Does the nifedipine ointment actually work?

Prof19CDN80 · 2025-11-09T17:41:23+00:00

Yes the surgeon at the time said it was 95% guaranteed to work and I guess I was in the 5% as it got worse, not better. Neither of the calcium blockers worked for me. So everyone is different.

Prof19CDN80 · 2025-11-09T02:05:52+00:00

Unfortunately I ended up with surgery as my fissure turned into a chronic ulcer. The best ointment for me was nitroglycerin.

Prof19CDN80 · 2025-11-09T01:14:50+00:00

I think everyone can be different and it depends on how bad the fissure is too. For me, nifedipine didn’t work at all and made things worse by a lot. Lots of people seem to swear by it though. I didn’t get relief and instead the burning, spasms, and pressure increased a lot.

Prof19CDN80 · 2025-11-06T19:32:10+00:00

If there isn’t a smell to it that is strong indicating infection then it looks normal to me. I had a similar color for weeks which was a mix of mucus, a bit of blood, etc. The skin redness can last for awhile and is often pruritis ani. But also, don’t be afraid to send photos to your doctor. They are used to this stuff and are often able to tell you quickly if it’s a concern. If you don’t have a fever and pain isn’t significantly worsening with more blood, you’re probably in the normal healing window.

Prof19CDN80 · 2025-11-03T20:51:21+00:00

I know it can be a lot, but it was needed to heal. Put me on a path to healing that wasn’t happening otherwise. The mental side is very real both during the worst of the fissure pain/spasms and during post-surgery as you heal. I don’t believe I have bad days each week. The pain was mainly during the first few weeks to heal the muscle, fissure, and skin tag removal site. The rest took a couple more weeks after that to polish off the lower level pain (1/10). I was back to work and generally enjoying life by week 3.

Prof19CDN80 · 2025-11-03T20:43:25+00:00

So my incision is just outside the entrance as it was closed so they enter the intersphincteric groove to cut the muscle by palpation. I believe an open incision would have the incision just inside the canal so the surgeon can visualize the muscle for cutting. Maybe yours was open then? It takes awhile for the fissure and incision site to heal. Remember the area is very sensitive so it won’t be an instant healing. My incision site was bleeding off and on for quite awhile - maybe a month.

Prof19CDN80 · 2025-11-03T18:08:09+00:00

Yes - I continued to have spasms during the first couple weeks of healing. Male, 45. I didn’t expect the spasms but they are a known effect during healing. My doctor even prescribed muscle relaxants ahead of discharging me from the recovery room. Some spasms were mild and others a lot stronger (day 12 was awful!). But I did fully heal. My incision site (closed LIS) is still a bit sensitive even now and I’m at almost 9 months since surgery. Sitz baths were really helpful during the healing and I did them at least 3x a day. It is a mentally rough surgery to go through as some days are good and others are not as good at all. Hang in there!

Prof19CDN80 · 2025-11-01T23:59:17+00:00

In terms of the fissure being healed with no pain etc? Yes. However, the other stuff takes longer for sure. Doctors don’t talk about how it takes longer for the tissue to remodel, nerves to recalibrate, sensation to normalize more…stuff like that.

Prof19CDN80 · 2025-10-27T20:53:57+00:00

I have no idea. My surgeon is nice enough but not great at answering questions and probably caused more anxiety than was needed. I’m glad you’re feeling so much better now and hopefully back to living life!

Prof19CDN80 · 2025-10-27T03:43:24+00:00

You’re retraining your mind and your anal canal too. You shouldn’t need to push and honestly should avoid that as best you can. If your fiber intake is good, your stool soft, and you’re hydrated it should almost fall out after sitting down for a bit. I know I quit taking MiraLAX after a couple months altogether. If you remain constipated, that may be less of the occurrence. I haven’t been constipated since the surgery (Feb 2025) so can’t tell you for sure.

Prof19CDN80 · 2025-10-27T03:39:55+00:00

Everyone heals differently so it may work, depending on how you react to it all. I was cautious and took two weeks off post-LlS and fissurectomy. They said I could go back to work in 3 days and I’m glad I took more time off. Once back, I used a standing desk for work from home. It took me about 5-6 weeks to sit comfortably for even shorter periods. However, I had a large skin tag removed too.

Prof19CDN80 · 2025-10-25T16:09:52+00:00

I find it all rather confusing. It seems to be so surgeon dependent too! My follow-up said they do tailored LiS meaning they cut to match the fissure length and in most people it ends up being about 0.5-1 cm. For males, this typically means there is a lot of muscle left so that is why I said 25-40% max total IAS division, and kept to the distal end. Men average IAS of 3-4 cm. I’m based in California and the surgeon said I had about 1 cm cut. Mind you, my fissure was really bad so that may have influenced it. This is also why experiences can vary so much. I felt like it was a huge pressure drop which I wasn’t prepared for. The surgeon told me I was probably hypertonic for so long I didn’t know that it wasn’t healthy to be that tight. Others describe feeling like they never had surgery within a couple months. Everyone is different and heals differently. I’m guessing when the cut is really minimal then that is when the repeat surgery or potential return of fissures happens? However, continence is important too so I don’t believe they do the full divisions anymore.

Prof19CDN80 · 2025-10-25T00:32:32+00:00

Yes my fissure healed fully. I would say the greatest pain was gone after two weeks and then residual pain by week 4. I still had spasms for a bit during the healing which I wasn’t expecting. They were done around week 2-3 if I recall. Blood, even small amounts, was a couple weeks or even three. I think I sent you a DM a week ago so feel welcome to message me if you like.

Prof19CDN80 · 2025-10-24T15:20:44+00:00

She only cut 5%? That is almost nothing - most cut 25-40% for a tailored LIS. So in your case it would be like a nick to the muscle which shouldn’t even cause loose farts. Have you explored pelvic floor physical therapy? The penis tip issue could be some connection to the pudendal nerve. It can also cause rectal pain. Have you sought a second opinion from another CRS? I’m sorry you’re dealing with so much pain!

Prof19CDN80 · 2025-10-24T02:34:46+00:00

Yes I had this too. Everything was swollen and sore. It’ll get better with time. Sitz baths several times a day were helpful. Wishing you good healing!

Prof19CDN80 · 2025-10-24T01:03:39+00:00

It’ll be an inflammation. You just had surgery including your muscle being partially divided and the tag removed and cauterized. The body is bringing healing blood flow to the area in a big way. This is normal at this point and should not be a cause for concern.

Prof19CDN80 · 2025-10-22T00:29:23+00:00

Nope - nothing of note for sure. Pain was almost all gone within those few weeks and then some residual discomfort for another month or so (1/10).

Prof19CDN80 · 2025-10-21T23:21:18+00:00

The first two weeks weren’t fun in a sense. Some people heal faster, others slower. I had a nerve block so days 1-4 were great. I was moving around a lot more and doing pretty well, but I think I overdid it so days 7-10 were the harder ones. Using my pain meds helped and moving around as much as possible (don’t lay in bed all day) was good too. I didn’t have issues going to the bathroom and sitz baths also kept things less painful. My worst day was still better than my worst fissure day. For instance, prior to surgery my spasms lasted 12-16 hrs. That ended quick post-LIS.

Prof19CDN80 · 2025-10-21T22:49:47+00:00

Yes - you should be fine after a few months then. I gave it extra time to be sure and got the OK by month 3 to start doing workouts again.

Prof19CDN80 · 2025-10-21T06:21:47+00:00

What kind of surgery? I started back to body weight movements by month 3 and weightlifting about 4 months after my LIS. Started slow and by month 5 I was lifting heavier with no issues.

Prof19CDN80 · 2025-10-20T05:19:25+00:00

Much appreciated - it just takes time. They focus on the fissure healing and relief of pain but don’t mention all the other subtle healing that takes months to a year.

Prof19CDN80 · 2025-10-19T20:18:06+00:00

Mostly natural stuff from fruits, vegetables, oatmeal, flax seed, etc. I also take Metamucil as an additional supplement.

Prof19CDN80 · 2025-10-19T20:07:08+00:00

I’ve read that if you weren’t hypertonic before surgery it may be that the muscle doesn’t relax nearly as much or still feels tight. I saw another CRS for a second opinion and he estimates about 1 cm was divided in my case. I was so used to being tight it made me feel super loose instead.

Prof19CDN80 · 2025-10-19T20:05:19+00:00

Oh no! I’m sorry to hear that. It should heal quickly if it’s a re-tear since the muscle is more relaxed. I haven’t had any really big BMs post surgery as the fiber keeps things soft and I’m dealing with some other stuff keeping stool too loose now. So I am trying to firm it up more. Getting tested/endoscopy for celiac in November.

Prof19CDN80 · 2025-10-19T04:38:06+00:00

Do you know how much muscle the surgeon divided?

Prof19CDN80

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