Johnny91 - It seems like different foods affect people differently, so it's all really difficult to figure out. I also have acid reflux, so that doesn't help anything and further limits the foods I can eat. I take Prilosec 40mg a day for that, although it doesn't work sometimes. It's possible medication could be the cause of my issues, too, although I haven't made any changes with that for 3 years and never had issues with really loose stools before with the Prilosec.

This is something I just need to talk to a doctor about. I will be seeing my regular doctor again soon, I will bring these issues up with him. It seems like a lot of CRS's don't want to deal with the diet thing and just recommend the same things to everyone they see (more fiber, more water, stool softeners, etc), which doesn't necessarily work for everything. They mainly just want to prescribe meds and do surgery, which is of course their speciality. It's all a case-by-case basis and the only doctor willing to take the time to discuss those things with me is my regular GP doctor, who I've seen since I was a kid.

I'm so tired of trying things and failing and changing things in my diet... I'm just so exhausted and just want to give up. Sometimes I feel like just going out and eating junk food (like most fast food) and seeing how I do with that. It seems like I didn't have as many problems with my digestion when I was eating less fiber. Very weird.

Regarding the fiber observation, i couldn't agree more. I've tried the junk food back in September and they actually did work for me so i kept them in the diet. Things like pork gyros that we have here, and french fries help by producing less bulky more oiled stools.
Back in the start when i had no idea what to eat and what not i would overdose in fiber and make my life a living hell every time i visited for a BM.
The doctors, or at least most of the doctors i've visited don't know anything on this. Only one of them actually insisted on using GTN and waiting for it instead on doing the surgery.
Talk to your doctors about the other things that might interfere with the fissure and try some changes in your diet. You will always find something new and better.

im not sure the plug effect is entirely due to dehydration and coffee etc. im sure it is partly of course, but i still drink coffee and occasionally forget about water, but since i gave up meat, dairy, bread and anything processed, i no longer experience it. my diet is now rich in beans, veg, whole carbs, fruit and nuts, and i wonder if the plug effect might be partly due to either an inability to digest some foods (perhaps meat) or a slowed down transit time due to difficulty digesting meat/white bread/junk food etc, and perhaps bad food combining too, any of which can lead to incomplete evacuation with me. i suffered with the plug regularly, and then the remainder of the bm would be perfect sometimes - frustrating! but as is said, i changed my diet and it doesnt tend to happen now, and is all pretty uniform and manageable if ive been eating safely.

of course we're all different, but thats my own observation! i agree you have to experiment on yourself, it saved me to take control of what i eat, and to start eating for health primarily rather than pleasure. a shame but easily preferable to pain!

ive had far more success with an elimination diet than by using any products.

this site really is amazing! i love reading everyones insights.

I eliminated hard plugs with MOM when nothing else would work.
I have also observed changes depending on eating habits but nothing too dramatic.
I have to note that im visiting twice, once in the morning and once at night before bed and some times even one more in the evening. At this point im too afraid to skip going twice due to the plug effect.

well with that regularity im not surprised youre avoiding it! i find if i eat 3 substantial meals and go out in the evening (i.e. stay active and busy all day) then 3 trips can happen. Efficiency! its great to find a routine that works. all the best.

i thought id add my two cents here:

ive not experienced the plug effect in about 5months now, after daily occurences of it for years.
while away from home and away from my fibre supplements, plant based diet, porridge breakfasts and fruit bingeing, i healed! eating in restaurants every day for two months or so meant that i was eating meat and 2 veg twice a day. totally unexpectedly, my stools softened (due to absorbing more and passing out less by proportion, i guess) to predictable, daily type 4s, and then in a week or so, the pain slowly went from my 7 year old fissure.

if you'd told me to drop the fibre i'd had laughed at you. yet here am after 5 months of a purple patch of no plugs!

All the best.

I'm another that would strongly recommend Miralax. I'm currently pregnant and it worked well enough to cure my severe constipation. I'm now managing with diet alone, but I was almost 100% pain free with Miralax no matter when I went. Unfortunately, I still have beem unable to heal without further measures, but I would definitely still be using it more often if I weren't pregnant. Hope it helps.

Just wanted to say I drink only one coffee a day an then I drink 2ltrs of water no other fluids so I don't think for some people anyway that coffee or water is the cause I eat healthy too but I get the dam plug an I'm to scared to try different foods to add or remove any