Anal fissure- please help : Hi everyone, This is... - Behçet's UK

Behçet's UK

5,215 members4,318 posts

Anal fissure- please help

faye-g profile image
16 Replies

Hi everyone,

This is going to be a TMI post so I apologise in advance but I’m completely at a loss right now. I seem to have a fissure or an ulcer in my back passage, going to the toilet and having a bowel movement feels like shards of glass coming out, I cry from the pain it’s that bad, the toilet is covered in blood every time I go- not just a little bit, a lot. It all started from 1 dry bowel movement. Iv tried sitz baths, Iv used sudocrem, Iv completely changed my diet to include more fibre, I already drank loads of water so I’m still continuing to do that.

Does anyone have any advice they can give me to help ease the pain? It’s been going on for 4 weeks now and I’m just so fed up, I can’t sit properly or sleep hence why I’m writing this at 2.45am :( I will be ringing the doctors but it’s an awful time during this pandemic that I don’t think I’ll be seen.

Thanks in advance

Written by
faye-g profile image
faye-g
To view profiles and participate in discussions please or .
Read more about...
16 Replies
SCMW profile image
SCMW

Hi, I’m so sorry to hear you are in such discomfort, I’ve had similar experiences. I was offered Anusol anti inflammatory By prescription but you can buy this online. My prescription never turned up but I just bought it on line. You can use it before movements to make it more bearable. Also for female genital area I was given synalar which really helped. Colchicine was the only thing that calmed by ulcers, these were mainly oral. Hope this helps, best wishes

muttiof3 profile image
muttiof3 in reply to SCMW

If this is an ulcer, I've never had ulcers there. If it is a split on the backside of the rectum (versus the bellybutton side) that happens to me often. It's somewhat frightening to look in the toilet and have the water be so red. Anyway, have any of the doctors suggested a stool softener? Once it's healed, it might help. (As I'm proofreading this, I realized something. I haven't had a split in awhile. Speaking of TMI, how you arrange yourself on the toilet and how you push might make a difference. Sometimes, when I push, I feel like I'm going to get a split and I rearrange my position on the toilet and change how hard I push......sorry, it really is to much information but if it might help, I guess I don't care:)

As soon as I get a split, I use Tea Tree oil (Melaleuca alternifolia) in gel form over the cut. It stings for a split second but then it doesn't bother me and my splits usually heal within a day or two at most. Tea tree oil is a natural fungicide, antibacterial, and antiseptic, and it boosts healing, etc. It's a really useful oil.

It should go without saying that I try to keep everything 'downstairs' as clean as possible. That whole area is pretty much a air free, warm, wet place. Ideal for bacteria, etc.

p.s. If it is an ulcer, maybe Desitin - diaper rash ointment creme, (my go to for the kids and me when they were little and I always had it.)

lesleyg profile image
lesleyg

Hi Faye I feel your pain. I guess we get to the situation where we don’t care about the TMI factor. I was examined by a very lovely female dermatologist. She definitely diagnosed ulcers in the anal passage. She was very shocked and embarrassed because the first consultation she just fobbed me off, and the second time on examination she said how bad they were. There are products around - you may have to get a prescription from your GP, however something to numb the area before and even after you go to the toilet (and also when you’re in a bad way in the middle of the night). Definitely also something to really soften the stools until things get better. I’m in Australia so the brand names are probably different but if you could get something strong for haemorrhoid pain it should help. I haven’t thought of using tea tree oil gel, but that is an excellent product for many of our woes. cheers Lesley

lesleyg profile image
lesleyg

This is the name of an ointment I was given in hospital- apparently the patients are given it after haemorrhoid surgery. The brand name is Rectinol (says it all) the ingredients are zinc oxide 200mg and cinchocaine hydrochloride 5mg. Hopefully your doctor and/or pharmacist can come up with something similar- works wonders!

Moopy profile image
Moopy

Hi. I feel your pain. I suffer with these as well. The only thing that has worked for me is Anucort-HC 25 mg suppository. It's a life saver. I don't know who you would go about getting it the the UK. Good luck.

tmcphers profile image
tmcphers

Try Metamucil semi-regularly to keep stool soft moving forward in the future.

faye-g profile image
faye-g

Thanks for the replies everyone! Another painful day but I rang the doctors and they’ve given me rectogesic ointment as it reduces pressure and increases blood flow to promote healing however it gives you a nasty headache, they’ve also given me some macrogol to soften stools and also some lidocaine ointment to numb the area before & after a bowel movement. They have said that if the pain is no better by Monday then I need to go to the doctors for an examination incase it is an ulcer. Hoping all this helps as the pain lasts all day and makes me cry it’s that bad. I appreciate all the responses! If this doesn’t work then I’ll definitely be trying something else. The more advice, the better as this could really help someone else, it’s such a terrible thing to go through :(

gillianTS profile image
gillianTS in reply to faye-g

Hi Faye

I have had many many issues over the years with bleeding, not being able to go to the toilet and not wanting to go for fear of making things worse. I have tried so many things from the GP and had a colonoscopy last year which confiirmed diverticulitis which I knew I had and was diagnosed when 21.

I am very careful with my diet and eat lots of fibre and drink plenty of fluid but this still did not solve the problems. I hate being on medicine such as for softening stools so decided to try last year magnesium citrate, take 100 to 200mg at night with a full glass of water before bed, so far this works for me. I am very aware that eating refined carbohydrates makes it more difficut for me to go to the toilet so do not eat pasta, bread, pizza etc very oftenand I also have around a dessert spoon of fresh ground linseed on my breakfast each day.

I love tea tree oil and have used this for years, what I would say about this is when I have feelings something is not right I mix a tiny amount with sudacrem and pu it just in this area, I use the same or neat for vaginal ulcers too. I always get a tiny tingling feeling when I these things are starting to kick off, exactly the same with my mouth ulcers too and I recall a doctor telling me years ago before I was ever diagnosed to act as soon as you get any kind of feelings dont delay and in the most this has worked for me. Neat tea tree can also make things dry up so be aware this might make things worse too.

Really realy hope things start to improve with you soon :-)

Jaxxi profile image
Jaxxi

Hi Faye

Do contact your GP. As I understand it, surgeries are actually very quiet these days unless there is an outbreak of Covid in theor locality.

Mil48 profile image
Mil48

I feel for you it’s 8 weeks for me the pain is terrible . Did you fix ur problem. I finally went to emerg when dr said i had fissure he prescribe me a rectal rocket and some cream the problem is this gives me diarrhea also he refer me to a surgeon which is Wednesday

faye-g profile image
faye-g in reply to Mil48

Hi, the pain isn’t fully gone yet but it’s definitely getting better. Not bleeding as much and going to the toilet is easier especially with the lidocaine as it numbs the area so it acts as a lubricant almost! The cream I’m using gives you a headache but definitely is working! I hope it all gets better for you, such an awful thing to go through :( good luck!

ShivaDas profile image
ShivaDas

Hi Faye,

I am suffering from a similar problem. I get fissures frequently because the initial part of my stools are as hard as rock sometimes and difficult to pass. If I strain hard to pass them they cause a tear in the anal wall with bleeding leading to a fissure. I cannot call it constipation because the rest of the stools are soft. I tried various kinds of diets and remedies to no effect. I found out that this happens for no rhyme or reason and cannot be related to anything I do or eat. The closest word to describe it is fecal impaction but I am not sure.

My workaround for this nasty problem is to use an enema bulb whenever I feel it is too hard to pass or when I have a fissure. Fill the bulb with tap water or luke warm water and inject in the rectum. Better do this when you don't have an immediate urge or wait for the urge to subside and then inject. You can use a lubricating ointment on the nozzle and also on the anal wall if you prefer. After this you will have a strong urge in a few minutes. Now release slowly, let a little water out first (not all) and then release completely. The hard part will pass out easily along with the rest of the water either in one piece or in bits.

If you happen to develop that fissure again, you can try applying Vicco Turmeric ointment sprinkled with turmeric root powder on the anal walls after defecation. I do this every time I have a fissure and it heals within a week. I also take B complex capsules with vitamin C during this period.

Hope this helps.

The following are the links to the items mentioned, though you can source them or similar items from anyplace else that is more convenient:

amazon.com/Clear-Non-Toxic-...

amazon.com/Vicco-Turmeric-C...

amazon.com/Sunfood-Turmeric...

amazon.com/Natures-Bounty-S...

MatthewBrog profile image
MatthewBrog

Hi, I have non-stop anal fissures for 8 years. I have tried everything including surgery.

If you have Behcet it will never stop until you start a treatment. And if you have Behcet, do not get surgery like I did: it will transform your post surgery pain into hell because of your pro inflammatory profile.

Infliximab and all other anti-TNF alpha are the base treatment for Behcet in 2020. It's just a real struggle to get it as it's very expensive.

Jorge1163 profile image
Jorge1163

Im replying to your post late but i hope it helps if your still suffering . I suffered with anal fissures for several years on and off. One doctor said i may need surgey, a couple of years later. Actually last year i saw another and was prescribed nitroglycerin cream, but has worked the best and helped heal fissure was that i started taking metamucil twice a day, i did not change diet. The cream helped allot while the fissure healed and using wet wipes also. Its been months since i have had an issue with the fissure thank god. All this was recommended by the doctor. He specially made a point of telling me that i need to make the fiber a daily intake or end up having more issues with fissures. Hope this helps. it took a while to heal but it did you must continue with fiber.

CTBram profile image
CTBram

Since 2015 I had been suffering with an anal fissure, it started small but gradually grew in size as the years went by.

At first I noticed a little speck of blood on occasion so I didn’t really think anything of it, I had heard about anal fissures and I thought it would just go away in time, I was wrong!

For around 4 years it stayed as it was, small specks not leaving me with any kind of worry, but then things changed. One day I started to notice a lot more discomfort than usual plus it started to get seriously itchy down there, especially at night for some reason. Being the muppet I can be I still decided to leave it in the hopes it would just heal in time, I was wrong, AGAIN!

Months went by and the pain got worse, going to the toilet was now getting really uncomfortable and I was starting to notice an almost watery fluid follow my stool as it passed, plus when I wiped it would be on the tissue. After a while the blood got more intense and It had gone from just a few specks of blood to half the toilet tissue covered in blood. Now I thought it was time to fix this.

Instead of going to the doctor for medical treatment I decided to take it into my own hands, the reason for this is from my own research I had found most people had no luck with your typical western medicine, plus from my own experience I always end up more sick when ever I use what’s prescribed by a doctor. At the end of the day they don’t make money from you being fit and healthy, anyway!

I started to do my research and I wasn’t finding anything that helped, so I went back to my roots and decided to go the natural way, but first I made a big mistake (hand over face). I decided to make my own bottle of magic, well! I thought would be but all it did was cause me dreadful pain when I used it, I won’t go into much detail but it was a high strength mix of different essential oils and Himalayan salt, wow! The burn. After trying different methods I was having no luck, then I found it! Here is how I managed to cure my anal fissure in around a month of treatment which may I add now was the size of about 5mm by 5mm and bleeding when ever I went to the toilet and CONSTANTLY itching.

It was pretty simple really! I remembered when I had got a tattoo in Thailand I needed to buy something to help it heal, which was Aloe Vera gel. Some of you may know Aloe Vera is a great healer, it works wonders with tattoos as it heals wounds/tears in the skin while keeping it moisturised and elasticky almost, is that a word? Anyway, Aloe Vera not only heals wounds from within by absorbing into the skin and slowing releasing its goodness but it works as a fantastic lubricant, and as you anal fissure sufferers know it’s vital to get a smooth flowing poop because if not it not only hurts like hell but it can make it tear even more and completely take you back to square one if you have made any healing progress.

Here is my routine.

I would take a shower in the morning and clean thoroughly.

Once out the shower I would apply a generous amount of gel to my anus, including inside. The way I would do this is after applying to the exterior wall I would put a good centre metre by centre meter dollop on my finger and stick it in to the inner wall where the fissure was located and lather up the fissure and everything around it. Now some would say, doesn’t the fissure need to be kept dry so it can heal? I thought this too and yes this is correct but when it comes to Aloe Vera and it’s healing powers it’s better left moist so it can work it’s magic, and one amazing thing about using aloe on your anus is it stays moist for hours because it’s a place that doesn’t get much oxygen down there so the gel doesn’t dry up.

Now! lunch time comes and you’ve just finished your mid day meal, and now your feeling ready to pass poop. Go to the toilet as normal and remember your butt is as lubricated as a drunken night in with Pamela Anderson so your poop will just slide right out, you won’t have anymore issues with making the fissure worse. Once you have done your business, and this is vital! Clean up with baby wipes, but not just any, you need water based, fragrant free, chemical free wipes. If your from the UK, Tesco do an own brand called Fred&Flo which are around 65p a pack so they are penny’s, literally! Once you have cleaned THOROUGHLY, inside and out, apply the Aloe Vera gel once again the same way as described earlier, and your done. Wash your hands and carry on with your day.

Follow this routine every time you pass poop throughout the day.

When it comes to bed time, once again give it a good clean with your fragrant free baby wipes and lather up your butt with your gel as if your partner has a special night in planned for you. You will find when you wake up the next morning it is still as gelled up as when you applied the gel the night before, which is a good thing! Because your morning poop is a breeze.

Repeat this process until the fissure is know more, it took me around a month to completely heal mine. I have noticed some scar tissue but that’s of course normal being that it’s a very tender area which once held an open wound in a pretty dirty place, well! Once a dirty place! your new baby wiped aloe gelled butt is always as clean as a nuns 21st birthday party.

So my fissure has now healed in less than a month but I am still applying the gel frequently just to be on the safe side, mainly in the morning and at night.

One more thing I’d like to add is I had a protein deficiency from when I turned vegan so I started to have hemp seed protein powder shakes twice a day with Bananas and oat milk which I found really helped soften my stool a considerable amount, which in turn helped with not tearing the fissure further, so I’d consider maybe getting in a little more fibre than usual and drink more water, it may help.

If you would like to know what Aloe Vera gel I used I’m happy to share, and PLEASE don’t think this is some stupid post where I’m sponsored to sell someone’s product, I really don’t care what gel you buy, as long as it’s as close to 100% aloe Vera gel with as little additives as possible, because as we all know most products on today’s market are just bottles of chemicals with the added scent of Beyoncés arm pits, as long as they follow the legal “standards” then a supplier will sell you anything, I won’t be surprised if in the future we will start to see herpes in a bottle boasting it’s a great lip balm, Same goes with medicines, they are just synthetic chemical structures of something natural so it can be patented and given a price tag, with a load of harmful additives so it keeps a shelf life (explains most illnesses as all we do is consume chemicals 24/7).. anyway! I’m ranting.

The gel I use is from Holland & Barrett, it’s like £5 a 100ml tube, now bare in mind I still have plenty left in the tube so it’s once again another cheap remedy that won’t empty your wallet. A few packs of water based baby wipes and some aloe Vera gel, DONE!

The name of the gel is, (Holland & Barrett certified Aloe Vera Gel) it comes in a 100ml green squeeze tube. It states 100% naturally derived ingredients so it’s pretty close to “natural” but like I said, it really doesn’t matter where you get it from, as long as it’s as close to 100% natural as possible.

It also states on the bottle for external use only, but please trust me on this Aloe Vera is a naturally accruing medicine and this is only the company covering their arses, at the end of the day they probably assume people aren’t going to be sticking it up their butts, but when it comes to fissures we all know how we would do anything to be free off this pain in the arse, literally! Plus I didn’t notice any discomfort when using it, but if you do, just understand this is most probably any chemical additives the supplier may have added to their product reacting with your open wound. You just have to take the discomfort for a few seconds until it eases off.

I wish you all luck with your healing and I hope this works for you like it did me, honestly! I never thought I’d see an end to my fissure and I was reaching a point of acceptance that one day I may have to get surgery, YIKES! Praise the earth for its wonderful and powerful naturally occurring medicines.

Feel free to contact me if you have any questions, I don’t know if this site has a message option, I literally just signed up so I could share this because I know a lot of you are struggling with this problem. If I’m completely honest il probably never go on this site again so you may not hear from me, but the recipe for a healed fissure is in this post, so you won’t need much more from me.

GOOD LUCK!

Chris. .

faye-g profile image
faye-g

Hi Chris! Thank you for all this information, I’m still having some problems so this is definitely worth a try!

You may also like...

Please help me guys :)

ways of coping with genital ulcers, mine can be so excruciatingly painful that it takes me half an...

Genital itching - please help!

driving me absolutely insane, plus it’s also giving me tiny, painful wounds down there. My doctor...

Questions for hospital help please 😊

gratefully received as we are really in the dark and it’s been a difficult 2 years and we don’t...

Help Please regarding bloods

connective tissue disorder. I have a positive ANA, joint pain, scleritis in both eyes and ocular...

Please help searching for a diagnosis in US

having. The pain has become a burning hot sensation that it different than my previous pain. Anyone...