Hi all,
From reading a lot of posts here this morning, it seems my situation is similar to many others.
I have been suffering from hemorrhoids for about 8 years. For the last two years, they have been really interfering with my life. I teach at a university, so standing up for hours at a time was very difficult. BMs were messy and difficult, and usually required a trip home to shower. For some time now, I have planned every day around my BMs. I have had three RBL. The first was great, the second medium, and the third did nothing.
About six months ago, my doc told me I likely had a small fissure. He didn't tell me any more, except to take lots of fiber and docusate sodium twice a day.
About two months ago, when the pain became unbearable for me, I changed my diet dramatically, in a manner similar to what most of you have done. I started taking Metamucil three times a day, as well as the docusate twice a day. I increased my fiber dramatically and cut out alcohol, most meats and most dairy.
About two weeks ago, I had a colonoscopy, and the GE said I had a small fissure. He prescribed diltiazem ointment, and told me to take Miralax twice a day. I have been doing that now for two weeks.
I have good days and bad days. Since I changed my diet, I do not have any more blood with my BMs. I used to fill a toilet bowl with blood. Then there would be no blood in the bowl, but lots on the toilet paper. Now there is no blood at all, unless I have a second BM in a day. A good day is one BM and 40 minutes of pain. A bad day is two or three BMs and hours of pain.
The pain has not changed much, unfortunately. Every day I have severe pain that usually starts 30-40 minutes after a BM and lasts about 40-60 minutes. If I am lucky, I have only one BM and the pain goes away for the rest of the day. If I am unlucky, I have to have another BM, and the pain then is constant and long lasting, sometimes for the whole day (but usually only 2-4 hours). I do whatever I can to avoid that second BM of the day, but it is a very difficult thing to predict or prevent. I have learned that once I know I have to go, then there is no choice. So my strategy has been to take enough fiber and laxatives that I completely evacuate with one BM. Still, it just doesn't work all that often.
I don't really know if my pain after BMs is the roids or the AF. I suspect it is both, but now I think it might be more the AF than the roids, because I have no more blood with my BMs (which was always a sign of the roids). I wish I knew which pain was which, but I am left to guess.
I know now that some of these things take a long to work, and that the AF takes a long time to heal. But I am very anxious because in three days I am going overseas with my family on vacation for two weeks. We will be moving from city to city, and staying at different hotels, and there is a 7-hour time change. I am very afraid that the time change and the travel schedule will disrupt my bowel routine and will result in terrible pain for me. If things stay the same, and I have an hour or two of severe pain every morning, I can handle that. It will not be great, but I can handle it. But if I am in pain all the time, and having to miss everything because I need to stay close to a toilet, it will be terrible for me and my family. So it is an anxious time for me, but I know that I am doing what I can, and I am determined to make the best of it.
It sure is comforting to hear everyone's stories and realize that I am not alone. It is also really nice to be able to access so much information, especially when my doc gave me so little.
Wish me luck for my trip. I hope I won't need to use too much of it.
All the best, Philber