[Displaced]

I know there a zillion posts in this group about hemorrhoids, but that's a lot to sort through to find ones that might be relevant, so I"ll start a new one. I've had IBS-C for years, and a few years ago began experiencing what are probably hemorrhoids. Amazingly, no primary care doctor or GI specialist has ever done an exam in that area; if hemorrhoids were visible on colonoscopy, the topic didn't come up. I've used one of the over the counter hemorrhoidal creams and found them helpful, but the label says not to use it for too many days at a time. I've reached a point where the discomfort is fairly constant, and sometimes if I have a bowel movement that's thicker or lumpier than usual, it's painful to release. Does this sound like a hemorrhoid symptom? I don't have any bleeding. I have an appointment with my GI doctor in a few weeks, and I will ask if he can do a physical exam, or if not on the spot, if it can be scheduled as a new appointment, ASAP. I've just started using a sitz bath, which is supposed to help but not necessarily resolve the situation. I assume that as long as I have constipation, I'll have hemorrhoids, so I don't know if the customary treatments would work. Any advice?

 

[annie7]

so sorry you have hemorrhoids. i had them years ago. my primary care doc dx'd me with an anoscope. she rx'd Anusol AC suppositories for me which did help relieve the swelling and the pain a bit. ocassionally i had bleeding. i also used a sitz bath, which was soothing, once or twice a day.

i would think that your gastro doc would be able to check you for them right then and there at the appointment rather than need advance notice.

and yes, you're right. unfortunately a lot of us with constipation get them....they say if you have hemmies, don't strain but sometimes it's hard to have a bm if you don't strain. once i began using laxatives, i didn't have to strain but i know a lot of people don't want to use laxatives. or hopefully linzess or motegrity, etc would help with having a bm without straining but unfortunately these meds don't always work for everyone.

good luck with everything. and good luck with your gastro appointment.

 

[Displaced]

so sorry you have hemorrhoids. i had them years ago. my primary care doc dx'd me with an anoscope. she rx'd Anusol AC suppositories for me which did help relieve the swelling and the pain a bit. ocassionally i had bleeding. i also used a sitz bath, which was soothing, once or twice a day.

i would think that your gastro doc would be able to check you for them right then and there at the appointment rather than need advance notice.

and yes, you're right. unfortunately a lot of us with constipation get them....they say if you have hemmies, don't strain but sometimes it's hard to have a bm if you don't strain. once i began using laxatives, i didn't have to strain but i know a lot of people don't want to use laxatives. or hopefully linzess or motegrity, etc would help with having a bm without straining but unfortunately these meds don't always work for everyone.

good luck with everything. and good luck with your gastro appointment.

Thanks, Annie. I may make an appointment with my primary care practice. I can probably get seen quickly, whereas my next GI appointment isn't for a couple of weeks, and trying to work another visit in before that, or to change the date, probably wouldn't work unless I could convince someone this is urgent. I take Linzess 145 mg but am still working on finding a schedule that strikes a happy medium between a response that's too little or too much. The doctor and I agreed recently to every other day, although I admit I vary from that. A while ago he also suggested Miralax, although when Linzess works, I don't think I need it—the big issue is that Miralax doesn't work instantly, and Linzess is a bit unpredictable, so it's hard to determine when I should add the Miralax. I took a scant dose this morning after several very painful, smallish bowel movements; I had one or two more after that, the most recent a bit "softer" and easier to pass, although not pain-free, so maybe that will keep me out of trouble the rest of the day.

 

[annie7]

oh yes--that's a good idea to make an appointment with your PCP. i was always able to get a PCP appointment much quicker than one with my gastro doc.

so sorry linzess isn't working better for you. what a disappointment. it didn't work very well for me either. and i do know what you mean about miralax and i understand what you mean about taking both of them together--it's tricky. wish there was a better solution.

 

[Displaced]

oh yes--that's a good idea to make an appointment with your PCP. i was always able to get a PCP appointment much quicker than one with my gastro doc.

so sorry linzess isn't working better for you. what a disappointment. it didn't work very well for me either. and i do know what you mean about miralax and i understand what you mean about taking both of them together--it's tricky. wish there was a better solution.

I made an appointment at my primary care practice for two days from now. I am grateful for how responsive this group is—and they answer their phones quickly, unlike many offices! Curiously, I've also been having some vaginal itching or discomfort. I don't think they could be related, but while I'm there, I could have that checked out. I tested positive for
covid recently, but I'm negative now, so I'm glad I can safely go to a medical office again.

 

[annie7]

oh so glad that you were able to get an appointment so soon! that's wonderful! and yes, you're right--that really sounds like an excptionally good doctor's office. some offices act like they couldn't care less about their patients' problems.

and yes, do get the vaginal itching checked out too. hope it's not a yeast infection. i used to get those frequently.

so sorry you tested positive for covid recently. that must have been worrisome. so relieved to hear you're negative now. you certainly don't need covid on top of everything else.

good luck at your appointment.

 

[QueeNi.Bee.S]

Hello! I’m thinking by now you probably made it to your doctor already, but I just wanted to share my advice with irritable bowel disease and hemorrhoids. I suffered for hemorrhoids for the last 20 years, since I was about 17 years old was when I noticed my first bloody stool. It was really scary I thought I had a G.I. bleed. Luckily, it was not that, but living with hemorrhoids is one of the most embarrassing and difficult ailments One can suffer from. It’s a sensitive area nobody wants to talk about, most people with regular G.I. tracks struggle to understand you, it is difficult to do normal daily things like walk, sit, stand, have confidence to eat a meal, Even hold a job- especially if you make frequent trips to the bathroom. I’ve had places of employment that question my bathroom frequency or length of time in there.
I just recently had a double colorectal surgery in July. It was very difficult all these years getting doctors to listen to What I was going through and want to take the steps to help me. Several exams, colonoscopies, diet suggestions, suggestions, suggestions, suggestions. I felt like I was getting a lot of advice, but no one was listening to me! One thing I would suggest is make sure you write things down and know exactly how you’re feeling and what your symptoms are. Don’t be shy or embarrassed to tell them exactly what’s going on and Don’t leave anything out. Make sure you tell them how much it is affecting your life. I had grade 4 hemorrhoids that had prolapsed. There were some on the outside of my body and there were several hemorrhoids inside as well. The ones inside ended up getting so bad, that every time I had to have a bowel movement they had to exit my body, and I had to re-insert them myself, Either with my fingers or Eventually I learned how to use my muscles. I also had a tear in my sphincter muscle in my rectum- this has to be the Most painful Experience in my life. Both of these issues were caused from years of constipation and hard stools, which I tried to remedy the best I could through my 20s and most of my 30s. Which, you cannot help because it’s a disease! that’s the kicker! The best advice I can give so you don’t have to go down this road is, drink lots of water!! Get on a daily fiber supplement, and if you have problem with gas I recommend Citrucel, it will not ferment in your stomach and cause horrible gas. I also use Colace stool softener tablets instead of MiraLAX. MiraLAX can cause really lose stools which you probably wouldn’t want if you have to be out in public. The stool softeners will not work well if you don’t drink a ton of water! So just make sure when you’re Eat a high fiber diet the best you can, I know the good foods are not high fiber! Seriously! The more fiber you can eat the easier it will be to have a bowel movement. Even 5 to 15 minutes in a bath of the hottest water you can tolerate after a hard stool. I will just sit with my legs out to the side or laying with a bath pillow under my hips to relieve pressure down there. This will definitely be a lifesaver! It doesn’t take it away completely but it really helps. I have used so many tubes of over-the-counter cream! I have come to find that even the generic brand works as well as the expensive ones. So keep a tube that that always handy! And although I don’t like suggesting to use NSAIDs, but if they are safe for you to use, ibuprofen helped a lot with the swelling! I am actually looking forward to not taking ibuprofen as much as I did when I had these issues. I’m still in recovery from my surgery, so I don’t know what life is like after this. But I think I made the right decision.
But mostly, I just want to say I really hope you get a handle on your issues! I wish you the best! This life we live is not an easy one but the hardest battles are given to the bravest and strongest soldiers! Sincerely! I wish you well soon!
Annie G 🍀

 

[Displaced]

Hello! I’m thinking by now you probably made it to your doctor already, but I just wanted to share my advice with irritable bowel disease and hemorrhoids. I suffered for hemorrhoids for the last 20 years, since I was about 17 years old was when I noticed my first bloody stool. It was really scary I thought I had a G.I. bleed. Luckily, it was not that, but living with hemorrhoids is one of the most embarrassing and difficult ailments One can suffer from. It’s a sensitive area nobody wants to talk about, most people with regular G.I. tracks struggle to understand you, it is difficult to do normal daily things like walk, sit, stand, have confidence to eat a meal, Even hold a job- especially if you make frequent trips to the bathroom. I’ve had places of employment that question my bathroom frequency or length of time in there.
I just recently had a double colorectal surgery in July. It was very difficult all these years getting doctors to listen to What I was going through and want to take the steps to help me. Several exams, colonoscopies, diet suggestions, suggestions, suggestions, suggestions. I felt like I was getting a lot of advice, but no one was listening to me! One thing I would suggest is make sure you write things down and know exactly how you’re feeling and what your symptoms are. Don’t be shy or embarrassed to tell them exactly what’s going on and Don’t leave anything out. Make sure you tell them how much it is affecting your life. I had grade 4 hemorrhoids that had prolapsed. There were some on the outside of my body and there were several hemorrhoids inside as well. The ones inside ended up getting so bad, that every time I had to have a bowel movement they had to exit my body, and I had to re-insert them myself, Either with my fingers or Eventually I learned how to use my muscles. I also had a tear in my sphincter muscle in my rectum- this has to be the Most painful Experience in my life. Both of these issues were caused from years of constipation and hard stools, which I tried to remedy the best I could through my 20s and most of my 30s. Which, you cannot help because it’s a disease! that’s the kicker! The best advice I can give so you don’t have to go down this road is, drink lots of water!! Get on a daily fiber supplement, and if you have problem with gas I recommend Citrucel, it will not ferment in your stomach and cause horrible gas. I also use Colace stool softener tablets instead of MiraLAX. MiraLAX can cause really lose stools which you probably wouldn’t want if you have to be out in public. The stool softeners will not work well if you don’t drink a ton of water! So just make sure when you’re Eat a high fiber diet the best you can, I know the good foods are not high fiber! Seriously! The more fiber you can eat the easier it will be to have a bowel movement. Even 5 to 15 minutes in a bath of the hottest water you can tolerate after a hard stool. I will just sit with my legs out to the side or laying with a bath pillow under my hips to relieve pressure down there. This will definitely be a lifesaver! It doesn’t take it away completely but it really helps. I have used so many tubes of over-the-counter cream! I have come to find that even the generic brand works as well as the expensive ones. So keep a tube that that always handy! And although I don’t like suggesting to use NSAIDs, but if they are safe for you to use, ibuprofen helped a lot with the swelling! I am actually looking forward to not taking ibuprofen as much as I did when I had these issues. I’m still in recovery from my surgery, so I don’t know what life is like after this. But I think I made the right decision.
But mostly, I just want to say I really hope you get a handle on your issues! I wish you the best! This life we live is not an easy one but the hardest battles are given to the bravest and strongest soldiers! Sincerely! I wish you well soon!
Annie G 🍀

Thank you for the tips. Things really seem to be getting worse. I did have an appointment, and the PA found a hemorrhoid (presumably interior; I already knew I had exterior issues). She prescribed hydrocortisone rectal ointment. Not sure that's helping much, but it's only been using it a few days. I've been using the sitz bath a couple of times a day, but I'm not sure the basin is deep enough to achieve what it's supposed to do, so I think I'll look into the bath pillow that you mentioned. I drink significant amounts of water, but obviously that isn't enough. Even taking Linzess, I went three days without any bowel movements, and finally this morning had one, but it was extremely large, very slow to make its way out, and of course painful. Not the best way to start the day. I'll be seeing the doctor in about two weeks and am hoping things won't be quite so bad. The protocol we had agreed to was Linzess every other day, but at least for a while I'm going to try every day. I can't handle a repeat of today and will try anything to get things moving as well as to deal with the hemorrhoids (I understand there isn't a quick fix).

 

[QueeNi.Bee.S]

I know exactly what you mean! For me it seems like all the waste gets right to the bottom and then everything quits working and I can’t seem to get it out. It’s very painful and Discouraging. I’m so sorry you’re going through that! One thing I looked up in the past, I know this sounds silly but to make sure you are using the right muscles when having a bowel movement, sit up with your back straight and make the “mmmmoooooo” sound. The sounds of the letter “m” and “oo” will contract the right muscles so you’re not pushing with your rectum. Sorry that sounds like a lot, but it’s one of the best things I’ve read that has helped me tremendously! I also invested in a stylish squatty potty lol raising your feet those few inches is going to help you so much! Even if you can do it with books or Even one of those little stepstools.

 

[Displaced]

I do a lot of relaxation exercises to help me fall asleep, and they almost all include taking deep, slow breaths in, holding it a few seconds, and breathing out. I find that helps when I'm trying to move things along. I have a squatty potty, also useful, and sometimes have a glass of water handy. Every little bit helps.