View Full Version : Hemorrhoids ~ to cut, or wait?
RedXIX
Oct 28, 2012, 11:19 AM
Been three weeks now, and they are not going away... they are external (just outside the sphincter muscles) so I can NOT push them "in"... The pain some days is not bad, other days I can't walk! There has been no blood, though passing stool is a pain (pun not intended). I found a way to make that "work" better, (to stand on my feet, knees bent not sitting, but hovering over the toilet; doing this lets me pass stool without pain).
I am a teacher, I am on my feet all day, I walk to work, I need to do something about this and the creams are not doing anything. Should I / do I need them cut?
Cheers,
Falken
teacherjenn4
Oct 28, 2012, 03:03 PM
Have you tried stool softeners?
RedXIX
Oct 28, 2012, 03:08 PM
Fiber, not softener... it has helped "move" things along (stool) but seems to be doing nothing for the hems...
teacherjenn4
Oct 28, 2012, 03:10 PM
Stool softener will help and that usually eases up them up. Have you tried witch hazel pads?
RedXIX
Oct 28, 2012, 03:15 PM
"witch hazel pads" did not know I could get them... I heard Witch Hazel "can" help, but thought it was an old wives tale ^^; (stuff used to get rid of crows feet on faces getting rid of hems?)
teacherjenn4
Oct 28, 2012, 03:21 PM
"witch hazel pads" did not know I could get them... I heard Witch Hazel "can" help, but thought it was an old wives tale ^^; (stuff used to get rid of crows feet on faces getting rid of hems?)
They sell them near the hem. Section of the drug store. Prep H. makes a type of them. Many women have your problem after having a baby. It's awful, but many times they do go away,
RedXIX
Oct 28, 2012, 03:26 PM
They sell them near the hem. section of the drug store. Prep H. makes a type of them. Many women have your problem after having a baby. It's awful, but many times they do go away,
^^; well, I am a 26 year old man, now I know one of the few things a woman goes through when having a baby... I bow to you all for what you put up with! I will check out the pharmacy tomorrow on my lunch break, and see if they do anything for me. I was in the hem section just last night, I did not see them... but then again I was not looking.
Ill keep this post updates as I try things, if they get better or not.
Cheers,
Falken
teacherjenn4
Oct 28, 2012, 03:32 PM
^^; well, I am a 26 year old man, now I know one of the few things a woman goes through when having a baby... I bow to you all for what you put up with! I will check out the pharmacy tomorrow on my lunch break, and see if they do anything for me. I was in the hem section just last night, I did not see them... but then again I was not looking.
Ill keep this post updates as I try things, if they get better or not.
Cheers,
Falken
I can tell you that you should sleep with the pads. I know our jobs aren't easy, but hopefully you will have some better luck. Drink a lot of water, increase your fiber, and hopefully they will go away.
RedXIX
Oct 28, 2012, 03:36 PM
I can tell you that you should sleep with the pads. I know our jobs aren't easy, but hopefully you will have some better luck. Drink a lot of water, increase your fiber, and hopefully they will go away.
Been drinking a lot of tea and coffee ^^; and have been putting a "LOT" of fiber in my diet. Thank you for telling me to sleep with the pads on, I would have just used them in the day... I would not have thought to use them B4 going to bed. I hope this helps me. Other than this I think I may have to resort to getting them cut *shivers at the thought*
Alty
Oct 28, 2012, 03:39 PM
I would really recommend talking to your doctor. Surgery is a last resort, there are other things that your doctor will try before resorting to "cutting" them.
Banding is painless, if done by the right doctor. I've had a few removed (internal which is worse) with banding. It wasn't comfortable, but it wasn't painful either, and the discomfort only lasted a few hours.
Talk to your doctor about recommending you to a specialist. Take one step at a time. :)
RedXIX
Oct 28, 2012, 03:45 PM
I would really recommend talking to your doctor. Surgery is a last resort, there are other things that your doctor will try before resorting to "cutting" them.
Banding is painless, if done by the right doctor. I've had a few removed (internal which is worse) with banding. It wasn't comfortable, but it wasn't painful either, and the discomfort only lasted a few hours.
Talk to your doctor about recommending you to a specialist. Take one step at a time. :)
I did have internal hems when this "batch" started... when I used the p-H suppositories they went away, but the external (the problematic ones now) stayed. May I ask what "Banding" is? I have not heard of this treatment for hems...
Alty
Oct 28, 2012, 03:50 PM
I did have internal hems when this "batch" started... when I used the p-H suppositories they went away, but the external (the problematic ones now) stayed. May I ask what "Banding" is? I have not heard of this treatment for hems...
Banding is exactly what it sounds like, it's a lot like castrating a bull (don't let that scare you).
They put a very tight band around the base of the hemorrhoid. That band cuts off the blood flow, and the hemorrhoid falls off, usually within a few days (for me it was less than a day).
If it's done right, and the band is placed correctly, it's painless, because you're not banding nerves, your banding dead tissue. It's not comfortable, you feel a "heaviness" in that area, especially with internal hemorrhoids, but it's not painful if done correctly.
Surgery for hemorrhoids is extremely painful. I don't know of one doctor that will resort to surgery before trying other methods. It's a last resort.
RedXIX
Oct 28, 2012, 03:52 PM
Banding is exactly what it sounds like, it's a lot like castrating a bull (don't let that scare you).
They put a very tight band around the base of the hemorrhoid. That band cuts off the blood flow, and the hemorrhoid falls off, usually within a few days (for me it was less than a day).
If it's done right, and the band is placed correctly, it's painless, because you're not banding nerves, your banding dead tissue. It's not comfortable, you feel a "heaviness" in that area, especially with internal hemorrhoids, but it's not painful if done correctly.
Surgery for hemorrhoids is extremely painful. I don't know of one doctor that will resort to surgery before trying other methods. It's a last resort.
Thank you so much for the info ~ I do have one last question, and I think I know the answer already... I was reading about Hems (all I have been doing in my free time as of late) and did hear of some people "popping" them (a pin prick to get rid of the built up blood)... what are your feelings on this method?
Alty
Oct 28, 2012, 04:04 PM
Thank you so much for the info ~ I do have one last question, and I think I know the answer already... I was reading about Hems (all I have been doing in my free time as of late) and did hear of some people "popping" them (a pin prick to get rid of the built up blood)... what are your feelings on this method?
Bad idea! Very very very, I can't stress how bad, idea. Don't do it.
Not only will it not work, it will be very painful, and the risk of introducing infection is astronomical, think about it. Opening a wound with an unsterile needle, in a place that you can't clean well enough to make sterile, that discharges fecal matter, you'll end up with even more problems if you do this.
Your very best course of action is to see your doctor, get a recommendation to a specialist, go to the specialist. The specialist will either prescribe creams or medication (depends on how bad your hem's are) or do banding. If the creams, meds, and banding aren't enough, than he'll discuss surgery.
I have internal hem's so bad that I'm anemic because of the amount of blood I lose. This is tmi, but when I go number two, I get whatever I'm passing, and a bowl full of blood. I'm on iron pills, have had a blood transfusion, and it's all because of these hemorrhoids (than you IBS). :(
When they band they usually only do 3 at a time. I've been going every 3 months for 2 years now, and I'm still not done.
At one point of frustration, because I want to be done with this, I asked about surgery. I figured it was the easy way, one shot deal, get it done, sit at home with a cold pack on my arse, and no more appointments, no more anemia, no more embarrassment (having a probe shoved up my... while med students watch, is not my idea of fun).
But even with my extreme issues, surgery is not recommended. My doctor said point blank "Surgery would be the last thing you'd want, trust me. We're talking months to recover and the worst pain you'll ever feel in your life). My reply was, "I gave birth twice with no drugs, how bad can this be?", he said that giving birth was a piece of cake compared to hemorrhoid surgery.
See if you're a candidate for banding. Don't poke, squeeze, or do anything to the hems. Let a professional deal with it, you'll thank me later.
RedXIX
Oct 28, 2012, 04:14 PM
Bad idea! Very very very, I can't stress how bad, idea. Don't do it.
Not only will it not work, it will be very painful, and the risk of introducing infection is astronomical, think about it. Opening a wound with an unsterile needle, in a place that you can't clean well enough to make sterile, that discharges fecal matter, you'll end up with even more problems if you do this.
Your very best course of action is to see your doctor, get a recommendation to a specialist, go to the specialist. The specialist will either prescribe creams or medication (depends on how bad your hem's are) or do banding. If the creams, meds, and banding aren't enough, than he'll discuss surgery.
I have internal hem's so bad that I'm anemic because of the amount of blood I lose. This is tmi, but when I go number two, I get whatever I'm passing, and a bowl full of blood. I'm on iron pills, have had a blood transfusion, and it's all because of these hemorrhoids (than you IBS). :(
When they band they usually only do 3 at a time. I've been going every 3 months for 2 years now, and I'm still not done.
At one point of frustration, because I want to be done with this, I asked about surgery. I figured it was the easy way, one shot deal, get it done, sit at home with a cold pack on my arse, and no more appointments, no more anemia, no more embarrassment (having a probe shoved up my....while med students watch, is not my idea of fun).
But even with my extreme issues, surgery is not recommended. My doctor said point blank "Surgery would be the last thing you'd want, trust me. We're talking months to recover and the worst pain you'll ever feel in your life). My reply was, "I gave birth twice with no drugs, how bad can this be?", he said that giving birth was a piece of cake compared to hemorrhoid surgery.
See if you're a candidate for banding. Don't poke, squeeze, or do anything to the hems. Let a professional deal with it, you'll thank me later.
Understandable. My big problem is that I am moving to Japan in two months 0.0 and the last thing I need is to be battling this in secret while teaching on my feet for 7 hours a day T.T I will try the pads, and see how that goes for a few days. After that I will speak with a Dr. (I don't have one, never had any health problems B4) and see what I can do in the time before I move.
ThanxXx everyone for the help. I will give an update to what worked/didn't and what I will do next (for people that want to read this later for their issues.
Cheers,
Falken
Alty
Oct 28, 2012, 04:26 PM
understandable. My big problem is that I am moving to Japan in two months 0.0 and the last thing I need is to be battling this in secret while teaching on my feet for 7 hours a day T.T I will try the pads, and see how that goes for a few days. After that I will speak with a Dr. (I dont have one, never had any health problems B4) and see what I can do in the time before I move.
ThanxXx everyone for the help. I will give an update to what worked/didn't and what I will do next (for people that want to read this later for their issues.
Cheers,
Falken
I wish you the best of luck, and I do urge you to see your doctor. You could be feeling relief in a matter of days if you go to a professional. Just fyi. :)
Good luck.