Hi Everyone, I've been reading the forums for some time and have decided to finally post myself. I'm a 21 yr old male, I've had a chronic fissure (at the 6 o'clock location) for the past 2 years.
Prior to this, I always was hyper-sensitive in the bowel department (things like drinking water in another country, or even city would easily set off diarrhea). Also my mother has had Crohn's disease for 25 yrs. I got swine flu in 2010, followed by shingles in 2011, ever since then I started having chronic bowel issues (bowel movements constantly changing consistency, periods of stability followed by diarrhea and weight loss). I had a colonoscopy this past February, which showed no signs of Crohn's or Colitis, so they've diagnosed me with IBS.
Anyways, this fissure has been around for the past 2 years. It has never caused any pain, but it bleeds a little every time I have a bowel movement. It has kind of built up muscle fibre around the edges of the fissure which are a white-ish colour. Because I was having 3 - 6 BM's a day, my gastro put me on a low dose (25mg) of desipramine to slow down my colon/bowel activity, which has worked. In combination with the desipramine, he gave me the 0.2% nitroglycerin cream to put on/in the area twice a day. His thinking was - the desipramine would slow down the BMs enough to give the fissure time to heal, aided by the cream. I've been doing this regimen of desipramine/cream for 3 months.
While I am having fewer and more consistent BM's, the fissure just isn't healing.
I go back for a follow up on Sept. 20th, and my gastro is going to suggest surgery. I'm nervous about having surgery, I'd just way rather try to solve the problem without it.
Basically, I'd be so grateful for any kind of suggestion, advice, or comment that anyone might provide. I'm open to trying any kind of cream/product/remedy/homeopathic regimen if you can suggest something that worked for you (if our stories are similar).
Hoping to hear from someone!
D.