Hi all, this is my first time posting, though I have been actively reading the forums here since my takedown in May of 2015. I tried searching for solutions to my problem on the site, but the pain I am currently feeling is so severe that I wanted to start my own thread.
A little background: I had continuous bleeding for a couple weeks and had a flex sig on 6/29/15. My surgeon said he saw a small amount of inflammation at the connection of the cuff and prescribed hydrocortisone suppositories. I've taken these 2x/day for the past 6 days and will continue taking them until the two-week dose runs out.
Now onto my current problem. As today was Independence Day, there was a fair amount of celebrating with my family and I mistakenly ate to my heart's content (and to my gut's dismay). I had been eating very bland foods since my takedown (almost 7 weeks now), but today I let loose and ate fresh fruit, bok choi salad, a pulled pork sandwich with BBQ sauce and coleslaw, baked beans, lots of sweets, and a few alcoholic drinks. I did *not* take Questran before eating, and I think this may have been mistake number 1. Mistake number 2 would have been the excessive eating. Mistake number 3 was that I stopped using Desitin after my flex sig last week because I was feeling better. Up until the flex sig, I had been using it after every BM, every day for nearly 7 weeks. Today, possibly because of the food, or possibly because I spent a decent amount of time swimming with my nephews, I was in the bathroom way more than usual. My new normal is 5x/day, but today I went approx. 10 times. I think this increase in BMs stirred up some external hemorrhoids that I can now feel. Maybe I'm wrong.
Tonight when I got home, I experienced horrendous butt burn after a larger BM and generously applied Desitin, but was feeling an awful itch as well, so I also applied a dab of Preparation H Itch Cream and Preparation H Maximum Strength Pain Relief. Boy, was this a mistake. The burning instantly got WAY worse and I had to immediately attempt to wipe it all off. I used a hot washcloth for that. My attempt to wipe it off wasn't helping, so I ran a very hot bath (almost scalding -- too hot for my feet but just right for my aching bum). That provided as much relief as I could possibly have wanted. When I got into bed and was rolling around trying to find a comfortable position, it stirred up some gas, which I am not confident enough to let out without being on the toilet. I got up again, sat down in the bathroom, had another BM and the terrible butt burn was back. I got back into the tub and filled it with near-boiling water and felt better.
Here's the dilemma: I can't take a hot bath after *every* BM because it's just not practical. I'm about to go on two separate road trips, my wedding is coming up in a month, and baths tend to dry out my skin. Are there ways to replicate this relief without getting into a tub of water? A hot washcloth has usually been helping, but after my day of binge eating, it wasn't providing the kind of relief I needed. Should I take Questran now so that it "soaks up" whatever acid is left in there, to prevent butt burn? Or does it not work that way, and I just need to remember to take it before I eat?
Sorry my post is so long. Congrats if you got through the whole thing! I'm really looking for advice here -- anything you can suggest would be greatly appreciated!!
Thanks!
Emily
A little background: I had continuous bleeding for a couple weeks and had a flex sig on 6/29/15. My surgeon said he saw a small amount of inflammation at the connection of the cuff and prescribed hydrocortisone suppositories. I've taken these 2x/day for the past 6 days and will continue taking them until the two-week dose runs out.
Now onto my current problem. As today was Independence Day, there was a fair amount of celebrating with my family and I mistakenly ate to my heart's content (and to my gut's dismay). I had been eating very bland foods since my takedown (almost 7 weeks now), but today I let loose and ate fresh fruit, bok choi salad, a pulled pork sandwich with BBQ sauce and coleslaw, baked beans, lots of sweets, and a few alcoholic drinks. I did *not* take Questran before eating, and I think this may have been mistake number 1. Mistake number 2 would have been the excessive eating. Mistake number 3 was that I stopped using Desitin after my flex sig last week because I was feeling better. Up until the flex sig, I had been using it after every BM, every day for nearly 7 weeks. Today, possibly because of the food, or possibly because I spent a decent amount of time swimming with my nephews, I was in the bathroom way more than usual. My new normal is 5x/day, but today I went approx. 10 times. I think this increase in BMs stirred up some external hemorrhoids that I can now feel. Maybe I'm wrong.
Tonight when I got home, I experienced horrendous butt burn after a larger BM and generously applied Desitin, but was feeling an awful itch as well, so I also applied a dab of Preparation H Itch Cream and Preparation H Maximum Strength Pain Relief. Boy, was this a mistake. The burning instantly got WAY worse and I had to immediately attempt to wipe it all off. I used a hot washcloth for that. My attempt to wipe it off wasn't helping, so I ran a very hot bath (almost scalding -- too hot for my feet but just right for my aching bum). That provided as much relief as I could possibly have wanted. When I got into bed and was rolling around trying to find a comfortable position, it stirred up some gas, which I am not confident enough to let out without being on the toilet. I got up again, sat down in the bathroom, had another BM and the terrible butt burn was back. I got back into the tub and filled it with near-boiling water and felt better.
Here's the dilemma: I can't take a hot bath after *every* BM because it's just not practical. I'm about to go on two separate road trips, my wedding is coming up in a month, and baths tend to dry out my skin. Are there ways to replicate this relief without getting into a tub of water? A hot washcloth has usually been helping, but after my day of binge eating, it wasn't providing the kind of relief I needed. Should I take Questran now so that it "soaks up" whatever acid is left in there, to prevent butt burn? Or does it not work that way, and I just need to remember to take it before I eat?
Sorry my post is so long. Congrats if you got through the whole thing! I'm really looking for advice here -- anything you can suggest would be greatly appreciated!!
Thanks!
Emily
