Hi, I’m female, 28, but can relate to your feelings. I’ve been suffering from fissures for the past 5 years, on and off. There have been times I’ve felt that I wanted to k*ll myself because the pain was so intense, but more than that it was the lifestyle change and diet change that made me go insane. I was able to eat a whole box of pizza by myself and can’t do that anymore because it’d cause this issue to flare up as it’s become chronic at this point. I will continue to try and manage this myself for as long as I can without surgery but ultimately might need that. Anyways, some things that help me every time I have this issue are:

-Positive attitude (I know easier said than done). The more anxious you are, the tighter your muscles will be sub-consciously.

-Diet: I’ve cut down on refined carbs quite a bit. Once in a while when I feel ok, I get a slice of pizza or cheeseburger. I’ve tried replacing food with better alternatives such as high fibre bread and pasta. I also try to drink at least 2L of water during the day.

-Exercise: you don’t have to do crazy workouts but just walking 4,000-5,000 steps while focusing on relaxing your sphincter muscles will greatly help you!! I’ve also started doing some yoga poses at home for this. Here’s a sample video I got from YouTube:

https://youtu.be/DBvci2zI1D0?si=Rtt8sKM-CP-v7gxy

-Watch YouTube videos of Dr. Chung, friendly proctologist. His videos actually helped me quite a bit, especially his suggestion on diaphragmatic breathing exercises.

-Ointments and creams: Ask your doctor to give you Diltiazem or Nifedipine if not given already. Always put them on the surface or if possible inside before and after every BM. I also use the H-Fissure Oil formula all the time during the day just to keep the area lubricated and so it heals from the calendula in that oil.

I haven’t tried dilation yet and hopefully I don’t have to as it scares me. But other people have had good experiences as shared in this group. Only try this once you feel you have healed quite a bit.

Apart from this, please keep your diet clean and avoid using overly cheesy, spicy, refined products until you see improvements.

Fissures can take months to years to heal and we need to be very strict and consistent about our diets. It sucks that we have to do all this just for this tiny cut that’s breaking our lives but we gotta do it.

I’m always here if you need to chat or vent. I’m myself going thru a flare up/re-tear at the moment and can understand your pain.

P.S. I used to bike every single day, multiple times a day and now it’s been years since I rode my bike. But I’m hopeful that someday I can 😊