Small fissure

[ElizabethJane]

I have been to my GP today because I have noticed blood in my poos. She examined me and told me that I had a small anal fissure. I have had a fissure before and one was so painful and deep that it required surgery. I can usually control the pain of this one with some suppositories and cream that I have been given. This has been rumbling on for months and this is the first time I have let my doctor examine me. I was wondering whether anyone else had had treatment for this and whether it healed itself with cream or suppositories or whether eventually you needed surgery? Thanks Jane

[Marginalia]

I have been to my GP today because I have noticed blood in my poos. She examined me and told me that I had a small anal fissure. I have had a fissure before and one was so painful and deep that it required surgery. I can usually control the pain of this one with some suppositories and cream that I have been given. This has been rumbling on for months and this is the first time I have let my doctor examine me. I was wondering whether anyone else had had treatment for this and whether it healed itself with cream or suppositories or whether eventually you needed surgery? Thanks Jane

Got one of these myself at the moment (well, I assume so - I'm going to check with the doc). I've had them pretty frequently owing to time-of-the-month (constipation aggravated by codeine which I was taking for the pain). Have never had surgery. They seem to heal up quite quickly in my experience, though I think having had them before makes them more likely to happen again.

The advice given by doc and by the web is the same, and it is good advice: eat lots of fibre, drink lots of water (and don't slack off just because it's stopped hurting - you might need to make a permanent change to the diet to stop it recurring). I've been taking stool-softeners as well this time, and it works a treat. The poo just falls out effortlessly and there has been less pain each day (yeah, trying to make sure I poo at least once a day).

Min.

P.S. PM me if you want to discuss progress privately - it's a bit awkward going public! (though I think it's helpful people know these things are quite common)