Hemmroids! help....

[shrinkingirl2012]

OK, looks like I've got some prolapsed hemrroids. Haven't been to a doctor because I don't have a PCP. Should I call my GYN or my DS surgeon? Prep H, tucks, aren't touching it. It's not shards of glass kind of pain, but it's distracting and kept me up last night. Well, maybe it was the worrying about it that kept me up...
Do the products advertised on the internet work? Are they safe or should I just find a doctor?

[renegadeorange]

Best to find a PCP, I think. You definitely need one anyway! Might as well start the search now. You should find one that is willing to learn about the DS and work with you, even if they have no clue what it is. You'll need your PCP to draw all of the necessary labs you'll need, because your surgeon will not do that most likely.

Some helpful links:
How to talk to your PCP about the DS: www.dsfacts.com/conversation-with-your-pcp.html
Labs you'll need: docs.google.com/Doc?docid=0AU46vLsRDC9rZGhranhtcXpfOGNxcDk2c2c0&hl=en

Best of luck!
Nic

[shrinkingirl2012]

Honestly I'm freaking out over this. I've read so many posts where seemingly innocent hemrroids turned into life altering anal fistulas requiring excruciating surgery. I'm about to start teaching a course at a college. I cannot be sidelined by this right now.
I need someone to talk me off the ledge!

[fullhousemom]

Based on the desperation of your post, I am going to meet you on your "ledge" and make another suggestion. Call your DS surgeon and see if he can take care of it? Maybe he will say no. Maybe not? My DS surgeon is an internist. At a minimum, I am confident he would refer me to someone who could take care of it. I don't need a referral for insurance purposes. If you do, if memory serves me right, can't your ob/gyn give you a referral? There was a post on the OH site a few months ago, about someone who had theirs cauterized. It didnt sound like a difficult or painful process (but I wasnt the one on the table)! I would check with your surgeon and ob/gyn and see if the matter can get taken care of quickly. You will still need to get a PCP, but getting your problem taken care of that route may take a little longer.

I had a problem with -roids for about two weeks when I was trying out some new protein powder. I am happy to report that the problem has resolved itself. I thought for sure that I was headed to the dr.

Good luck and I hope you get things resolved quickly and feel better!

[shrinkingirl2012]

Yeah, I thought of calling the surgeon. I believe he's a general surgeon, too, so maybe either he can deal with it or refer me to someone else, or tell me to just wait it out, which I could do if I had some ointment or something that would relieve the pressure. I did call the GYN but they never called me back. Since I can't see the damn thing i can't tell if it's internal, external, thrombosed, etc etc. The more I read on the internet, the more anxious I feel about it. I will call someone tomorrow to try to get a pair of eyes on it at least.

[vanishingmom]

My Roids are something I've become quite comfortable with. I've had surgery for them and now still have some with an added tag AND fissure. Put all that together and it spells FUN! (I'm dripping with sarcasm if it wasn't apparent)

From what my surgeon (Dr. Greenbaum) has told me and from my research if you have an extra amount of acid passing through you are more prone to them. Plus the added amount of time spent on our arses after surgery coupled with the frequent bowel movements that as fresh post op makes and it's the perfect breeding ground for these guys. I've noticed that from talking to people that patients with a worse case of heart burn (ie not getting their acid under control such as I didn't) have more likely chance of sprouting them. People like me have the added benefit of being prone to them.

I went to my PCP at first but ultimately ended up in my DS surgeons office (Dr. Greenbaum). He took care of them right away although I will warn you although it's not terribly painful the surgery will make you rather uncomfortable for about a week.

As far as I go, we've talked about additional surgery but really at this point it's a wait and see game. if they get worse than they are now I'll go back in but for the time being we're trying to see how much of them we can get to go away on their own. With the added benefit of the tag and fissure I can promise he'll have my rear in the air in an OR sooner than I'd like him to.


My advice is:
#1 Up your fluids, you'd be amazed how much this helps
#2 Schedule an appointment with your PCP (find one in your case and make sure you review your DS with them while your at it, that is more important than anything)
#3 STOP using toilet paper and start using flush-able wipes and if you can manage it a bidet (I fashioned one out of my sitz bath bag and I love it)
#4 Start using a sitz bath a few times a day
#5 Limit your amount of time on the loo (sit, go, wipe, get up, leave the magazines and whatever else for when your not in the bathroom)
#6 Your PCP will most likely prescribe a cream, honestly in my opinion it sucks. I prefer the suppositories.
#7 See your surgeon (if he handles these too) just so that you feel comfortable with a back up plan.

If you have any other questions feel free to PM me


PS: as far as the pair of eyes go... my wife is awesome. I make her look at EVERYthing lol