Hi All

Sorry if this is tmi, just wondering from those who have had success in stopping the tearing. Currently I tear and bleed everyday, it's not that painful during or after, perhaps a 1-2 but I'm not sure how to make it stop. I have soft stools and I don't push. I had 3 days of not bleeding but a run of bleeding everytime is getting frustrating. How soft should the stools be? Mine still have form but wondering if they shouldn't. The fissure is very high in the canal which I understand to be the hardest to heal. I tried to vaseline prior but didn't have much luck, perhaps I should try again.

How long has this been happening? Sometimes mine continue to bleed for awhile even with soft stools.

Also, what kind of fiber are you eating? I have the best luck with psyllium. It seems to create more jelly-like stools.

Of course my fissure is very close to the opening (my doctor could see it just from pulling the cheeks apart) so healing timelines could be a little different. Maybe yours will just take a little longer?

I've had my fissure for 5 months but the pain has largely reduced over that time and the bleeding has got less. Just seems that the last little bit of healing is not happening. I eat mostly porridge and fruit and veges. Not taking fibre as created too much bulk but taking slippery elm and Lactulose stool softener.

I think half my problem is that I clench a bit at the start if a BM but then I react to the tearing so dont know.

Its so frustrating!

Hi Hopeful,

I know what you mean about the last bit of healing being so elusive! I have had mine for 5 months now as well and it has gone through good and bad phases but the general pattern seems to be getting better so hurrah for that. It sounds like yours is getting better but maybe needs more time? Are you using any of the creams to help it heal? I have actually found that reducing the amount of fruit etc.. I am eating in a day and just having a teaspoon of psyllium and a tablespoon of flaxseed oil before bed has helped a bit...I wonder if too much fibre is as bad as too little...
Tensing at the beginning of a bm is something I do as well and I really think it becomes a sort of learnt response when you have been in pain for a long time...I find reading something or singing to myself (yes I know I sound a bit bonkers!) helps , as it seems to take my mind off the whole poo situation!!! I wish I had some superb advice but maybe experiment with food/fibre a bit and see if that helps.
Good luck

Hi Felix

Hmmm might try the reduced fruit and a teaspoon of psyllium, do you eat proteins or breads etc? I'm so nervous about eating those. I do have flaxseed oil morning and night too. I think my stools are quite soft. I've read on here that having them too soft is bad as the scar tissue doesn't stretch so can retear more easily if formed within a tight sphincter. I'm using GTN and sudocrem and coconut oil, have decided in the last couple of days to up the coconut oil so that it is constantly moisturised to see if that helps.

I like the idea of singing or reading to take the mind off the poo situation :) will try with the next BM.

I will smile to myself that women all over the world are singing while they poo! I eat all food except spicy or too much dairy. I am vegetarian and have swapped potatoes for sweet potato. It is so hard to find what works and what does not! I really think that the body can heal but mentally it is exhausting x

Same here, gosh I've healed 5 times in the last 6 years, hmmm. For me, too much fruit did not seem to be a good thing so I'm focusing more on greens. Just started L Glutamine powder, supposed to heal the internals and good for muscles, sigh.

Felix and Hurtinend, what did you find the effect of too much fruit to be? How come you are reducing it?

I found that my problems increased around the same time that I increased my smoothie intake, with lots of apples, oranges, lemon. Maybe that fruit intake is too acidic on the lower end. My current CRS says no acidic fruits until healed.

I really don't know if that has anything to do with it. I'm using a daily food diary now to try to relate how I feel with what I eat.

Just gonna chime in here and say too much fruit gives me diarrhea which can irritate my fissure. I learned this the hard way early on since right after first getting my fissure I went out and bought a ton of fruits and veggies because I thought it would help.