purpleladyfish

AussieTam,

Sounds like you have a fissure. You need to avoid the constipation and get your stools to be soft and self moving. Drink plenty of fluids daily, eat lots of fiber and try taking a fiber supplement to help. Personally, I use Citrucel, no gas and bloating, at least for me. I don't know how long you have been experiencing this but you definitely want to do everything you can to heal this as soon as possible. I had one last year that went on for 8 months before I finally decided to have surgery. These things stand the best chance of healing on their own if you catch them early on. You need to keep your stool soft and you need to get regular. Fiber really helps to do this as does the fluids. Do not count coffee or any other beverage that contains caffeine in it as they are natural dehydrators. If you haven't seen a doctor yet you might want to soon just to make sure and rule out anything else. If it is a fissure, most doctors will not be cruel enough to try and perform a rectal exam on you. Most fissures are visible simply by parting the anus and there it usually is. If conservative methods do not work (as explained above) then there are medications that the doctor can give you to try and aid in the healing. You might even want to try some stool softener for awhile. You need to be patient and give these things a chance to work. Everyone is different so it could be a few days to a week or so before you see any results but the key is to not give up early on, have patience and I know that is hard given the pain you are experiencing, remember, I have been there. Being constipated, passing the harder drier pieces of stool have overstretched your anus and caused the tear (fissure). You can even try sitz baths a few times a day especially after having a bm as they help to relax the sphincter muscle and they also help to keep the area clean. I hope you find this helpful and have success. Remember, you should see a doctor soon, anyway. I suggest a colon rectal doctor. You are in my prayers.