Dealing with hemorrhoids – any advice?

Arthur Hall25 said:Yeah, I explained it to her. A surgeon checked it out and said it was just an external thrombosed hemorrhoid, if I recall correctly. That was basically it.

Thanks! Our situation seems pretty much the same. Since I'm not in Washington, D.C. right now, she told me to just use Hemero protect cream and some laxatives. Once I get back to D.C., I'll go see her to see if things have actually improved or what the status is. But honestly, it looks like I'll be facing a proctologist and surgery just like you did.

Just let me know: is that surgical procedure something specific since it's external, or is it just one of those standard ones (unknown, Milligan-Morgan, etc.)?
How long did your recovery take?

redranger2 said:Those pills should shrink the swelling, both the external ones and the internal stuff. Some might just retract back inside, others stay out there. The Nexium should help with the pain, maybe take some Neofen forte if it gets really bad.

Keep things clean, wipe gently, use some cream on them, and try not to deal with constipation while you're feeling vulnerable. It won't just burst or anything; I've had an external one for years and I'm fine. For the constipation, Portalak works okay.

Don't sweat it too much, you'll be alright. :-)

Thanks a lot 🙂
I managed to get a quick consult with a doctor remotely. She gave me some Hemero protective cream and a regular laxative, that psyllium husk powder, to keep things soft. Hopefully, the symptoms die down. 🙏 When I get back to NYC in a week, she wants me to come in for an exam so we can figure out the next steps once she sees what's actually going on...
I'm being pretty careful with hygiene; I use baby wipes that I soak in water, then rinse off with lukewarm water in the shower.

Anyway, I asked my doctor about Nexium, and she just said "never heard of it." ��

quietfox383 said:By the way, I asked my doctor about Nexium, and she just looked at me like I was speaking Greek. ��

That just goes to show how little she actually knows. Personally, I’d give a "doctor" like that a very wide berth.

quietfox383 said:Well, it isn't really an external one, more like my internal one just popped out. 😢 Basically, I can see some swelling right there. That’s why I’m freaking out. My doctor mentioned she's never actually heard of an external one just rupturing on its own. She put me on a laxative and gave me some Hemero cream to hold things over until my follow-up appointment. We'll see what the verdict is then...

If an internal one popped out, then you definitely have an internal one; just because it's protruding doesn't mean it's technically external. 😁 As for a burst, that could happen whenever, so you might as well be prepared. Usually, it's just a matter of straining too hard during a bathroom break or using rough toilet paper, and suddenly there's blood. Honestly, Hemero protect won't actually cure anything since it only treats the symptoms rather than the root cause. It's a bit of a "polite" way for her to advise you.

quietfox383 said:By the way, I asked my doctor about Nexium, and she claimed she had "never even heard of it." ��

???? There is simply no way she isn't aware of it; Nexium is a standard, well-known medication for both external and internal hemorrhoids.

redranger2 said:???? No way they don't know. Nexium is a pretty well-known drug for both external and internal hemorrhoids.

I honestly have no clue. Maybe we just didn't click over the phone, since I had to talk to her that way because I'm not in Washington, D.C. right now... but I'll probably just ask her in person when I go in for my checkup..

So, what did your primary care doctors actually recommend to you guys regarding Nexium? How did you even hear about it?

quietfox383 said:Thanks so much! It sounds like our situations are pretty much identical. Since I'm not in Washington, D.C. right now, she just told me to stick with using Hemero protective cream and a regular laxative. Once I finally make it back to D.C., I'm planning to head straight to her office so we can see if things have actually improved or what the deal is. But honestly, it looks like a visit to a proctologist and some surgical removal is definitely in my future, just like yours.

Just let me know one thing: when you saw the surgeon, was it some special kind of procedure since it's an external issue, or is it just one of those standard ones (like unknown, Milligan-Morgan, etc.)?

And how long did it take for you to fully recover?

Don't even mention it. Yeah, it really does sound like we're dealing with the same thing. And honestly, it wasn't even a "surgery" in the way people usually think about it; I just walked into the hospital like a normal person, went up to the window for the surgical clinic (not even staying overnight in a ward), waited in line, got called in, they took one look at me, and they just handled it right then and there. They gave me a little bandage for down there, sort of like what you get after a blood draw, and then I just headed straight from the hospital back to work—there wasn't any recovery period needed or anything like that. There wasn't any bleeding afterward or any signs of trouble at all.

From what I can tell, it's basically an internal one that pops out and stays out because it gets thrombosed, at least that's my best guess.

Arthur Hall25 said:No problem. Seems pretty similar, I guess. It wasn't even a real surgery; I just went to the surgical outpatient clinic at the hospital—not even admitted to a ward—waited in line, got called in, they checked me out right then and there, gave me some gauze like after a blood draw, and I just went straight back to work. No recovery needed, nothing. No bleeding or anything afterward either.

It's probably just an internal thing that pops out and stays out because of thrombosis, or at least that's my guess.

That sounds promising, hopefully it works out that way in the end 🙏 I don't really know anything about this stuff, so I was pretty shaken up when it happened to me.

Last question, then I'll stop bugging you, I promise :-) After they remove the external part during that procedure, what happens to the internal one? Does it grow back, or is that the part that ends up popping out? It would be nice if that procedure actually solved the problem for good. I changed my diet recently anyway, living a lot healthier now. This is just a leftover from my old sedentary lifestyle and bad eating habits.

quietfox383 said:This sounds pretty promising, so I’m really hoping it works out that way in the end I don't know the first thing about any of this stuff, so I was actually kind of shocked when it happened to me.

Last question and then I promise I'll stop bugging you :-) After they deal with the external ones, what happens with the internal ones? Like, does one just grow back, or is that the same one that pops out? It would be absolutely amazing if this procedure could just totally wipe out hemorrhoids for good. Honestly, I've completely overhauled my diet lately and started living much healthier, so this whole situation is just a leftover from my old sedentary lifestyle and eating junk all the time.

Sometimes I can feel the internal ones, meaning they haven't vanished entirely, but they aren't causing me any trouble right now. I guess the real question is whether I'm feeling the one that already popped out or if it's some other one, I don't even know.

I had been doing fine for quite a long time—actually, I wasn't even taking any Prilosec and life was perfectly normal. Then, about two weeks ago, everything just went south. It’s been a total disaster: one external flare-up and likely several internal ones. Currently, I'm taking two Prilosec twice a day and using a lidocaine cream from the drugstore. I took some Advil yesterday, though I'm skipping it today. Yesterday, the pain was absolutely excruciating, but things feel a bit more manageable today. My doctor actually suggested up to six Prilosec tablets a day, but I’m sticking to four for now. How did it get to this point? It escalated from just being constipated for too long. Honestly, God, what a struggle it is to be a patient sometimes. I saw a specialist a few days ago, and surgery isn't even on my radar right now, especially since this keeps coming back.

Hey everyone dealing with hemorrhoid issues. I wanted to jump in here and share my experience with you all. I've been struggling with this for about 8 years now, starting out with just some itching and eventually moving to occasional blood on the toilet paper after a bowel movement—nothing too frequent. My morning routine was usually pretty regular without major issues, though I did deal with the occasional hard stool. About 20 days ago, however, things took a scary turn when I noticed what felt like half a coffee cup's worth of bleeding during a bowel movement. That definitely set off alarm bells for me. After enduring some moderate discomfort for a few days, I went straight to a specialist; I wasn't about to wait for things to get any worse. Following the exam, I was diagnosed with Grade 3 hemorrhoids (on a scale of 4) without external protrusion, along with an anal fissure and some narrowing of the canal. Surgery was recommended, and I didn't hesitate—I had it done at a private clinic just two days later. The procedure was a complex combination of THD, unknown, LHP, rectoanal fissure repair, and an anocutaneous advancement flap—basically, specialized plastic surgery for the fissure. It’s been 19 days since the operation. That first night was incredibly painful; I struggled for six hours before things eased up enough for me to catch maybe an hour or two of sleep. I spent three days in the hospital before being discharged. In the following days, I was on a soft food diet and dealt with frequent diarrhea. Follow-up exams went well, and I was advised to perform digital rectal massages to help with the inflammation and stenosis. For about 15 days now, I've been doing these massages, which were quite painful at first and caused spasms that lasted for hours. Eventually, the duration of those spasms started to decrease. These spasms happen because the internal sphincter hasn't fully healed yet, preventing normal passage. Once the spasm subsides and I take a walk, I can finally have a bowel movement, and then the massage cycle starts again. Overall, I feel like I'm heading toward recovery, as the spasms aren't nearly as intense now, though I expect them to last another 10 days or so. This massage is really the only way to relax the muscle that has been crowded by hemorrhoids for years and caused the narrowing. I'm hoping for a speedy recovery... I just wanted to share this so someone else might get a clearer picture of what the postoperative recovery process actually looks like. Best wishes to you all and to your doctors.

James Lee2 said:Hey everyone dealing with hemorrhoids. Just wanted to share my experience. I've been dealing with this stuff for maybe 8 years, starting with itching and eventually seeing some blood on the paper after using the bathroom... nothing too frequent. My morning routine was usually pretty regular, just some occasional hard stools. Then about 20 days ago, I noticed quite a bit of bleeding—like half a coffee cup worth—during a bowel movement. That really spooked me. I dealt with some mild pain afterward for a couple of days before scheduling an exam. I didn't want to wait for things to get worse. After the checkup, they diagnosed me with Grade 3 hemorrhoids (out of 4), no prolapse yet, but I had an anal fissure and some narrowing in the canal. They recommended surgery, so I went ahead and did it at a private clinic just two days later. It was a mix of techniques: THD, unknown, LHP, rectoanal fissure repair, and an anocutaneous advancement flap... basically a fissure repair. It’s been 19 days since the surgery. That first night was brutal. I was in pain for about 6 hours before I could finally catch an hour or two of sleep. Spent 3 days in the hospital before being discharged. Had soft food for a while and dealt with frequent diarrhea. Follow-ups have been fine, but the doctor recommended digital massage of the canal because of inflammation and stenosis. I've been doing that massage for about 15 days now; it hurts at first and causes spasms that last for hours. Eventually, the spasms don't last as long. They happen because the internal sphincter hasn't fully healed, making it hard to pass stool. Once the spasm lets up and I walk around, I can go, then back to the massage, and so on. I guess I'm heading toward recovery, though the spasms aren't as intense now, even if they'll probably stick around for another 10 days or so. The massage seems to be the only way to relax the muscle that's been cramped by hemorrhoids and causing the stenosis for years. Hoping for a quick recovery... just sharing this so someone else might know what the post-op road looks like. Best to everyone and hope you see your doctors on time.

My God, that sounds like a total nightmare, especially what you're going through after the surgery. I didn't realize it would be like that.
How did you pick that specific method? What about Milligan-Morgan or laser?

From what I understand, the Milligan-Morgan method is the most radical approach, typically reserved for cases where hemorrhoids have already prolapsed outside the anal canal. That wasn't quite my situation, though. I was dealing with third-degree issues that led to some complications with the canal and fissures, especially since the internal area was packed with thrombosed hemorrhoids. My biggest struggle ended up being a narrowing of the canal caused by an overly tight internal sphincter. Now, things are slowly returning to a more normal state since there aren't any hemorrhoids left to cause trouble. As mentioned, the treatment plan involved using Hal Rar for the more severe instances and laser therapy for the minor ones, so that’s essentially it. It's a slightly more intensive surgery involving more techniques to ensure a better outcome, so fingers crossed.

How long do you guys usually stay on Pfizer? I had my first bout of bleeding about 10 days ago. A few days before that, I felt this weird cramping—just a dull ache down there—after sitting in the car for ten hours straight. Then, two or three days later, the bleeding picked up quite a bit. Luckily, there was no pain involved. I figured it was internal hemorrhoids, so I hit up a local pharmacy and they recommended Pfizer. I just finished my first box yesterday. Things are looking way better now; there’s still a little blood here and there, but nothing compared to what I was dealing with 10 days ago. I’m planning to keep taking them for a while, so I wanted to see what your experiences have been. For context, I’m 33, my job involves a lot of sitting, I spend a ton of time driving, and I definitely have the genetics and diet to blame for this. At what point should I call a doctor if the bleeding doesn't stop completely? Right now, there's no pain and no other issues.
Thanks in advance
LP

James Lee2 said:From what I gather, the MM method is most extreme when you already have a hemorrhoid prolapsing outside the canal... which wasn't my case. I had stage III, which led to complications with the canal and fissures, since the inside was packed with thrombosed hemorrhoids... the biggest issue was the narrowing of the canal due to increased internal sphincter tone. It’s slowly returning to a more normal state now that there aren't any hemorrhoids messing with it... and like you said, the hemorrhoids were handled using a mix of Hal Rar for the severe ones and laser for the minor ones, so that's basically it... just a bigger surgery and more techniques for a better result... hopefully.

I don't quite get it, but what you described sounds pretty terrifying. I haven't seen anyone else on this forum describe anything like that, from what I can tell. I can't afford to be out for 3 or 4 weeks like that; I have people depending on me. It seems wild that recovery is such a complicated, heavy ordeal.

Back again. It’s officially been almost a month since my surgery. As I mentioned before, I’ve been doing internal sphincter massages about three or four times a day to deal with the spasticity, especially since they had to perform a repair during the procedure. I’m also using Salofalk suppositories alongside the massages to help calm down the inflammation in the area. This whole thing is a result of combining three different techniques into one single operation to avoid needing a second surgery later on, which is why the recovery process is so grueling and slow. That said, I can feel myself making progress, even if it takes more time. My doctor told me that within the next two weeks, the massages and the medication should settle the spasms and inflammation, finally allowing me to get back to my normal life. Since I’ve been through the ringer plenty of times in my life and always come out on top, my advice is to stay positive and be fully committed to the recovery plan and everything your doctor prescribes. For those first seven days, the massage is an absolute nightly necessity. Things are looking up now and I'm moving in the right direction. Best to everyone here.

Here’s my situation—M, 31, non-smoker, don't drink, average build...

Over the last couple of days, things have gone south—sudden diarrhea, intense cramping, and occasional stools mixed with bright red blood.

I've got a GI consult and a colonoscopy scheduled for tomorrow under sedation. Honestly, I'm terrified this is something serious.

What are the odds this is just hemorrhoids? The blood is one thing, but the sudden change in gut motility—the cramps and the diarrhea—is what really has me worried.

Hey, I really hope there’s someone active on this forum because I am freaking out here...
My issues started about 10 days ago. I was away on a trip for 15 days—lots of sitting around, not super active—and then there was a huge party where I ate way too much sauerkraut. That stuff always messes with my stomach, but this time it feels way worse. That day, I had to run to the bathroom 5 or 6 times, and by the next day, things took a turn when I noticed some blood after going. It’s itchy and painful, too—every single time I go, it hurts like there's an open wound or something scratching inside. Plus, I'm seeing a few drops in the toilet bowl after every bout. I have an appointment with a gastroenterologist this Tuesday, but please, if anyone has advice, let me know because I’m totally lost. Does this sound like hemorrhoids to you guys?

Based on what you're describing, it sounds most like an anal fissure. I'd really recommend checking in with a proctologist just to be safe... good luck!