My first doctor looked and said it was a fissure, and I had all the symptoms- I had massive bleeding at first which diminished over a few months and the spasms had me rolliing on the bed crying in agony after going to the toilet. That went on for months too, until Lecia suggested valium and diltiazem, which slowly made it get better. I don't know if those symptoms could have been anything else?
The specialist SAID it was a fissure to me, because he said that I should have the lis if it hadn't healed in 6-8 weeks, because if it hadn't healed by then it never would. But I heal very slowly anyway, and I kept delaying and rescheduling the appointments as I didn't want surgery!
It was just the way the letter was written to the GP, or just the way she interpreted it. When you go private over here and then go back to your NHS GP, they tend to be a bit offish anyway! But I had a BIG mistake made on me by the NHS and I wouldn't let them operate on me again in a million years!
IS it true you can see the fissure without even touching the patient? That doctor last night said that fissures were all right outside and totally visible without even having to examine the patient. And can you get a skin tag without a fissure? I was just wondering if she knew what she was talking about at all!

Hey Val,
Well, if the specialist said you had a fissure I would go with that. He is going to know what to look for. It may be that it has healed so much that to the average GP they may not see it. It is not true that you can just look down there and see if all of the time. It is not usually necessary to do a scope exam but it does require that the doctor spread the cheeks and have you bear down a bit to visualize.

A skintag can be caused by a hemorrhoid too as it deflates it can leave a little protuberance. But it doesn't sound like you had an external hemmie. If you had one that left a skin tag in its wake, you would have known because it is very painful.

I know it is costly, but I would try to go back and see the private CRS to check in about things. Hopefully the antibiotics will help in a few days.

val wrote:My first doctor looked and said it was a fissure, and I had all the symptoms- I had massive bleeding at first which diminished over a few months and the spasms had me rolliing on the bed crying in agony after going to the toilet. That went on for months too, until Lecia suggested valium and diltiazem, which slowly made it get better. I don't know if those symptoms could have been anything else?
The specialist SAID it was a fissure to me, because he said that I should have the lis if it hadn't healed in 6-8 weeks, because if it hadn't healed by then it never would. But I heal very slowly anyway, and I kept delaying and rescheduling the appointments as I didn't want surgery!
It was just the way the letter was written to the GP, or just the way she interpreted it. When you go private over here and then go back to your NHS GP, they tend to be a bit offish anyway! But I had a BIG mistake made on me by the NHS and I wouldn't let them operate on me again in a million years!
IS it true you can see the fissure without even touching the patient? That doctor last night said that fissures were all right outside and totally visible without even having to examine the patient. And can you get a skin tag without a fissure? I was just wondering if she knew what she was talking about at all!

My surgeon said that some fissures are just inside and difficult to see (if they can be seen at all). So it is possible to have one that they can't see from the outside.If you were in too much pain to be properly examined they wouldn't be able to feel it either. Your story sounds so much like mine, I think in the UK they aren't very clued up about fissures in GP practices.
I had a perianal abscess last December and had it drained in surgery. If you don't respond to the antibiotics in 24hrs you should go back.
Mine was on my butt cheek about 2in from my actual anus, it was the size of a golf ball when i went to the GP. They said it was too big for them to deal with. On the hospital's instructions he gave me a high dose antibiotic for 24hrs and then I had to go back. By this time it had got to the size of a tennis ball so I was sent to the hospital and had surgery that night.
The surgeon told me that almost all abscesses need draining, unless they are very small.
If you get flu like symptoms please go straight back, or to A&E if it's after hours. I'm not trying to scare you, but you can't mess with these kind of things and if I had gone earlier things would have been a lot easier (they could have drained it without surgery for one thing).
I feel for you and really hope your antibiotics are working for you.

Oh my God, that sounds awful! Are you allright now? Is that what caused you a fissure, or did you get both?
You're so right, the GPs here are cr*p. I live in Essex, but the specialist I went to is at the Nuffield in Ipswich. I assumed it was just around here that was so useless, but maybe its everywhere in general in England. I think the NHS is so bad, which is why I went privately.
I phoned for an appointment today, and got one with a different specialist on 11th December.
Isn't the pain awful with this thing? I thought the fissure pain was bad, and was so relieved when it began to get better, and now this!
The doctor told me last night that most of the pus had come out. Do you think that means that it won't need draining? Can it get better just with the antibiotics? I'm allergic to all antibiotics except metronidazole, which is what she's given me. I just hope they work!

That sounds icky. Mine went through a daily cycle of drain, refill after poo, drain, refill after poo. My drs uot me on metronidazole 2000mg/day and ciprofloxacin (which made me hallucinate and get tendon pain) 1000 mg/day. These did not cure the abscess, but they did give me a righteous case of the runs. My tummy flora is still recovering.

That sounds an absolute nightmare. I didn't know they could fill up again and again. Are you on acidophilus now?
Why didn't they just operate immediately instead of letting you suffer like that? They're damn painful aren't they!

I have Kaiser here in the U.S. and they suck majorly. They should have operated right away. It would have been easier for me, but they made me wait on a surgery list for 1 1/2 mos.
They are damn painful. I could barely walk and barely sit. I was exhausted all of the time from the antibiotics, etc... I have been on acidophilus since I was first put on the anntibiotics, but these things take time to recover from.
They can fill again and again, but that doesn't mean they will. Perhaps, you caught it early enough that the antibiotics will work for you.

I thought it was bad in the UK! Yet you still got a rough deal and they are way more advanced, I think its disgusting the way we are treated and have to put up with it. Poor you!
I've had it a week, but I just thought it was the fissure come back, but it got worse and worse and then leaked yucky stuff, which is when I panicked. But as always, everyone on here was right! In fact, who needs the GPs when you have a forum like this!! Even the nurse I saw yesterday said she'd learnt a lot from me. Thats kinda scary that their patients know more than they do!
She thought the LIS procedure meant they cut you and stitched the fissure together, she didn't even know what an internal sphlincter was! Worrying or what!

Mayeb you should give a seminar and then tell them what to prescribe!!

val wrote:Oh my God, that sounds awful! Are you allright now? Is that what caused you a fissure, or did you get both?
You're so right, the GPs here are cr*p. I live in Essex, but the specialist I went to is at the Nuffield in Ipswich. I assumed it was just around here that was so useless, but maybe its everywhere in general in England. I think the NHS is so bad, which is why I went privately.
I phoned for an appointment today, and got one with a different specialist on 11th December.
Isn't the pain awful with this thing? I thought the fissure pain was bad, and was so relieved when it began to get better, and now this!
The doctor told me last night that most of the pus had come out. Do you think that means that it won't need draining? Can it get better just with the antibiotics? I'm allergic to all antibiotics except metronidazole, which is what she's given me. I just hope they work!

I'm fine now thanks :) it healed really quickly, a lot quicker than I or they thought. It sounds good that the puss has come out of yours, I think it's when it goes inwards that the problems start.
I'm not sure now that I do have a fissure now, it's all a bit up in the air until I get a colonoscopy. I've got my fingers firmly crossed that it is a fissure :shock:
I don't blame you going private, we get private cover with hubby's job but he changed jobs last year and we forgot to fill the forms in so we're not covered for this. That has really taught us a lesson!
I know what you mean about the pain, it's undescribable really, I've never felt anything like it before!
Good luck with the specialist, and good luck with the antibiotics, hopefully they're kicking in and you're feeling a bit better :)
I'm in Herfordshire, my local hospital is Lister in Stevenage and they don't have a great reputation. The NHS are going down the pan, I don't think there will be one soon.
Take care of yourself and keep us updated :)
Manuka honey might be something for you to consider, it has great infection fighting properties and you can get it from most health food shops now :D