anal fissures?

[curlygurl97]

I've been having blood on the toilet paper on and off for the last few months. It first happened after a fairly major surgery and I had been constipated afterward from the high dose pain medication. I was wondering that since that area of skin is 'weak', will I always have problems with that area tearing over and over???

[LivingInHope]

Glad you are working on that referral!  You very well may be right- if so, I hope they find it like they didn't find it more recently on me, even though it hurts like one!  They probably are going to tell you what to do to stay regular and to keep those bms soft!

[curlygurl97]

I'm waiting for a referral to the GI specialist to get it more thoroughly checked out. I still feel as if it is an anal fissure, as I have the symptoms for it. I've had blood work done and my iron levels seem fine. I've been eating more high fiber foods in the hope that it'll help out. It's been painful going to the bathroom, sitting on the toilet and almost crying from the paper cut like feeling of pain(sharp pain), it hurts bad. It all started after my major surgery, so I doubt it'd be cancer. I was on very high dose pain medication afterward. I didn't go #2 for a while, very constipated. And it's been on and off since then, with little relief.

[LivingInHope]

Cancer can happen at any age- please get it checked with a GI doctor with your new insurance!  Polyps can be quite close to the opening- a close relative of mine had one removed.  They consider polyps that aren't cancerous pre-cancerous rather than benign I was told by a GI specialist I saw recently, because even one that is currently "benign" has the potential to change to cancer.  It is far better to be safe than sorry!  Caught early, cancer has a much better cure rate, they claim and caught late, a very high mortality rate.   Doing the prep work is not fun at all, but better to rule out the most serious than to do nothing!!!  And please get your iron tested... not only can the bleeding actually lower your iron, like it evidently did me, dropping by over 1/2 in a matter of about 3 months, but low iron CAN CAUSE poor tissue healing!!!  Another key is trying to keep your stools soft enough where it causes the least amount of strain and irritation from hard stools possible.  This is tough.  I had a problem with pain this morning myself (though I didn't spy blood this time) even taking what I'm taking, but then I'm taking constipating iron and prescription medication.   If you do have a fissure, you might see if the botox injections like I got would be right for you if they offer them- this is supposed to help the muscles to be relaxed.

[curlygurl97]

Thanks! I went to the doctors before for a mix of stool problems I was having, but my doctor was stumped.. didn't know what was wrong with me. I was given a referral to a GI doctor, but now that my insurance has changed, I can't go to that one. I do think it is an anal fissure, because it's very red right there, and painful. I was worried about it being a polyp before, as colon cancer runs in my family, but I am really young to have that, plus I don't have any of the other symptoms for it. It's just on and off bleeding and pain associated with it. I feel like when it's finally healing, it happens to tear again. I'll be blood free for a while, and then it'll come back. I can't get it to stay away/be healed. I've changed my diet, eating more fruit, drinking more water, etc. It just doesn't seem to really work. I'm frustrated with it all. I want to be done with medical problems.

[LivingInHope]

Have you actually been diagnosed with an anal fissure?  Because if not, there are other causes of rectal bleeding.  In addition to hemorrhoids, a polyp can cause rectal bleeding as well and should be looked for and biopsied if found, as it has the potential to change into/can be cancer and is best discovered early.  So, I want to encourage you if you haven't already, to get your self to a GI doctor for a definite diagnosis.

  I personally had a fissure in the past, treated with botox at that earlier time.  I have bled off an on for years. Recently, all that was found with testing beside positive OB stool testing was an internal hemorrhoid, which I'm informed isn't supposed to be painful.  However when I have the bleeding, it has felt like a fissure with the pain of it, although no fissure has been located.  I was advised to take a daily combo of half miralax half benefiber (I've substituted generic miralax and generic original texture metamucil because I found in the past benefiber was not that great for me & am taking a little more than half and half because I am taking iron.   I lost a lot of iron in a short period of time and my ferritin dipped below normal.  Since I am in surgical menopause, it is presumed GI bleeding is the issue, so you might want to get your iron and ferritin tested too.  I've been told before that scar tissue is actually tougher than regular tissue in connection to a concern I had about a hernia I had repaired as a child.  If you are having poor tissue healing, you might want to get your glucose and cortisol levels tested.  Also, you might find zinc oxide ointment or the baby diaper ointment that has like forty percent zinc oxide in it soothing and helpful.