Teardrops n Tiny Travel Trailers

by **SkipperSue** » Mon Jun 30, 2008 2:35 pm

Has anyone here ever had an anal fissure?
If so how did you deal with it. I've had this condition for many years and always thought is was a hemorroid problem. I went to the doctor finally last week and found out what it was. He gave me some de-sensitizing cream I have to put on 3 times a day. Also recommended the high fiber diet. So far that stuff seems to make it feel worse, I quit useing it yesterday and it seems to be a little better. This is a tough condition, verry painfull. This is one of the reasons it's takeing me so long to get anything done on my TD, I still havn't been able to finish my hatch.
There is a surgery that can be done but the possible side affects sound really bad, I'm afraid of that. :oops:

by **planovet** » Mon Jun 30, 2008 4:03 pm

In dogs, they usually respond better to treatment if they are neutered.

Seriously, I hope you find some relief. They are a bear to treat in animals. Immunosuppressive therapy has had some positive results. Sometimes medical treatment yields better results than the surgical treatment (in dogs).

by **mikeschn** » Mon Jun 30, 2008 5:12 pm

According to Wiki, a high fiber diet can help. And the Rave Diet is a high fiber diet. http://www.ravediet.com

Hope that helps a little...

by **edlfrey** » Mon Jun 30, 2008 5:20 pm

There is a surgery that can be done but the possible side affects sound really bad, I'm afraid of that. :oops:

In dogs, they usually respond better to treatment if they are neutered.

I'm sure this is a serious subject and I have sympthy for your condition but these two comments when read one after the other makes one THINK. I for one would NOT go for the surgery. :roll:

by **mikeschn** » Mon Jun 30, 2008 5:22 pm

Surgery doesn't sound good...

Surgical sphincterotomy

Surgical intervention may be required for persisting deep anal fissures unresponsive to the above conservative measures. Procedures include:

* Lateral internal sphincterotomy or excising a portion of the sphincter
* Anal dilation or stretching of the anal canal is no longer recommended because of the unacceptably high incidence of fecal incontinence.[15] In addition, anal stretching can increase the rate of flatus incontinence.[16]

Despite the high success rate of these surgical procedures (~95%), there are potential side effects, which include: risks from anesthesia, infection and anal leakage (fecal incontinence).

source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anal_fissure

by **Gaelen** » Mon Jun 30, 2008 5:33 pm

SkipperSue, anal fissures can be a bear to deal with.
Patients who've had surgeries for colorectal cancer do experience them more often than the general run of folks, and 'how do I cope' does come up on the support boards fairly frequently.

The consensus is that the high fiber diet may help before a fissure or after one is healed, to prevent recurrence--but definitely eat LOW FIBER during the time(s) when you're trying to get a fissure to heal.

Sitz baths, along with the cream you were given, keeping the area dry, and avoiding fiber, spicy foods, anything else likely to irritate the fissure as it leaves are all most often mentioned as ways to help the fissure heal.

Hope this helps. My surgeries have certainly caused lots of issues, but thankfully, four years with no fissures. Fingers crossed.

Gaelen, surviving stage IV rectal cancer since 2004

by **SkipperSue** » Tue Jul 01, 2008 12:49 pm

Thanks for all the replies. I guess if I haven't been involved with health care for the past 12 years I would not have ever posted about it. It is an embarassing condition. :oops:

I like the notion about the avoiding the high fiber during the healing time, that makes more sence to me than eating all that ruffage. I do have a Sitz bath and that does help with the pain. The surgery sounds just terrible, I would hate to have to wear a daiper the rest of my life! :oops:

Thanks again :thumbsup:

by **Lesbest** » Tue Jul 01, 2008 11:39 pm

Yep-had it,fixed it, got the t-shirt.
Mine started on Thanksgiving morning, put up with it for 7 or 8 months. Gas was the worst, because it opens the fissure, so it hurts.AHOT soak was the only thing that calmed mine. Finally went in and had the surgery.
A partial spinturotimy, a fissureotimy, and a hemmoriodectimy. (Spelling)
So now I'm a perfect- well you get it.

Surgery on a friday, nurse at DR. office said would be back to work on monday-I thought why the hell did I wait? The feeling was the same as if you had a staple in your a$$. Dr. said to eat ANYTHING, is he crazy? Nothinf to eat but Jello or crackers lots of water, by the following thursday was constipated!!!!!!! :shock:

, felt weak turning grey,lost 10 lbs. Got to Dr. office thurs at 1 pm, on phone said BIG BABY, showed up-took one look -surgery at 7 that night, after THAT surgery,better pain pills, started to eat soft foods, Spincter muscle no longer listening to brain.....I'll show you who is boss. Crapped like the proverbial Christmas Goose, 6 or 7 times in the morning,intervals increasing so by 10am finished,I think. Don't sneeze, cough, or fart--all cause skid marks, sometimes it looks like a drag race was had. Took 6 weeks to gain control enough to go back to work, lost 53 lbs in 3 weeks.
After the second surgery the pain was gone in about 4 days and that was a relief. Till then it felt like you were sitting on a sharp knife. The desensitizing cream was bearly helpful, applying was painful, relief iffy.
I don't know if my results were normal, but IT WORKS AGAIN!! :applause:

My proudest moment was being able to pas GAS and nothing else. :thumbsup:

It won't heal itself, usually, because you use it everyday, and if you don't use it everyday, you strain and tear it again.
I hope I didn't scare you cause your results may vary. But it rules your life till you tackle it. Good luck, PM me if you like.
Les

by **Lesbest** » Tue Jul 01, 2008 11:49 pm

Yes it is emberassing to talk about, but when it's over and better you want to shout to the world how great if feels, and you don't care who knows---thus the reply. Make sure to ask for COCO butter---you don't want any unsightly scars. Since it's perfect now I use it for photo shoots.

Les

by **SkipperSue** » Fri Aug 15, 2008 1:01 pm

Just an update.
I went back to the doctor for the 3rd time and it looks like I'm almost healed! :thumbsup:

This took a long time this time. over the past few weeks I've been trying out new diets and quit taking this and that. about a week and a half ago I quit eating the Activia yougurt. After a few days of not eating the Activia I started feeling better. It must be the bacteria in it that was keeping me from healing. I told the doctor about this and he hadn't heard about any problems associated with it. He said there's one way to test my hypothisis is to start eating it again, he said this with a big smile on his face. :lol:

I also was splashing down there with the old fasioned remedy whitch hazel, good stuff still in this day and time. :thumbsup:

I feel happy again!!!

by **planovet** » Fri Aug 15, 2008 2:15 pm

Glad to hear it Skipper! :applause:

by **Mary K** » Fri Aug 15, 2008 2:57 pm

Skip, if your condition wasn't so miserably painful, stressful and embarrassing, I'd have a million jokes. BUT, Ill just say I am happy you are feeling better. :thumbsup: