Hemorrhoid Surgery Recovery Time

munchkin1960 · Newbie Joined: 04 Apr 2008 Posts: 6

Well I just had this surgery 4 days ago and am worried about what to expect after reading these posts. I also was told by my dr. that it would be painful but had no idea how much. I have the added joy of pain medications making me sick - spent the first two days post surgery throwing up, unable to eat or even drink much, which of course made me constipated. Took senekot, which did nothing; followed the dr's orders and used a fleet enema which took me practically 1/2 hour to insert because of the swelling and pain. Thought I would die afterwards from the pain and force of the bm. That was the only one I had so far and I am scared of becoming constipated again. I have a problem with some fiber supplements making me severely bloated and gassy so can only take ones like benefiber (=non-soluble??). I've been eating high fiber breads, taking benefiber and senekot and drinking lots of water but am worried about bms. Can only take 1 percocet occasionally or I throw up, and nothing else helps the pain, so I plan to save those occasions for after a bm.

I'm kind of regretting doing this surgery now and hope to hear from more people that in the long run, it's worth it. I did banding for internal 'rhoids (that was a cake walk compared to this) but was sick of having to carry rubber gloves around all the time to put everything back in place and having tissue hanging out. It also was having a severe impact on my sex life. Now I wonder if I just made things worse for myself. My digestive system is touchy (I suffer from IBS) - had things under control before this surgery but am scared this is going to screw it up again.

Is this worth it? I guess it doesn't matter since I can't undo it, but it would be nice to have something to look forward to. Is there anyone out there who had this done that suffers from IBS?

Guest · Guest

I had hemorrhoidectomy a couple of years back and experienced most of what has been said here, but I will say it was worth the trouble in the long run IMO.

I just had appendix surgery a couple weeks ago and due to the pain meds, I was experiencing constipation and now have a thrombosed hemorrhoid on the opposite side of the one that was removed years back Sad

.

I've been told surgery will be required again, god save me.

For the mean time, I was given Lidocaine/Hdrocortisone cream for the pain which works.

munchkin1960 · Newbie Joined: 04 Apr 2008 Posts: 6

OMG I don't know how you could go through this twice. I'm glad to hear it was worth it the first time - but so sorry for your diagnosis - can't they do something else for you? I would try anything before resorting to this again now that I know what it's like.

How long does "in the long run" take?

I'm worse today than yesterday. I guess that's the two steps forward, one step back (or is it one step forward, two steps back?). I'm supposed to go back to work tomorrow. Ha.

bzarx · Newbie Joined: 06 Apr 2008 Posts: 1

munchkin1960 · Newbie Joined: 04 Apr 2008 Posts: 6

Well your recent posts explains some things for me. I think my biggest problem I'm having is regulating bowel habits. My dr did multiple hems at one time and I think I'm so swollen that I can't go normally. I am taking stool softeners, senekot, benefiber, only eating high fiber foods, no meat or cheese, and nothing is happening. Then after not going for a couple of days I get a lot of pressure on the surgery site which exacerbates the pain. I'm still not sure I would have had it done twice instead of getting it all over with at once, though. I'm supposed to go back to the dr. Tuesday for a follow up. If I can make (I can't imagine it now) it hopefully he'll have some suggestions.

So I guess they need to do the procedure again because the one you have now is thrombosed?

FromUtah · Newbie Joined: 08 Apr 2008 Posts: 1

I have read this post from beginning to end. I had a flare up and after about 3 weeks was thinking about a serious treatment, that being the electric current or sclerotherapy, since it is supposed to be "pain free". I had previously heard terrible things about the full blown 'ectomy surgery. After visiting a Dr I was quite disillusioned since he said I had a serious level 4 prolapsed internal hemmorrioid and that surgery was the only option.

While reading this post, one person had said they received a lot of benefit from herbal remedies. I was willing to try pretty much anything to avoid the surgery. After reading about the different options, I started using Buther's Broom (940 mg) as an Oral Supplement. To this I added Bendryl cream to help with itching and inflamation. Within three days the swelling was almost gone, and the pain was gone! Maybe it was a coincedence, but the relief has been amazing.

My sport is raquetball, and I have been playing for about 30 years. Normally nothing keeps me off the court. But this bout of hemmorroids had me benched for several weeks.

One day, I may have to again consider surgery, but for now, I am have switched to using Venapro, (has several herbs including Buthchers Broom). I still have bleeding. But unless I am so anemic I get pale and pass out, I prefer that to the stories of surgery that I have read.

Good luck to everyone. Just wanted to let people know that perhaps there is an option to surgery. Hope it helps.

Guest · Guest

Well, I just had my small thrombosed external hemorrhoid excised (scapel), today. Its been about 5 hours since the surgery and I have not needed pain killers. Maybe its because I have felt much worse pain during my knee surgeries and having the stitches removed from my knee. Picture one long stitch being pulled from the inside of your skin for 5 minutes. That's pain. Removing this hemorrhoid was nothing compared to that.

I do have a mild to medium uncomfortable feeling down there but nothing that I haven't been able to deal with. So far so good.

I decided to have the surgery because I am a very active 43yr old male. I was not going to put my activities on hold for too much longer.

I will check back in the coming days to report on the progress.

Guest · Guest

I had surgery on March 19th to have both internal, external, and external tags removed. 1 internal was removed, and 2 internals were banded. What a nightmare this has been. I had a bad reaction to the morphine after surgery and my 1 night stay in the hospital turned in to 4. The Dr. insisted I was going home the day after surgery but I was vomitting if I even took a sip of water. I had no IV in me so needless to say I wound up severly dehydrated by the second night. I insisted the nurse get a Dr. in and put an IV back in my arm...my body was shutting down, cold sweat, legs ached so bad I could barely move, migraine headache. That all lead to Neurolgist, cat scan, stomach xrays....none of which was necessary..I just needed an IV. When I finally came home 4 days later I couldn't have a bowel movement ( i did already on day 2 and 3) because the nurses neglected to give me the stool softeners, medamucil, etc. even though i told them I needed it. When I finally was able to go again on day 5 i nearly saw stars. After that, biggest mistake i made was not taking regular baths. Instead, I kept using the sitz bath, but commen sense, sitting on that thing for too long will give you hemmeroids! For the first week, i had my bowel movements right in it with warm water. Pretty messy but it made it easier. I thought i'd never go regularly again. Second mistake i made....I went back to work 6 days after surgery. I sit at a desk all day and was able to tolerate it for about 4 hours that day, and 4 hours the next day. I kept that up for the next 2 weeks, meanwhile instead of getting better i was getting worse. Sure enough, i wound up with a new external hemerroid. And the pain i had internally just wouldn't go away. It was in one specific spot...a combination of burning and throbbing. I was down to only needing one percocet when i got home from work, and wound up needing to take them again all day again just to get through. Sure enough, I wound up going in for surgery again 2 days ago, on April 11th. Internally the Dr. said there's nothing else going on, the spot thats causing all of the pain is from the hemerroid he surgically removed, and again he removed the new external hemerroid and tags that i developed since surgery. I still have the same pain internally, throbbing, burning and never goes away unless i take a pain pill. Externally, some bleeding still but not much pain. I guess in a way the second surgery worked out well...maybe i'll finally be hemerroid free now. After the second week of sitz baths only i got smart and started taking regular baths at least twice a day. What a difference. I'll continue doing that now too. I just wish I would finally start to heal internally....I had to get a prescription for a cream to use internally thats supposed to help. I hope so....i'm getting so tired of not being able to live my regular life. It's got to get better.

Guest · Guest

Hi everyone
I had surgery 8 days ago and have been living on controlled morphine release tabs ever since the local wore off. I have never been in so much pain in my life, the surgery recovery is terrible and going to the toillet is frightening, would l have this doen again, no way l am so uncomfortable and l just can not see me returning to work for at least another 3/4 weeks. This would have to be the worst operation to have and l work in theatre, l should of taken more notice when ward nurses said it is one of the most painful operations and that going to the toilet is like shitting razor blades, boy were they right!!!!! Good luck everbody with your recovery l am off to doc to get more pain relief for the next week there is no way l am suffering with this pain.

munchkin1960 · Newbie Joined: 04 Apr 2008 Posts: 6

Well it is now 16 days post op and I can finally say I feel a little better. Still on pain pills, still taking stool softeners and laxatives, but am back to work and down to less than 3 percocets/day. Went to the dr for a follow up and found he needed to remove much more tissue than he had expected and that I'm still really swollen, hence the pain. My doctor suggested I try aleve to help with the pain and swelling. I took it one night before bed and although it didn't help the pain, I was noticeably less swollen the next day. I haven't taken it since because that night I couldn't sleep at all - I think it may have been the aleve - and don't want to mix it with percocets which I have to take during the day to deal with the pain of having BMs. Anyway, it's something people might want to try.

What I've learned from this experience is:
1) it is critical to be proactive with getting your bowels to function - take stool softeners and laxatives from the get go, plus tons of fiber. I didn't start out taking the stool softeners and laxatives until I knew I had a problem, several days after the surgery - then it was too late - I became constipated and twice had to use enemas. The pain of that and the resulting forceful BMs nearly made me pass out. I'm sure that's partly why the swelling is still bad and it's taking me longer to heal. So even though it's painful to go, it's essential to regularly pass soft stools.

2) Pee often - even if you hardly have to go - an empty bladder puts less pressure on the rectum.

2) Plan on being out of work at least 2 weeks! Even then, sitting for up to 8 hrs a day is painful! Try to reduce your hours or at least the time spent sitting.

3) 8-10 days seemed to be a turning point, from thinking I was going to die, to thinking OK, it's painful but I can deal with it (though I'm sure this varies somewhat from person to person).

Still don't know whether in the long run it will be worth it, but I do feel like I will return to normal eventually.

Hemorrhoid Surgery Recovery Time

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