Dealing with hemorrhoids – any advice?

Could dull lower back pain be a sign of hemorrhoids?
There is no abdominal pain whatsoever.

I changed my diet, and there hadn't been any bleeding for two weeks. Now, it's back. 😢
For instance, the blood appeared from the rear during a bowel movement.
It was a slow trickle throughout the day, having started in the morning during a larger bowel movement.

Who can perform an exam for this?
And what specific tests should I undergo?

Regarding the blood loss, my iron levels are fine. I am not anemic.

Advil capsules work absolute wonders; I was dealing with heavy bleeding that was honestly more intense than a woman's period. 😬 I ended up buying a large bottle of Advil at an astronomical price, and every single morning I’d take two capsules along with some kefir. After I was halfway through the bottle, I noticed a sudden improvement—just a tiny bit of blood on the paper when wiping. By the time I reached the bottom of the bottle, the bleeding had stopped completely. It was worth every single cent I spent! 🎉

I'm with you on this—Advil was the only thing that actually cleared up my hemorrhoids for good. It's over and done with.
Look, if you want results, you’ve gotta be willing to pay the price.

John Baker47 said:I agree; Advil cleared up my hemorrhoids for good.
It’s worth the price tag.

What's the damage?

You’ve got two options here. The smaller box costs $123, while the larger one goes for $199.
Most people find that the smaller one does the trick. If I remember correctly, that smaller box was what actually cleared up my hemorrhoids. It might look pricey on paper—but honestly, when you factor in all the money I wasted on random creams and the sheer amount of stress I dealt with, the price of Advil is a total steal.
It’s been a year now, and those hemorrhoids haven't bothered me once since.

John Baker47 said:You have two options. The smaller box costs $123, while the larger one is $199.
Most people find relief with the smaller one. As I recall, that smaller box cleared up my hemorrhoids entirely. It might look pricey, but compared to the total spent on various creams and the sheer stress involved, the cost of Advil is negligible.
It’s been years now, and they haven't returned once.

Thanks so much!!!
If you don't mind me asking, how did you determine it was hemorrhoids?
I've got this dull ache in my lower back.
My stomach isn't bothering me at all.
There's bright red blood. There's no actual pain there (aside from the lower back ache).
I'm regular with my bathroom trips.
The bleeding isn't constant.
It happens about once a month or once every two weeks, lasting for a day or two.

Rebecca Green37 said:thanks so much!!!
If I can ask, how did you figure out it was just hemorrhoids?
I have this dull ache in my lower back.
My stomach doesn't hurt at all.
The blood is bright red. I don't feel any pain (other than that lower back ache).
I go to the bathroom regularly.
The bleeding isn't constant.
It happens about once a month or once every two weeks... then it lasts for a day or two.

Go see a doctor. I don't want to scare you, but hemorrhoids don't usually cause lower back pain—at least, not in my experience, and believe me, I've been through hell. It doesn't mean it’s anything serious, and it probably isn't, but it’s best to have a specialist take a look. Good luck, and let us know how it goes...

Michael Diaz4 said:Go see a doctor. I don't want to scare you, but hemorrhoids don't usually cause lower back pain—at least not in my experience, and believe me, I've been through hell. It might not be anything serious, but it’s best to have a specialist take a look. Good luck, and let us know how it goes...

Thanks, I will.

My primary care physician is driving me insane.
She keeps insisting it's just hemorrhoids and that the lower back pain is due to being overweight.
But to me, the bleeding and the pain feel connected.

I practically had to beg for a referral.
And she won't even prescribe anything for the hemorrhoids.
If she doesn't want to work anymore, she should just retire already.
Damn it.

You’re asking how I figured out I had hemorrhoids? It was pretty straightforward. First off, the itching was absolutely brutal. Second, because I was dealing with internal ones, every time I had a hard stool, there’d be blood on the paper. And I don't mean dark—it was bright, vivid red. Also, if you're asking me, that lower back pain you're feeling probably isn't related to the hemorrhoids—you’re more likely looking at an L5S1 herniated disc.

Rebecca Green37 said:Thanks, I will.

My GP is driving me crazy.
She keeps insisting it's just hemorrhoids and that my lower back pain is caused by being overweight.
But I have a feeling the bleeding and the pain are connected.

It was hard enough just getting a referral.
And she won't even prescribe anything for the hemorrhoids yet.
If she doesn't want to work anymore, she should just retire already.
Unbelievable.

Your doctor isn't thinking straight... switch doctors immediately. If you had something serious, she’d probably tell you it’s just the flu.
Besides, hemorrhoids can cause massive bleeding—more than you can imagine. My gastroenterologist told me this after I went in last year thinking it was colitis; the colonoscopy showed everything was fine except for the hemorrhoids causing the bleeding.
When I bleed, I can't pinpoint the exact reason, but nothing helps except prescription enemas that supposedly help the tissue heal.

Elizabeth Rodriguez34 said:Your doctor isn't thinking straight... you need to find a new one immediately before things get serious. She might try to tell you it’s just the flu.
Actually, you can bleed so much from hemorrhoids that it's hard to wrap your head around... more than a few ounces a day. That’s what my gastroenterologist told me last year when I went in for bleeding, thinking it was colitis, only for the colonoscopy to show everything was fine except for the hemorrhoids causing the issue.
When I bleed, I can't pinpoint the exact cause, but nothing helps besides prescription enemas that seem designed to help the tissue heal.

Thanks to everyone here for the advice.

I'm heading in for an abdominal ultrasound (not pregnant).
What other tests should I get done?
I have a surgical consultation scheduled at the hospital, but it's three weeks out...

Should I start with a rectoscopy?

Regarding the bleeding... seeing it was a shock.
I looked down and saw blood in the bowl after going to the bathroom.

😢(
I'm debating whether to go to the ER so they can examine me right away.

You can go to the ER without a referral. If you have rectal bleeding, it’s an emergency—especially when you don't even know the cause.
If there isn't a gastroenterologist on call at the ER, they’ll call one in from the department. Because of the bleeding, that specialist might schedule your tests much sooner, potentially as early as the next morning.
That’s exactly how I found out I had UC. I went to the ER, and after talking to the gastroenterologist, he scheduled me to come to the ward for a colonoscopy the very next day. I spent the first day just prepping and cleaning out my system.

Everything cleared up on my end once I started taking Advil (the larger 28-capsule bottle). Seriously, I felt totally better within just two weeks! Now, I can finally breathe easy for a few months. Before I tried Advil, I was dealing with heavy bleeding—we're talking at least a decent amount every single morning after using the bathroom.

Elizabeth Rodriguez34 said:You can go to the ER without a referral; rectal bleeding is considered an emergency, especially when the cause is a mystery.
If there isn't a gastroenterologist on call at the ER, they'll pull one from their department. Because of the bleeding, that specialist might fast-track your tests, potentially even scheduling you for the next morning.
That’s exactly how I discovered my UC. I went to the ER, and after talking to the GI doctor, he called me back to the department the very next day for a colonoscopy. I had to spend the first day doing the prep.

Thanks. They couldn't see my intestines on the abdominal ultrasound because they were full of gas, even though I hadn't eaten anything since the day before or that morning.
On the same day you gave me that advice, I headed to the ER.
That morning, I had some minor bleeding.
The doctor performed a physical exam and told me there were no external or internal hemorrhoids.

If this happens again, I'll head straight to the gastroenterologist.
My digestion has been fine all along. No signs of blood.
Then today, I go to the bathroom, and there's blood again.😵
My bowel movements are regular, I eat healthy, and there's no pain or burning—just that dull ache in my lower back that comes and goes now and then.

When you walk up to the gastroenterology desk, they’ll try to schedule an appointment first. Don't let them. The first available slot is usually six to ten months out. Tell them it's an emergency because you're experiencing bleeding; they should see you in the clinic today. The truth? You might wait a few hours while everyone else gets seen, but it's worth it.
If they try to send you to the standard ER, tell them you've already been seen and the ER is referring you back to GI...
Even if the bleeding isn't heavy right now, exaggerate it just enough to get through the door. Don't wait until you're losing a significant amount of blood.
Besides, doctors are constantly telling people on the news to get checked immediately if they notice blood in their stool—not necessarily because of hemorrhoids, but as a precaution against colon cancer. In most cases, it isn't cancer; it's usually just inflammation or something else.

Elizabeth Rodriguez34 said:When you reach the desk at the gastroenterology department, they’ll likely try to schedule an appointment first. Don't let them. The first available slot is usually six to ten months out. Tell them it's urgent because you have bleeding and need to be seen in the clinic by a specialist today. Honestly, you might just sit there for a few hours waiting for the scheduled patients to finish, but it's worth it...
If they try to send you to the standard ER, tell them you've already been treated and they were the ones who referred you back to GI...
Even if the bleeding isn't heavy right now, emphasize that it is just to ensure they see you immediately. Don't wait until it becomes a crisis again...
Doctors generally advise through the media that people should seek a checkup as soon as they notice blood in their stool—not necessarily because of hemorrhoids, but as a preventative measure against colon cancer (though most of the time it’s just inflammation or something else)

I was thinking about going privately.
To get a rectoscopy done.

I don't have the energy to be driven back and forth all day :/

🤦
Does anyone have any advice on how to manage this discomfort?

You've already got a thread about this, by the way.
Just layer on some Rivanol and apply Fact cream.

Does anyone happen to have any insight regarding the THD method or perhaps the Hal-RaR procedure? I recall stumbling upon a mention of one of these being performed via referral at a facility somewhere in Washington, D.C., though I can't quite recall if it was a hospital like Mercy or similar... I remember someone posting about it here once, but unfortunately, I just can't seem to track it down again...

If anyone could provide a link to a discussion on this topic, as I know there was definitely some conversation here previously...

thanks

I wonder if there might be some clarity to be found in the matter... perhaps just a moment of reflection on what was said. kaže:
I won't get into specific names—I hope you understand why—but I can tell you it involves one of those large private clinics over in a city like Miami where they perform hemorrhoid surgeries... I wasn't exactly a proctologist expert, so I didn't quite grasp which specific procedure was being performed (to be honest, I was a bit shell-shocked when I hit that wall), but they do insist that the recovery is painful... or at least, that's all I heard...
Did you happen to have your procedure done privately at that clinic—if I recall correctly, they're the only ones offering private options in the area... or was it at the hospital? When did that take place for you, and how has your recovery been feeling since then...

Regarding the THD procedure, I’ve scheduled mine for February 25th in Washington, D.C., but honestly, I have no idea if I can actually make it that long... The pain following my morning bowel movement today was just unbearable. I can't sit, I can't lie down, I can't even stand... I don't know what to do, I feel like I'm losing my mind...

I spent the afternoon visiting a homeopath to see what she might have to say... homeopathy actually seemed to do the trick for me last time. Our consultation stretched on for about two and a half hours, which was quite intense. She interrogated me on absolutely everything—from my parents' medical histories and ancestral lineage to my childhood illnesses, the specific roots of my life stressors, even whether I sweat excessively or if I prefer cold or hot food and drinks... it felt more like sitting with a psychologist than a practitioner. Based on this exhaustive interview, she’ll be prescribing my homeopathic remedies tomorrow. In the meantime, she gave me some lard infused with calendula that she prepared herself, and we spent about five or six minutes performing a slow, circular massage around the internal anal area...

I am considering visiting that herbalist, Sadovic, over in Ljubuški. On told me over the phone that it wouldn't be an issue at all, claiming he can handle grade 3 hemorrhoids quite easily... Has anyone here actually seen him regarding chemical treatments? I know a few people who went to him for other things—heart arrhythmias, fertility issues, migraines—and they swear he saved them...

I’m honestly not sure if I’ve gone overboard searching for a miracle cure, but when this burning pain hits so hard that I lose all sense of direction... I just want the suffering to end. It’s become impossible to live, to work, to do anything at all. For this past week, there has been nothing in my life but them and me... One against all. Who will come out on top?

I’d much rather go with the THD method, though I honestly can't be sure if I can endure another two weeks of this pain... I'm hoping to manage the discomfort with some homeopathic remedies or herbal teas just to get me through until then. Still, I suspect surgery might be inevitable... Homeopathy or tea can only mask the issue for so long. My hemorrhoids are at stage III, one of them is bleeding, and it feels like everything down there is inflamed. Everywhere I look online, they say stage III basically means you're headed for the operating room...

I was scrolling through some medical forums last night and saw people mentioning that even Transanal Hemorrhoidal Dearterialization didn't provide them any relief... I haven't been able to dive too deep into the research today because the pain is just too intense, but hopefully I'll be able to dig into the details soon...

Is it even possible that this THD procedure doesn't completely resolve the issue with the hemorrhoids...

Come on, everyone... let's put our heads together and use Google to dig up everything we can about THD from the perspective of people living stateside...

It’s funny how everything looks absolutely flawless when you read the official THDLab press releases or those polished PR articles, whether they're posted here or anywhere else... You show up, get everything sorted out in thirty minutes flat, and walk out feeling like there was never even an issue to begin with. And then, to top it all off, they never even bother to follow up with you again...

Just to let you know, Advil hasn't done a single thing for me... I've already gone through eleven tablets today, with only three left in the pack. Is it possible that it might finally kick in at the very end? Or perhaps this medication is actually just making everything much worse... Has anyone else dealt with something like this before?

MonyB, when you mention that you didn't regret choosing surgery even though it seemed like the harder path, it makes me wonder if the recovery pain isn't actually quite as intense as what I was describing earlier... Also, considering the specific method used during the procedure, is there a significant risk of the issue returning?

Help me out, fellow sufferers...

So, how did everything turn out in the end?
How did you find the results with the THD method?
I would truly appreciate any advice or guidance you could offer...
And where in Washington, D.C. did you book your procedure?
(I noticed that was all quite some time ago...)