OK so I thought it was what I assume is a hemorrhoid causing me these issues. I do have one of those, I assume not skin tag because those don't hurt or as much. But now I realize the pain at the opening is way worse than the hemorrhoid or tag. It's out of control bad, feels like one week post skin tag removal that's how bad it is. It's itchy there too but not sure if that's the skintag/hem or part of the extreme pain that is from the opening. this on top of the major bloating 8 months post op. does anyone know what this could be? Could it be a fissure? Is it possible it occurred when the 2nd opinion doctor was jamming instruments in me? That's about when it began. I am so confused, wonder if it's really hard stool at the opening causing the pain because I am always constipated. I am so very confused. People think I am pregnant. Any help appreciated, I already take fiber and mirilax everyday.

Have you seen a GI for the bloating?

Hi Punkin,
You can get a fissure from instruments, hard stools, large stools, and from one of your surgical cuts to remove the tags if it did not heal correctly. Fissures can itch. If your BM is hard at the start and you are getting pain on stool exit, it could be a fissure, and you need to get it checked by a CRS. The typical fissure will have after BM pain that can last 4 to 8 hours. I hope you can find a quality CRS doctor after your experience with the tag removals. If it is a fissure, your going to need to find a way to get your stools soft with diet. I do not know how a high fiber diet is going to impact your bloating. I wish you the best.

Hi JB, yes I've seen GI doctors for the bloating. But I don't believe either of one of them when they say it's IBS. My bloating began the day the doctor over zealously cut me, I was not bloated a minute before the awful surgery and yet I haven't been normal a minute since the surgery. It's not a coincidence by any means. Plus their treatment for IBS (what they lump everything into they can't diagnose) are meds that don't work or make me sick. The colon rectal doctors love to send me to GI doctors and it frustrates me since the problems began in the hands of a colon rectal surgeon, the guy was in his early 30's I later learned, wasn't board certified and moved out of the state after my surgery, wasn't there a few days later for follow up he asked me to schedule. The whole thing is sketchy as can be.

Roids, I am taking fiber and mirilax and sometimes the stools are soft, sometimes not. Before the surgery fiber didn't impact my bloating whatsoever, didn't matter if I took it or not and I didn't even have a high fiber diet anyway at the time. I can't believe the mess I got myself in. Once we mess with things like I did with the skin tag removal, they seem to come back and get worse. I never should have messed with the skin tag. I should have let it be or else now I wouldn't have an external hem plus crazy bloating and now what may be a fissure. It hurts like heck. I feel like bloating is not a common symptom on this board in regards to the surgery I had, which bothers me since it leaves so much unexplained. And yeah it lasts after BM, in fact the pain never goes away. I'd give up my life savings to reverse the clock, as pointless as that is to say now. I say it because on the off chance someone here has not had surgery for a freaking skin tag, I urge them, no, I beg them to leave it the heck alone. I read someone say they wish their doctor would not be so conservative to remove their skin tag, they should be counting their lucky stars. I was forced into it with lies that if I didn't I'd get all these worse hemmerhoids. Not true. And all the internal ones he allegedly removed, are all back.

I'm sorry to hear you are suffering so much punkinpie..... I too had piles banded and skin tags removed which left me with this god awful fissure that just won't heal.
I really wish they would ban these sorts of operations and use something else... It's barbaric what state we are left in!

I hope you get some answers re. The bloating.... It's very puzzling.

OMB x

OMB, I'm about 40 days into Botox and I think I'm healing. I went to my CRS last week and she suggested well after the fissure heals she might suggest banding an annoying hemmy. She says it's external but does extend inside. I think it's the only complication I'm currently having. Not painful but ever present. It swells after just about every BM. If it stays the same for many months after the fissure heals would you recommend against getting it banded?

Ownmybum,
Cute username :) Wow you have had so many posts, makes me realize just how bad your fissure must be and for so long, I am really sorry about that. Mine burns and feels like something sharp at the end of my bum wants to come out and I am guessing fissure. The 2nd opinion doc wouldn't tell me! At the time didn't know what to call it.

I hate the pain too, everyone's pain is different, I would say mine is now the way it was a week to 10 days post surgery. But why it's coming now after all these months I don't know, which is why I thought the pain came from the external hem I developed post op. I was actually told all I needed was a weekend healing time only and NO risks. I was like, c'mon, everything carries a risk, you're using a knife and scissors on my bum! Why wasn't that a red flag to run I don't know. I'm stupid stupid stupid. I trusted too much.

The bloating is what drives me mad. In your time here, have you heard anyone complain of extreme bloating? I posted a link in another topic I began in which a woman did, and she says how she cured herself of that as well as other problems post surgery, but then when I realize she sells the stuff she touts I lose trust. She is only one of a couple people who have associated constipation and bloating with this surgery. I just had a BM, yet still bloated, slightly less, but not much less. Before all this there would be significant difference after I went, not now. Do you think I could have anal stenosis from the scarring thus causing the constipation and thus the bloating? The one doctor said I have scarring but would not tell me if I had stenosis, I feel like these doctors are trying to protect each other ;(

Apes- I hope the botox helps you.

Apes,
NO.... If I were you I wouldn't even consider having anything cut or banded off again! If your hemmy is still bothersome in another 6-8 months then ask what other options there are first that don't involve cutting something off to leave weakened less stretchy skin!


Punkinpie,

Yes... I've been here nearly two years, and I do have quite a few posts.... I think in the early days I must have given a bum update every two minutes!! Lol

I must say, I haven't seen any other posters. Who have developed bloating as a side effect of surgery. It is very possible you have developed anal stenosis from the surgery, but that doesn't necessarily mean you would be bloated, or indeed constipated.
Are you using a stool softener or fibre supplement?? Could these be the causes?? Changed your diet in any way?? Using any vitamins etc?? It could be a very small change that is causing all this upset. It could even be the sheer stress and anxiety of the whole experience that has triggered off some sort of IBS in you??

OMB x

Hi OMB,
Although your answer isn't popular with me lol, I am very glad for your honest opinion. I only say that because it's so difficult to wrap my head around how it could all be a coincidence. I tried both with and without fiber and it's the same mess. Same vitamins as before, same diet. I tried dairy and gf diets without success. I had no food problems before, not sure I even do now.

I recently began putting on Nifedipine I wonder if it's OK to put in the bum too? I did a little bit since that's my pain more than the external hem. The 2nd opinion guy called it skin tag but if it hurts, how can it be a tag? The tag that was removed, it wasn't painful, this IS. But now that I have even more pain IN the bum, I thought I would put the cream there. Only half an inch in and wow the pain would make me pass out. Makes me wonder if that is as a result of surgery or the 2nd opinion guys exam. Or maybe it happened with the stuff they put in my bum for the hypaque enema recently? Ugh I don't know.

U are in the U.K.? How is medical insurance there compared to here I wonder? What about quality of doctors? I just read about a woman who died after external hemmy removal in the UK. I only found the article because I read this medical article a doctor wrote and I went to go learn about the doctor some more and that's when I found it. Absolutely terrible. That's why it frustrates me when the doctor said "no risks!"

One G.I. said that indirectly the surgery caused me to develop IBS. But as stressed as I was with the surgery, I've been even more stressed before that it's hard to believe that moderate stress led to this, rather than when I was high stress. Had I been stressed about say, knee surgery, and I ended up bloated, I wouldn't have likely blamed the knee surgery. But the rectum and colon are connected so it's just so hard for me....despite every single doctor not finding the connection, despite them having all the knowledge they have. I guess I don't trust them at all, I trust you more and I don't even know you. Funny how you, a total stranger, a non doctor, you have more credibility with me. I hope to find a doctor who I do trust but that's not easy.

The fact that I am the only person here to complain of this bloating is unusual, does bother me. I understand what you are saying, that even if I have stenosis, it may not be the cause of my bloating. It would have been nice if doctor #2 told me either way. I guess with having developed the external hem post surgery, never had external one before, the internal ones he removed coming back, and now anal canal pain, I feel like he was capable of anything. Had the surgery gone well I wouldn't be so concerned about him fleeing the state without knowing why.

With IBS I thought bloating fluctuates. With me, it goes from bad to worse. My friend with IBS has periods of normal and then not good. Not sure if it means anything that I am never normal.


I really hope things improve for you. I know it's been a while but anything is possible. None of my other chronic conditions over the years ever improved but I still hold out hope with this issue.

Hi, sorry you're suffering so much. I don't know if you're a man or a woman but if you're a woman I'd suggest a visit to the gynecologist. Bloating can be a sign of ovarian cysts or other problems. It would be worth discussing the matter. You're other symptoms sound more like a fissure than a hemmie. I'm really sorry your doctor removed your skin tag. Most CRS's won't unless they're really bad. I had so many from my fissure. I tried LIS unsuccessfully and finally had 2 advancement flaps done which took care of the skin tags. It was a rough surgery but worth it in the end. I had severe anal stenosis. The biggest problem I have now is that the donor sites towards the inside of my thighs get easily irritated but I can live with that. I do understand why babies cry when they get diaper rash though. Fissure pain is about the worst and people who haven't experienced it just can't understand. If I can give you any advice try not to have any kind of hemmie surgery. It's the number one cause of stenosis. Try to find yourself a good CRS and if you don't want internal rectal exam that's your right, tell the doctor no. I couldn't tolerate it so my doctor did one under sedation in the hospital. It helps alot if you have an understanding doctor. As far as IBS goes, I have that and you can get bloated but not for as long as you've had the symptoms. I wish you all the best and hope you find some relief soon. Suzy