Recurring Haemorrhoids

[becca7]

I’ve suffered with ibs for 10 years now and have suffered with haemorrhoids for 3 years on and off now. The haemorrhoids keep recurring even after banding and there is a lot of blood when they flare up. Doctors keep saying I have to go for a colonoscopy before any banding, and after 4 colonoscopies in 2 years, the doctors keep saying they can’t see where the bleeding is coming from. This is usually because the haemorrhoids have settled down every time I’ve had a colonoscopy (typical). I have my wedding this year and just don’t want the risk of having this heavy bleeding around this special time for me. I don’t know what else to do and it’s really getting me down. Any advice? I just don’t know where to go from here.

[Hidden]

Hello becca7

I can so sympathise with you over piles

I have IBS and have suffered with piles for years even though initially I do think having my 3 children was the cause but years later IBS has now made matters even worse

I am really suffering at the moment with mine , I have internal as well as external ones and I feel I need to go to the toilet with the pressure from the internal ones as well as the external one's I have a tear on one which just won't heal

I am to afraid to have banding done as well as I know they would want to do a colonoscopy which I only ever had one once and really don't want to go through that again so how you have managed having so many I don't know and understand why you would no fancy having yet another especially in such a short period of time

I related though to when you said when you did have them done your piles had settled down , I went to see my Doctor last week and on the day I went mine had settled down to yet this weekend I am suffering !

I also have considered this weekend if I would end up having to eventually have mine banded and face my fear but I never knew like you they could come back again , I always thought once you had them done that would be that but obviously I got that wrong !

I can imagine you would like this cleared up with a pending wedding ( Congratulations ) but I have a feeling that the procedure now before they will do anything is to have a colonoscopy first

I hope someone comes along that can give you some advice what you could do and sorry I don't have anything constructive , just wanted to let you know I related to so much of your post and you are not alone in suffering with these pesky things !

Good Luck , I really do hope you get it sorted

Take Care x

[becca7 in reply to Hidden]

Hi, thank you for the response!

It’s awful isn’t it. And it makes you not want to go to the toilet which is only making it worse I presume. It’s so hard to give it time to heal.

In all honesty the banding isn’t too bad, pain for a day and it did heal them for 6 months or so. And I think it does work but it just depends if another one flares up.

But yes they’ve said they won’t do it without a colonscopy. But for me, I feel like this is useless. I’ve had 7 colonoscopies over the years, multiple treatments and it’s conclusive that I have ibs. I don’t know if there’s another way of treating them without having an invasive procedure done again...

It’s good to know I’m not going through this alone but it’s just so horrible isn’t it.

I’ve got a telephone call with my doctor this week so I’ll let you know if they suggest anything else.

Thank you, and I hope you get some relief soon too ☺️

[Hidden in reply to becca7]

It really does seem ridiculous putting you through the camera procedure yet again , I do understand initially why they check things out using this method but goodness me all those many times in such a short space of time not sure what the reasoning is there , I wonder if they are on commission or something ???

I do feel for you I have been having the worse flare up ever over 6 months now with a tear in one of mine external one's and I agree every day I dread going to the toilet it is so sore and I know how important keeping the area clean is and that makes them even more sore doing so I am in a lot of pain this weekend

Please do let us know if you get any more answers from your Doctor that could help as one Doctor might have something better to advise than another will be interesting to see

Good Luck though I really do hope you get sorted before your big day x

[becca7 in reply to Hidden]

Hi,

Glad to see you got some help from the doctors.

Just thought I’d update you as the doctor has rang today. She totally agrees that I can’t keep going on like this but they don’t know what else can be done 😔 so she’s given me a new cream and referred me back to surgeon. Hopefully they might have some answers for me.

[Hidden in reply to becca7]

Hello becca7

I am pleased your Doctor agrees and she should as it is true you can't go on like this , I am not sure I can either to be honest , mine are giving me so much pressure I never feel my bowels are empty or there is constant pressure and yesterday it was so painful to even be sat down . do you ever get any of those feelings ?

What cream has she given you this time , just wondering as I have had many and wondered if it is one I have not tried , could be worth asking mine if it was

I hope your appointment comes through soon and I would insist they have to do something for you , tell them how it is affecting your life and I would even put to them could they cope ????

And if that camera is mentioned I would point out how many times I have had it done and could they answer me why yet again do they need to do it and if they gave a reason I would say well ok as long as you reassure me if you do that after you will do something about this problem and not turn me away without !!!!

Good Luck I really do hope this is sorted for you , I hope you will let us know and thank you for the update x

[Eliana5 in reply to becca7]

Hi..I can relate to having go through several colonoscopy's and I unfortunately have large internal and external hemmorhoids. I am not doing the banding because since I suffer from chronic constipation..the band's will most likely just break off because I strain..even being on stool softeners. (Weak pelvic floor). I am wondering, what about a Sigmoidscopy? It's much less invasive than a colonoscopy and it is not uncomfortable at all..it takes about 5-7 minutes. Just a small scope is inserted for a few minutes while the Doctor looks at a machine of your rectum. I have also heard of "virtual colonoscopy's" where you just swallow a capsule and it takes pictures of your colon or rectum? The only thing is that this procedure is new and unsure if insurance would pay..I hope you get it sorted out.,

[Newtothis22 in reply to becca7]

Why a colonoscopy? The local hospital did flexible sigmoidoscopy for me when I went with piles. I haven’t had banding yet as had some inflammation in the rectum. I sympathise and it’s hard to know what is piles, what is ibs? It’s also difficult to talk to friends and colleagues about especially when flare ups make it difficult to sit comfortably. Do they say what’s caused piles to recur? Can anything help prevent recurrence if you did have banding again?

[becca7 in reply to Newtothis22]

Hi, thank you for the response. Sorry when I said colonoscopies I meant both colonoscopies and flexible sigmoidoscopies over the years. Both require the preparation though, and last time I went they didn’t even both putting a camera in and just inspected the area. I was so annoyed!

It is really awkward isn’t it. It’s hard to open up to friends and colleagues when it’s embarrassing and difficult for them to understand. No I feel like they’re useless. They usually carry out the procedure then sign me off back to the doctor with no follow up appointment. Starting to lose hope.

[NursePeggy]

Hi Becca. I used to have huge haemmorroids which sometimes bled profusely. This was about 30 years ago when they used to inject them with something. What ever it was, it worked. Nowadays they use banding which I have not had. My rectal surgeon a few years ago advised me to try using an Anusol suppository and then a little cotton wool pad soaked in Witchhazel pressed up against the haemmorroids. Refresh the pad regularly and follow the instructions on the Anusol box. I have not had a serious problem since.

I also keep the bottle of Witchhazel in the fridge to keep it nice and cool!

I also make sure I am never constipated and dont have hot baths.

I hope this might be of help to you. Good luck for your weddng day !

[becca7 in reply to NursePeggy]

Hi, thank you for the response! Would you recommend I go back to the doctor do you think to maybe ask for an alternative to banding like you?

I’ve had multiple treatments over the years and it’s ‘simply ibs’ but I can’t take being referred back to the surgeon every six months with more bleeding. And then they don’t do anything because the piles have gone down.

Do you leave the witch hazel on for a little while or just dab it?

I’ve been taking baths so maybe that’s my mistake...

Thank you for your help ☺️

[NursePeggy in reply to becca7]

I just replied and seem to have lost it, I must have pressed Cancel by mistake. I dont think they do the injections any more.

With the Witchhazel, press the cotton wool pad up against the haemorrhoid and renew it every time you go to the loo. Cold also helps to shrink it, so hot baths are not good.

[Hidden in reply to NursePeggy]

Hello NursePeggy

I have a tear on one of my Hemorrhoid's I wonder if you thought the Witch Hazel would help heal it and if so roughly how long before it would ?

Thank You x

[NursePeggy in reply to Hidden]

Hi lulu. I think perhaps it might be a good idea to ask your pharmacist or your GP. If you have a tear It might sting a bit and I think you should get their opinion and blessing. I certainly would. Do let us know what they say. Good luck.

[Hidden in reply to NursePeggy]

Hello NursePeggy

I have been to my Doctors , I have a cream even though it is a slow process in it healing which she says is normal for where it is situated as when you empty your bowels there is no way to prevent it been caught and yes you are right I did try Witch Hazel today and it did sting

Maybe I need to stick with the cream and hope eventually it will heal or I will go back again

Thank you for your reply x

[auntyjean]

Do you have constipation as this could be a a factor. Could you go to a private clinic for alternative advice? I hope you get some help. Congratulations on your wedding.

[becca7 in reply to auntyjean]

Thank you for the response!

I actually had chronic diarrhoea for approx 10 years which the surgeon believed the amount of times I was going started it off. But now I’m on the low fodmap diet it’s helped things massively and I considered myself to fall into ‘normal’ bowel movements. So I thought it had resolved the problem.. just can’t win with ibs!

[auntyjean in reply to becca7]

Yes there's no easy answer.

[Will1234]

Hi, I think nursepeggy advice is more or less best advice . I have had piles for more than ten years , had banding and it did not work. I was not keen on further invasive procedures so looked for alternatives.

I have used witch hazel with works but found another product that seems to work well. I buy Alum crystals on line. You make up a mixture of roughly one part crystals to 5 parts water . Then apply with a cotton ball . Stops bleeding and shrinks piles .

If not external then more difficult to treat .

[becca7 in reply to Will1234]

Hi, thank you for the response.

I think I’ll have to try some alternatives. Do the crystals help to reduce the issues quite quickly? I’m on day 4 of this flare up with no signs of it easing 👎🏻

[Will1234 in reply to becca7]

Yes, should work straight away if piles external.

[becca7]

Thank you everyone for the advice. It’s so good to know that I’m not going through this alone. I’ve been and had every invasive procedure you could imagine over the years and I’ve finally found relief for my ibs through the low fodmap diet. The gastro consultant has now said that I can’t have any other treatment as I’ve exhausted all options but the diet has definitely helped. It’s also changed my bowel habits and I thought it had helped cut down the time on the toilet which in turn helped the piles. But it’s come back with avengence. Does anyone else not get any indication it’s going to bleed until it has? Then it’s very sore. I’ve got suppositories and cream in the fridge but feel like these are ineffective. May have to try the witch hazel in the fridge treatment. Being in my 20s it’s totally knocking my confidence and making me change the way I dress. I’m just dreading it happening on my wedding day wearing a white dress or on honeymoon. I just don’t know if I need to be going back to the doctors asking them to try and sort it, or accept that this is a way of life now and to just get on top of it when it happens.

[Hidden in reply to becca7]

Hello again

I find mine get painful before they bleed , they get very sore and sometimes after they have had a good bleed they can ease then if only for a few days

I know what you mean about been careful what you wear , I have to say mainly the creams I have been given over the years are the worse thing to stain and come through your clothes and not what you really want to have to do but when I am afraid this could happen I wear a Sanitary Towel , not ideal but stops anything coming through

I am trying that witch hazel as we speak anything is worth a go

Tell your Doctor exactly how you feel , point out how old you are and how this is affecting your quality of life when you should be enjoying it the most , don't hold back and they hopefully will be sympathetic and help sort this out x

[Moijoy]

Hi Becca,

Congratulations on your wedding hope you and yours have a lovely hassle free day and all the best for your future life together.

I have suffered from piles for over 30 years but I don’t think mine have been anywhere as bad as yours sounds, I have been having reflexology ever since and have found that that has made a big difference and kept them from getting worse, I do get flare ups if sore I use a homeopathic cream calendula and that soothes them. If really bad I use a suppository this is the one I get amazon.co.uk/Suppositories-...

I do hope you can sort out some relief.

Kind Regards

Moira

[becca7 in reply to Moijoy]

Hi Moira,

Thank you for those lovely words! And thank you for the response. Do you feel like you just have a weakness there with having the problem for so long? This is how I am feeling and it’s only been about 3 years.

[Moijoy in reply to becca7]

Hi Becca,

Although I have suffered with piles for so long I don’t think they have got any worse, I don’t have so many flare ups, and the reflexology has definitely kept them under control for me anyway.

[Will1234]

Becca , if you want to try Alum crystals, but Alum pebbles, you can get them on line from Amazon. If you require any other information let me know and I will advise further. If your piles are external you should find bleeding stops and feel like shrinking as you apply .

Will1234

[Newtothis22]

Yes don’t let this spoil your wedding day though it may be nerves about the event cause ibs to flare up. It depends on whether cause likely to be diarrhoea or constipation. Imodium would result in less frequent trips to the toilet beforehand which may help. I do find piles get worse around my period too so know once a week there will be flare up. Don’t feel guilty about needing further surgery. If you could afford a private opinion there may be alternative remedies not on the Nhs. Do you get anaemic with bleeding as that’s something to monitorvtoo and if anaemic perhaps more will be done to help

[becca7 in reply to Newtothis22]

Hi,

Thank you for the response! Have you found any remedies that help to settle them back down after a flare up? I think I’m getting to the point where I might have to go private. The nhs just sign me off after a procedure without any follow up appointments or even asking if things ha e worked. As for the anaemia, the gp said that this is highly unlikely as it always looks like more blood that there actually is (I don’t think they take me too seriously).

[Newtothis22 in reply to becca7]

I think anaemia is possible. A blood test for anaemia costs so little. I really feel for you being in your 20s. I was early 30s when first noticed them. I think it’s trivialised as a problem though since creams are available from chemists. But while creams may be soothing they don’t shrink piles. I find germoloids the most soothing even more so than uniroid hc on prescription.

It sounds like you’ve worked SO hard to manage ibs so it’s so awful you still have piles. I know mine were caused by diarrhoea whereas everyone associates them with straining and constipation.

If banding doesn’t work then why don’t they look at alternatives even surgery? I think banding is only suitable for grades 1-3 too?

I think of all the posters on health promotion ablout talking to your dr if there’s blood in your pee yet with piles they rule out red flags and band.

I think you should talk to your GP and say how your ibs is differently managed now so why this problem still

[tenaciousauntyM]

Hi all, I just wanted to share that someone close to me has severe haemorrhoids and IBS, and he did indeed get iron-deficient anaemia from the blood loss from his haemorrhoids! He ended up being rushed to A&E in March where he was given two blood transfusions and one iron transfusion, as his haemoglobin count was dangerously low; he had lost 2.5litres of his body's blood and was putting his organs under strain! His surgeon was very apologetic as he said most people think it's a lot of blood loss, but in this person's case, it actually was.

He had the banding done a few months prior to this incident, and then haemorrhoidal artery ligation according to NICE guidelines a few months later as it's apparently more effective and has a shorter recovery time than a full-on haemorrhoidectomy. However, they have come back it seems, so they have finally done a colonoscopy and think he may be coeliac! Until these results come back, he has decided to stop drinking alcohol, in particular real ale, and try to eat an extremely high-fibre diet; so far, so good! I really hope this is the answer for him as he's been dealing with this for 10 years.

Thank you all for sharing your stories too - it's helpful in understanding what others have been through, the different treatment received and what has been found to help! I will share some of your advice with him.

[Lulububs]

Hey

I feel ur pain. I had them about 4 years ago due to ibs and a bad back and taking to many painkillers that just left me unable to go without severe straining.

So therefore i became very friendly with my own arse or as i liked to call them “ my dark destroyers” as they literally killed me, i had two internal ones a fissure and a thrombosed one which entailed me goin to my gp, her looking at my bum and giving me a pillow and saying “ your gona need that” and as i went to put it under my head she went “ no that to scream into”......

Then proceeded to put a apron and gloves on and a scalpel and literally cut my hem open and squeeze then show me my blood clot....

No numbing NOTHING!!!

I can not even explain that pain!!!!

I was then sent to a colectoral doctor who gave me a sigmoidoscopy said yeh u got to tiny hems and a fissure i need to botox and band.... two day later i had botox and banding....

The botox worked a treat but i think the bands came off as i could still feel the pressure of having a hem up there.

My friend told me about this dr in canterbury kent who does this thing that they only do in America called ultroid... i went to see him and had it done there and then... as like u i had a wedding( not mine) and i wanted to b able to go without stress and pain.

It little electrical currents on ur actual hems it like shrinks them straight away and i got to say best 700 quid i ever spent.

It took about 1-2 weeks to actually feel the benefit but they just went? Never had any trouble since .. i make sure i do not ever get constipated... i take magnesium citrate tablets and lots of water and never take painkiller that are strong anymore and 4 years on my bottom

Is perfect

[Billybong]

Sorry for all the hassle your having. It went on for about seven years for me. Then luck had it the doctor checked the haemorrhoids were just in side, I was booked in for surgery and so far so good. I don't know how they justify five colonoscopys when the problem is just inside the edge in my case.