Hemorrhoid Surgery and PAIN

I found this site via Google while looking for information about stapled hemorrhoidectomy. I guess I'll give my input seeing as how there isn't a lot online about recovery from this procedure. I have suffered from pain and discomfort during bowel movements for about 12 years and I'm a 38 year old male. Over that time I was told over and over by many different doctors that the source of my problem was an anal fissure that refused to heal. I finally decided to go through with surgery to correct that, and woke up from surgery to be told that nothing was done due to my not having a fissure at all. Instead I had two very small hemorrhoids that were to be treated by banding. This did nothing so I went back to a surgeon and he recommended the stapled hemorrhoidectomy.

I'm currently on day 7 since surgery and they were the worst days off my life. I began vomiting with severe diarrhea within an hour of getting home from the procedure. This continued for about 4 days. At one point I did go to the emergency room to be told that I "probably" had picked up a stomach bug. I decided on my own to stop taking the antibiotic I was prescribed at this point, and the vomiting stopped and I was able to begin eating a little more normally. I was also able to sleep for a couple of hours for the first time in that 4th day. My Dr recommended probiotics three times a day at this point as well.

Up until this point I had not had much pain at all. There was certainly discomfort and I was raw from the constant diarrhea. The pain started the morning of day 6. Pain killers have helped but I prefer not to take them because they do cause bloating and constipation, which seems worse than the diarrhea for me. I've made it this far without straining and risking an issue and don't want to take any chances.

The worst part for myself has been the constant need to have a bowel movement. There have been very few times that I've gone more than 15 minutes without having to have a bm followed by a soak in the tub. Generally I don't make it through 5 minutes of the tub soak without either jumping out to use the toilet or soiling myself in the tub. I'd estimate that so far about half way through my 7th day I've had to use the toilet over 50 times. I've cut this in half from the first few days. Sometimes it's just gas, sometimes diarrhea, and occasionally its soft solid stool. Either way there is no stopping it once the I feel the pressure of needing to go.

I'll add a couple of last thoughts. My Dr told me I should be okay to resume going to work within 4 or 5 days. At this point I don't even envision myself at work for at least another week. Also, I live alone. You should not be alone after this procedure. You should have someone else with you for at least a few days.

At this point I can't say wether or not I would recommend this procedure. For me, my daily tasks in life had become unbearable due to complications from the hemorrhoids. I desperately hope that this corrects that and I can resume a normal life.

I am a 36 year old female. I started having issues with hemorrhoids after the birth of my first born (he will be 17 in 2 months). Although uncomfortable, they were easy to deal with and I didn't have to change my schedule just from having them flare.

Fast forward to about a year and a half ago. The women in my family all have "pooping" problems. My mom had to take a laxative everyday just to be able to have a bm, my oldest sister was recently diagnosed with IBS, and my little sister doesn't really have any issues but constipation every once in awhile. It is rather normal for all of us to not have a daily bm, but a weekly bm instead. I (of course) have it the worst out of all of us.

My bm's have always been large, sharp, and very very dense. (It's been a joke that I actually do "$#!* bricks). I started having bloody stools. So much that it WASNT a normal bm if there was a lack of blood. About a year and a half ago, I had a rather large bout of hemorrhoids, so bad that one became thrombosed. The pain was unbelieveable, indescribable and completely horrific. The only thing I could do was take 4-200mg ibuprofen, a hot bath, a preparation H suppository (which hurt like $!#* to insert) and go to bed. No matter the time. Unfortunately sometimes it would end up flaring when I was at work. (Office job) this wasn't working well for me either. Everyday functions wold make it worse. Sometimes, I could push against the thrombosed hemorrhoids to make them "go back in", but very rarely, and it was very painful.

The next morning after having a thrombosed hemorrhoid, there would always be an urge to "go", however "going" would produce no feces, but straight blood along with clots. I was essentially peeing out of my bum. Everything would go back to normal for a few weeks, and then I'd have another large bm and this started another round of thrombosed hemorrhoids.

I finally went to my OB/GYN. He was also a family practice Dr and I really liked him every time my family would see him, so I went. He did tell me there were three fissures, and could tell there was a bleeder, and could visually see 3 internal hemorrhoids. He told me to add more fiber, drink more water and come back to see him if I needed to. Nothing else.

I continued this pattern until December 2015. My mother came by to visit and I was in bed at 3pm, in excruciating pain, emotionally drained and ready to just give in. She got me a Dr's appointment with a specialist in town, who is very well known and highly recommended.

My first visit was painful. The rectal exam verified that after the year and a half of "dealing with it" the fissures had never healed, the three hemorrhoids were still internal, and I had gained a new friend externally. This new guy had flared so many times at this point that he was essentially a flap of extra skin near my anus.

I was scheduled for a colonoscopy, where they'd also found a polyp which was successfully removed. A month later, I was scheduled for my first band litigation procedure. The Dr placed only one, due to the shock the body receives. The first band was placed on the smaller of the three hemorrhoids. I was given antibiotics to clear up any infection the open fissures may have collected and a high fiber pill, along with a drug named Linzess, which is like a very strong laxative. I am guaranteed a bm everyday when I take the Linzess. The banding feels like you are constipated, have a major urge to poop, with a lot of pressure in that area. You kind of want to rub your bum across the floor like a dog would when it has an itch. It's uncomfortable.

A month later, I got another appointment for banding. This time they did two. There was more pain, pressure, urge and very very uncomfortable. I was scheduled for another banding.

At the next appointment, I was very frustrated. I'd had multiple flares of thrombosed hemorrhoids which were increased in pain due to the lack of skin caused by the banding. Although very successful for some, the banding was not working for me. I was scheduled for an exam with a surgeon.

A week later, I met with a local surgeon. She was very refreshing - she wanted to know every detail, everything I'd dealt with from start to finish, how I felt, and was very candid.
She scheduled me for surgery that Thursday (it was a monday). She explained everything to me about the surgery, what to expect before, during, after. Told me I was going to have to expect high levels of pain, would have to push through that, and would have to be completely honest with everything.

I have a very high tolerance for pain. I always have. Not many things bring me down to my knees - I've had multiple broken bones, cuts, gall bladder issues that ended up in removal of my gall bladder, double knee surgery, wisdom teeth removal surgery with no numbing, two cesarean sections, and a natural birth.

That being said, last Thursday was my surgery. Going in, I was more anxious for the pride I would lose in having my bum up in the air for strangers to literally be poking around on and looking at. (I was raised to be pretty modest).

Coming out, I felt pretty good. I was pretty loopy - my biggest concern with recovery at the hospital was that the anesthesia meds make me forget how to breathe. On getting home, I was still feeling great, and went to bed.

I was prescribed oxycontin (1-2 tablets every 4-6 hours), ibuprofen 800mgs (1 tablet every 4 hours), and cyclobenzapr 5mg (1 tablet every 8 hours), Lidocaine ointment for topical application (up to 4 timessage a day) - all for pain. I was also prescribed docqlace 100mg (1 tablet twice a day), mineral oil (4 tsp twice a day), and polyethylene glycol 3350 (2tbs twice a day) - all to help with bms. I was also told to take an otc fiber supplement, increase fluids, to continue taking the Linzess I was prescribed before the surgery, three warm baths a day, no lifting, no stairs, and no extended activity for 4 weeks.

I was in a lot of pain, it's actually about the same as a severely thrombosed hemorrhoid issue. Up until you have a bm. I had my first bm on Tuesday. Dear. LORD. Out of All the words in the world you could use to describe the pain I felt with my first BM...NONE of them are accurate, or even close to describing how bad it hurt. To pee is one thing, that's actually painful as well due to the muscles being close to the anal muscles you use. You have to relax, but your body won't allow it. I literally screamed out loud with the first release of poop. It wasn't hard by any means, it was watery and smooth like a poop is supposed to be. I was confused why this would even hurt! I screamed so loud I thought for sure my neighbors would come knocking on my door. Afterwards, it was a ring of fire. I thought I'd lost my intestinal tract in the toilet. I immediately ran a super hot bath, undressed and jumped in. I didn't even care that the water was scalding my bum cheeks, legs, feet - the water was pleasantly relieving. I literally sat in the bath until the water turned cold and I was shivering. A pain pill, lidocaine ointment dab and bed was the best remedy for that first poo. It hurt just as bad to toot.

Wednesday, I had another bm. However this time ( I was also given a little bottle from the hospital that new mothers are usually given to cleanse their vaginal area after a vaginal birth and an episiotomy was done) I filled this bottle with hot water, and when the urge to push out the poop came, I pushed the same time I sprayed the bottle onto my anus. This worked exceptionally well, I just kept refilling the bottle between pushes and sprayed the same time I was bming. After, there was the ring of fire but not as bad as the first bm. I ran a bath, soaked until I was shivering and took a nap.

It is now Saturday. A week and 2 days after surgery. I am able to walk, bend over, sit (carefully), stand for periods of time, (and toot without pain!) And I am actually feeling like there is a life after hemorrhoid surgery! BM today was not as painful as the last, although there is still a ring of fire (doesn't last as long now!) And there is always relief with a bath.

There is a little bit of drainage, which is gross so wear a type of panty liner to catch that just in case - and the ever-so-present sphincter muscle spasms, but the pain meds take care of that.

After all this, the surgeon told me that she couldn't even tell where the specialist had banded them, the fissures were not healed, and the larger of the 3 internal hemorrhoids had grown to the length of my finger (about 4" long). Shed cut out all 3 hemorrhoids, stitched the fissures (I have 13 dissolvable stitches). Surgery was really the only option to give me a life that didn't revolve around my pooping schedule. I'm glad I did it (so far). Even though this pain is the most horrible I've ever been through, it's already completely worth it. And it's only been a week!

If you are thinking of surgery, you need to read through everything you can that are patient based - the people that have gone through it are the best to judge - stay away from webMd, etc, sites that don't have a personalot touch to help you. You need to be mentally prepared, and you need to expect the worst. That way, if it's not that bad for you (it all depends on your tolerance for pain), then you will be pleasantly surprised. Surgery is recoverable. No one should have to deal with the hemorrhoids like I did. Good luck to you if you are reading this !! I promise you, it does get better!

Same here. I would of never had it done. Too late now

Awesome message and shout out to your hubby! I pray mine is as brave or should I say I pray I'm as brave because I'm contemplating hemorrhoidectomy. Thanks for the advice

Right there with you. Day two e.r. for pain morphine injection. Day 3 e.r. for pain and excessive bleeding. Given dilaudid for pain. Doc increased oxy to 7.5 and added Valium twice daily. Week passed and the pain still unbearable. Bm in the tub would take up two 3 hours. Back to doctor Valium increased as well as oxy. Lido cane cream as well. Was told everything that was stitched had torn and at this point can't be re sown because it would just rip back open . 15 mg of Valium and 50 mg of oxy and I was able to leave the house to see a different doctor the rectal exam was different there was step one to check something then deeper to check something else. The first doc just did step one and said needed spinctorectomy or whatever n he would fix any other issues he saw once he took care of that. I don't know what all they did but it's been three weeks and still crapping in the tub they cut away the stitches that were hanging down as I had mistaken it for toilet paper and yanked on it thinking it was toilet paper on its way to tossing it in the toilet. Doc said my case was horrible and prob the pain is coming from bowl slowly moving past all the raw tissue that was torn open. I feel like a super hero after enduring the pain of a bm. Took me almost two weeks before I could urinate on my own

Fantastic. So so true. I'm 4 days post op. Wish I had read this 2 days ago. Brilliant funny and oh so true. I love the tub toilets. Far better than a bath full of poo.

X

I want to thank you for such a pleasant response. After reading all these complaints it has made me so worried that I want to cancel my surgery......your positive attitude has mad me reconsider and just do it. Thank you for a positive comment.

I am Day #6 post op and just had my 1st BM. I am literally crying right now and feel as tho I have a baseball bat rammed up my bottom. It's hard to breathe right now and I'm thinking of taking another xanax for my anxiety. The quantity of stool was pathetic compared to the amount of pain I am in. I am relegated to just Advil/Tylenol as the norco I was taking was stopping my gut completely. Right now I am in hell and I'm regretting my decision to have had this sx.

Thank you for sharing! I just had the surgery today (2 external prolapsed as well as internal) and I feel fine with just minor discomfort and NO pain medication thus far. NOTHING can compare with the pain I had experienced leading up to my decision to proceed with the surgery... even while in the pre-operative care unit I was in such discomfort!! My surgeon said that my case was not as bad as he has seen so If I could offer any advise?.... don't wait to proceed with the surgery.... the time consumed with hemorrhoids is already way too much; I waited over a year and regret it
Thank you for sharing your story!

Did the Percocet at least help ? I'm getting this surgery and am terrified.

Hey I see you wrote this over a year ago... How are you now? I'm on 4th day post op and it hurts like hell! Please tell me it's worth it

I just had hemi and fissure surgery yesterday. I am miserable. Can't even get out of bed without so much pain that I get lightheaded, nauseous, and almost pass out. Had the worst BM of my life this morning. I would almost rather just go back to dealing with my issues than to go thru this pain. Oh well. What's done is done. I hope it's better soon. Good luck everyone out there.

I was so glad to come across this post. A few years ago I had x2 internal hemorrhoids removed. Like mentioned on the other posts, I didn't think it was that bad until the local anesthesia wore off. I am a 250 lb fireman, army veteran, and dabble in internal martial arts. I feel I've always had a pretty good tolerance to pain. The pain I experienced post hemorrhoid surgery was excruciating to say the least. It is the type of pain that will bring you to your knees. I just wanted to die for about 7 days before things became bearable. I wanted to add the post for one reason. As I crawled around in pain, starving myself in fear of having a bowel movement I found something that works! And it's not pain meds. You can skip those. They do absolutely nothing to this type of pain! I got a bucket, it was actually a very small trashcan from the dollar store. (Circumference of approx. A basketball. Height about lower thigh just above the knee). The only relief i found is when you feel a bowel movement coming on, fill the trashcan near full, but not to where it will overflow when mass is added, submerge your rectum into the warm water while you have your bowel movement! It sounds gross, took a while to get used to. The first time i tried it the pain was so bad my legs shook as i squatted down onto the bucket and it tipped! So be safe safe with this idea. Then just dump the bucket into the toilet. As some mentioned there hemorrhoids returned; mine have also. No pain, just streaks of bright red blood when I wipe at times, or you'll get the intestinal mucous mixed with your facts. Due to my past experience, these current hemmorhoids I'm taking with me to the grave! Good luck. Try this idea, I promise it helped me so much!!

It's like give birth through your ass with no epidural. I am not exaggerating. I have not eaten solid food in days after one horrible BM that made me want to die.

I just had mine done a week ago and you are on point. It hurts badly.