Anal Fissure Support Forum

[Guest]

Hi everyone...
Well after perhaps sounding a bit smug about my comparative lack of grief, today has been quite uncomfortable -- and now there's blood...
I'm quickly convincing myself that surgery is the only way forward. Gizmo's story and his attitude in particular have convinced me. Thanks again!
But there are still a few things that I need to be clear about -- so if anyone has any thoughts, do let me know!
1. My AF is certainly chronic. The doctors seem satisfied themselves that only surgery will work. Has anyone else managed to "cure" a chronic fissure without surgery?
2. Does "cure" mean that the fissure goes away -- or is it simply less painful?
3. I'm a bit concerned because while the surgery aims to keep the spasms under control and so allow healing, are you always aware of the spasms? Is it possible that I don't have them (at least not all the time), or have I just got a very high pain threshold?!?
I really don't know, but I want to get this all clear. I hope that you'll be able to help me so that I can have a better discussion with the doctors.
Thanks in advance for any advice, and I'll also get on with replying to your kind welcome messages.
Steve

[happyass]

hi steve,
well i never really understood the spasms part.....to me it's like when you are excreting and then all of a sudden in the middle of some stuff coming out, your anus like clamps up shut, cutting off the momentum.
however, i never experience that thruout the day. maybe the spasms are on a much smaller level that we don't notice them.
i am not saying that i am cured but maybe on my way there. i have dealt with this fissure - the same one - since august 2004. so if that isn't chronic, i don't know what is.
however, as of yesterday, my specialist opted to not do the LIS afterall. i have never been on these other medications either. that's why i thought about the poppers as a suggestion.
we have all bled. i have bled too. i had drops of blood in the toilet. on my toilet paper. on my fingers.
but i really haven't bled in at least four-six months. hence, i am going forth with the colonoscopy just to be on the safe side here.
did you have anything out of range in diet that would cause you a difficult BM today/yesterday?
are you under lots of anxiety? i think that anxiety and being upset also play a big part in whether my BM comes out soft, hard, thin, large, but also how relaxed my anus is in releasing it.
being anxious about personal things aside from already being anxious from going to the toilet is just too much.
:cat:

[Cheryl]

Hi everyone...
Well after perhaps sounding a bit smug about my comparative lack of grief, today has been quite uncomfortable -- and now there's blood...
1. My AF is certainly chronic. The doctors seem satisfied themselves that only surgery will work. Has anyone else managed to "cure" a chronic fissure without surgery?
2. Does "cure" mean that the fissure goes away -- or is it simply less painful?
3. I'm a bit concerned because while the surgery aims to keep the spasms under control and so allow healing, are you always aware of the spasms? Is it possible that I don't have them (at least not all the time), or have I just got a very high pain threshold?!?

Hey Steve
no.1 - I have never met a person (online :lol!: ) that has had a diagnosed chronic fissure and healed it without surgery - (Gareth, im still yet to answer your post, but i have a feeling your fissure is playing tricks on you.... :suspect: ) But steve this is a huge wide world and I havent met everyone suffering from AF, so im sure there are people out there!
no.2 - My interpretation of 'cured' means the fissure heals over completely and there is no pain. I am 2.5 mths on for LIS and each BM i have i can still 'feel' the fissure, but it is not painful - i imagine within a couple more months if i have kept to my good diet and fibre & softeners etc hopefully i should not even feel it at all :bom:
no.3 - Im sure it is possible that you dont have the spasms, everyone is different. I had sharp pains - rather like a knife being jabbed up your butt, or barbed wire being pulled out - after my LIS i had a couple of small spasms but they have since gone :D
Regarding your blood, dont be too concerned, I used to bleed an awful lot - it was scary, but it always seemed more than it really was.
How much pain are you in? Are you able to describe the pain?
Cheryl

[Deleted User 5]

Both Gareth AND Cheryl seem to be a little "lost" when discussing the spasms...but that would only mean a lack of experience from them on their part...which is GOOD for Gareth and Cheryl.

Unfortunately for me, the spasms were my major symptom. I rarely had any pain during the BM. Discomfort, apprehension, but very little actual pain. Why, I don't know, but it could have something to do with the depth of the cut or the position of the fissure.

What I was not too aware of until after the surgery was how tight my sphincter was (is). The sphincter area is the source of the spasms, and they generally begin to occur shortly after the BM and continue, on and off, for one hour up to all day!! For me it was 1-3 hours.

They HURT, and keep your "business" down there so uncomfortable you can't really sit, or focus on anything else. Hot tub baths help but don't make them go away.

The LIS cuts a muscle in the sphincter that causes the spasms, If it is done correctly (as was apparently done in my case) the spasms are GONE.

GONE.

Period.

I haven not had a single "spincter" spasm since my surgery!!!

Cheryl seemed to have some spasming after her surgery, but seems to think perhaps the muscle cut was not quite deep enough.

I had some mild "clenching" of my anal area a few days after my surgery...this was due to the trauma and irritation of the surgery, and was easily distinguishable from the sphincter spasms.

Pain DURING the BM should be kept apart from pain later on after the BM.
Although they are both symptoms of anal fissure, I don't think they issue from the exact same cause (mechanism). However, LIS seems to take care of both symptoms!

Hugh

[Deleted User 5]

Oh, I forgot:

As for curing the fissure, no, the LIS DOES NOT do that. But it does set up the fissure for healing by allowing for more blood flow to the fissure wound.

You should heal from 5-8 weeks AFTER the surgery, depending on the severioty of your fissure.

There is no known "direct" cure for an anal fissure, LIS heals it indirectly but effectively (it is said to be 95% effective).

Hugh

[Guest]

Thanks -- this is starting to clarify things for me.
I've decided to think of this all rather graphically, and comparing the fissure to a volcano! (Sorry if that's too graphic.)
I'll let you think through the active and similar types of volcano -- it seems that the op can reduce this to dormancy, but how long until it's extinct (or near extinct)? I suppose that that's what I need to clarify further. I'll be reading everyone's progress reports!
I seem to have had this for so long that I'm worried that my body is now set in its ways. And I presume that my body just puts up with the spasms. I do know that using diltiazem when it flares up certainly does help the symptoms.
But anyway, today I rang the hospital and brought forward my next appt by two months, to late Feb. I intend to go armed with knowledge and questions!
Thanks again
Steve

[Cheryl]

Both Gareth AND Cheryl seem to be a little "lost" when discussing the spasms...but that would only mean a lack of experience from them on their part...

Hugh,
I think you may have mis-interpreted my posts regarding my spasms - believe me, the major part of my pain for 6 LONG YEARS :shock: were the spasms. I have described this pain several times and many others have likened to the same pain with their spasms. But - everyone one is different and will experience or be able to tolerate different levels of pain - not to mention describe it differently.
Immediately after having the LIS, i did feel about 2 days of spasms - and the CRS confirmed that i still may feel some spasms however they would not be anywhere near the same pain level. He explained that they can only cut a certain amount of the sphincter muscle to relax it - if they cut too far you will get NO spasms and perhaps incontinence, but if they dont cut enough you may suffer a few spasms, but risk of incontinence is lowered.
After a couple of days the spasms stopped - just as he predicted.
Regarding the pain during a BM, this for me was purely because the stool was hitting the fissure and as it would hit the fissure it would cause pain, hence the tightening of the anus (spasms) So i believe it is possible to get spasms during and after the BM.
Regarding the healing, I have mentioned many times before that my LIS did not heal the fissure, the incision allows the anus to relax so the body can heal itself, but i do know of people out there and I spoken to another CRS who says the LIS can be done different ways. Some people have it cauterised and the inscision, some have it stiched and the incision, and some have none of those and just have the incision alone.
Myself and Gareth are not lost when talking about our experiences, we just tell it like it is for us - if it has been different for you thats ok, but it doesnt mean we are incorrect.
Hugh, please rememember that all of us on the board may have had different experiences - no one is right or wrong when it comes to determining what pain is from what - we can only describe what we have had happen to us, and the things our CRS's have told us. Please in posts be mindful that everyone endures pain in different ways, and it may not be exact to yours - as thankfully we are all very different.. how boring would it be if we were all the same :sleep:

Cheryl

[Guest]

rememember that all of us on the board may have had different experiences - no one is right or wrong when it comes to determining what pain is from what - we can only describe what we have had happen to us

woooo there... :study: :poke: :lol!:
YES I DO AGREE!!... that is why we share now isnt it?..to gain knowlege from everyones experience... thats what this room is for:
how silly it would be if we all had the same answer/same problem/same solution/hell same doctor... ... we would all be healed and wouldnt be here!,,,
i kinda think we all had abit of a misunderstanding??..i hope..
share share and express yourself!!! it feels sooooo good!!!

now-then...all kiss kiss and smile :bouncy: :kiss: :kiss:
i love these cool new smilies!!! :IMO:

[Cheryl]

YES I DO AGREE!!... that is why we share now isnt it?..to gain knowlege from everyones experience... thats what this room is for:
how silly it would be if we all had the same answer/same problem/same solution/hell same doctor... ... we would all be healed and wouldnt be here!,,,
i kinda think we all had abit of a misunderstanding??..i hope..

Thanks for input Giz, and i agree with you there... this room wouldnt be needed if all our experiences were the same!!
Im hoping that was a misunderstanding and Hugh did not mean to imply we had no experience with spasms, geez after 6 years i think i know those spasms like the back of my hand now :lol!:
oh well, alls well that ends well, :kiss: :kiss: to Hugh,
oh and I LOVE THESE EMOTICONS TOOOOO!!
:cheer: :cheer: :drunk: :drunk: :bom:
especially this one:
:drunk: :drunk: :drunk: :drunk: :drunk: :drunk: :drunk: :drunk: :drunk:

[Guest]

ILL BE APPLING FOR ROOM MOD SOON YA KNOW
!!!!!
GO GIZ!!!