Rectal Fissure (tear)

LegacyUser · 29-06-2008 5:42pm #1

Hi all.

I am in real trouble. I found out on Fri. that I have a rectal fissure (tear) and am in absolute agony. If anyone out there has or has had one can they please let me know of any tips or soothing help that I can do.
I didn’t even know these things existed until Fri. So I would really appreciate any help.
Thanks v much.

Wibbs · 29-06-2008 6:16pm

Did your doctor not suggest any pain relief? If not I would be back in double quick time tomorrow to ask for some.

LegacyUser · 29-06-2008 6:21pm

Hi, Yes I got meds. It's just the pain is so bad and am looking for other posters help or similar stories. The pain is soooooo bad and I would love some imput from people who have been there and how long it can take to heal. Its actually over a wk now (it was fri a wk ago) and it is still v sore and I am finding it hard to go to the toilet. As i know the pain will be bad.

Wibbs · 29-06-2008 7:02pm

For what it's worth, lots of roughage. Stay away meat and stuff like that I would imagine. Hopefully someone else has better advice.

Climate Expert · 29-06-2008 7:05pm

How did it occur?

MJOR · 29-06-2008 7:10pm

try and eat plenty of fruit that will keep your stools light and not too big. Wear cotton underwear and looose trousers. Healing time varies I think but a bit of vitamin C to help healing.

Nevyn · 29-06-2008 7:17pm

Due to where it is it can take a looong time to repair.
Actually too much roughage can be a bad thing and a light diet can be helpful for the first week to try and give it time to heal.
As ever a hot salt bath can help even if just to eas the tense muscles of your lower back and pelvis and drinking lots and lots of water.

Several things can cause it.

http://aids.about.com/od/otherconditions/a/rectal_pain.htm

Anal Fissure - A fissure is a long tear in skin, tissue or mucousa. An anal fisure is a long tear of the tissue in or around the anus and rectum.

Symptoms

* anal and rectal pain
* bleeding
* blood in the stool, in the toilet, or on the toilet paper

Causes

* hard stool as a result of constipation
* large stool
* straining to move the bowels
* anal sex

Treatment

* stool softeners and laxatives
* drinking lots of water
* soaking in warm water to relieve pain and speed healing
* pain relief in the form of oral and topical medications
* in severe cases, surgery may be needed to close the fissure

LegacyUser · 29-06-2008 7:22pm

I had one about 2 years ago and it was agony! My doctor gave me a cream to apply (may have been a topical anaesthetic?). I had to use that for about a week as far as I can remember. Eat as much fibre as you can and drink LOADS of water. Hard stools make it worse, while loose ones (sorry!) are much less painful.

It will start to get better soon, it's just the location of it means it can easily be retorn.

tbh · 29-06-2008 7:53pm

Wibbs wrote: »

For what it's worth, lots of roughage. Stay away meat and stuff like that I would imagine. Hopefully someone else has better advice.

NOOOOOO! no roughage! That'll make the stools bulkier, you need to get a stool softener like Dulcolax.

Wibbs · 29-06-2008 9:03pm

See what I mean? Even something as apparently simple as thinking more roughage in this case is a good plan, is so so wrong. Hence medical advice, even something that appears simple, obvious and not medical like this can't be bandied about in this forum.

Aplogies to the OP for that. Mea culpa.

mad_fish · 29-06-2008 10:04pm

OP,

I had the same issue this time last year and it know exactly what it feels like, the best bet i found for dealing with this is to take whatever the doctor gives you, be it cream, suppositories whatever.
Changing your eating habits can help in the short term but to be honest meds are your safest bet for helping with it.

Best advice I can give is that it really does go away after quite a short time on the medications. Just try not to let it get you down!!

Marksie · 29-06-2008 10:11pm

I had one of those..took ages to clear. Use what the doc gives you, make sure the stools are soft.
One thing i found helped, was to go what you needed to go (rather than say...holding it) and not straining to void it.

LegacyUser · 29-06-2008 11:05pm

You can get 'marshmallow root and slippery elm bark' from health stores, it is really good for keeping your stools soft as it coats your digestive system. Should help a bit.

Wibbs · 29-06-2008 11:33pm

Dog Log Banned for obvious reasons. Come back in a week. Sometimes I wonder...

LegacyUser · 30-06-2008 7:44am

It won't cure it, but a tip for you is to put some Vaseline on the affected area after you've been to the toilet. It'll help "ease the passage" a little next time.

Overheal · 30-06-2008 9:29am

up your intake of dairy products too. overindulging in ice cream leads to toilet-punishment but in your case may prove helpful good man.

gurramok · 30-06-2008 8:43pm

And take your time passing stools. Do it in small stages with tiny pressure movements, not in one go even if the whole thing takes 15 minutes from start to finish.

maryjmul · 30-06-2008 11:00pm

gurramok wrote: »

And take your time passing stools. Do it in small stages with tiny pressure movements, not in one go even if the whole thing takes 15 minutes from start to finish.

you poor thing their are lots of causes but i agree with the other posters if you take roughage it can do the opposite and bind, you need to drink plenty of water with that crap,i know its a bit of a cliquche but the old remedies are the best prune juice and the likes are great for keeping you regular also try and get some advise from your local health food store just limit your diet i would suggest good healthy soups and no meat as this inhibits digestion stick to mainly a liquid diet for a week or so as this will help with the painful motions take care xx;)

LegacyUser · 01-07-2008 1:24pm

Hi all,

I just wanted to thank everyone for replying to me. Not one person I spoke to has ever had it so to hear others replying that did is really comforting to me.

It is 2 weeks tomorrow that I first started to feel pain and the meds end on Fri so I am really hoping that it will get better again v soon.

For all those who have had it I feel your pain and for those that (thankfully) have never had it, it is something that you would not wish on any living person.

For anyone in future reading this thread, I found warm water and cotton wool to clean the area very comforting. Toilet paper was agony. Plenty of warm baths (not hot). A stool softener to help keep everything soft and eat little. I ate brown bread, fruit (apples, pears) PLENTY of water, some Jordans cereal. It is a very fine line on what to eat because you DO NOT want diarrohea and this would be like acid running over a cut.

The first few nights I had some Miller to try relax for the suppositories and that helped but is def not a long term thing to do as it does dehydrate you and this is not what you want. Breathing through the pain also helped, in through the nose and out through the mouth. Try to go with the pain as it does ease after a while and does not last as long the further time goes by.

Also, when going to the toilet, as per previous poster: Try go small and often, even if this means that it is an hour before your bowels are clear. Do not push and try and concentrate on your muscle by slowly opening and closing them.

I really hope someone out there finds this helpful as the web has limited and conflicting ideas re this awful situation.

Thanks again everyone. xx

aibby · 03-07-2008 1:04pm

Did you get cured yet.
I am having one at moment an d am in agony too nothing seems to help me.
Tried flax tablets but they mad e my stomach crampy
Have you heard of applying caldesene powder to the area its used for infected nappy rash
If you have any tips please pm me.

Gone West · 03-07-2008 1:35pm

What you need to do is go to the doc and get to the bottom of the situation.
Why did he prescribe you crap painkillers, he sounds like a bit of an ass really, is he behind you 100%?
Make sure to check your prescriptions, the pharmacist could have made an arsé of the order.
Butt if thats all in order, I'd definetly go back to the doctor and be anal about getting proper meds for the pain. Im not suggesting you go on crack, just something stronger!

chump · 03-07-2008 7:15pm

FuzzyLogic wrote: »

What you need to do is go to the doc and get to the bottom of the situation.
Why did he prescribe you crap painkillers, he sounds like a bit of an ass really, is he behind you 100%?
Make sure to check your prescriptions, the pharmacist could have made an arsé of the order.
Butt if thats all in order, I'd definetly go back to the doctor and be anal about getting proper meds for the pain. Im not suggesting you go on crack, just something stronger!

The above advice is very wide and I would endorse it hole-heartedly.

Victor · 03-07-2008 7:24pm

Behave.

LegacyUser · 03-07-2008 7:33pm

I found hemhorroid (sp) cream to be helpful in keeping the pain at bay. Drink loads of water, and dulcolax helps too. Also dampening toilet paper with a little warm water before you use it makes it a lot less painful when you're wiping.

LegacyUser · 04-07-2008 12:15am

andrex wet wipes are a relief too.

LegacyUser · 05-07-2008 2:19pm

Yes thanks am more or less cured. Not sore but am very wary of it happening again.

Drink loads of water. keep your food intake limited. small amounts. Make sure your stools are soft. I took 15ml of Duphalac (lactulose solution) twice over the 2 weeks and this def helped keep them soft. Go straight to doc and get suppositories or else down to chemist. Treatment for this is the same as piles. This will def help clear it up. DO NOT use anything in your bath. I used some oilatum in the bath a few times to help the outside skin but mainly it was clear warm water and sometimes a bit of salt thrown in.

Anymore q's just write them up and I will get back to you.

It is an awful situation to be in. And I wish you all the best.

Rectal Fissure (tear)

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