I’ve just been back to see my GP to get the prescription for the Anoheal (diltiazem). He said further to my call yesterday, the pharmacy had been trying to get hold of some and couldn’t get any locally so they had to do a special order direct from the suppliers which could take a while to be delivered. He said they don’t normally prescribe this because it is more expensive than GTN (nitro) but are willing to in my case because of my small children etc etc. Has anyone else been told it is more expensive? how does the diltiazem work in comparison to the GTN?

A:
Diltiazem is a calcium channel blocker, Nitro is a vasodilator. I would call around and compare prices- availability and not rely on the doctor or pharmacy especially if you need it now.

I had LIS in october and my fissure finally healed but the area still can be tender at times.
I tried the diltiazem and I find it burns and irritates the most. I’ve used nirto and nifedipine and I think the nifedipine is the least irritating and works the best but that’s just my opinion.
I had other issues besides the fissure, scar tissue from an old hemorrhoid surgery and ibs and some pelvic floor problems so I think the area where the fissure was and some of the old skin tags stay tender for quite a while. The only thing that seems to help me when things do get tender are sitz baths. Of course eating more fiber and keeping bms strain free are a must. If the diltiazem is irritating you tell your doctor and see if you can try something else.
If you have a health food store close by try pure aloe vera, you have to store it in the fridge but that’s even better. It feels cool and soothes the irritated skin.

Benefiber/Metamucil thickening digestive tract?

I spoke with a nutritionist and he mentioned that taking psyllium products consistently such as Benefiber/Metamucil can cause your digestive tract to thicken. He said the best way to avoid this problem is to take psyllium every other 2 week.
I googled to verify this information but got no results.
Anyone have any idea?

Metamucil

A:

The difference between Benefiber & Metamucil

Fiber acts kind of like a colon cleanser. It moves the food you eat through your digestive tract quicker and the bulk of it is what pushes against the wall of the colon on it’s way out to clean it out. It doesn’t thicken anything but your stool. I don’t understand what your nutritionist means by thickens your digestive tract. The main ingredient there is wheat dextrin.
I think Metamucil is more of a bulking fiber than Benefiber. Too much bulking up of your stool like you get with metamucil isn’t really helpful to a person that suffers from anal fissures because your back side has to stretch too much to pass it, that’s why a lot of us like Benefiber. When you have fissures you need a consistently soft, strain free stool so if you only took it every 2nd week how would that help you in the first week.

I am a HUGE proponent of Benefiber as it really softens things better than any other product I’ve tried. This (on top of Miralax & lots of water) was the only thing that finally helped me heal my fissure after 7 months of debilitating pain & after trying so many different things including botox, LIS, aloe vera, wheatgrass cream, Metamucil, Nifedipine, Nitroglcerin ointment, etc.

I literally felt the tear (glass-passing sensation) every single BM (even 3 months after LIS) until I added Benefiber to my regiment.

How I use Benefiber & Miralax

I take 3 Tablespoons of Benefiber throughout the day & Miralax at night. I make sure to drink 64 oz of water a day. When I get to work, I put 2 Tablespoons of Benefiber into 32 oz of water & sip on it all day. Then, with dinner I have 1 Tablespoon of Benefiber with 16 oz of water. Then, before bed, I take a quarter dose (17 gms is regular dose) of Miralax with 16 more oz of water. I was taking 1-1.5 x a full dose plus the 3 Tablespoons of Benefiber when my fissure was at it’s worst & finally began to heal.
I’ve found it’s easier to use a 32 oz water bottle to make sure I get the 64 oz of water & stick to my schedule.
I can pretty much eat what I want, but I do tend to have a spinach salad & fruit everyday. I usually add peas or chickpeas to my salad for a little more fiber but not always. I think I have a more constipated system than most so don’t know if others would need both Benefiber & Miralax.

At any rate, I wanted to relay my story again & what worked in hopes that it may help someone else. I cannot stress enough about stool consistency! I did not get this & no one stressed to me. I thought things were soft enough for the longest time as it was so much easier to go than what I was used to before the fissure. However, things were not nearly soft enough . . .
need to be the consistency of pudding/soft-serve ice cream in order to heal those suckers! I do recommend shortly after you’ve healed (maybe month) firming things back up though b/c I did experience burning for a while after healing & none of the docs nor I could figure out why since fissure was healed. I am a lifer on the Benefiber & maybe Miralax too

If you have a fissure, just get these products here: Benefiber - Miralax - Metamucil

~ nausea,
~ headache,
~ swollen glands,
~ bloating,
~ constipation or diarrhea,
~ increased joint or muscle pain,
~ elevated heart rate,
~ chills, cold extremeties,
~ itching, scratching, nail biting,
~ unusual perspiration,
~ fever (usually low grade),
~ hypotension (low blood pressure),
~ Itching, hives and rash (sometimes assumed to be an
allergic reaction)

Symptom intensifiers:
Two common sources: decreasing the blood flow, which
allows the toxins to accumulate, or, increasing the
die off of parasites.

~ fear,
~ anxiety and worry,
~ hormonal imbalances,
~ enzymes, bromelain, pancreatin, etc.,
~ clotting agents, heavy foods,
~ excessive exercise, tiredness,
~ fatigue, exhaustion,
~ cold temperatures,
~ air pollution,
~ anti-virals,
~ anti-bacterials,
~ anti-fungals,
~ anti-parasitics,
~ chronic illnesses,
~ high doses of vitamins,
~ some forms of chelation treatments

Symptom reduction

Two common strategies: improving the blood flow to
clear the toxins faster (see vascular constriction),
or, neutralizing the toxins (or both).

~ antihistamines,
~ relaxation techniques,
~ Enemas, Colemas, Colonics,
~ increase in blood thinning supplements,
~ Lemon/Olive Oil liver/gall bladder cleanse,
~ 2 Tbsp Lemon Juice (Organic) or 1/2 lemon rind),
~ 1 Tbsp cold pressed Extra Virgin Olive Oil,
~ flavanoids (widens blood vessels),
~ hydrogen peroxide intravenous,
~ aerobic oxygen supplementation,
~ lymphatic massage,
~ anti-inflammatories,
~ bentonite clay,
~ charcoal tablets,
~ diatomaceous earth,
~ pain medication,
~ muscle relaxers,
~ hot baths / hot tub,
~ steam bath or dry sauna,
~ infrared Hot House treatment,
~ a cleansing bath: add 1 cup salt, 1 cup soda, 1 cup
epsom salts, 1 cup aloe vera, to a hot bath, remain in
and keep hot for about 1-1/2 hours all the while
consuming about 2 quarts of warm water.

Personally I use Bentonite clay, hot baths with espom
salts and ocassionally saunas.

I haven’t included the common die-off symptoms in my previous post, which include:

~ nausea,
~ headache,
~ swollen glands,
~ bloating,
~ constipation or diarrhea,
~ increased joint or muscle pain,
~ elevated heart rate,
~ chills, cold extremeties,
~ itching, scratching, nail biting,
~ unusual perspiration,
~ fever (usually low grade),
~ hypotension (low blood pressure),
~ Itching, hives and rash (sometimes assumed to be an
allergic reaction)

Symptom intensifiers:
Two common sources: decreasing the blood flow, which allows the toxins to accumulate, or, increasing the die off of parasites.

~ fear,
~ anxiety and worry,
~ hormonal imbalances,
~ enzymes, bromelain, pancreatin, etc.,
~ clotting agents, heavy foods,
~ excessive exercise, tiredness,
~ fatigue, exhaustion,
~ cold temperatures,
~ air pollution,
~ anti-virals,
~ anti-bacterials,
~ anti-fungals,
~ anti-parasitics,
~ chronic illnesses,
~ high doses of vitamins,
~ some forms of chelation treatments

Symptom reduction

Two common strategies: improving the blood flow to clear the toxins faster (see vascular constriction), or, neutralizing the toxins (or both).

~ antihistamines,
~ relaxation techniques,
~ Enemas, Colemas, Colonics,
~ increase in blood thinning supplements,
~ Lemon/Olive Oil liver/gall bladder cleanse,
~ 2 Tbsp Lemon Juice (Organic) or 1/2 lemon rind),
~ 1 Tbsp cold pressed Extra Virgin Olive Oil,
~ flavanoids (widens blood vessels),
~ hydrogen peroxide intravenous,
~ aerobic oxygen supplementation,
~ lymphatic massage,
~ anti-inflammatories,
~ bentonite clay,
~ charcoal tablets,
~ diatomaceous earth,
~ pain medication,
~ muscle relaxers,
~ hot baths / hot tub,
~ steam bath or dry sauna,
~ infrared Hot House treatment,
~ a cleansing bath: add 1 cup salt, 1 cup soda, 1 cup epsom salts, 1 cup aloe vera, to a hot bath, remain in and keep hot for about 1-1/2 hours all the while consuming about 2 quarts of warm water.

Personally I use Bentonite clay, hot baths with espom salts and ocassionally saunas.