Dealing with hemorrhoids – any advice?

Hello everyone,

I have a question regarding hemorrhoids. My father deals with them, and his routine for keeping things under control involves using Safeguard soap after every bowel movement. He claims it works perfectly for him, apparently due to some soothing balm or ingredient that I can't quite wrap my head around. For some mysterious reason, Safeguard is nowhere to be found in any local stores lately, and my father is practically begging for a replacement soap that serves the exact same purpose. I’ve spent time searching, browsing, and reading through labels, but I can't find anything in the ingredients of other soaps that mentions a similar soothing balm. Does anyone have any recommendations for what I should pick up for him? Whether it's a specific brand of soap or something else entirely, I'd appreciate the advice. It breaks my heart to see him uncomfortable just because he can't find his usual Safeguard.😢...

Chloe Reyes Asks:
My doctor just confirmed they’re indeed blood cells. 😠😠 It’s a strange sensation—this discomfort persists, yet it isn't exactly "painful" in the traditional sense. There is no stinging, no sharp ache, nothing quite like that. I have, however, become quite disciplined about my hygiene lately—drinking an excessive amount of water throughout the day and staying on top of topical applications. I am holding onto the hope that this will simply dissipate within the next few days and, more importantly, that it won't decide to make a comeback. 😁
As for that situation you mentioned—I honestly don't even know where to start—it sounds like an absolute nightmare... just stay strong, alright? I’m really pulling for you.

What exactly are we talking about here—what should one use to coat their mazes? It’s a bit of a vague inquiry, isn't it? One can't simply apply any old substance to a structure without considering the material or the intended purpose—though I suppose that depends entirely on whether you're looking for structural integrity or just some aesthetic flair. If you're asking from a DIY perspective, there's a whole world of sealants and finishes out there—but then again, if this is some sort of specialized architectural question, we might be getting ahead of ourselves. Please, do provide a little more context so I don't end up rambling about wood stains when you were actually thinking about something else entirely.

So, I’m gearing up for an outpatient polyp removal and potentially dealing with some hemorrhoids too... I was wondering if anyone here has actually had an anal polyp removed—if so, how long did the recovery actually take?
I'll admit, I'm pretty nervous about it—but honestly, I'm even more terrified of just leaving that polyp sitting in there... It seems to be right on top of the hemorrhoid itself...
Hopefully, everything goes smoothly and turns out okay...

So, I had my hemorrhoids operated on a few days ago. Surgeon said it was stage 3, though honestly, felt more like stage 4 to me.
Did it at the Butterfly clinic using the HAL RAR method.
While they were in there, the surgeon also cleared out two polyps attached to the hemorrhoids.
The whole thing took about an hour and a half under general anesthesia. I was dodging general anesthesia like the plague at first, but they talked me into it, saying it was the best move given my specific symptoms.
Had my first bowel movement today. It wasn't as terrifying as I anticipated, probably because everything is soft since I’m strictly on a liquid diet—just soups and oatmeal with yogurt. Still, it came in fits, like a slow drip. A little starts, my stomach churns, heart races, I break out in a sweat, just waiting for that sharp "cutting" sensation to hit. Then it repeats a few hours later. I’m on antibiotics too, which seem to be wrecking my stomach; I’m bloating constantly, and that can actually hurt. Also taking Anacin and using some topical gel. Every time I pass gas, there’s still a bit of blood to wipe away, so back to the gel...
The surgeon seems to be one of the pioneers of this method in the States. Aside from being highly skilled, he has this "piece of cake" attitude that’s surprisingly calming. At least it worked for me. He explains everything patiently if you have questions. All in all, top notch.
The rest of the staff at the clinic was incredibly polite, too.
Everything is fine, except my backside still hurts, I get a slight fever in the evenings, and my stomach is acting up from all the pills.
It’s a nice feeling when things just slide right out without any straining, and then you just rinse off and you're done. No mess left behind.
The absolute worst part at the clinic was having the catheter pulled out of my bladder. It happened the morning after surgery, right after breakfast, when I had to go pee.
You can look up the HAL RAR method on YouTube; it doesn't look invasive at all to me. If that’s considered non-invasive, I dread to think what the others are like.
If anyone has questions, just ask.

quietcobra21 said:So, a few days ago, I went under the knife for hemorrhoids—Grade 3, according to my surgeon, though personally, they felt more like Grade 4.
I had the procedure done at the Butterfly clinic using the HAL RAR method.
While we were at it, the surgeon also cleared out two extra polyps sitting right on the hemorrhoids.
The whole thing took about an hour and a half under general anesthesia. I was avoiding general anesthesia like the plague initially, but they convinced me it was the smartest move given my specific symptoms.
I had my first bowel movement today, and honestly, it wasn't the nightmare I expected—though that might be because everything is soft since I'm strictly on a liquid diet (soups and yogurt with oats). Still, it came in fits—really agonizingly slow. It starts a little, my stomach starts churning, my heart begins racing, I break out in a sweat, and you're just waiting for that sharp "cutting" sensation to pass. Then, a few hours later, it happens all over again. I’m also on antibiotics, which seem to be wreaking havoc on my stomach—lots of painful gas. On top of that, I'm taking Anacin and using a topical gel. Even now, whenever I pass gas, there's a bit of blood that I have to wipe away, so back to the gel...
My surgeon seems to be one of the pioneers of this specific method here in the States. Aside from being highly skilled, he has this "easy" and "piece of cake" attitude that's incredibly calming—at least for me. He explains everything you need to know clearly and patiently. All things considered, he's excellent.
As for the rest of the staff at the clinic, they were overly polite.
Everything is going fine, except for the lingering soreness, a slight fever in the evenings, and a stomach that's hurting from all the pills.
It is a beautiful feeling when everything just slides out effortlessly, and then you just rinse off in the shower without any mess left behind.
The absolute worst part of the clinic stay was having the catheter pulled out. It was the morning after surgery: breakfast, then trying to pee, and finally peeing once I got home.
You can look up the HAL RAR method on YouTube; it doesn't look invasive to me at all. (If that's not invasive, I shudder to think what else is).
If anyone has questions, just ask.

Aha, looks like I'll be going through something similar soon... I don't even know which method yet... the doctor didn't explain things very well to me. The nurse was actually the most comforting person there... the doctor is phlegmatic enough, but he doesn't really elaborate.
Basically, I've got that one polyp on a hemorrhoid too... mine are Grade 3, but honestly, they feel like Grade 8.😢
Man, I really need to prepare myself for the post-op period... tell me, what did your doctor say regarding recovery time? How long does it take for everything to heal properly? A month, less, or more????

My mom is dealing with both external and internal hemorrhoids, and for the last month, she’s been bleeding constantly. It’s actually quite heavy. She tried to play it cool and told me not to panic, but I did some digging and immediately started worrying about cancer. 🙄 I have a few questions: she already submitted stool samples and had blood work and tumor marker tests done, all of which came back clear. Does that effectively rule out cancer? Is that correct? Her last colonoscopy was just last year and everything looked fine. She also has three stomach ulcers, so she goes in regularly for gastroscopies, and her doctor mentioned there's no need to repeat those specific tests if her blood and stool results remain normal. According to her physician, the current issues are strictly due to the hemorrhoids.
Is it really possible to have bleeding this intense from hemorrhoids she's had for 20 years? Why would they suddenly start acting up like this now? 😠
What is the absolute best cream or remedy to soothe the discomfort? And is surgery truly unavoidable? (I’m really hoping she can avoid it since she deals with arrhythmia.)

Sarah Wells23 said:My mom has both external and internal hemorrhoids, and for the last month, she’s been bleeding constantly—and quite heavily at that. She tried to play it cool and tell me not to panic, but I did my own digging and immediately jumped to the worst-case scenario: cancer. 🙄 Now, I have a few questions: she submitted stool samples and had blood work and tumor marker tests done, and everything came back clean. That should theoretically rule out cancer, right? Is that actually a guarantee? Her last colonoscopy was last year and showed nothing unusual. She also deals with three stomach ulcers, so she goes for regular gastroscopies; her doctor told her there's no need to repeat all those invasive tests if the blood and stool results remain normal. According to him, the current issues are strictly due to the hemorrhoids.
I want to know—is it possible for them to cause this level of bleeding even after she's dealt with them for 20 years? Why would they suddenly start acting up like this now? 😠
What’s the best cream, ointment, or "miracle cure" to soothe this? And is surgery really the only way out? (I really don't want her going under the knife because she has an arrhythmia).

Look, it is entirely possible that things have just flared up and the bleeding has intensified... I've dealt with mine for 11 years. For the first 10, they’d flare up maybe two or three times a year, but this past year, they've been constant. They bleed almost every single day—and they aren't even the most severe stage; I don't even get prolapse, they're just internal and hurt like hell... I've never touched spicy food or fast food, I swam competitively for 12 years (so I'm definitely not sedentary), and they showed up five years before I stopped swimming. My bowel movements are regular and soft... so, it isn't a lifestyle issue. It's genetics—it's just my lot in life. Inelastic mucosa, plain and simple... just like my dad.
FactCheck worked like magic when it was just a couple of flares a year, but now that they are a constant problem, there is no magic left. I've tried everything: herbal Hemophill, Detralex, various capsules—the latest thing I tried was Hemero protect cream from Dietpharma. Things have calmed down slightly, but I'm still prepping for surgery on December 20th... I just can't deal with this anymore. Especially since there's a polyp right there on the hemorrhoid, so when it flares, it's both at once—double the pain and double the bleeding 😢... Regarding your mom, it's ultimately her call whether to go through with the surgery or not... it depends on how much it's affecting her quality of life and whether she's becoming anemic from the blood loss. My iron levels have always been high—no sign of anemia here—but the pain and bleeding are still pretty brutal...

stormypanther55 said:And look, it’s entirely possible things have taken a turn for the worse and the bleeding has intensified... I've dealt with this for 11 years now. For the first ten, they'd flare up maybe two or three times a year, but this past year, they've been constantly inflamed. They bleed almost daily, even though they aren't even at the worst stage—I don't even have prolapse issues, they're just internal and hurt like hell... I've never touched spicy or fast food, and I swam competitively for 12 years (so I definitely wasn't sedentary), yet these issues started five years before I stopped swimming. My digestion is regular and soft, so there isn't really a lifestyle change I can make here... genetics just won this round. It's non-elastic mucosa, plain and simple... just like my dad...
FactCheck was like magic when it was just those two or three flares a year, but now that they're constant, nothing works. I've tried everything: herbal Hemophill, Detralex, and hemorrhoid capsules. The latest thing I tried was that Hemero protect cream from Dietpharma... it calmed things down a little, but regardless, I'm prepping for surgery on December 20th... I just don't have the nerves for this anymore. Especially since there's also a polyp right there on the hemorrhoid, so when things flare up, both swell at once, causing double the pain and bleeding 😢... As for your mom, it's up to her whether she wants the surgery or not... it depends on how much it bothers her and if she's becoming anemic from the blood loss. My iron levels have always been high, so no sign of anemia... but I've had enough of the pain and bleeding...

Thanks for the reply 😉
In this whole situation, I think I'm actually more terrified than she is. Honestly, she isn't too worried because she's had them since her pregnancy and they never fully went away, so she's just used to it by now. They used to flare up occasionally and she'd use FactCheck, but the bleeding is much heavier than before and they stay inflamed constantly—they might calm down for two or three days, but then it starts all over again.
She has three ulcers, so she's careful about what she eats, but she does sit for long periods, and since her parents had them too, she likely inherited the tendency.
Her blood work is fine and her iron levels are okay, but who knows how things will go if these heavy bleeds continue? Her doctor recommended surgery but mentioned it might only be a temporary fix. To me, surgery seems like such a massive ordeal if the problem just comes back, and life isn't exactly enjoyable when you're in constant pain.🤷
I don't know; if this were happening to me, I would go in for surgery without a second thought. But I'm too scared to let her go because I'm panicking and searching for some other solution that clearly doesn't exist.🙄

stormypanther55 said:Yeah, I’ll probably end up with something similar... honestly, I have no clue what method they used... the doctor didn't do a great job explaining things at all. To be honest, the nurse was actually more helpful. The doctor is just one of those phlegmatic types who doesn't bother explaining anything.
For me, it's basically one polyp on a hemorrhoid. They say it's stage 3, but personally, it feels more like stage 8.😢
Man, I really need to brace myself for the recovery after surgery. Tell me what your doctor said—how long is the downtime? How much time does it take to fully heal? Is it a month, less, or more?

The doctor recommended taking two weeks off work. Full recovery takes about five weeks. That's usually when you go back for the follow-up appointment.

Hey everyone!!
Joining the club here since I'm dealing with some serious butt issues too 😍
I first ran into this when I was 18 and started using Hemophill, which kept things under control until about two months ago. Now I'm 20 and honestly, I'm at a loss... I've completely overhauled my diet—eating way more fruit and grains, drinking coffee on an empty stomach every morning, and using various creams—but nothing seems to be doing the trick...
It’s external hemorrhoids and they're super inflamed. It got so bad last week that I couldn't even walk or sit down; I just had to lie on my stomach all day!!
I wanted to ask, besides taking Detralex tablets, what kind of cream should I grab? I was thinking about getting some Dolcolax gel just to kill the pain, but what should I pair it with? Also, is FactCheck ointment meant for external stuff too, or just internal?
Please help... I'm totally out of ideas... I know I really need to see a specialist, but I keep putting it off....🙄🙄

Hey everyone,

I’ve got my Level 1 cert and I'm heading in for the Barron's sub-linking training.
Anyone here actually dealt with this before? Any tips?

Thanks in advance!

So, my mom was prescribed this "HEPAN" cream for her hemorrhoids, but she’s honestly pretty bummed out about it. She says it still stings like crazy, and if you actually look at the instructions, it doesn't even explicitly say it's meant for hemorrhoids, which I guess is kind of weird. Now she's just stuck wondering what else she can try. Has anyone here ever used that stuff, or maybe you know of something that actually works better?

quietcobra21 said:The doctor suggested two weeks off work. Full recovery should take about five weeks. At that point, he’ll probably want to see me for a follow-up appointment.

I really appreciate you walking us through your experience with this specific surgical method. I’m actually facing the same thing very soon, and honestly, I’ll probably end up seeing the exact same surgeon. I’m not exactly terrified—if anything, I’m looking forward to finally putting this issue behind me—but I am a bit taken aback. I’m feeling slightly blindsided, to be honest. Like you, I had assumed the procedure would be a bit more straightforward. It seems I completely misread all those sanitized descriptions on the clinic websites.😉 You make a valid point: if this is supposed to be the "minimally invasive" option, what on earth are the other methods like!?
Wishing you a speedy recovery. Man, it’s going to be such a relief to finally get rid of those little devils once and for all.👍