Hi Sara,
I’ve have years of external piles (about 13) internal piles (about 3, it went away by itself), and now sadly coming up to two years of fissure. Last couple of years clear of external and internal piles. And I have IBS too.
Have your doctor done a blood test, felt your stomach? Have you had a colonoscopy? External piles are easy to know you have it, because you can feel them with your finger. Internal a lot harder, I’ve had a doctor done an internal, I wish I never did that. I was only in a small bit of pain, I knew something was off, couldn’t see my doctor, so saw another. She asked me if I was bleeding, I said no. After she examined me, I went to the toilet and I was bleeding. In horrible pain for a month, I think that might of been a start to my fissure problem. Now my internal pile, after a colonoscopy, was found to be to high to band, not to have a operation, just put up with it. And it did go away.
Your doctor is more then likely right that it is a internal pile, but yes it is scary when you google up as the symptoms are very similar. But also look at the other symptoms there, like unexplained weight loss.
After living years with piles and fissure there’s a lot you can do to help yourself like spritz bath, in America they have a thing they put over the toilet. But I’m from Australia, so I just sit in the bath, warm water about 5cm high (enough to cover your bottom) with half a cup of salt. Soak for 15 minutes, do this after a poop. I’m currently doing this three times a day, before I insert my finger up my bottom with Rectogesi to treat my fissure (life not great at the moment). Spritz baths will help you heal. I just buy a bag of salt from the supermarket. Fibre, fibre and more fibre is important to keeping your bowels soft. Metamucil (not sure if you have that in the UK) is great for keeping the poops soft too. Both the spritz bath and soft poops will help with the bleeding. I also make my own treatments but that’s more for external piles.
I’m currently seeing a surgeon for my fissure (2 years)and will try Botox next, if that doesn’t work then surgery, even though they are telling me to live with it. I hope you never experienced a fissure, it’s like pooping out glass. Good day is pain after I poop and I have to lie down for ten minutes to let the pain pass, then I’m fine for the day. But lately it becoming more of a problem. Last week it felt like I had glass up my bottom all day. So I’m back using Rectogesic until I can see the surgeon again. The funny thing is no family history, my mum just looks at me blankly and has no idea what I’m talking about and the pain I’m in. Sorry got sidetracked, my recommended to you if your worried is to have a colonoscopy.
You would no for sure then if’s it’s a internal pile, because they will make a note of anything they find. I have questioned my doctor before, like could it be cancer, she not concerned because of colonoscopy, blood test, and with the fissure and external piles she can see them.
And yes I do bleed on and off over the years, I noticed it mainly on the toilet paper as I wipe. But when I had my internal pile along the poop.
Let me know how you get on, and ask any other question you think of, or I missed. My life is definitely a pain in the ass right now
Lyn
