Anal fissures can be very painful and if they don't heal within six months you may need to talk to your doctor about it and best options. We tried lots of different things - Miralax, Collace, etc which didn't necessarily work for me - everyone's colon is different so you need to have a GI doctor or primary who can understand how your colon works and your needs. Adding Supplemental Fiber is the best thing that works for me - I would look up the best fiber supplements to take. I had to have surgery but am post anal fissure repair and it hasn't come back. My local surgeon did it but I consulted with the colon rectal surgeon at Mayo first and he agreed we could do it locally. Also consider doing pelvic floor therapy or at least talking to your primary to see if there is any value in that. I also felt like the sitz bath helped to relieve it some. Have you tried a sitz bath - the one I used was actually able to pump warm water so it kept it warm and you could do it on the toilet so you didn't have to get in the bath everytime. I will have to look it up and see if I can find more info on it.
As you may already know, once you've had an anal fissure you may be prone to getting them again. So prevention is important. You may be able to prevent an anal fissure by taking measures to prevent constipation or diarrhea. Eat high-fiber foods, drink fluids and exercise regularly to keep from having to strain during bowel movements.
An anal fissure that fails to heal within eight weeks is considered chronic and may need treatment. Have you had this long? Is constipation or diarrhea a side effect of chemo that you're experiencing?
I visited a couple of colon/rectal surgeons for treatment of both internal
Hemorrhoids and fissure. The advice of high fiber and increased water helps but it’s a slow process. The doctor also first prescribed a compounded nitroglycerin ointment for anal pain but because it also messed with your heart and BP it made me light headed so I got a different compounded prescription for Nifedipine. Much better and I could use it during the day with no side effects. Since you’ve had chemo you’ll obviously need to see what meds interfere. Best of luck!!! I know how uncomfortable this is. I’m still working on digestive issues. I’m better but I have yet to find a gastroenterologist who really listens.
As you may already know, once you've had an anal fissure you may be prone to getting them again. So prevention is important. You may be able to prevent an anal fissure by taking measures to prevent constipation or diarrhea. Eat high-fiber foods, drink fluids and exercise regularly to keep from having to strain during bowel movements.
An anal fissure that fails to heal within eight weeks is considered chronic and may need treatment. Have you had this long? Is constipation or diarrhea a side effect of chemo that you're experiencing?
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Anal fissures can be very painful and if they don't heal within six months you may need to talk to your doctor about it and best options. We tried lots of different things - Miralax, Collace, etc which didn't necessarily work for me - everyone's colon is different so you need to have a GI doctor or primary who can understand how your colon works and your needs. Adding Supplemental Fiber is the best thing that works for me - I would look up the best fiber supplements to take. I had to have surgery but am post anal fissure repair and it hasn't come back. My local surgeon did it but I consulted with the colon rectal surgeon at Mayo first and he agreed we could do it locally. Also consider doing pelvic floor therapy or at least talking to your primary to see if there is any value in that. I also felt like the sitz bath helped to relieve it some. Have you tried a sitz bath - the one I used was actually able to pump warm water so it kept it warm and you could do it on the toilet so you didn't have to get in the bath everytime. I will have to look it up and see if I can find more info on it.
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2 ReactionsI visited a couple of colon/rectal surgeons for treatment of both internal
Hemorrhoids and fissure. The advice of high fiber and increased water helps but it’s a slow process. The doctor also first prescribed a compounded nitroglycerin ointment for anal pain but because it also messed with your heart and BP it made me light headed so I got a different compounded prescription for Nifedipine. Much better and I could use it during the day with no side effects. Since you’ve had chemo you’ll obviously need to see what meds interfere. Best of luck!!! I know how uncomfortable this is. I’m still working on digestive issues. I’m better but I have yet to find a gastroenterologist who really listens.
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Helpful -
Hug
2 ReactionsOuch, @lisval. Anal fissures can be quite painful. Fellow members like @trishplace @dilly69 and @stlsampsondev can share their experiences and tips.
As you may already know, once you've had an anal fissure you may be prone to getting them again. So prevention is important. You may be able to prevent an anal fissure by taking measures to prevent constipation or diarrhea. Eat high-fiber foods, drink fluids and exercise regularly to keep from having to strain during bowel movements.
An anal fissure that fails to heal within eight weeks is considered chronic and may need treatment. Have you had this long? Is constipation or diarrhea a side effect of chemo that you're experiencing?