS we can still push to have other options explored. I'm seeing how mines goes for now as I seem to be slowly healing but if not my doctor is already aware I want to push it down the specialist route to find out exactly what's going on and then get LIS done. I personally will go private for the actual operation if I need it as I've seen how long things take on the NHS. NHS is fine for life threatening emergencies and child births it seems but not so great at treating long term problems in a timely manner.

I have IBS as well and it does really complicate things doesn't it? I also had my third crs tell me I just have to live with
this pain and irritation. Unbelievable! I'm going for my 4th opinion in March and probably heading for some kind of surgery. Thinking and praying for you!