No, but you could have a yeast infection. Talk to the doctor. They can try Fluconazole, and you can even buy over the counter lotrimen (athletes foot cream) and try that externally. Or vagisil cream, too... Might give some external relief. Try a Sitz bath, too. They really are soothing.

i have had really bad bouts of it myself..dr suggested hemroidal cream which i inserted in and outside rectum every time i went..it really helps..got to do what you got to do!!!now i use just vaseoline for preventing problem especially when i have to go a lot..

Evening

I also have this woe .I am post menopausal .I did use OTC vaginal creams which have helped.
Have you been check for a UTI ?

I been using also thanks to this forum Nupercainal for rectal burning.I saw my gastro today and he said OH you like being NUMB yup beats buring.I apply x2 daily.

I am also on Align .I do have a yeast problem

Cassiecass

I have horrible anal itching....I'm still trying to figure out how to minimize it. I really hope it will go away as I recover.

I still have anal itching on and off, though it has improved (I'm 8 months post takedown). I'm sure some of it is related to skin irritation but I think it also might be a sign of simmering cuffitis. I did a course of vancomycin for C. diff in January and the entire time I was on the antibiotics I had ZERO itching.

I used hydrocortizone creame for a while with my Internist's blessing all over.

CassieCass, I also use a postmenopausal prescription that has some estrogen in it for drying. I said I never would but am and it works on the outside too.

TE MARIE

just know estrogen creams can cause TSH to fluctate .Estrogen is the more powerful hormone.

I am thinking about using it also
Cassiecass

Thanks everyone for the input! I had my take-down in feb of 2013, i forgot to put the year! Have had no problems except for the itching. I did see my doc yesturday and have an uti. She suggusted tucks for the itching and it does seem to be helping. Checked for yeast but found none. Anyways, another question for y'all. I am steadly losing weight. down to 101 from 110 3 months ago! Could that be because 1, I don't really eat much and 2 within half and hour to an hour I'm in the bathroom depending on what I eat! What would anyones suggustion as to putting some weight back on? Thanks for any help. (sorry for the spelling mistakes! can't find my spell-check!)

Pinky, All I can suggest is that you eat more healthy foods. It is my understanding that we are getting the nutritional values from our foods and I believe that. I lost in the beginning, had a lot of prednisone weight to loose, and then gained some of it back. It sounds like you don't have any to loose so try to eat a little more or add an extra snack or two of something you like - yogurt, chips that are salty are good for hydration, something like those.

CassieCass, I said I'd never use estrogen but when it came to this I couldn't stand it! Plus you control how much and can use just as much as is needed. It comes in a tube and I measure it out. Something to discuss with your doctor anyway. I went over it with my Internist as she knows about it all, and didn't have o make a gyno appt.

I had take down 4 years ago and have had persistent itching of anal area and surrounding skin almost continuously since. I found antibiotics help but the itching returns when I stop them. I decided to endure the itching rather than have ongoing antibiotic treatment. Calmoseptine helps and now I'm trying tea tree oil which has antibiotic properties to see if that makes any difference. Frustrating problem. I still take it over UC symptoms though!

My itching gets so bad that I have to use lidocane on it. I use it with calmoseptine or desitan. Sometimes soaking in the bathtub helps too.

I was at the docs last week for a uti. I asked her about it and she reccomended Tucks. But, I also had her fill a prescription for my excema and have been using that! Its a stronger hydocortisone. Has been helping with the itching thou! And YES! I will take the itching over U.C. any day!!

Is it true that we have to be careful using hydrocortisone cream in the anal area because it can thin the skin? I find steroid cream helps but don't want to cause a new problem.

We got a hot tub and I had to quit using it as chlorine bothers that area too much. I have asked that my husband change it to a different kind of system. Have a feeling that's not happening.

I went in it the other day for the first time in a long time and didn't turn on the jets and took a shower right away.

We also have a lot of chlorine in our city's water supply. I think chlorine is a big part of my problem.

quote:

I find steroid cream helps but don't want to cause a new problem.

You should not be using steroid cream.
It can get into your system like taking oral steroids (remember that's how medication is delivered through a patch).

There's a product called Zeasorb you can pick up at Walgreen's or Walmart in the section where you'd find athlete's foot cream.It works great! Within a day.
My doctor told me to use it when I had trouble under the bag before my takedown. I also had a yeast infection due to taking antibiotics after surgery. My doc said using the Zeasorb there would work too, which it did. Didn't need to use the usual female stuff to clear that up and that worked within a day as well. Try it, you'll be surprised! No need to suffer like that!

-Roni*

Thanks Roni for the advice! I will certainly check that out!

When I mentioned episodes of severe anal itching my surgeon told me it is usually caused by leakage or seepage and to keep the anal area especially clean....even if it appears to be clean. So, at those times I use wipes and Calmoseptine in addition to my bidet. Good luck!

Thanks! I'll keep that in mind!

To clarify the steroid cream I was talking about above. It is very weak steroid wise, OTC Hydrocortisone Cream for "fast itch and rash relief" has 1% of hydrocortisone in it. My doctor has said It's ok to use. I haven't had a problem for a while but worked. A very little bit works well and I did not use it in the anal area, I used calmoseptine there.

As I described above I have also used a tiny bit of the estrogen prescription medication, for my internal female drying problem, helped the external itching problem too but as someone else pointed out that's not a good choice for most women. I didn't use this in the anal area either.

CeeeCeee's description of how to cleanse and treat the anal area is about how I handle itching there.

P.S.
My husband has been doing serious research into changing the hot tub water treatment to use no chlorine! It will be better for him too, the old fart shouldn't be breathing in all that chlorine mist and it can't be good for his eczema skin places either.

probably yeast infection. I am given flucanole b/c going to bathroom so much can not keep anything on me.