TMI Warning - Bowel Related.

Stool softners may be helpful to you! They are available over-the-counter, but I would seek advise from my physician before I began taking anything new.

You most likely have an anal fissure. They are PAINFUL! Unfortunately I have a lot of experience with this, and they're caused by chronic constipation and straining OR by diarrhea where your anal tissues are subjected to spasms. Childbirth can definitely do it! You should go to the doctor to be 100% sure that's what you're dealing with, and they'll give you some things to do. If it won't go away, there are surgical options. I had to have surgery 12 years ago, and it helped, but I still have recurrences. The BEST thing I've done is truly get my bowels regulated through diet, exercise, fiber intake and lots of water so that I rarely ever get constipated. You'll be told to increase fiber, and that's GREAT, but make sure you drink a ton of water or it will make your BMs HUGE! Also -soak in sitz baths or all over warm baths -particularly after a bowel movement. I had a bidet installed in my new home mostly for this! If you're not in the position to do a sitz or other bath, get a washcloth REALLY warm and hold it over your anus after a BM. I know it sounds gross, but it's SO relieving! Use Tucks cream and medicated pads to wipe with. I know you don't have hemorrhoids, and I never have either, but the Tucks is soothing and the cream helps any itching.

It is far more common than you would think! If you up your fiber (veggies, fruits, whole grains) and water, at least walk for 30m to an hour 4 or 5 times a day (or do some other type of exercise) and use the hot water therapy, you'll probably be fine before too long. Just see your doctor to make sure that a fissure is your problem!

I know someone who went through this as well, her hemorrhoids were internal and she or her hubby could not see them. They can cause bright red blood streaks when you wipe and painful bowel movements. Sometimes surgery is required, but a doctor can also rubber band them to remove them. A high fiber diet also helps. I would contact your doctor and have the problem evaluated. It may be slightly embarrassing for you, but like my friend mentioned...the piece of mind knowing it wasn't something more serious was worth it. And she said the relief of having it taken care of made her get over her initial embarrassment.

ABSOLUTELY see your doctor! It's probably an internal hemmorroid as other Mom's have mentioned, either way, please have it checked.

Maybe try PB8 to get yor intestingla flora under control and see if that helps. Maybe take 3 before bed and see. Sometimes it takes a few days. If it persists, maybe see your doc. if you had IV antibiotics for GBS, it could be as easy as a a probitoic, like PB8.

Lucky me, I'm a bit of an expert on the issue (though not as much as a few people I know).

Not only was I blessed with hemorrhoids just after having my daughter, but the chemo regiment I was on gave me horrible constipation and exacerbated my hemorrhoids. I had both internal and external that I had to see my OB/GYN for treatment.

My guess is either anal fissures in which the delicate membranes (skin) around the anas tear and are hard to heal because they're constantly reopened.

The other guess is hemhorroids both internal and external. They're essentially vericose veins that are aggravated by straining like in child birth. It took mine (postpartum) a few weeks to develop.

Over the counter products were really not helpful to me. My Oncologist did have me on Dulcolax (stool softener) and finally Senna to help reduce the volume of the stool and to make it easier to pass.
My OB/GYN had given me samples of both Rectagel (http://www.drugs.com/cdi/rectagel-hc-cream.html) and Analpram
(http://www.drugs.com/cdi/analpram-hc-cream.html).

Really awful names, I know! But, they were a saving grace along with Preparation H wipes. I literally feared going to the bathroom each day, but they slowly got better.

I'd honestly recommend calling your OB/GYN. They're so accustomed to seeing things like this. They can tell you if it's an internal/external problem, anal fissures, etc.

Sorry for all the details. After 2 kids and cancer, I have lost the filter and have no problem sharing information if it helps someone out.

Good luck!

Like Dana, lucky me, another experienced one....

My first suggestion is that you get more water, not more liquids, but water in you. Is the pain simply at your rectal area? If it is then your BMs are probably not soft enough to fit through the opening. If you are having pain in other areas then it is probably a little more serious.

Colon health is critical to overall health. Your nutritional absorption sites are there and you HAVE to absorb your nutrition. Do you have much fiber in your diet? That is a necessity. Fiber keeps that area clean so that it will stay healthy. This is a common problem today with the types of food we eat. This kind of common is not good. Pesticides, preservatives, hormones and antibiotics that are in our food source these days makes it necessary to monitor our bodies a little bit more than we used to. EVERYONE should have a bowel movement one hour or so after EVERY meal. If you aren't, then you need some specific help.

PM me if you want specific information. It's not a hard process and it's not an expensive process, it's simply something we all need to tend to every day.

Regards,

M.
www.squidoo.com/ifyourbabycouldtalk

Hi there, Peachy: I wouldn't think this is anything serious but you do need to get it checked out to get it diagnosed and have it treated to get relief. If it is an internal hemorrhoid, which is a very real possibility, someone said that the surgery for this is very painful - well, that's no longer the case - there is a new procedure that is done in a doctor's office and I believe it is with a laser and it is Painless! and I think it takes about 10 minutes. I know Dr. Goldman at North Fulton Hospital here in Roswell does it and he is excellent. Best of luck to you and don't be upset - all of the possibilities for this pain are treatable and curable. God bless. M.

it checked by a doctor. Second, if all is well there, you might want to try putting your feet up on a low stool when you are trying to evacuate your bowels. The "squatting" position that the stool afords you "lines" your intestines up with your colon. When I have trouble (sometimes I am constipated and it feels like I am passing glass) this is what I do - and it helps. Also, relax! Take a few deep breaths and relax, this too works wonders in addition to the foot stool.
Third, cut out milk and milk products and eat a lot of yogurt (yes it's milk, but it has enzymes in it that are good for you) and load up on oatmeal, which "coats" your bowels making it easier for things to pass through.
Good luck.

Are you bowels hard or large? they should be the consistency of toothpaste and easy to push out. Tears in the anus (which is probably the cause of the blood you are seeing on the toilet paper) are caused by excessive straining, large bowel movements or hard bowel movements. It's like a little cut and Preparation H would most definitely burn like crazy! I would talk to your doctor since it seems to be happening fairly regularly. They might want you to take a stool softener like Miralax or Dulcolax. I don't think it's anything to get all worked up over. It's a fairly common problem.
In the meantime, make sure you drink a LOT of water (8 8oz glasses a day), eat lots of green leafy vegetable and fruit (fruits that start w/ P are "poop" fruits). Don't forget lots of fiber too! Try to stay away from things that are going to plug you up (dairy, lots of carbs).

You have piles. I know I suffered for 10 years. It only gets worse. see your doctor a simple outpatient procedure will fix it. It hurt less going the day after surgery. Immediate releif!!!!!! I sent my surgeon a Thank you card!!

Hello Peachy,
I gotta say, that I don't feel that ur problem is TMI for me, and that may be due to me going through the same thing. And just recently. I believe it's due to my diet, I'm only speaking for myself and not sure if this may apply to you also. But I haven't been working out as much lately, too tired at times, and then always grabbing the fastest thing to eat due to time restraints. So my system is shot. But I just had that problem unfortunately, last week and it just continued so I was hurt for a few days, soooo uncomfortable. So I had a small hemmorroid and my husband had to suffer. But I did use preparation H and it did work even though it burned, I dealt with it. So I hope something helped you in this.....

I gave vaginal birth to twins. A 6lb and a 5 lb 10 ounce and afterwards for quite sometime it was very painful to have a bowel movement. It was to the point everytime I had to have a bowel movement I would have to take a wad of toilet paper and press it against the sides or wall of the anus so I wouldn't feel as though I was ripping my insides apart. It still hurt but for some reason that seemed to help along with a suppository called Anusol.
I went to my OB about it because I really thought I had a hemmoroid issue even though I didn't having the burning or itching to go along with it. I used a stool softner along with the Anusol suppositories and with time it did get better and it hasn't required surgery. I have heard that hemorroid surgery is the most painful-now whether that is true or not I do not know but I didn't want to find out for myself either. I think following a good diet and maybe using the Anusol and stool softner might help you but I would suggest going to your doc first to get checked and make sure that this is something that will heal in its own time. Man it sucks to have pain from the delivery and finally heal from that only to remain in pain from a different area that has no relation of where that baby came out but you know its within close quarters so I can understand how messed up that area could get after childbirth or whatever. I am so sorry I understand the pain but hopefully in time it will get better without you having to undergo surgery for it.
Good luck ...go to your doctor.

Oh I so can't forget the pain from having a BM after having the kids!!!! I found that a vegetable stool softener helped me out greatly after I had both of my kids. Our insides get crammed in there which can upset the digestion process and cause larger or harder than normal stools.

Also, get check by your DR. Just because you can feel any hemorrhoids right there, you could have polyps or hemorrhoids farther up inside.

Good luck and congrats!
S.

if preparation h causes you stinging pain you pry have cuts along your anus from hard stools. Have you tried a stool softner?

My friend had this and she had a anal fissure after her first child.It was so painful she cried when passing movements She was given Botox injections into the sphincter muscle to relax it so it could heal and took laxatives to prevent any hard stools undoing the healing. She ended up having surgery to correct the problem because she had left it too long to seek advice and the fissure was deep. My advice would be get it checked out by the doc to see if it is this.I personally have had piles from giving birth and have had surgery as some were internal, preparation H worked well and didn't sting so it doesn't sound like that to me and they kind of throbbed and itched a bit it wasn't a sharp pain, I actually found the surgery really painful and I got them back after my second child so If its not a fissure I would advise getting the stronger cream that has an analgesic in it there are different strengths I used the strongest and try to avoid surgery it did take 6 weeks to totally go after I switched to the stronger cream.Everything is tickty boo now so surgery isn't always required. Regarding the terminally ill issue I do believe that the sign is old dark blood in your stools from further up in the colon, bright red blood is usually piles or a fissure.Hope it gets sorted for you x x

I would talk to my ob to make sure that my guess is right. I think it sounds like you may have an anal fissure. https://health.google.com/health/ref/Anal+fissure

Good luck to you!

First of all, drink lots of WATER. Water helps everything come out easier and softer. But, if your stools are not hard/big, then I would say something else might be up and seeing a rectal specialist may be worth the effort (and peace of mind you will get after!)

Are still taking prenatal vitamins? Too much iron can cause hard stools.

i recommend going to a colon and rectal doctor. i saw one for quite awhile for both internal hems and an anal fissure. the anal fissure was really painful. what was even more frustrating was seeing my normal doctor and telling them about the issue and getting no relief. finally it was recommended that i see a specialist, which i could have done without their recommendation as my insurance does not require. i had to have surgery. it all started from going to one of those all you can eat Brazil meat places as i typically eat lots of veggies and fruit. it is very painful though the surgery is no big deal.

Sounds like internal hemrroids but...my best friend tore her rectum muscle after childbirth and the symptoms are the same. Hemrroids usully get better a muscle tear won't. Her ob wouldn't listen to her that something was wrong and she finally went to a GI doc who diagnosed her. She used an internal cream for awhile and ended up having surgery. She is back 100% now. Please go to the doctor and don't let them blow you off. It is not normal to bleed for this long.