Hi all, I wonder if anyone else has experienced this?
After taking nifedipine for 2 months with no healing and no pain relief, my colorectal nurse wrote me a prescription for diltiazem. It seemed more effective right from the start and I got pretty hopeful. With fibre and lots of water, the fissure was pretty manageable.
BUT!!!! after about 3 weeks, I noticed itching, lumpiness and rash.
After a couple of days of this I realized that my anus was always slightly wet and my underwear slightly stained. I think the itchiness was caused by the wetness. Maybe the liquid is irritating. After a few days, the wetness was so bad I had to wear a pad. Also, applying the diltiazem really burned. Ow ow ow, I have enough going on down there without that!!!!
I stopped the diltiazem on Saturday, and today (Monday) the leakage has stopped. Good news! BUT!!!! I now have a HORRIBLE rash all over my buttocks, up on my stomach and down my thighs. This MIGHT be from the desitin that I used to try to soothe the itch, which I admit is very old (the babies I bought it for are now 11 and 15).
Has anyone else experienced anal leakage with diltiazem? It really kills me that my sphincter must be relaxed enough to leak, while being so tight that I still get pain with BMs. The doc calls it pruritis ani, but this just means itchy anus and has lots of causes. He didn't answer my question, can diltiazem cause leakage. He said use calmoseptine and keep on with diltiazem.
Any advice, anyone? I have to admit I was in tears when I emailed the doc.