Matthew Morris28
Active Member
55 messages
joined Jan 2005
You can totally find stuff about this on the Health forums if you just search for it. People were definitely talking about it back in October 2005 when I dealt with a nasty flare-up. Got it after sitting on a concrete floor while I was messing around installing some outlets at home, tinkering with wires and laminate.
Actually, it’s even genetic. I definitely inherited mine from my old man. He had surgery right around the September 11 attacks before I headed off to basic training. I went into the service without any kind of send-off because the pain was so bad he couldn't even get out of bed.
The predisposition is genetic, but you also get them from catching colds, eating poorly, or having a bad diet—lots of hard, dry foods. It’s also triggered by poor hygiene, sitting too much, and not moving enough. And interestingly enough, about 40% of pregnant women get them. For them, it’s due to the blood vessels in the pelvic area expanding and contracting during pregnancy.
Mine were external and they were brutal. Everything felt inflamed, probably even a couple centimeters deep because I could feel it in my prostate too. I couldn't even pee, and don't even get me started on trying to take a real dump—it was a total nightmare. What helped was taking cold chamomile baths for two weeks, using Fact ointment, and some Voltaren gel, which acts as a local anesthetic for that area; it took the edge off the pain and itching a bit.
The whole thing flared up again just a few days before my wedding, so my honeymoon ended up being pretty painful too.
Oh, forgot to mention... alcohol makes it worse, especially red wine and hard liquor. While you're recovering, you seriously need to cut out the booze, especially the strong stuff.
I actually found some herbal ointments that worked even better than the famous Fact cream.
You’re never truly rid of them, even after surgery, because new ones will eventually pop up. You just have to learn how to live with it and keep things under control. Fix your diet: cut out spicy food, salty stuff, dry snacks, and alcohol. Eat more fiber and grab some probiotics like kombucha, kefir, or yogurt. Don't sit on cold surfaces, stay dry, and most importantly—if you feel even the slightest itch and your hand starts drifting toward your butt, grab the ointment immediately and apply it preventatively. Otherwise, once they swell up, it gets ugly fast. I was on sick leave for two weeks because I couldn't stand, lie down, or walk...