After a bowel movement, my hemorrhoids increase in size and hurt so much that the pain actually generates down my leg and into my foot on the left side. This pain lasts at times for a couple of days and I have a hard time getting up or walking. I have a terrible time turning over in bed. I have tried sitz baths and suppositories and ointment and these things help but only minimally. I had a colonoscopy recently and the technician said that my hemorrhoids weren't bad at all. I have had hemorrhoids since I have been 18 years old. I am now 60. This is the worst that they have been but as I said I am told that they aren't bad. I was told that I did not have a prolapsed hemorrhoid. I have looked at them in a mirror and when they are hurting after a BM, they are at least 5 times larger than before the BM. The center of the area is actually purple in color with swelling all around that. BMs are 2-3 days apart for me on average. I was told to try cold sitz baths and would like to know if this is accurate information. Any help would be greatly appreciated. What is the least painful surgery for hemorrhoids to date...if there is such a thing as painless hemorrhoid surgery.
I feel your pain. I am only 29 and am going through my first boat of them myself. My doctor says they aren't bad, yet the pain nearly makes me sick and my tolerance is pretty good. I have been battling them for nearly 3 months now & I feel as though my life has stopped, as walking, exercise, or just being generally happy doesn't exist anymore. I have not yet gone the route of surgery, but am feeling that it will have to be done soon. I believe in trying everything else first, but I have and to not much prevail. As for the sitz bath, I can't imagine sitting in warm water. All I want is ice packs.
I wish you well.
I wish you well.
I feel your pain as well. I think that I just can't do anything about this and that I should not prolong this surgery anymore.
My doctor told me that this is something that I need to do very soon because it won't go away. I will feel that pain constantly, all the time.
I am not so sure anymore what to do about this issue, how to help myself an what to do about hemorrhoids relief. Some of my friends told me about this colonoscopy, but as far as I know that really hurts. But I know that I need to do something about it.
I first found out I had hemorroids about 15 years ago - i noticed blood, but had no pain. Now for the past 6 years or so I have been through (and am still going through) unbelievable pain. I have had hem "banded" at the hospital 3 times to no avail. I am due, in a couple of months, to go into hospital to have them "stapled". I can't help thinking that this won't work either! My doctor said they were not bad at all and certainly didn't merit surgery. He seems mystified when I tell him how excrutiating the pain is. I feel that my life is on hold and am at a loss what to do. On reading articles on the internet, I thought maybe I had a thrombosed pile, or an anal fissure, as my symptons fitted the descriptions. But of course my doctor assured me that I had neither. I am sure he thinks it is psychosomatic. I think he (or anyone belonging to him) has never suffered from hemorrhoids! I just feel like I am being told to get on with my life and put up with it. I think a lot of the problem is that colo-rectal consultants are only interested in bowel cancer and because hemorrhoids are not life-threatening they are trivial! Does anyone out there feel the same as me? I am at a loss what to do.
After my own experience and from further research
on Medline, I do not advise the stapled, or PPH method.
1. High rate of relapse (one hemorrhoid has grown back
after just three years)
2. Risk of bleeding
3. Fecal urgency and incontinence
4. Other complications, such as rectal perforation in some cases.
The staple doesn't really excise the hemorrhoid - it just
pulls or retracts it up into the anal wall. The only
advantage is lesser pain.
The instruments of choice, in order of preference - lesser pain
pain, bleeding and complications like stenosis, for third to fourth
degree hemorrhoids requiring surgery, in my opinion are :
1. Starion thermal ligating shears
2. Harmonic scalpel
3. Ligasure bipolar diathermy
4. Bipolar scissors
5. Laser, preferably the Nd-YAG type
on Medline, I do not advise the stapled, or PPH method.
1. High rate of relapse (one hemorrhoid has grown back
after just three years)
2. Risk of bleeding
3. Fecal urgency and incontinence
4. Other complications, such as rectal perforation in some cases.
The staple doesn't really excise the hemorrhoid - it just
pulls or retracts it up into the anal wall. The only
advantage is lesser pain.
The instruments of choice, in order of preference - lesser pain
pain, bleeding and complications like stenosis, for third to fourth
degree hemorrhoids requiring surgery, in my opinion are :
1. Starion thermal ligating shears
2. Harmonic scalpel
3. Ligasure bipolar diathermy
4. Bipolar scissors
5. Laser, preferably the Nd-YAG type
Dear Jim C , I am 34, going through the same horrible symptomes for the last year. I have just done PPT, and so far, no relieve. I wanted to ask how you are feeling and whether you have tried anything in the time being that has helped you?
My colorectal surgeon told my that with my grade IV he would not recommend the staple (HAL) because of relapse. I was not going to go through the surgery twice, so I opted for total excision. The excision, went every well because the surgeon was NOT aggressive in his approach. If you remove too much rectal mucosa that is when stitcture/stenosis and other complications occur. I am fortunate I had a great surgeon.
I'm glad to hear that this went really well. Can you tell me which surgeon you went with? I hope that's not too nosy but I'd like to know if that's an option I could go with. Thanks!
bluedog wrote:
First, I need to correct myself, the staple method is different that HAL. HAL( Doppler guided Hemorroidal Artery Ligation) is done with sutures, but it too does not remove the hemorroid. It just ties off the arteries and the hemorroid vein then "dies" off. But like I said it is not 100% for grade IV. My colorectal surgeon is Dr. Sam Atallah in Winter Park, Florida.
rdsawilson wrote:
My colorectal surgeon told my that with my grade IV he would not recommend the staple (HAL) because of relapse. I was not going to go through the surgery twice, so I opted for total excision. The excision, went every well because the surgeon was NOT aggressive in his approach. If you remove too much rectal mucosa that is when stitcture/stenosis and other complications occur. I am fortunate I had a great surgeon.
I'm glad to hear that this went really well. Can you tell me which surgeon you went with? I hope that's not too nosy but I'd like to know if that's an option I could go with. Thanks!
First, I need to correct myself, the staple method is different that HAL. HAL( Doppler guided Hemorroidal Artery Ligation) is done with sutures, but it too does not remove the hemorroid. It just ties off the arteries and the hemorroid vein then "dies" off. But like I said it is not 100% for grade IV. My colorectal surgeon is Dr. Sam Atallah in Winter Park, Florida.
I highly recommend applying Preparation H to your hemorhoids. I had problems for years with pain in the buttocks when my doctor told me I had hemorhoids. I tried Prep H since my father used it for years and it almost immediately (within 10 minutes) relieved the pain for the entire day. Try it, it works.
I had the same problem. At first the doctor said that it was anal fissure. (very painful). Just 2 weeks ago I was hurting so bad I went to the ER and the doctor again told me that it was anal fissure. He told me that he could cut me to make me larger for me to have BM. I insisted that he checked further and he found that I had to have my hemorrhoids stapled. Painful at first but after 2 weeks I am doing much better. I had suffered for bout 6 months.
That's really odd so I'm glad that you at least persisted with your doctor so that you could get help. Thank you for sharing your experience--how are you doing now?
I just wanted to let people know that my surgeon used the Harmonic Scalpel 23 to remove my hemorroids and that is a one on the reasons why I probable had a fast great recovery.
I am glad I found this thread. My hemorroids hurt so bad that I've lost my will to live and do things.. after a BM, I can't do anything, not even sit, much less walk, and so I have to stay in bed and make up stories to justify not attending social meetings, etc (I usually go to the bathroom, thank God, at night). It takes from 12 to 24 hours for the pain to pass and I've had hemorroids for 5 years or so, the last 3 being the most painful. I have a BM every two-three days.
I had my hemorroids "strangled" with a sort of rubber band application (not sure how you call it, I am brazilian) but it didn't work. I had 6 applications-- six very expensive applications -- and it failed to heal me completely. I was told by my doctor that I had a large hemorroid but that it wasn't a level IV yet, but almost.
Do you recommend surgery?? Is it really a permament solution? What are the risks of surgery?
I was told it hurts a lot for about two weeks, but heck.. I can stand 2 weeks of pain if it means getting my life back after that.
I had my hemorroids "strangled" with a sort of rubber band application (not sure how you call it, I am brazilian) but it didn't work. I had 6 applications-- six very expensive applications -- and it failed to heal me completely. I was told by my doctor that I had a large hemorroid but that it wasn't a level IV yet, but almost.
Do you recommend surgery?? Is it really a permament solution? What are the risks of surgery?
I was told it hurts a lot for about two weeks, but heck.. I can stand 2 weeks of pain if it means getting my life back after that.
I have had hemorrhoids for six years now with no pain. All of the sudden two days ago that changed! I am in so much pain, it is worse than child birth (which I did drug free). At least you get a baby at the end of that! I also have Crohn's Disease which increases my BM's to four times a day. Every time I have to go I get completely stressed and then am in so much pain I want to die!