I was wondering if some of you experience a muscle spasm that I have dubbed a "zinger". It feels like an inner sphincter (I think) muscle cramp that comes out of nowhere and makes you jump out of your chair and yell out loud. It has been usually just one individual spasm, rather than a continuous spasm. This morning I had such an intense zinger it gave me a spontaneous headache. This often occurs a few hours after the "regular and continuous muscle spasms" subside, which for me last about one hour after a BM.

omg, yes! Mine were all day before LIS. It made it pretty easy for me to have the surgery. With pain like that, I couldn't see what I had to lose. I would set on a heating bad all day and sleep with it at night.

Dawn, thanks for your answer! I am just wondering - how did you work during this time? I think I read that you were fighting the fissure for 8 months before LIS. I'm also sitting on a heating pad, but "just" for around 6 hours at a time. Usually during the prime hours of the day (from 9am till 3 or 4 pm). I just don't see how work is possible with this kind of pain. Just wondering what others do in this case... Thanks!

Sitting on one hip is what I used to do, and when I worked, I sat on a special pillow with a hole in the middle of it during a thrombosed hemmroid time. Looking back I don't know how I did that!!

The last two days I had some bad zingers! The rectogesic didn't seem to help, but jumping into the bath several times eventually helped. I think that after my previous three good days in a row, I got too cocky by taking a "long" walk (what is usually a 15 minute walk), and whatever it did set me back. Hoping for some better days, and I'm not walking anywhere for awhile...
Just thought I would write down my experiences here, in case it enlightens anyone else in a similar situation!

Bumbutt wrote:Dawn, thanks for your answer! I am just wondering - how did you work during this time? I think I read that you were fighting the fissure for 8 months before LIS. I'm also sitting on a heating pad, but "just" for around 6 hours at a time. Usually during the prime hours of the day (from 9am till 3 or 4 pm). I just don't see how work is possible with this kind of pain. Just wondering what others do in this case... Thanks!

Hey Bumbutt,
I didn't work and honestly I think if I would have had a job, I would have lost it before my fissure was better. I really spent most of my days in the bath and on the heating pad. I would do all the necessary house work as fast as possible and lay down. On my better days, I would buy groceries and run errands but there were times that my older kids had to pick my youngest up from school, buy groceries or run errands that I couldn't do.
It was so depressing and painful. I remember going shopping only when I had too and spasms stopping me dead in my tracks while I was walking. The pain w/ the bm's weren't as bad as the spasms most of the time. I had maybe 4 weeks all together of the shards of glass, but the spasms were never ending, although worse in the beginning.
I can't believe people are able to work full time w/ a fissure either.

I can relate Dawn. It was such a bummer to have this fissure before Christmas. I tried to go shopping on one of my good days, and did all the Christmas shopping I could in 3 hours. Otherwise, I managed to order things from the internet. I am getting so cabin-fever crazy now that I am considering doing some more internet shopping, just to satisfy some sort of urge to do something! And I am not a big shopper! Luckily my husband is very sympathetic and steps up to take care of all chores... although like you, I try to be efficient whenever I don't have pain, and first thing in the morning do chores that I would otherwise procrastinate about!
I'm lucky though (in some respects) that I live in Sweden, where getting paid sick leave is rather easy. I get 80% of my salary, and I will probably start being "sick written" next week. I really am amazed at those that go to work. My last day at work in early December I was trying to carry on a conversation with someone while I was getting an occassional little spasm - I couldn't talk and cover up my wincing at the same time, and that's when I knew I just couldn't be there at work. It's just awful to be in pain and have to put on a mask that everything is ok too! This AF gives me a new insight into both mental and physical pain.
Anyway, so far, I think resting is rather important. I'm having another "good day" (no zingers), for the second day in a row again. Any day that is better than the previous is a good day.
Hope you all have a good one!

I thought I might use this post to just record how things are going for me. It helps me keep track of things, and maybe it can be useful to other newbies too.
About a week ago, the clenching and cramping after a BM stopped (I guess I'd give that clenching/cramping a 7/10 for pain). During the last week, I had four good days in a row, then yesterday some pain and discomfort that lasts all day, and so far today, some pain is still there, but less than yesterday.
Applying the rectogesic seems to cause more pain, so I'm considering laying off of it for now. I notice that the sphincter is less cramped now. I'm cautiously optimistic that things are slowly getting better. Still, I'm sticking to the whole routine of baths, rest, heating pad, cooked veggies, no red meat, fruit, movicol, fiber-gel, pro-biotics, no junk food, and lots of water, for as long as needed.
I'm wondering if the pain I feel now is "just" the hemorrhoids, or the healing AF, or what??? Have no idea, since I haven't been able to get an appointment with a CRS yet.
Hoping for pain-free days for all of us!

LOL that's a nice term, "zingers" :) I think I had them at one point, but usually it was after particularly bad poops that caused a lot of pain elsewhere too, so the sensations were always bit mixed up. My main spasm was the actual ummm "butthole area" (for utter lack of a better term) but sometimes I felt funny business going on higher up "in there" too. I also didn't really know what to call them, but have to admit that zingers seems to fit rather well...

We have to come up with a lot of funny terminology here!! To name all the problems that don't get discussed...
Yeah, I would have something like contractions for an hour after the BM, and then also these zingers where it felt like the inner sphincter muscle would contract so tightly that it was crushing whatever was in its way. Thereby sending me to the ceiling!
Good news is that I haven't had all those for a week now. But I'm still going to stay away from the junk food...!