Anal Fissures - anyone else?
 

So, I have an anal fissure and it is a serious pain in the butt. Anyone else had this issue? And do you think it has anything to do with losing weight?

It started a few weeks ago and when it didn't go away, I went to the doctor and got hydrocortisone suppositories and advice to eat lots of fiber and drink lots of water. I did all that I was supposed to but as soon as I stopped the suppositories and stool softener, it came back.

I'm kind of puzzled because I've already been doing getting lots of fiber and water and haven't really had any constipation issues, so I don't know why I'm getting this...

Anyway, the first time around, I tried to stay on a low cal diet and continue exercising while taking care of it and looking back, I just think I was nuts to keep all that up through the pain!
So this time around, I'm taking a maintenance break and just focusing on increasing my fiber and water intake. Also cutting back on exercise. This is sooo frustrating because I was excited about starting to lift heavy this week.

Needless to say, with the advil, metamucil, etc. my weight has been all over the place.

Just wanted to rant and ask if anyone has had any experiences with this?

Is it the same as a hemarroid?

Well, this wasn't what I was expecting to post about this morning...

I've had one before, and no they are not like hemorrhoids. An anal fissure is basically a tear or crack in the skin of the anus.

When I had mine I wasn't losing weight, actually the opposite, it was when I was gaining very quickly. I'm pretty sure I just had a larger then normal stool, which opened up the crack.

sparklegirl07, I know it sucks, but they can take a while to heal. Think about how much longer it takes for a cut in your mouth to close up verse on your arm. The fissure has even more issues closing, because it could get reopened anytime you have a bowel movement. I'd suggest keeping up with your doctor about it, especially if you are dealing with pain. But other then that, all I can say is that it takes time and try to be, well, as gentle as possible with your bowel movements. Bare down as little as you can. That's what I did and eventually it closed up and I haven't had one since (this was about 4 years ago).

My ex-husband had a HUGE one that required surgery. The only way we finally got it healed (the surgery didn't fix it) was packing it daily with Polysporin powder to keep it dry and clean.

I had a really painful one a few years back. Possibly TMI, but depending on the day I felt like I was either passing bricks or razor blades. :( Adding extra fiber (metamucil) didn't help me at all; I eventually realized it had been triggered by adding too much psylium husk to my morning smoothies.

What did help me was eating a lot of fruits and veggies (no fiber supplements!) and of course, drinking lots of water. You'll probably have to stick with the regiment your doctor gave you for several weeks longer than the moment you feel healed, as the area will remain a weak for a time and will be susceptible to rebreaking every time you have a bowel movement. As flashfacts says, be gentle as possible and bear down as little as you can. Something that helped me was massaging my lower back during the process.

Sorry you have to go through this. Good luck! :hug: