Hemorrhoids = Surgery??!

[ericaz]

x-posted

I'm no stranger to hemorrhoids - I suffer from IBS. My symptoms all but went away when I was pg with Isadora, although after pushing her out I had some hemorrhoidal doozies. They went away (or deflated) after a few weeks, thanksfully, but now at 27 weeks along I've got 'em BAD. My IBS has not gone away this time so I'm suffering from alternating constipation and diarrhea. I eat pretty well although I am no longer following any sort of specific healthy diet like I often do when I'm not pg and consumed by hunger/cravings. I take supplemental fiber and CLO. That said, I've got about 6 juicy hemorroids and one of them is quite engorged and painful to touch. I've tried hot baths, cold showers, witch hazel compresses and some arnica cream. I got hardly any sleep last night because of the discomfort so I called my OB. I should also add that in the last few weeks I've had two bouts of vaginal bleeding following a BM. There seems to be no coorelation (and my cervix is tightly closed) but it's suspicious that these episodes have followed BMs. The weird thing is that these BMs weren't particularly troublesome.

So, this AM my doc said it sounds like it might be thrombosed and I should consider going to the ER to have them lance it. WHAT?! Yow. I cried my head off. We haven't gone (I've been doing the aforementioned natural things first) and I'm wondering if this is something I should consider or just work on getting the swelling down myself. How would I know if it's thrombosed?

Of course, I haven't had a BM yet today (although I'm feeling like it might be imminent) and I'm super scared. I'm also scared about what the hell is going to happen when I go to push out the baby. If it's bad now, what's in store?

Any advice or warm thoughts would greatly be appreciated.

[LMG462]

I wish I had some advice to give, but need some myself as well .

[hipmummy]

I wish you luck. I have them too. There a ton of dietary things you can do,chiropractics,acupuncture and the right shpes helped me.

[hipmummy]

I wish you luck. I have them too. There a ton of dietary things you can do,chiropractics,acupuncture and the right shoes helped me.

[Bellejar]

Have you tried preparation H? Seriously, it has a pain killer topical in it and it seems to really help when mine are flaring. I am so sorry you have to go through this, but I'd try any medicine over surgery to lance them. Also, drink tons of water and get one of those donut seats to sit in. Mine were the worst when I was on a really long car trip and sitting all the time. I stopped at a drug store and got a donut seat and I was really suprised how much it helped. Have you tried epsom salts in your bath as well?

[durafemina]

Just wanted to offer you a ton of warm thoughts because I had hemorrhoids and killer anal fissures while preg/PP - so painful I just about passed out with some bms. I know my mother has had hers lanced a couple of times and while she isn't exactly thrilled at the procedure, it seems to solve the problem for her and she hasn't mentioned it being excruciating (it seems like a thing she would mention to me - but if you want, I can ask her more about it!).
That being said I'll just tell you everything I've tried - even though it's a slightly different problem if there's anything that can help even a bit, it can't hurt.

witch hazel freezing cold from the fridge
push them gently back in
TONS of kegels
cold comfry/st john's wort compress
eating a ton of the allium family (onion, garlic,leeks, chives)
comfrey salve (I made mine with dried comfrey, olive oil and lanolin)
weleda natural hemorrhoidal ointment
alternating hot/cold sitz baths with salts (ie you have 2 buckets and keep switching back and forth)

and finally, what solved it for me was -
homeopathics with a really excellent classical homeopath and keeping the bms super soft (I went to extremes here and only ate fruits, veg, yogurt and lots of oils for 10 days - not that I'm reccomending this when pregnant, I did it PP while breastfeeding and it made me crazy!)

good luck and most of all. . ((((hugs)))) . . it sucks when a routine body function is so painful!

[DoomaYula]

The only thing that has helped me was inserting a small piece of raw potato.

[gwen's mom]

I was going to recommend the potato option as well, as that did help me after the birth of DD but what I have been using to keep them under control during this pregnancy is Boiron Homeopathic Medicine Hamamelis Virginiana (witch hazel pellets) They work almost instantly for me.

[ericaz]

So, I pooped and it wasn't as bad as I imagined - I sort of just sat there and let them all plop out, lol. This is something I need to be mindful of since I know pushing is a big problem for me. What sucks is wiping - I use unscented wipes and that's way better than tp, but still - any wiping just exaserbates.
Now - a few hours post poop - they're hurting pretty badly again. Argh.

I'm so glad you guys wrote - not glad you are/were in the same boat, but glad to know I'm not alone.

Bellejar - Prep H is loaded with mercury and from what I've heard, the skin in the anal region is particularly porous and whatever you put there is really absorbed hard core.

durafemina - Your mom, too, eh? Mine as well. I know it's hereditary and I can't help but curse my ancestors!! I'd like to know how your mom knew she should get them lanced. What motivated her to head to the hospital?
Know what's funny? I'm kegel-ing (involuntary) like mad and it's making them hurt SO badly. When I told my dh he came up with a funny analogy - it's like an elevator trying to close but there's a box sticking out from between the doors. That's exactly what it feels like!

I do have Epsom salts so I'll give that a go tonight when I take another bath. I did the alternating hot/cold this morning and it helped only slightly.

Pushing them back in is what *cured* them after birthing Isadora. This time they're out and they don't seem to want to go in much. I think it must be the pressure from the baby - I always carry super low so the kid is basically in my crotch, lol.

I used balms with plantain, st. john's wort and comfrey - that seems to work a little when they're slightly engorged. I'm past that right now. I need to decrease the swelling first, I think...


Yikes!!! Potato?? Do tell...how exactly do you do it and how does it work? I'm not even sure I can find my hole, that's how many suckers I've got hanging around down there!

As for the homeopathy - I've never had great luck with it (I'm more of an herbal girl) but I'm willling to try it. It's oral, right?

Thanks again!!! Great ideas

[channelofpeace]

Hyland's has a ointment for hemmorhoids that helped near instantly when i had them after my babe was born. I used it like three times and i felt back to normal. I cannot recommend it strongly enough

I hope you can get them under control. It is terrible to be in so much pain

[Jane]

B/c the lancing/surgery is such a relief, it's usually welcomed by people who've had it before. As if that's any reassurance for you that people get them recurrantly?
One help is sometimes a big wide supportive maternity lift - like the $50-100 kind. If you can increase circulation sneaking back up to your heart by supporting your uterus, it can help any varicose veins - and hemorroids are varicosities, unfortunately. You can try it out by enlisting a friend to wrap you up in an ace bandage - loosely, but supportively, and see it that helps.

I've heard the BM/bleeding link a lot from clients- some people just have tons of fragile cervical capillaries that like to find reasons to bust open and bleed a little bright red blood.