Hey gang,

So I posted in the initial forum some updates but I've decided to start a diary. so to retrace my steps back to the begninning:

1) around a year ago I had a big BM one morning and had terrible pain and blood all over the tissue paper - I had no initial idea what this was

2) I did research and discovered it was an AF, found this forum and realised how serious and long term it could be but hoped it would resolve with water and fibre

3) No resolve or cure, ordered haemoclin (sp?) off amazon which helped lubricate the area but just made a mess essentially...

4) went to GP - prescribed GTN ointment, tried this for a month and it helped but was still bleeding. pain reduced by roughly half.

5) went back to GP - another course of GTN - no resolve just headaches

6) matters to my own hands!! ordered vitamin E suppositories and fiber tablets. these did help! but pain remained at a 2/10 on each BM and on walking. Ordered manuka honey as I've read it can help?

7) went BACK to the gp who by this point didn't want to know and wouldn't refer me to a CRS. prescribed me steroidal treatment thinking it was thrush!?!? I had also by this point developed a skin tag radiating from anal canal out past sphincter onto adjoining skin. my job is very active and I do a lot of walking - this is most likely what made the tag so big so quickly but that's my last concern right now. but by this point - no more blood on bm! huzzah.

this brings us to today, steroid cream has done zilch - infact i think it's made my skin thin from applying as on last BM i re-tore the AF and a buddy has joined him along side 3 very small hemmis from what i can see. Manuka honey arrived today which I applied after BM - so soothing!! it feels so much better. not going to count my chickens before they hatch but I may be onto something here! I've booked another GP appointment much to their hatred but I'm going to lay it on the line to him.

will keep you posted thanks for all your tips and advice!

x

Sheesh, who are these so-called doctors?

According to Medline, steroid treatment can INCREASE your chances of getting thrush. I use an anti-fungal cream when I get a yeast infection in my vagina. Here is an article about thrush in the mouth. http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency ... 000626.htm
And you are right about steroids thinning the skin.

I hope the manuka honey helps. But if nitro isn't helping there are two other related drugs you can try, nifedipine and diltiazem.

You need to INSIST on a referral to a CRS. Your GP doesn't seem to have much of an idea.

Interesting that you wrote this. I was just reading about Manuka homey and fissures earlier tonight. I'm going to the pharmacy tomorrow to get some "medihoney" cream to try. Hope you see even more improvement as the time goes on.

I have my GP appointment monday and I feel like I'm preparing for battle!!
I feel slightly better in myself after using the honey which has worked well... however now I've got this constant pain right next to my skin tag where whenever I am standing and i turn left or right or walk in a particular way I get pain in that exact spot. It's not the acute pain of a fissure where you cry out but its more like a sharp tug pain? anyone care to shed some light on this?

I've been back to my GP today....

He finally seems to understand what I'm going through when I broke down in tears in his office. I now have a plan!
Continue moisturizing the area with aloe vera + Honey and he is referring me to my local hospital for a Flexi Sigmoidoscopy. Anyone else had this investigation?

J

Feeling a bit better this morning! had a BM at 9am, coated with cocoa butter before to help things move, first initial stool was hard and dry, felt like i was going to tear but slowed my breathing down, feet up on a stool and contracted my sphincter just a bit, controlled the motion and the rest flowed fine with minimal pain! had a shower and for the first time no pain when the jet hit my sphincter. I think this mix of Aloe vera/ vit E suppositories/cocoa butter is helping! Stools still are type 1/2 as normal for me.... somehow I need to change that. Fibre and lots of water isn't working yet.

so, I've had my "choose and book" letter through but it's been classed as an urgent referral.

Now this is 2 days after my GP appt, it's either amazing care from the GP/NHS or there's something the GP felt on my PR that was cause for concern? oh well at least it's going to be done soon I guess...

Still in pain today, not on BM as such just a constant prickling/tugging through the day. usual moisturising/aloe vera isn't helping.

Oh how I love life sometimes...

Jx

Here is a hug, my dear...........


and, best of luck with your appointment. Hopefully it was classed as urgent simply because you are so obviously distressed?

Hope all goes well for you.

Ff,

I have my colonoscopy scheduled next week and not looking forward to the prep either... But there are quite a few others on here they have these procedures done to rule out any other conditions.

thanks for your hugs and words of support :)

I'm having a better day today luckily over these 2 weeks I've been on annual leave from work so not having to walk for miles on end! My Dr. Wheatgrass came today so I'm giving that a go. I was able to insert my finger to the knuckle with barely any pain which is first for me, so that's one positive! I thought whilst I was there I would have a feel around myself where the pain seems to be coming from and thats the posterior side closest to my coccyx, left and right of my sentinel pile/skin tag. I used the lubricated finger and had a feel and pushing upwards I can almost feel on each side a hard bit of skin? not exactly a bump or lump... just a different consistency to the surrounding tissue. pushing on it gives slight discomfort but those two things (possibly small healed AF's) are part of my problem I think along side the chronic AF.

anyway,

BM today was ok... normal consistancy, no blood and a 2/10 on the pain scale. minor spasm after which a shower helped relax.

Keep the faith, hugs to everyone. x