Hemorrhoids - will they ever go? :-/

[ananda]

Hey, I just discovered this site and was looking for someplace I could talk about this rather embarrassing topic. I've been freaking out a bit as I've been trying to get rid of two external hemorrhoids and they just won't go. I first noticed them last August and got steroid suppositories then cream from the doc, and it kind of helped a bit but they kept coming back. I've tried everything I've heard online, extra fibre (I have irritable bowel syndrome which has mucked up my whole digestive system and may have caused the hems), squatting on the toilet, using warm baths and ice, witch hazel, anusol, prep h, apple cider vinegar. The swelling seems to go when I'm lying down, but comes back when I've been sitting or standing for any length of time.

I thought it'd got a bit better over Christmas but now I'm convinced it's as bad as ever, if not worse. It doesn't feel sore as such, just uncomfortable when it's bad and I'm always aware of it. I know I should prob just relax and try to ignore it. I've been through much worse in my life. Heck, I survived cancer when I was growing up. But I'm SO paranoid of how this looks and am worried I'll be disfigured for life. It's put me off meeting guys. It's actually made me pretty depressed and freaked out. Although I'm not exclusively bottom, I always seem to end up with guys who want to fuck me. Guess I'm worried that no one will ever want to go near my ass again.

I have a consulting appointment with a surgeon on 28th but I'm really terrified I might have to get the surgery because from 99% of the accounts I've read online, recovery from hemorrhoid surgery sounds like a hellish nightmare.

Is there any chance the hemorrhoids will still clear up on their own? I guess I'm just looking for some reassurance

 

[Benvolio]

I had a large and painful one cut in the Doctors office once. Some pain for a few days, but not a big deal.

 

[palbert]

The only thing that workd for me was to see a proctologist and have the 'rubber band" treatment done.

 

[diesel]

had surgery twice; five years apart. sorry to say that the healing after the surgeries was pretty rough for me - more the 1st time then the second because the first time the surgeon neglected to tell me to eat light a few days prior and the clean yourself out completely the night before or morning of the procedure. The day after the surgery, I had to have a bowel movement and couldn't because of the excruciating pain of trying to pass feces out,so my sphincter went into spasms and every 30 seconds or so the muscles would tighten and OMG it was bad and it went on for a couple of days. Then, every time I tried to crap, it felt like I was trying to deliver a baby, not that I would really know, but I remember crying and pleading for the pain to go away. Sitz baths were the only relief but short lived. Of course I eventually healed and I'm still here to talk about it, but let me tell you - not good!
The doctor told me that mine were clotted or something, so they would never heal and had to be removed. I tried the steroid cream and baths and whatnot but the surgery cured it 100%. Unfortunately he only did the ones that were inflamed the 1st time, but the other veins became clotted and I needed the 2nd surgery. He explained that there are about 5 positions around your anus were the veins are located and once they are removed they would never come back. I also did have fissures a few years after that and that was treated with cream and sitz baths twice a day for 2 weeks. Mind you I never had anal sex. It's what you eat and how you push out a bowel movement which you should do forcefully which such issues. I take stool softeners daily and he told me take them forever . He also told me never ever use toilet paper and always use flushable wipes which I always carry with me when I'm not at home. I'm sorry buddy, but this was my experience and yeah it was awful. Good luck bro.

 

[KaraBulut]

I have a consulting appointment with a surgeon on 28th but I'm really terrified I might have to get the surgery because from 99% of the accounts I've read online, recovery from hemorrhoid surgery sounds like a hellish nightmare.

Is there any chance the hemorrhoids will still clear up on their own? I guess I'm just looking for some reassurance

It's going to depend on what he sees in the exam.

If the problem is just a simple hemorrhoid, then ligation may be sufficient. As another member mentioned, sometimes ligation can be done in the doctors office by placing a small rubber band on the hemorrhoid which causes it to shrink and fall off like a scab.

If the problem is more extensive- as in the case of guys who have the equivalent of varicose veins across their anus and rectum- then more extensive surgery may be needed. This tends to be more involved and painful. And since it's difficult to avoid using your anus for its usual purpose, the recovery can be..well, a pain in the ass.

 

[ananda]

Thanks for the honest replies guys, I appreciate it and being able to talk to someone bout it.

I guess I'll just have to wait and see. Kinda dreading it but I also realise there's no point in worrying as it's not really something I can do much about (other than everything I've already been doing, which is quite a lot lol).

Do they do the band ligation for external haemorrhoids, or is that just the internal ones? I read most the treatment options are for the internal ones.

 

[KaraBulut]

External hemorrhoids can be banded however most surgeons don't recommend it because of the number of nerve endings that are in the area. It would be a rather persistent pin-like pain for a few days. Internal hemorrhoids tend to be less rich in nerve endings, so the pain is more non-specific.

 

[ananda]

Thanks KaraBulut, appreciate the info. I still think banding sounds a bit less tortuous than surgery, but we shall see. I'm still hoping the surgeon will say it ain't bad and will clear on its own eventually. We shall see. I'm just so pissed off as I thought it was away then it got flared up, worse than ever. Guess I just gotta man up and deal with it.

 

[KaraBulut]

Thanks KaraBulut, appreciate the info. I still think banding sounds a bit less tortuous than surgery, but we shall see. I'm still hoping the surgeon will say it ain't bad and will clear on its own eventually. We shall see. I'm just so pissed off as I thought it was away then it got flared up, worse than ever. Guess I just gotta man up and deal with it.

Keep an open mind. Even if surgery is required, so of the new options like laser coagulation aren't as rough as the traditional hemorrhoidectomy.

 

[ananda]

Thanks...I'll see how it goes at the end of the month. Still kinda hoping it settles by then!

 

[Laufey]

Well even if it does it will probably come back someday.

It's best to see a doctor while it's visible and get his opinion on whether it should be removed.

 

[RaKroma]

The only thing I know about hemorrhoids is that there are different grades of severity and with newer surgical procedures using infrared light,laser,radio frequency technologies that deliver heat to internal or external ones, up to 80% of cases can be treated with success and less recovery time. More invasive options with scalpel surgery or banding is for more severe cases. You need to find specialists that are trained and offer light/laser type procedures. Some older docs tend to stick to old school methods and don't offer newer tech.

 

[palemale]

I had a bad case of hemorrhoids, for the first time, a few years ago. My doc sent me to a proctologist when they did not clear up after about a couple of weeks and after using the suppositories. The proctologist said the suppositories are useless and don't do anything for hemorrhoids. He said the hemorrhoids would take a couple more weeks to get better or I could have surgery, and they would be better in a few days. I elected the surgery, and he did it right there in the office. The recovery was painful and I bled a lot, but I was mostly recovered in two or three days. The surgery was far preferable to two or three more weeks of the hemorrhoids.

Start eating very lightly now, only vegetables, drink lots of water. I did that as soon as I got the hemorrhoids and I only had to poop once a day (prior I always pooped at least twice a day). If you have to shit less, the recovery will go better. I do eat meat now, but less than i used to and I eat more fruit and vegetables. Haven't had any hard bowel movements since. Good luck.

 

[ananda]

Thanks guys...

I will find out about the laser/light techniques RaKroma. I am in the UK and Im honestly not sure if the NHS offers the newer treatments and unless I got the money from my parents I would not be able to afford private treatment.

Palemale (that's an interesting avatar, who is it?) what kind of surgery was it you got in the office? Was that to relieve the thrombosed hemorrhoids? It sounds much simpler and easier to recover from than the traditional hemorrhoidectomy. I don't think mine are thrombosed. They're not even sore to be honest, just irritating and when they get inflamed (mainly when I've been standing or sitting) kind of uncomfortable. Will see what the doc says. I read they don't tend to operate on external ones unless they are very bad or painful. I just want them gone though...

I do eat very light actually, as I have IBS and a v sensitive stomach. Been a vegetarian for years, eat mainly vegetables and drink lots of green tea and water I do everything right...although because of the IBS tend to get semi-diarrhea a lot (sorry it feels icky even talking about this stuff. But dignity went right out the window the moment I started the thread haha ). I think that's been aggravating things. I'm doing what I can to settle my digestive system, taking buscopan (IBS remedy) and herbs from my herbalist. He also gave me a cream to use on my ass, think it has witch hazel and other things. I even have a small stool so I can squat when I poop (again - dignity gone! lol). I'd like to only have one bowel movement a day as you said, but lately it's been two a lot of the time.

I appreciate being able to talk about this. I'm still rather depressed about it and have suspended my sex life (which seems to somehow attract guys more, weirdly enough), I'm kind of terrified of the traditional surgery (each time I look it up online I read toe-curling horror stories about the agony of it and potential complications)....but I can only take it as it comes. OK, bad expression I've got to stop stressing and see what the surgeon says on the 28th... I'll let you know

 

[palemale]

Thanks guys...

I will find out about the laser/light techniques RaKroma. I am in the UK and Im honestly not sure if the NHS offers the newer treatments and unless I got the money from my parents I would not be able to afford private treatment.

Palemale (that's an interesting avatar, who is it?) what kind of surgery was it you got in the office? Was that to relieve the thrombosed hemorrhoids? It sounds much simpler and easier to recover from than the traditional hemorrhoidectomy. I don't think mine are thrombosed. They're not even sore to be honest, just irritating and when they get inflamed (mainly when I've been standing or sitting) kind of uncomfortable. Will see what the doc says. I read they don't tend to operate on external ones unless they are very bad or painful. I just want them gone though...

I do eat very light actually, as I have IBS and a v sensitive stomach. Been a vegetarian for years, eat mainly vegetables and drink lots of green tea and water I do everything right...although because of the IBS tend to get semi-diarrhea a lot (sorry it feels icky even talking about this stuff. But dignity went right out the window the moment I started the thread haha ). I think that's been aggravating things. I'm doing what I can to settle my digestive system, taking buscopan (IBS remedy) and herbs from my herbalist. He also gave me a cream to use on my ass, think it has witch hazel and other things. I even have a small stool so I can squat when I poop (again - dignity gone! lol). I'd like to only have one bowel movement a day as you said, but lately it's been two a lot of the time.

I appreciate being able to talk about this. I'm still rather depressed about it and have suspended my sex life (which seems to somehow attract guys more, weirdly enough), I'm kind of terrified of the traditional surgery (each time I look it up online I read toe-curling horror stories about the agony of it and potential complications)....but I can only take it as it comes. OK, bad expression I've got to stop stressing and see what the surgeon says on the 28th... I'll let you know

Mine were thrombosed. It was traditional surgery with a scalpel. It may be that your hemorrhoids keep flaring because you have diarrhea so often because of your IBS. Before you do anything specific about the hemorrhoids, you should consult the doctor about this. It may be that the surgery will not prevent future problems and getting your IBS under control will also cure you of the hemorrhoid problem.

As I understand it, everybody has hemorrhoids. They only become a problem if they become inflamed.

My avatar is Mary Harris "Mother Jones.". She was one of America's greatest labor organizers and agitators. A radical, socialist and organizer for the United Mineworkers Of America. She was born in Ireland in the 1830s and her family emigrated to Canada during the Potato Famine, when there was widespread starvation in Ireland. She was a dressmaker and teacher. She emigrated to American. During a Yellow Fever epidemic in Memphis where she lived with her family, her husband and all four of her children died. She returned to Chicago to open a dress shop, but it burned to the ground during the Great Fire that burned much of Chicago. She then became active in the labor movement and the rest is history.

She was prosecuted for leading a coal miners strike in West Virginia, where the District Attorney labeled her "the most dangerous woman in America." The moniker stuck. She spent her life in the trenches with the workers, but met with Presidents and testified before Congress. She was jailed one last time in West Virgina when she was already a very old woman and kept and horrible conditions where she became very ill and nearly died. She retired after that, but I do not believe she lived very long, maybe a few years. She was too weakened from her incarceration and illness.

She once said "Pray for the dead and fight like hell for the living."

 

[ananda]

Wow, she sounds like one awesome lady palemale.

Seeing surgeon on Monday, not looking forward to it but at least I'll get it out the way and either have my mind put at rest or be able o take some action if necessary.

I'm versatile in the bedroom but only seem to attract tops...at least two guys are really interested in me right now and really want to fuck me. One seems to have stopped talking to me after I said I wasn't really bottoming right now. Hmmm. Nice.

 

[cgymike]

Mine come back every once in a while for just random reasons. But luckily they go away after a week and are usually in the same area just a little inside. In the scale of life's problems not too bad for me. Prep H or hot soaks with epsom salts work more or less. But yep they are a pain in the ass!

 

[ananda]

Thanks cgymike. Do you still manage to do anal sex with them?

I'm getting ready to go to see the surgeon. In an hour's time a guy will be poking about my ass and whilst that usually would sound enticing I'm really not looking forward to it Ironically the hems have settled down a bit this week and only occasionally feel swollen...

 

[ananda]

Hey!

I don't know what's more embarrassing, the actual exam or the fact he said he couldn't see anything. I did say the swelling has been better the past week and always goes when I lie down but he still couldn't see anything. He says if there's any swelling it's probably just a mucuosal swelling whatever that is, and I should try to just ignore it because it's not a problem. Hmmm! I guess that's good news?!! I feel relieved to get that out the way. Thanks for your support guys, I really appreciated having someone to talk to. It will be interesting to see what happens