I'm two weeks out and can't believe the discomfort from butt burn and swollen anal tissues. I still can't say I have control yet since I'm experiencing tenesmus and seem to be constantly sitting to only have very little stool come out. Fortunately I have a bidet. Just started taking BeneFiber and a couple Imodium per day. I think the swollen anal tissue is the main culprit and I need to get the inflammation down for better control. Any thoughts appreciated.
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my surgeon said no fiber for several months after surgery
I have multiple fistulas and when they start swelling and getting inflamed I take two Aleve. Takes away pain and inflammation right away for me. Worth a try? Why not, I hope it works for you too. Note: I do not take Aleve daily; only when a bad bout starts. Things usually start to feel better 24 hours later - 2/day maybe for a day or two works for me. If I do let a bad bout get away from me by thinking it will go away, I may have to take for 2-4 days. It is not something I take on a regular basis because as I'm sure we all know, our GI Docs don't like it used regularly (tummy issues). Some warm baths help with swelling, burning, itching and pain too. After an evening soak use butt cream before going to bed and usually will feel better by morning. Getting up in the middle of the night? Clean area with wipes and reapply before going back to bed. You don't want butt burn to get out of control 😬
Hope you start feeling better soon....
Hey PouchoMarx, I was told by my surgeon's nurse to take soluble fiber like BeneFiber to cluster the stool and hopefully get rid of my tenesmus.
Hey,It's Not About Me. Thanks for the thoughts. I've been taking sitz baths which keep me from going completely insane. Can't get away from the intense burn--like a hot jagged rock stuck up my anus. Have also been rotating Calmostine, ILEX and CC butt creams. Just need some relief. Thought about the NSAIDs too. I have a nurse call tomorrow and will ask about that short term.
JFILL21...this disease can make anyone go insane. 🙃 It's not an easy road, but it will get better. It takes a while to heal, inside, outside, and upstairs😀, so take it slow, take care of you the best way you can, the first year is the hardest. Your body had a big shock, you will worry when the smallest thing changes, but try not to, most things come and go. Always remember the good days when you have them and it will keep you going, gives you hope. I believe this disease feeds off of stress a lot of the time. So my mantra, Let go, Let God.....it works.
Take care....
Hello, Jfill21. It sounds like a fissure. If it feels like razor blades or broken glass cutting you during a BM, it's a fissure, possibly from going to the bathroom so many times or from straining. You're doing the right thing by taking sitz baths. It helped heal my fissure soon after takedown and I've never had another. Try to use very, very warm water, or water as hot as you can tolerate. A nurse told me that very warm water will bring a blood supply to the tissues and nerves, and will speed healing. Plus it just feels good and you get a soothing break from the pain. My bidet squeeze bottle also saved me. I used a simple cream for baby bums, Zincofax, given to me by the hospital when I was discharged. It eased the burn right away, every time (it doesn't contain menthol) and healed my raw skin within a day.
It will get better. These are very early days for you and it will take time for your new system to sort itself out. I drank a lot of bone broth everyday for hydration and for the minerals; ate eggs for breakfast everyday with toast and almond butter for the protein to heal damaged tissues and B12, and soft foods, chicken, tofu, lots of steamed fish for the first six months. No spicy foods or acidic until much later. I didn't eat much fibre and peeled all vegetables and cooked them until very soft. Now I eat everything (except seeds and nuts). Good luck to you.
I take Cholestyramine 1-2 times a day 20 minutes before meals. I use the powder, but I hear it also comes in a pill form. The one I have tastes like a chalky Orangina drink but it's tolerable. It binds to the bile and helps tremendously with burning stool- mine went away entirely. I started taking it a few months post surgery, but ask your doctor if you can try it sooner! Calmoseptine and A&D ointment have also been great. Hope this helps.
JFill21,
My surgeon had me taking metamucil several times a day along with more Imodium/Loperamide than you are taking. You can take up to 8 a day so I suggest you do more of both the fiber and Imodium.
Thanks TE MARIE, I upped my Imodium to 4 per day and will adjust as needed.
JourneyToWellness, I've never heard of Cholestyramine and wonder why it's not prescribed regularly if it works. Will look into it, thanks!
