Bleeding, Fissures, etc

Hey everyone,

I'm having a bout of bleeding again and I have a few questions...

For the people that have fissures, when they're acting up, are they painful? All the doctors that I've seen say I have a fissure but 99% of the time that I'm bleeding I DON'T have pain. The times that I do have pain, the pain isn't near my rectum - I'll have pain in my side for example. From everything that I've read about people's experiences with fissures, people describe the pain as pooping razor blades.
When I have bleeding, there is A LOT of blood (the water in the toilet bowl is completely red) and I often will have blood present even if I don't have a BM.
If there's nothing going on in my large intestine, and the bleeding is coming from my terminal ileum somewhere, would it still be bright red?

I'm seeing my doctor on Wednesday (new doctor, first GI appointment since being diagnosed) and I'm going to bring it up with him. I'm just wondering what's going on and if I'm starting to flare again. I feel like crap today

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Current:
Dx: Crohn’s Ileitis as of 22/02/08
Rx: 4g Pentasa (2 pills 4 times per day)
9mg Budesonide (one capsule 3 times per day for the next 6 weeks)

Pre 22/02/08: 2.4g Asacol (discontinued due to Crohn's Diagnosis)

When I was diagnosed, almost 20 years ago, I had fissures and fistulas. At the time, I had just had a baby and all the doctors I saw thought I had Hemis, but it was just as you posted, like I was pooping razor blades. It got to the point that I stopped eating. It just wasn't worth it to have to poop. I don't remember the blood, but there must have been some, but certainly not to the point that the toilet water was red.

Now I have active disease in the rectum again. Its the first time it has reared its ugly head in the rear again (pun intended). Usually my disease is at the TI, or where my TI used to be. Now even when I don't actually have a BM, but just pass gas, I am shooting blood at the back of the toilet. Very lovely. It is bright red, but also not enough to make the water red. If your active disease is all at the TI the blood that would be exiting would be darker in color. This is something you should be speaking with your new doctor about. I can't explain the pain though, except that we all experience pain differently. But still, it seems weird that you could have fissures with out any pain.

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Suzanne

CD 19 years offically, 29 unofficially. 3 resections '93, '95 '97
Symptoms constantly but all tests show only minor ulcerations. Currently having multiple episodes of gastritis with no known cause.


Prednisone, 6MP,Prevacid, B12 shots, Bentyl, Xifaxan.....

 

 

       When I have a fissure, it HURTS. ***BAD*** Think sitting on broken glass, than pouring sal***er & lemon juice in the cuts. You'll be about halfway there. For me, a fissure rates up there near kidneystone pain. And of course they bleed. They can produce frightening amounts of blood ( to look at, its never as bad as it looks, fortunately).

       If you have a fissure you generally will know.

 

       Sincerely,

       Matthew

 

I have anal fissures and they usually don't hurt me when I'm bleeding because I'm "peeing out of my butt." HOWEVER, when I went into remission and my stools actually started forming it hurt like no other. Seriously, the pain was intense. Really bad. So when I'm flaring my fissures don't bother me, but when in remission they are really REALLY painful.

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turboemma.blogspot.com/

zanne, are you using rectal meds for your proctitis (inflammation of the rectom)?

Cortifoam is what I'v had the best luck with myself.

:)

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My bum is broken....there's a big crack down the middle of it!  LOL  :)

I've had a fissure for the past five years. The colorectal surgeon tried everything he could think of to treat it, but finally gave up and said it would never heal properly. He said he could fix it surgically, but that then I'd be incontinent--so we agreed to leave the fissure in place. Interestingly enough, it never bleeds. But when I'm having really really constant diarrhea, it gets irritated. It feels granular, stings, swells, and makes it uncomfortable to sit, walk, or use the bathroom. I take a bath every night before bed, which helps.

aww nawlinscate that sounds just terrible...have you ever tried gently rubbing extra virgine olive oil on it, it has healing properties.

:)

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My bum is broken....there's a big crack down the middle of it!  LOL  :)

The fissure I had lasted several years and caused intense, severe, sharp pain like razor blades, knives and sharp glass passing through me. For me, the blood was as you describe--the toilet bowl water was completely bright red.

Just wanted to add this about EVOO...

Extra virgin olive oil has always been thought of as falling somewhere between food and medicine. Hippocrates himself recommended the juice of fresh olives as a cure for mental illnesses and poultices of macerated olives for ulcers. In antiquity, people used it to cure ailments, as a ointment to prevent spots and wrinkles, and to make their hair soft and shiny. Today, many people use it to ease thorns out from undert the skin, to treat stomach aches and to soften callouses. Olive oil plays a sundamental role in the field of cosmetics because of its affinity with the human skin and tissue. Modern medicine has also started to give serious consideration to the healing properties of extra virgin olive oil. In fact, the nutritional values of olive oil are so abudant that it is beneficial to people of all ages, including the young who are constantly searching for ways to stay fit and boots their energy levels. It contains vitamin E, a powerful antioxidant, which helps the body fight against free radicals regarded as one of causes of the ageing process of the body. Also od great nutritional value is the presence of some unsaturated fatty acids which can not be produced by our organism, but are essential to our diet. The nutritional composition of olive oil is balanced in such a way that it comes close to satisfying the needs of the human organism. This is why extra virgin oil is known to help prevent cardiovascular diseases, atherosclerosis, andthe risk of heart attack. It is especially vital for the elderly and for children because of its capacity to limit the loss of calcium, and suitable for young people with active sports’ lives as it acts as an energy supplement. It is easily digestible, and facilitates liver activity and regular intestinal functions.

:)

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My bum is broken....there's a big crack down the middle of it!  LOL  :)

Thanks for your replies everyone.
My stools aren't watery (they're soft, not formed) so I'm assuming I would have a lot of pain if it was the fissure. Whenever I've experienced bleeding, I've always had soft stools/D (never constipation).
I also don't have problems sitting.

My active disease is all in my terminal ileum (and possibly further in my small intestine) from what the surgeon told me. He was surprised that my large intestine wasn't affected considering the symptoms I've been having.

I've been feeling light headed & dizzy all day on top of all of it. bleh.

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Current:
Dx: Crohn’s Ileitis as of 22/02/08
Rx: 4g Pentasa (2 pills 4 times per day)
9mg Budesonide (one capsule 3 times per day for the next 6 weeks)

Pre 22/02/08: 2.4g Asacol (discontinued due to Crohn's Diagnosis)

Extracted oils from the ground and pressed olives have many healing properties and medicinal uses:


heals wounds

moisturizes skin and strengthens fingernails

lowers cholesterol levels which lessens the risk of cardiovascular diseases
- use olive oil instead of other fats in salads, sandwiches and foods that require cooking oil.

aids digestion and relieves stomach disorders, including flatulence, heartburn and constipation
- drink a mixture of 1 tbsp. of olive oil and the juice of 1 lemon, drink before breakfast.

rich in vitamin E
- a recognized antioxidant that combats the free radicals that damage body cells and tissues.

...those who consume the highest quantities of Olive Oil are less likely than others to develop rheumatoid arthritis.

Just thought I'd add this for you, being a wound healer I thought you might be more encouraged to give it a try for your fissure.

:)

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My bum is broken....there's a big crack down the middle of it!  LOL  :)

Just to add my two cents, here's my experience:

I had a fissure a couple years ago that lasted for months; it was accompanied by intense pain while using the restroom and agony that lasted for hours after. I have a pretty good idea what caused it (intense stress coupled with hardcore Crohn’s- remission caused constipation) but I have no idea what made it go away, it just did. I just hope I never have one again- it was horrid. I stopped eating altogether to avoid having to use the bathroom, but it didn’t make much of a difference, I was still going daily at least and nothing they prescribed me helped. The only thing that gave me any relief at all were long hot butt-soaks in the tub.

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Laurenne, 23 Student @ University of California, Davis.
Dx'd w/ IBS and CD in 2002
Just started taking Humira but not feeling better yet.

Hmm, the big fissure I had from the 2000 Major Flare lasted after I went into remission. But it hurt either way, I just cannot win for the losing..

Matthew

Well I had my SBFT on Friday and the bleeding is back... Went to the doctor and they did an anoscopy and coudn't see anything (no fissure, no hemroids, no fistulas).

Once again, the bleeding started after a bout of diarrhea (thank you barium!!)...

No idea what's going on in there - SO frustrating!

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Current:
Dx: Crohn’s Ileitis as of 22/02/08
Rx: Salofalk 4g/day (26/02/08)
6mg Budesonide (for the next 6 weeks as of 04/04/08)

Discontinued meds:
Asacol 2.4g
Pentasa 4g

i also suffer badley with fissures already had surgarey but they keep coming dose anyone no what is avalible at chemist i have 3 small kids and as much as i want to play with them i cant because you can hardley walk,exspecially after a bm.

I have had a fissure for the last two months. The bloody thing hurts like hell. The pain is so intense that your mind freezes.

I have to agree with the ones that said the pain was intense. I had a fissure that lasted months and i've never had that kind of pain before.I would have to say if you have a fissure there's no question about it you'll know. I also had alot of bleeding from my fissure had it corrected with surgery best thing i ever did. Pray i never have another one.

I would describe my fissure pain as pooping glass as well! VERY painful! The surgeon fixed it when he went in and fixed my fistula, that ended up being a few inches away from it. But yes, it hurt, and bled. It was awful.

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~Jennifer

I wish there was something that would magically heal it. I have a large one that just opens whenever it feels like. I was thinking the pain is comparable to when I had a baby and didn't get a chance to get an episiotomy (for all those ladies out there). Wonder if Dermablast and the old tire tube would help anyone??

George can you email the info on the cream that can be made from the pharmacist? My email is nikki0294@aol.com
Thank you!