Anal Fissure Support Forum

Subject: Mucus May 13th 2008, 9:58 pm

Hello Everyone!

I just wanted everyones thoughts on this....

In the past month, I have had 2 rubber band ligations done to remove my hemmies. Occasionally, since then, I have noticed mucus on my stool. My stool is formed, but sometimes it is coated or tipped with a small amount of mucus. Anyways, 2 times today, I felt like I had to have a BM, but went I got on the toilet, I just passed gas and out popped some mucus with a small amount of bright red blood in it.

This is so weird because lately I have had no hemmie or fissure pain or bleeding. As a matter of fact, my hemmies are gone now.

I thought maybe I could have mucus from the nitro usage or the flax seed I eat.

I am afraid it is crohns or colitis - but I had a colonoscopy in December and it was negative for everything. However, the mucus is someting new. Also, I do have formed stools and no abdominal pain.

Any thoughts??? I am going to ask my doctor tomorrow - I just wanted my cyber friends opinion. :_):

Jen

Subject: Re: Mucus May 13th 2008, 10:32 pm

Hi Jen

,

I know when I was healing from my hemorrhoidectomy I had bleeding with mucus for several months. This happened with no bowel movements. I'm sure your Dr. will have probably have better advice, but thought I'd let you know about my experience.

Good luck at the Dr. tomorrow!

Jo

Subject: Re: Mucus May 14th 2008, 1:38 am

Thanks Jo! thanx

You have calmed my nerves for the night! I know your surgery was much more invasive than RBL - but you never know - we could still have the same post op issues!

How are you doing? Is the cream working or are you getting the botox yet? nurse

I'll let you know what happens tomorrow! rainbow

Subject: Re: Mucus May 14th 2008, 2:36 am

Good luck Jen

Hopefully we will both have good news tomorrow ! I wish my nerves calmed LOL Wink

. I will calm dow as soon as she takes out the scope from my butt Laughing

I have early morning app. and it is almost midnight - I hope I will catch some zeezz ...

Subject: Re: Mucus May 14th 2008, 3:52 am

good luck Fiss and Jen!

Subject: Re: Mucus May 14th 2008, 9:14 am

Jen

Some days I think the ointment is working and then I have a few bad days and I think I will need botox. If things don't feel alot better by the end of May I will probably do boxox in early June. Overall, I guess I have mostly less pain than a month ago, so I guess it is probably helping. Surprised

Sometimes it is hard to tell. I am taking less pain killers, though.

Hope you have good things from your appointment today, I know it is a relief after you are done with those appointments. I get tired of having someone looking at my butt! Embarassed

I love your lilacs, are they yours? Ours haven't bloomed yet, its been so cold this spring.

Jo

VIP Joined : 23 Apr 2008 Posts : 374 Mood : good

Jo,

What ointment are you on and how long have you been taking it? I am afraid to take any pain meds as I think most cause constipation. I very rarely even take Tylenol and try to sleep off any headaches. I am against taking most meds if at all possible for my situation, but I do take Fosamax for my osteopenia. I am going to make an appointment soon to back and see my local CRS and ask him about Botox. I don't know if they do it locally. If I go back to Mayos, it would be preferable for me to have a referral.

Thanks,

Cheryl K.

Subject: Re: Mucus May 14th 2008, 11:18 am

Cheryl,

I have been using nifedipine since March 8, but on April 21 I was told it needed to be applied inside, maybe up to first knuckle. Since I wasn't doing this, I was told to try 6 more weeks. It seems like it is ever so slowly working. I've gotten several prescriptions of the nifedipine ointment, I believe the one I am using now is a mixture of lidocaine and .3% nifedipine in a vasoline base. I have been trying to use it 3 times a day.

If I have to do Botox, it will be at Mayo, even though it is a long drive, about 300 miles. I feel most comfortable there and also they do not do botox around here!

I had been taking darvocet, maybe 1/2 to 1 pill for pain several times a day. One of my Dr's told me it is not as constipating as some others. The Dr's now would rather I try to take otc meds for the pain. Sometimes I take 3 advils, although it doesn't seem very effective and can bother my stomach. Sometimes I take flexeril (muscle relaxant) also, but am not sure if that is very effective and it makes me tired. Tylenol is very ineffective for me, so I do not take it.

I continue to take miralax daily, otherwise I seem to have more bad days. The darvocet didn't seem to constipate but it could be because I take miralax!

How are you doing?

Take care,
Jo

Subject: Re: Mucus May 14th 2008, 11:36 am

cheryl - i also don't like taking pain meds, b/c of how constipating they can be. i rely completely on iburpofen, over the counter. i take four 200mg pills at once, up to 3 times a day. ibuprofen helps with swelling and inflammation, as well as pain. you can use it for everything from fissure pain to headaches! i've never had a problem w/ it being constipating, but i also take MOM everyday and am starting back on the stool softener pills too.
just a thought for you!

VIP Joined : 23 Apr 2008 Posts : 374 Mood : good

Jo and Juney,

Thaks for your replies. As I indicated previously, I was telling my husband last night about this group. I still like to talk to him about my problem, but he gets very tired of hearing about it!!!! Hopefully, he won't divorce me. We have been married almost 38 years.

Personally, I think it stinks that so many younger people such as yourselves have this problem. I guess being a younger age is not a deterrent. At least I have been putting my Diltiazem cream in correctly. The Mayo CRS doc told me to get it into the first finger digit, and I have been doing that. My local CRS doc didn't emphasize that as much. I am in my fourth week of using the cream. I think that it is helping. I personally would like to have my colon taken out and be done with these probs.

I made an appointment to go back to my local CRS to get checked next week. I have the most confidence in the Mayo people. Unfortunately, the CRS "fellow" that I saw there will be leaving in July. I really connected with her last summer when I first saw her, more than with my Mayo GI doc. He and I got off to a rocky start, but now we get along well. My husband who was also in the room said that I was arguing with my Mayo GI doc during my appointment about my treatments. Imagine that! At any rate my Mayo GI doc and I get along well now, and I even sent him a tie for Christmas, and he and I have spoken often since my appointment with him last July.

I do not remember if either or both of you have IBS like I do. I am retired and would like to be traveling. It depresses me that I don't feel that I can because of lack of control of diet and because I cannot sit comfortably. We cut short our trip we took to Branson last fall because I became worried about my digestive system and sitting. It seems easier for me to just stay home right now, but I don't like doing so. I am just starting my two golf leagues which are good for me socially.

We live in central Illinois and are about 6 hours away from Mayos. I love that place and also was there 18 years ago and was seen in urology (another good experience). My dad had heart surgery there in the 80's and also felt that there was no place like Mayos, so it could be that I was conditioned to believe that it is a great place. I don't know how to do the fancy pictures, but I like the palm trees. Remind me of Hawaii. I would like to go back for another trip--simply paradise.

Lastly, I guess everything is relative. One of my friends is battling cancer and has been through chemo, a double mastectomy, and now is undergoing radiation. She is younger than me and also retired at the same time I did. Feel free to PM if either of you would like.

To our continued health improvements,

Cheryl K.

Subject: Re: Mucus May 14th 2008, 12:15 pm

Hey Jen,

Hope your Dr's appt went well today. Thinking of you and wishing you a nice day!

Jo

Admin Age : 38 Joined : 23 Jan 2007 Posts : 3029

Hey Jen,
I see some mucus from time to time and haven't really thought much about it. Let me know what your doc has to say!
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Subject: Re: Mucus May 14th 2008, 1:34 pm

thanks for your well wishes cheryl! it does suck to be so young and dealing with this...sometimes i feel like life is so unfair when all my friends are out having a great time and i'm eating prunes and drinking MOM. most of the time i'm so depressed and sore i don't leave the house except to go to work. But problems like this are unfair at any age!! it affects your life just as much as mine and it's so crappy. Sad

i wouldn't worry about your husband divorcing you if you've been married 38 years! Smile

i worry about my boyfriend breaking up w/ me b/c of all this too...but he's been w/ me since the beginning and i think he's there for the long haul.

no, i don't have IBS. i guess i've always had constipation problems though, looking back on it. i just never thought anything about it.

good luck w/ your next appointment and we're so glad to have you here, even if it's under such bad circumstances

Subject: Re: Mucus May 14th 2008, 2:02 pm

Sorry no input on mucus....

Jen - Just wanted to say i am glad you are feeling better....
Good luck for the appointment
x

Admin Age : 38 Joined : 23 Jan 2007 Posts : 3029

As far as meds go I used to be so resistant to taking them because I thought somehow it made me weaker or was setting me up for addiction or would cause other side effects or health conditions. But when the pain was so bad that I thought I should kill myself to escape then I realized it was in my best interest to control the pain and if that meant taking 12 advil a day or something stronger, that is what I did and continue to do as necessary. My main doctor has always been an advocate for pain control stressing quality of life as long as I could control the consiptation which I did and do through Miralax, MOM and occasional Senna use.
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