I haven't been on here in a long time.
I'm really starting to get frustrated because I've had 4 fissures for about 4-7 months and I don't know what else to do. I'm currently on Remicade treatments and that seemed to help for a little while but now the bleeding is back and the sharp pains are back when I'm using the bathroom. I'm currently on Flagyl again and I'm still on pain medication. I'm just so tired of being on medication and feeling sick all the time. I've only had my J-pouch for 9 months and I'm having problems. I'm not giving up and I'm going to do everything I can to keep my J-pouch but when do you say enough is enough?
Anyways. I just needed to vent.

Anyone else going through this?
My family doesn't seem to understand why I keep getting sick and I think they are tired of me complaining.

Thanks for listning.
-Danielle

Danielle,
You have every reason to complain if you have fissures. They really hurt!!! One thing that may help you, a suggestion by Shell Worrall, is using nitroglycerin ointment. It really helps. Talk to your surgeon about it.

My Dr. gave me bella donna supositories and nitroglycerin ointment. Just be sure to use some vaseline when using the supositories.

Judy

Thank you very much Mike and Judy.
I will try the ointment and see if that helps.

-Danielle

I had nifedipene powder in xylocaine ointment which helped but I noticed that when I made my stools thicker by using metamucil along with the nifedipene, things healed MUCH more quickly than using the ointment by itself.

Danielle, you are not alone. I have had ongoing fissure issues for over one year now. The ointments did not help me. They now say that the fissures are Crohn's related. I had success also with Remicade, but after a few months, the positive effects of the Remicade lasted for shorter time periods. I had relief for only 4 weeks and then the pain was back and I had to wait another 4 weeks for the next infusion.

I went to see Dr. Shen, a GI at CCF, and he put me on 6MP, Cipro and Tindamax. He said that the 6MP and the Remicade would complement each other and the effects would last longer. So far it is working. I have my next Remicade in 3 weeks and do not have any pain as of now. That is better than it was last month. I am praying that this is the solution.

The pain from a fissure is really intense and depressing so don't feel like you are over-exaggerating your misery. You are not. When I have that pain, that lasts long even after a BM, I am practically in tears. I told the surgeon that I was failing with the j-pouch and I can't go on with the pain and maybe I should go back to an ileo. He told me not to panic yet and sent me to the GI, who put me on the 6MP. I started the 6MP a month ago and if it doesn't help, I will have to re-evaluate the quality of life issues. Having constant pain really lowers your quality of life dramatically.

I wish you the best of luck and hope you find a solution that works for you soon.

Donna

Thank you everyone.

I went to the doctor last Friday and I have another fissure or it's the same fissures. Not sure but he said it was still there and he put me on some new medication and I have a(n) Remicade treatment on Wednesday and he's going to up the dosage to 10mg. So hopefully this will all work out.
I'm going crazy, these things hurt!

Thanks for all the support.
-Danielle