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February 10, 2012

Patient Discussions: Anal Fissure - Effective Treatments

Question:What kinds of treatments have been effective for your anal fissure?

Comment from: AFhelp, 19-24 Female (Patient) Published: February 23

I had large bowl movements for the majority of my life. ( I am 21 yrs old) In 2009 I started noticing moderate pain after I would pass a bowl movement. Over time the pain would get worse and worse. Finally I went and had a colonoscopy done and he found an anal fissure. We tried a few methods to clear it up but it just would not go away. I finally agreed to have the surgery. When I woke up from the surgery he said he had found not one anal fissure but a series of small ones that he cannot repair. So now I still have the pain not only when passing stools but also during intercourse! This has become such a frusterating part of my life. I am taking fiber and stool softeners and that is making me go more frequently but it is not relieving any of my pain. The fissures are not seeming to go away!

Related Reading: colonoscopy | anal fissure

Comment from: toplash, 25-34 Female (Patient) Published: July 09

I suffered from anal fissures for 13 years after my children were born. I was finally given a choice: surgery or a new treatment of injecting Botox into them. I went with the Boxtox, and that was four years ago. Apart from a bit of leakage now and again, I am pain-free and all thanks to Botox. I know people who have had the operation, and it hasn't worked for them. I know one other person who practically lives in the hospital having had the operation go badly. So, please think carefully before agreeing to surgery. Ask your doctor about Botox.

Related Reading: Botox

Comment from: Extremely Upset, 45-54 Female (Patient) Published: July 08

I have been dealing with anal fissures for about two years. I tried cream and Botox before I had surgery in December of 2008. After the surgery, one cut would not heal, and I was still bleeding from that surgery cut, not the fissure. I was tested for diabetes and the test came back normal. In April of 2009, I had surgery again for the cut that did not heal and was bleeding. After this surgery, the cut still did not heal and I was still bleeding. I was going back to the surgeon every four weeks and every time I went back, he kept burning bleeders by or in my anal area where the surgery cut was. I have to go back to the surgeon again in July, and the cut is still not healing, and I am still bleeding. At the last visit, my surgeon told me I might have to have more surgery. I cannot seem to get an answer as to why this one cut is not healing and why I am still bleeding.

Related Reading: diabetes

Comment from: Raystonwall, 55-64 Male (Patient) Published: May 06

I have been suffering with chronic anal fissures since about 1988. In the military, I was just given a cream to use when they appeared. Until lately that was fine, for it would go away for a few months and then return again. Now I have been truly suffering for several weeks with hardly any relief. I even had a colonoscopy a month ago, which diagnosed that an anal fissure was present along with internal hemorrhoids. I walked away with a prescription for a cream to insert in my anal canal, which I can hardly do because of the extreme pain. I usually have a bowel movement about three to four times a day, so I experience quite a lot of pain during the day. I take 4 grams of fiber a day and have started using a stool softener. I have still yet to feel any relief.

Related Reading: hemorrhoids

Comment from: Slim, 25-34 Female (Patient) Published: March 04

I suffered from an outward hemorrhoid for nine years after the birth of my child. Finally I had to have this surgery called a hemorrhoidectomy. It hurt like hell, and it was hard using the bathroom afterward. When my bottom started to heal after getting in the tub with Epsom salt almost three times a day, I had this awful itch. Also, I was constipated severely. The doctor gave me Proctofoam for the itching, but it didn't work. For the constipation, I have used every remedy there is, and it still doesn't seem to be working.

Related Reading: itching | constipation

Comment from: Robyn , 45-54 Female Published: October 16

I was advised to have surgery for my anal fissure, but I was very reluctant to and decided to try Dr Wheatgrass antioxidant skin recovery cream. I've been using the cream for two weeks, and the symptoms have almost gone.


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Anal Fissure - Diagnosis Question: How was your anal fissure diagnosed?

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Suggested Reading on Anal Fissure by Our Doctors

  • Related Diseases & Conditions

    • Rectal Bleeding
      • Rectal bleeding (hematochezia) refers to the passage of bright red blood from the anus. Rectal bleeding may be moderate to severe and most bleeding comes from the colon, rectum, or anus. Common causes include anal fissures, hemorrhoids, diverticulitis, and more.
    • Hemorrhoids
      • Hemorrhoid is an enlarged vein in the walls of the anus and sometimes around the rectum, usually caused by untreated constipation, but occasionally associated with chronic diarrhea. If untreated, hemorrhoids can worsen, protruding from the anus. Also known as piles.
    • Constipation
      • Constipation is defined medically as fewer than three stools per week and severe constipation as less than one stool per week. Constipation usually is caused by the slow movement of stool through the colon. There are many causes of constipation including medications, poor bowel habits, low fiber diets, abuse of laxatives, hormonal disorders, and diseases primarily of other parts of the body that also affect the colon.
    • Anal Itching
      • Anal itching is the irritation of the skin at the exit of the rectum, known as the anus, accompanied by the desire to scratch. Causes include everything from irritating foods we eat, to certain disease and infections. Treatment options include local anesthetics, vasoconstrictors, protectants, astringents, antiseptics, keratolytics, analgesics, and corticosteroids. If condition persists, a doctor examination may be needed to identify an underlying cause.
    • Laxatives for Constipation
      • Laxatives for treatment of constipation include over-the-counter preparations such as bulk-forming laxatives, stool softeners, lubricant laxatives, stimulant laxatives, saline laxatives, enemas and suppositories. Some over-the-counter laxatives are not recommended for patients with specific diseases or conditions. Some laxatives may have negative adverse effects if taken over long periods of time.
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Symptom Checker: Your Guide to Symptoms & Signs: Pinpoint Your Pain


Anal Fissure

What are hemorrhoids?

A precise definition of hemorrhoids does not exist, but they can be described as masses or clumps ("cushions") of tissue within the anal canal that contain blood vessels and the surrounding, supporting tissue made up of muscle and elastic fibers. The anal canal is the last four centimeters through which stool passes as it goes from the rectum to the outside world. The anus is the opening of the anal canal to the outside world.

Although most people think hemorrhoids are abnormal, they are present in everyone. It is only when the hemorrhoidal cushions enlarge that hemorrhoids can cause problems and be considered abnormal or a disease.

Prevalence of hemorrhoids

Although hemorrhoids occur in everyone, they become large and cause problems in only 4% of the general population. Hemorrhoids that cause problems are found equally in men and women, and their prevalence peaks between 45 and 65 years of age.

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Read the Stapled Hemorrhoidectomy article »




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