Hi everyone. I'm new here but have been reading for awhile. I'm booked in for botox for my AF in three weeks time. I've read through the diaries and used the search function, but am struggling to find wha to expect during the procedure? It will be done under sedation. How will I feel afterwards? Will It be uncomfortable to sit or move?
I had the HAL RAR surgery for Hems a few months ago and it was pretty uncomfortable for a few days.
Any advice for after the botox? What can I expect- pain? Incontinence? Gas? Will I be ok to look after the kids the next day?
Thanks in advance for any help. I'm completely petrified of having this done, but. Thought of living with AF pain forever is even worse

Flaneur,
Welcome to the forum. I had Botox 23 days ago under general anesthesia. The procedure is pretty quick. I was home in about 3 or 4 hours. I had no pain immediately after but within 3 hours after I woke I was in some pain. It wasn't worse then the pain from the fissure but that's not saying a lot. For the next 5 days I had pain while and just after a BM, not as bad as before Botox. THAT WAS DIFFERENT FOR ME as before the Botox the pain was moderate during the BM and quickly subsided when I went into a bath but 20 minutes later I would have awful spasms for hours on end. Starting at about a week all pain started to subside. Every once in a while I would have, what I call a setback, and have a bad BM AND SOME PAIN but it was more discomfort then pain. I have no uncontrolled gas or BM. WHEN I FEEL THE NEED TO GO IT DOES COME ON QUICK, NOT SURE IF ITS THE BOTOX OR MIRALAX. I have now been able to live a more normal life, work, some golf, family stuff. Planning my mornings are still a little tough. That is when I have my BM and sometimes a second one. The main difference, I now feel when I have a BM, I can feel it pass over the fissure but there is no pain. I hope that means it's healing. I still take a bath after my BM. I TAKE 1teaspoon of benefiber and 2 teaspoons of miralax. I also follow a fissure healthy diet. I did not take any pain medication after the Botox for fear of being constipated. I KEEP A DIARY OF food, BM and pain level.
Try not to be petrified, it's not worse then the fissure pain itself. Good luck. If there is anything else I can answer feel free to ask. This forum has been great help and comfort to me.

I had Botox done under general anaesthesia too. It wasn't too bad pain wise after... But I made sure I took it easy for a few days.... Mostly for the after effects of the anaesthetic I think!!
If you have got young children, then I would try and find someone to help you out with them for a couple of days, as my Botox didn't properly kick in for around a week or so I think.

What is the HAL RAR procedure???

All the best

OMB x

Thanks Apes and owmybum. How ar you both now, post botox?

I am Currently in bed with a hot water bottle on my rear hoping it helps the pain. Botox has got to be better than this! That said, hubby can take the day of the procedure off, but then has to work the two days following. Hoping recovery is easy. How were you with sitting afterwards? im still nursing our baby suspend lots of time sitting, which annoys the AF.

Owmybum, HAL RAR is an ultrasound guided procedure. Not sure if I'm allowed to put web links here, but of you google "HAL RAR endotherapeutics" they explain it really simply. Definitely easier than the hemorrhoidectomy from what I read, and higher success rate than banding.

I'm on day 28. For me the Botox didn't start to kick in for 5-7 days and got progressively better. The first few days were not great, but then again the pain before the Botox was probably a little worse. The funny thing about sitting, before Botox I couldn't sit at all after Botox, even when I had some pain sitting was much easier. I think it's the fact that the severe burning decreased and there was other discomfort but not pain. I'm really hopeful that this works. I even got to play golf today. Although I'm feeling good, I do organize my day around my BM. Lucky for me my BMS are almost always in the morning, when I get the urge to go I need to get to the bathroom quickly.
I still had some spasm days recently but pain level was only 2 out of ten. It would be good if you could have some one around the first couple of days to help. Good luck to you and keep us posted.