Hi!
I've had a fissure for 4 months now. 2 months ago, the bleeding stopped, and everything got better and better. There was even a few days when i could hardly feel anything at all, just a slight burning after a BM. However, it seems like it has stopped healing. It's still not bleeding, but i can feel it - much more now than i did a month ago. I'm scared that the terrible spasms are gonna come back, because i honestly don't know if i can take another round of that shi*.
So it's like it's getting worse and worse, instead of better and better.. had anyone else had this problem? It mght be because of my IBS, my stools are smooth the first time i go in the morning, but the second time, it's too 'loose'
I'm hoping someone has some advice.. feels like i'm walking the greenn mile here

To loose is probably better then to hard. Have you seen a CRS to see if the fissure is healing? It's tricky as to whether or not you want him to even look as the looking can to disturb things. Certainly you can use your pain level as a guide. Before Botox there were a few times when things got better but would eventually turn back to pain and spasm. That when I had to make the decision between Botox and LIS.

I saw my CRS this morning 10 days post LIS. As Apes said the exam did seem to disturb things as I have been in pain most of the day, but it was worth it to me to hear the fissure is healing.

I will NOT let anybody do any kind of exam, unless someone knocks me out first. the pain isnt that bad, my fear of the pain is worse. I don't have the same spasms as i had, but when i walk around, or stand up for a while, it gets really sore.. and i have to lay down. And then it starts itching. And sometimes i feel a stingy, prickly feeling that slightly reminds me of the spasms, only NOT as bad.. thats when i freak out and just start crying.. Not because of the pain, but the fear of it coming back.. I try not too stay in bed for too long, i try to walk around as much as i can, but i'm scared it'll just make it worse, especially when its sore

Soey, it sounds like the fissure is healing. Fear can cause spasm, maybe you can talk to your doctor about something that will help you stay calm, Valium?

The fissure is definitely healing, because the pain is not as bad as it was several weeks ago. But it is getting worse and worse, i cant be imagining all this. I have asked my GP severel times to give me Valium(or something called sobril in norway) because of the anxiety, but she wont give me a prescription, due to the fact that i've been suffering with depression/anxiety for many years, and valium may cause damage to the progress i've made over the past years.. But i am getting botox in two weeks, and i'm hoping that will speed up the process and help my freakin' brain relax alittle too.

So sorry to hear about your issues. I have had similar problems over the years. I originally had a hemorhoidectamy about 4 yrs. ago, as I was bleeding so much I was anemic. The surgeon who did this has since lost his license. The whole thing was a disaster and I haven't been the same since. About a year after the surgery I had my first fissure. It hurt like hell, but I was able to self-treat and it went away, mostly. I used the nifedipine cream (requires a prescription, and needs to be applied inside, not very pleasant). It is also extremely important to keep your stools just right. Not too hard, not too soft. I drank tons of water, took fiber supplements, and used kondremul (non-prescription, can be purchased at walmart), and a standard non-prescription stool softener. It took almost 4 months to get the fissure to heal.

It came back almost a year later and I was devastated. I couldn't imagine going through this again. Sadly, it was much worse the second time. My father is a retired surgeon, but he had been going through cancer treatments, and I did not tell him anything, as I did not want to add to his stress level. After his cancer results came back clear I finally told him. He discussed my problems, issues, and he was extremely helpful. He informed me that the longer the fissure lasts, the more likely it is for it to stay (become chronic and not self-heal). This is why it is important to take aggressive steps right away. Try to stay off your feet, it adds pressure to the area, eat and drink properly and take good care of yourself. Avoid activities, like lifting weights, that could cause re-tearing. After the pain and spasms got so bad that they were simply ruining my life I finally agreed to surgery. I have always been worried about LIS surgery, as I have heard good and bad things about it. My father had his partners from his practice see me. It was great to find someone I could trust, who had done many of these surgeries. The Doctor did need to let me know that he would have to wait and put me out to see what the problem was, and take the necessary steps from there, because it was too painful for him to examine me properly when I was awake.

The surgeon actually found a very large fissure, extra scar tissue from where the fissure had tried to heal, but couldn't, a false polyp (due to the fissure, which felt like a skin tag/flap), as well as exposed vein, which was adding additional bleeding. The surgeon actually cut out the fissure and sewed the mucosa (sp?) together, to eliminate the exposed sore. I believe this is called a fissuerectomy. He also cut out the poly and cauterized the vein. The first week after surgery felt like hell whenever I had a bm. However, i have steadily improved since the surgery, three weeks ago. I am off pain killers and thankful I finally took some steps to fix this.

I did learn that even if the pain from a fissure goes away the fissure tear is still highly susceptible to re-tearing for up to 9 additional weeks. I am not sure if my original fissure every completely healed and I got a second one, of if the initial fissure simply retore to a point where it hurt like hell again. I don't know if any of this helps, but hopefully it does. I am so thankful I had surgery, but only after I got to the point where I knew I couldn't get it to self-heal.

Glad to hear that you are doing ok now. So you did not do a LIS, just a fissurectomy?

Yes. To be honest the LIS scares the hell out of me. I talked to my Dad, who is a retired surgeon who has done a number of different types of surgery for fissures over the years. We went over a number of options. He recommended the fissurectomy, when given the choice. I must say that the Doctor did let me know that since he could not diagnose me (since it hurt too much to allow him to check) he did say he would have to read and react to what he saw once I went under. They also cut out the false polyp and scar tissue from where the fissure tried to heal but couldn't and they cauterized the exposed veins. So overall, it hurt a ton after the surgery. Took about 10 days before the pain was already less than pre-surgery level, even with all they did.

Thank you. And how long ago did you have your surgery? How are you feeling now?