Fissure (maybe TMI)

I know there was a thread no long ago that i posted in, in regards to sore bottom....cant find it now tho...lol :wall:

Any how... its now been 5 weeks and im still no better...so i figured while DD was getting her needles i should have my late 6 week check up.

Everything was ok, except the concern of when i do #2 it KILLS. I fear going to the loo cos i know how much pain ill be in....and it all ends in tiny blood clots or lotsa blood on the paper when i wipe. (i know sorry TMI) and tears streaming down my face. Any how mentioned it to dr who said it was a fissure and prescribed me some cream.....of which i have to squeeze inside me....how the hell am i gunna do that when it damn well kills to go to the loo...let alone shove something up??? :redface:

Told me to try metamucil, over counter creams, and all these other pills....BUT ive already tried them :cry:

I just wanna be back to normal... i was thinking he'd say id need an operation (my dad had to have one when he had a fissure), but it wasnt ever suggested....

Any suggestions of to overcome this problem....or take my mind off the fear of going to the loo!!!! LOL

Hi Kim,

I had an anal fissure for about 8 months after birth - ended up seeing a colorectal surgeon about it but luckily it went away.

I am exactly like you - i bled everytime i went, i dreaded going so would wait til the last possibly moment (which mae it worse, but it was bad anyway) and would actually sit there screaming in pain and crying everytime i went.

I didn't tell many ppl, just that i was having medical problems post baby, but ppl just didn't understand how this affected me every single day - and i think i was almost mildly depressed from it... i didn't like going out for long periods of time incase i needed to go when i wasn't at home.

DH was fantastic about supporting me, and my mum was great to (she is a colorectal nurse, so knew exactly what i was going through).

Ok, treatment options. It is very common to have an anal fissure post baby. Most ppl's does clear up in a few months after birth.

1) It is extremely important that you keep taking metamucil every single day - its not a fix for it, but it stops making it any worse. The added fibre helps to keep it regular and soft. I was taking it like 2 times a day for about 10 months.

2) A stool softener also helps, as it makes it easier to go.

3) There is a cream - whose major ingredient (i know there is a better word in this context, but i've been at work all day and can't think!) is glycerol trinitrate. This works by dilating all the blood vessels in your body. It also dilates the blood vessle around your anal sphincter to stop it spasaming and contracting around the sphincter. So it works great, you need to put a little on your finger and insert it that way (gross i know, but its very bad to have too much). Ok, the down side? well, it dilates every bloood vessel - in your head included. This gives people headaches. For me they were extreme migraines - which isn't uncommon. I would take panadol forte 20 mins before using the cream (rectogesic) and then lie on the couch with an icepack on my head crying for 1 hour. You need to do this 3 times a day. I needed DH around to look after the baby then cos i could barely stand from the pain. It did go away after this, but came back a few weeks later. Some people don't get headaches as bad as i did though.

4) if this doesn't work, and the high fibre isn't helping (don't bother with hemarroid creams that everyone will suggest to you, they are for something completely different) - then the next avaliable option is somewhat experimental, but after 8 months of mine i was willing to try anything - they give local botox injections to the area to relax the muscles so they fissure can try and heal.

They won't really give surgery to women who have had it because of birth, as they normally heal anyway, and it can affect future childbirth. Men they give operations to as theres are normally more permanent and ob. childbirth is not an issue.

The botox procedure is a day stay, but you might have trouble getting a health fund to cover it. I finally agreed for them to cover the botox (around $500), when mine healed. I continued to take metamucil for around 3 more months to make sure that the area was properally healed and i wans't going to reopen the fissure from a hard stool after being constipated.

Also, using nappy wipes to wipe is a good idea as they are more gentle on the area.

I think i should start an anal fissure support club - they are so horrible and rank in the top 10 of the most painful conditions to have apparently.

If you want to travel to the city i can recommend a great colorectal surgeon and if you PM me i can send you a website with a lot of info. Don't google it, or you will end up with a lot of disgusting sites :)

There is another option, a drug that has to do with bloodpressure. My surgeon wasn't a fan of playing around with BP on ppl who didn't have problems b4, thought the botox injections (as some girls on here put it to me - a facelift for your bum :) )was safer.

But i don't think any dr will do anything for you until you have tried the rectogesic cream at least once - my surgeon urged me to have another go, but was great in understanding when i said i just couldn't put myself through that.

good luck, i hope it gets better soon as it really sucks!!

Oh, were you really constipated after birth? I was and was afraid to go and splitting my stitches, after 2 days i was begging for suppositries, which the nurses only gave me after 4 days, and buy then the surgeon said i could have done the damage! Next time i'm bringing my own!

Well I have an anal fissure too - and it bloody kills. I've had it since Jenna was born, but it healed up. In the last 2 weeks or so, I got quite badly constipated - I have no idea why!!!!! - and it has opened up again. it kills. I'm in heaps of pain every time I go for #2's. I swear it feels like I'm pooing pistachio nut shells or something. God its sore!
So I've broken out the dried apricots. These are my own personal stool softener ;) Hopefully they dont affect Hamish too much, cause they make me fart something shocking.

I've done some surfing, and its best to try and let the area heal in between poos, and to get the poos as soft as they can be when you do go.

I'm hoping this clears up by itself, as much as it can, but I will be mentioning it to the GP next trip in. Trust me Kim - now that you have a child, you will get very close with your GP!!! I have been more times in the last 2 years, then in the previous 10 years combined!!!!! Lucky our GP is lovely. She had her finger up DP's bum a year or so ago, so it will be pretty apt for her todo the same for me ;)

I felt like i was pooing glass when i went. I got feel it tearing open - its was so bad! But it is important to try and get them to heal as quick as posible,

They can get infected (very nasty as it gets into bloodstream) or they just take a lot longer to heal if they have perisistantly been opened.

I had an anal fissure after DS was born as well - but it didn't occur until he was about 4 months old I think - and it healed pretty quickly. My parents are both registered nurses so I spoke to my mum and she said to keep my fluids up as well as my fibre intake. I hope you heal quickly - the pain is no fun at all. I'm hoping it doesn't happen again with the next one but at least I'll know what to do next time.

ok, i'm going to jump in on this one even though i have had the pleasure (NOT) of getting a fissure BEFORE having a baby. i unfortunately have irritable bowel syndrome, and have had a really nasty flare up this week - yesterday, i developed a fissure - and the only way i could describe it to DH was that it was like passing razor blades. i was petrified to eat cos i didn't want to go to the loo. hardly had anything to drink yesterday - again cos i was scared to go to the loo - if i went to pee, i could almost guarantee that the number two's would kick in. and becuase it was runny already, the acidic nature was just making it so much worse. i was crying in pain for half of the day yesterday

anyway, my mum had a fissure a few years back, so she went to the chemist and bought over the cream that had been recommended to her - it took the edge off but still pretty bad. went to GP today and he prescribed a cream with a local anaesthetic and a corticosteroid in it - apparently it's supposed to heal it somehow - also has an anti inflammatory in it - and so far so good. it's really not comfy putting the cream up where it needs to be, but if you do it when you've just been number 2, it's not gonna be that much worse. stomach is still upset, so have still had to go twice today, but the ouch factor is not enough to have me screaming in pain anymore!

i really hope you can get this treated - it's really not pleasant is it

My girlfriend had hers surgically fixed as she had a few fissures after her 1st childs birth & due to healing & scarring her anus shrunk or something & she could not get poo out!

Once she called her own Mum in teras as she had sat stuck on the loo for over an hour trying to ease it out but it apparently felt like it was coming outsideways.

After the surgery she was told to soak in a wram tub of salt & remove the wadding they had filled her with to stretch her anus.... '2' Safeway bags full of wadding!!!

I am so praying I never get one!!!

Good Luck, try the cream & passionfruits & Kiwi Fruits!!!!!

Yael-OMG thanks sooo much for all the info...greatly appreciated. The cream you mentioned (Rectogesic) is the cream my dr has prescribed :)
I shall be getting it filled out first thing in the morning when DH pay hits the bank account! Im at my wits end, soooo much pain i cant stand it now more. I just want a quick fix...but its going to take time to heal. I just dont understand out i got it in the first place. I was NEVER constipsted before, during or after DD birth...then 3-4 weeks later it starting hurting....and it got worse and worse...now its at the point like u said.. passing glass. Also i cant PM you...can u email me the weblink? kimbaz@jumba.com.au

Fi-oh i wish i liked apricots...or even prunes....might help!! Im sure Hamish doesnt mind!

I sure hope the cream helps.....but all i can think of its gunna kill putting cream up....but if it works then ill give it a go...any thing has to be better then feeling like this....no one should be scared of the toilet...LOL

Thanks everyone for ur help and advice.....now i dont feel so alone.....it seems its pretty common after child birth?

KImbaz - if you do some searches on here i made a variety of posts pre Aug/Sept about my condition and options for it.. There might be more in there i've forgotten to add

Rectogesic is over the counter, but if you get it filled (same price i;m sure), then you can possibly get a tax refund if your net medical out of pocket expenses are over $1500

The cream was around $15-$20 from memory

Hope it works for you, take panadol before, and just remember, we are here for you... I found it hard venting in my Baby Buddy group when none of them were going through it or really understood the pain i was talking about.

Good luck

Will email you that link now or tomorrow as i'm absolutely exahusted!

Yael thanks for sending me those links...will go check them out now!

Mads you poor thing still having it as well, i found your thread and we had a nice chat...and indeed we had the same symptoms....but go get it checked out....my dr didnt even look at my bum.....i told him what was wrong and he said 'fissure'. Hope you get better too....

We should have a sore bottom mummies group!! :D

all i can say is water water water!! after you have sorted it out with the creams etc and it has healed get the water into you everyday! as well as metamucil. i had an anal fissure as well (which i couldn;t understand how i got it- no constipation and developed a month or two after birth) anyway... it took about 2 months to clear up fully (started making progress when i actually found/ saw where the actual fissure was and was able to put the cream directly on it. but if i go a day or 2 without metamucil or water now the pain comes back slightly (nothing like when it was at its peak) and yes i reckon the razor blade analogy is correct!

Kim - I feel for you. I have had surgery 3 times now & know exactly how you feel. Unfortunately I have suffered with these for years, even before ever being pg.

You have been given heaps of good advice, so I'll only add a little....

Even though you feel scared to go to the toilet - DON't WAIT!! It's the worst thing you can do. The longer it stays inside you the harder it will get & the more it will hurt to pass. I know it is SO scary, but go as soon as you feel the need. Try to take something to distract you, a magazine maybe? It might not work, but it could help.

Don't put up with it forever. I have tried, & there are just some that won't go away without surgery. There are different procedure that can be done & although seem awful at the time, the relief of feeling 'normal' again afterwards is SO worth it.

:hug: I'm really feeling for you. It's just not fair!!!

Kim - how are you feeling now?? Any better?? They good news is that if its a post birth one, they tend to resolve themselves with time. Also, bf does prolong them, but even so my surgeon said not to stop feeding as thats not always the answer.

Linda - you poor thing! 3 surgeries. Did you have the botox injections, or full on? I'm so scared i'm going to get another one after birth!

I have got the cream.... but it dont seem to be doing anything...yet.

I am hoping it will do something soon cos it hurts sooo much.
I dont know whats worse....the pain when trying to go to the loo.... or the headaches u get from the cream.....tries to fix one thing and give u a pain elsewhere!! How long does this cream take!!!!!!

Ive now up'd the stuff i take to:
Metamucil 2 times a day
Metamucil fibre caps 2 times a day
Coloxyl 4 tablets a day

As well as lotsa fruit and water..and now weetbix as someone told me that are good!

I bottle feed.

Yael, the first 2 times I had them 'banded' where they put a tight band around them & they are meant to die off & drop off. Didn't happen. I had a GA for that both times. the last time I just had 2 of them lanced in the Drs office with a local. It was pretty scary & the local hurt like hell, but it has made a massive difference this time.

Kim - are you drinking heaps of water as well? All that fibre won't really help unless you have lots of fluids also to flush it through...

Yes, you need to drink heaps of water, otherwise the fibre will just get stuck there also and also be careful of to much - it can ferment in your stomach.

My suregon told me weetbix every day, but to add bran flakes to it as it wasn't quite enough!

I cant eat weetbix how your ment to (with water and/or milk). Can only eat them dry....would that still be ok?

Like all cereals... i never add milk cos i hate the taste!

I think that would be fine. I used to love them with honey!! :D Just have a big drink with them to help them digest...

Hi Yael,

I know this thread is really old, but I wanted to ask for a bit of help.

I am looking for a specialist that does the Botox treatment for anal fissure you mentioned, as my GP doesn't know one.

I was hoping you could point me in the right direction for the one you used.

(I wanted to send this by private message but I'm new here and couldn't figure out how to do that :redface: ):redface:

Thanks for any suggestions
Chris

I agree Chris2010, this thread might be old but as I just had my first child and am now suffering from an anal fissure, this thread was helpful. I'm already doing most of what has been suggested, but nice to know I am not suffering alone and that it does clear up...eventually!

I had my 6 week post baby obgyn app today and he was so great about the anal fissure, he told me to drink heaps and heaps of water and eat fibre rich diet and that they usually they clear up on their own, but if its too painful and goes on too long he will refer me to a bottom surgeon and get it fixed up. He didn't even make me feel like a freak!

Do you have an Obgyn Chris2010, maybe they can recommend an appropriate health professional, like a rectal surgeon who may do (or at least know of) the botox treatment.

Just wanted to join the 'anal fissure' club too!:p
Mine is feeling ok these days, because I'm on Coloxyl (stool softener) tablets. Every time I stopped taking them, I'd bleed again, so I'm not going to stop for a while this time. It has been 6 months since the birth of my DD.
No one talks about stuff like this! i.e. As being a common side effect of childbirth.
It is a very depressing condition.

Joining this thread also, man oh man am i in pain!!!! im in tears everytime i go to the bathroom it feels like someone is spliting me in half :O off to the specialist tonight let's see what he says.

Good luck mate. Let us know how you go. My GP was very unhelpful in giving me any idea of whether I might be a candidate for surgery, and I haven't seen a specialist yet.

Hi

I stumbled on this thread by accident but am glad now as i now realise that what i have is an anal fissure not haemmaroids! As i understand it, anal fissures are little tears in the skin of the anus that re-open each time you pass a hard stool. Is this an accurate description of the condition? From what other ladies have said, especially the references to passing glass, this sounds like what i have had. It was bad a few weeks back but seems to have sorted itself out for now. I know what it is like to fear the loo too.

Is this what anal fissures are?