Well, this is embarrassing!

[gla]

Hi guys

I have ibs, and one of the problems this has brought is the dreaded *whispers* piles

I often get bouts of pain, although sometimes it get really painful; I once had a 3 hour exam and I was going through a particularly spiky situation - I was in a real sweat, and not just because of the exam questions


But, recently, I've been getting quite regular bouts of extreme pain. I'm not constipated, but I've had a history of getting piles since I was little, and I think other members of my family also suffer with them, so maybe its just one of those things that I'm susceptible to.

I have googled, and while google can often be a source of stress rather than comfort, I think it may be possible to say that, based on my past few experiences of piles, and what I have read, my piles are more like anal thrombosis

I'm in so much pain right now - I had to leave work early because the pain was making me feel unwell; it was difficult because I had to hide my discomfort as I wouldn't want to admit I have got piles... I'm going nuts with pain, and nothing seems to help - painkillers, ice, sprays, rubber ring (yep, I bought one of those).

I'm going to have to face up to it and call the doctors tomorrow morning (I was going to call the out of hours service, but I can hardly walk right now, and driving has been an ordeal today), but as often happens when I get like this, by the time I get to actually see the doctor, things invariably settle down.

Does anyone else have experience of painful piles, and what can be done about them?

[Speranza]

Yes, and it does feel embarrassing - but it is great to have them dealt with! I shan't go into possible treatments, but they work. Horrible pain isn't it!!

[gla]

hi Speranza,


Oh gosh, its horrid isn't it


I had a bout not so long ago and I thought that after that, I would be off the hook for a while, but the body-gods seem to have had other ideas!

Gonna phone first thing tomorrow and see if I can get an appointment. I just hope I can walk by then without looking like a cowboy

[Speranza]

The treatment is nothing awful btw - it's just there are a couple of alternatives so no point discussing yet. However, I WILL say that I have had BETTER moments in my life than having a rather gorgeous male doctor looking up my backside and pumping air in. And hanging around long enough for it to start coming back out.

As my Dad always said, "Yer've got to laugh, haven't you...."

[gla]

Oh my, italways seems to be the way that the most embarrassing medical situations involve a gorgeous doctor/nurse, which makes things all the more... memorable


I've been up all night with pain, so I'm going to be ringing my surgery as soon as it opens for advice. I don't know what i'm going to tell my boss at work - that is going to be super embarrassing!

[JustJules]

gla, I think I have them at the moment but not being a usual sufferer I don't know if that's what they are...it started with a 'hard lump' feeling or pressure in my bottom, no bleeding, when I had a really bad anxious spell and was going to the loo all day and somebody said that can give you piles as well and not just from constipation. I have a bit of backache some days and feel a bit unwell with it sometimes....have used suppositories and they help but it's not going. I've made a doctor's appointment for next week but I'm worrying myself silly it's anal cancer/tumour up there. I get pains in the cheeks of my bottom and down my legs with it, surely that's not with piles as well?

[Annie0904]

Just jules. yes piles can cause that pain especially if you are straining to go to the loo. I have had them really bad and also had anal fissures which are very painful. The doctor gave me ointment and suppositories which helped. I use Epsom salts in my bath and since I started to use it I have not had the trouble with fissures.

[JustJules]

No straining, usually loose for me but I'm hoping it's piles up there and not something nasty. My blood tests were clear the other month so hopefully that's a good sign.

[Annie0904]

If your blood test results were clear then that is a very good sign
Pressure from piles can cause a lot of pain...literally a pain in the bum

[gla]

gla, I think I have them at the moment but not being a usual sufferer I don't know if that's what they are...it started with a 'hard lump' feeling or pressure in my bottom, no bleeding, when I had a really bad anxious spell and was going to the loo all day and somebody said that can give you piles as well and not just from constipation. I have a bit of backache some days and feel a bit unwell with it sometimes....have used suppositories and they help but it's not going. I've made a doctor's appointment for next week but I'm worrying myself silly it's anal cancer/tumour up there. I get pains in the cheeks of my bottom and down my legs with it, surely that's not with piles as well?

Hi Jules - I also get pain down my legs and in my cheeks -- I think this may be related to the way I 'hold' myself when I'm in pain. A bit like when you have a sore foot or something like that, and you stand differently but in turn end up aching more

I saw a doctor this morning, and she said I had a very impressive set of piles... I told her I wasn't sure if that was a compliment

As I seem to have quite a bunch (sorry!), I am going to get referred to a specialist to get something done about them. I was prescribed some ointment and suppositories, although I haven't used a suppository yet. I will wait for things to settle a little bit before then!

Hopefully I will hear something from my referral soon, I've got a bag of frozen sweetcorn in the middle of a rubber ring as my makeshift seat; its comfy, but the poor,poor sweetcorn...