Dealing with hemorrhoids

Chloe Gomez6 said:I’ve already started doing 2x1, so I’m sticking with it. Maybe one more after that. It helps. I can still feel them when I touch, but there's no pain, no itching, and no burning.

I know you can't be sure if you're cured for good (though I hope you are😁), but I was wondering about how things look? Can you see anything or feel anything abnormal? Are you able to wipe without being terrified after a bowel movement?

And as for food, I try to be careful. But when I'm out grabbing lunch somewhere, it feels silly to be overly cautious (or maybe that's just an excuse to pig out on the stuff I usually avoid😁).

Sandra Baker35 said:Here I am again 😲!
So, I went to see my doctor who examined my anal area 😉 and told me I just have one prolapsed hemorrhoid. Even when she did a digital exam, nothing hurt... but now, I’m feeling this stinging, cutting pain down there 😲 and I’m lost. Can that prolapsed hemorrhoid swell up again???
Also... does it ever cause pain in your leg (referred pain), or am I just imagining things? It feels like the pain is spreading everywhere.😕
Basically, I've dealt with irritable bowel issues for years, but lately, the bloating and gas have just gone totally out of control.
There's no blood in my stool, but whenever I go, it feels like everything down there is burning afterward—as if the movement itself is destructive. This whole thing is driving me crazy.😠

Chloe Gomez6 said:Sometimes my leg starts acting up—just one side, the left one😁. It feels like a nerve is being pinched or something🤷. It’s just an occasional thing, though. And honestly, what did she say? That she couldn't feel anything back there?😕 Maybe she doesn't even know what she's looking for. Also, what's the deal with that "skin tag" thing? (I think I've got one too). Why won't that little bit of skin just retract? To me, it just looks like a tiny little tail hanging out—totally pointless.😢
I don't really know what to tell you. Wait, didn't you post on those other forums too? Thinking maybe it was some gynecological issue? Or am I mixing you up with someone else?

Sandra Baker35 said:You haven't replaced me; I used to post over there too. At one point, everything down there started hurting so much that I couldn't even tell what was wrong. First, I saw my primary doctor, who didn't see anything suspicious 😕, and then I ended up at my gynecologist because of the stinging and pain in that area. I thought... well, you know what I thought. But even he found that everything was more or less within normal limits, aside from a minor infection... so I got some wipes and things, and it was fine for a while. Things calmed down. But now, I'm feeling that sharp, cutting pain again, and sometimes it spreads out in a dull ache. I haven't noticed any other pains. I'm not bleeding, but I did feel some thickening near my anus for a while. Now, all I have are these occasional pains and moments where it feels like my bowels are going to burst... just this pressure in the anus. That’s about all I can say.
When I apply creams, it "calms down" a little... but then once I sit for a long time or after a bowel movement, the pain or burning returns.
My stools have been more regular lately. For a while they were soft and unformed, but now they are mostly normal. I am a very neurotic and anxious person, though... I believe those two traits don't help matters; they actually make things worse. 🤷

Karen Rogers11 said:Hey there.
Sorry if this was already covered—I haven't scrolled through everything from the very beginning...
Ultraproct ointment works wonders (speaking from experience), so if you haven't tried it, give it a shot.
Good luck.

Chloe Gomez6 said:Honestly, I get that weird sensation right in the middle too. Since I had my Bartholin gland removed earlier this year, I can never tell if it's lingering post-op discomfort or just some chemical reaction—it’s all kind of blurred together. And god, the neurosis and anxiety involved... I can only imagine how much you're spiraling😢. But look, if you actually go see a proctologist, it might turn out to be something else entirely. Not trying to freak you out here, just being real.😁

Casey Cooper49 said:Where can I pick up that ointment?

Sandra Baker35 said:Heh... the issue is that I’m feeling pretty anxious and convinced that I have, who knows what. Again, I went back to see my doctor, and she told me she didn't think I needed to go any further. Honestly, that was exactly what I needed to hear, given how much I'm dreading going elsewhere. I'll see—I'll probably end up seeking more help eventually, it's just a matter of when I finally reach my breaking point and just call to schedule an appointment.
Everything hurts at times... all over. I had this feeling like my groin glands were aching, though they don't feel swollen to me. My armpits are hurting too. Maybe I'm just dealing with some nasty pain. 😕🤷😲It’s not exactly pain, more like an intense itch... a painful kind of itching. There isn't any swelling, though; that's nothing new for me. Honestly, maybe it would be best if I just went to the doctor and dealt with all these fears once and for all. 🙄

Chloe Gomez6 said:😲 why aren't you just Hemo-free already???

Good grief, (honestly, my own glands under my armpits are acting up too😁), maybe you should just look into group therapy—I know some folks who dealt with hypochondria and that actually did the trick for them. It’ll definitely distract you from obsessing over the issues. I know two people who go regularly and they swear by it, say they absolutely love those sessions. Honestly, I'd probably go myself—if I wasn't totally broke.

Chloe Gomez6;23469466 said:😲 So, are you Hemo-free yet?

Yeah, I am, but it wasn't exactly a smooth ride...

Sandra Baker35 said:Heh... the real issue is that I’m paralyzed by fear and convinced I’ve got some major catastrophe on my hands... though, then again, I went back to see my doctor and she told me she didn't think I needed further testing... which was honestly the exact answer I wanted to hear, given how terrified I am to take the next step... I’ll deal with it eventually; I'll probably end up going somewhere else, it’s just a matter of when I finally hit my breaking point and just call to schedule an appointment.
Everything around there just aches intermittently... everything... I had this sensation like my groin lymph nodes were hurting, though they don't feel swollen... my armpits are acting up too... maybe I’m dealing with some nasty 😕🤷😲... it's not exactly pain, more like an intense itch... a painful kind of itch, even if nothing feels swollen, which is something I've dealt with before... honestly... maybe the best thing would be to just suck it up and face these fears once and for all.🙄

Alex Moore62 said:And why don't you just ask for a referral to a specialist or just go to a private clinic? This isn't something you play around with.

What I really want to know is if anyone here has actually gone through rubber band ligation. I haven't found anyone who’s written a full-blown post about it—just some random passing comments saying it's a nightmare.
On the flip side, my doctor keeps telling me it doesn't hurt at all, that you can function totally normally afterward, basically implying there's zero reason to call out of work. Honestly, I don't see why someone would lie about that. 😕

Sandra Baker35 said:I'm not kidding around here. I actually went in to see my doctor, and she performed a physical exam—including a digital rectal exam—and I find it hard to believe someone with her level of training would miss something obvious if it were there. To be safe, I’ve also scheduled a private consultation with a proctologist, because let's face it, I'm a total hypochondriac and prone to panic, which only serves to amplify my anxiety. Everyone dreads going to the doctor, but for those of us who constantly spiral into health anxiety, that fear is magnified a hundredfold. I won't turn this into a venting session about my neuroses, though, since there are probably other threads dedicated to health anxiety, and I don't want to derail the conversation. But if you want to know the truth: yes, I am absolutely terrified.😲

Alex Moore62 said:General practitioners definitely shouldn't be the final word here—you don't want to mislead someone when their whole recovery might hinge on seeing a specialist right away. Honestly, if you're spiraling this hard, just go get checked out ASAP. It'll save you from all this pointless dread and misery.

Personally, I think stressing out ahead of time is just bad business. You start dwelling on these nightmare scenarios that almost never actually happen, and before you know it, you've completely drained yourself. You end up making yourself sick just because the stress nukes your immune system. Not to sound too "woo-woo," but there's that whole idea about not "inviting" bad luck—if you dwell on the negative, you're basically manifesting it. You gotta keep the vibes positive to see positive results.
Same goes for obsessing over stuff that’s totally out of your hands—you know, things where you have zero control over the outcome. Why burn your energy on that?
I get it, though—easier said than done. 😉

Sandra Baker35 said:I’m with you on that... everything seems fine until illness enters the equation. For about twenty years now, I’ve been dealing with certain psychological hurdles—anxiety, panic attacks, and some pretty intense hypochondria. I’ve sought treatment for these issues over the years, but honestly, it hasn't yielded much success.
So, here is my take: if a person is rational—which implies they are mentally sound—they can exercise the kind of healthy judgment you’re describing. But when you're battling a disorder like mine, being "rational" becomes a moving target, because the very nature of the illness is to occasionally strip away your ability to be reasonable at all.
I would love to belong to your group, but... I suppose that’s just wishful thinking on my part.
Still, one has to seek treatment... through every possible avenue and under any specialist who handles these matters. There is a standard protocol, though: you start with Primary Care and move forward from there. In my view, Primary Care physicians possess enough specialized knowledge to handle most things; otherwise, their role wouldn't carry much weight in the medical system.