Rectal issues
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been there. Dr gave me an RX for a hydrocortisone cream to inject worked really well good luck. I have been taking probiotic capsules 3 or 4 times a week. Really helps with the constipation. Activia yougurt really helps to.
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Hello to all who enter this tmi topic!
I have had rectal bleeding with most bms for a while now. It varies from just a little to having to sit on the toilet for 20 minutes waiting for the bleeding to stop. I had a colonoscopy in 2012 (pre mbc) and was told the bleeding was from internal hemorrhoids.
My RDW has always been outside of the normal range on the high side. Since starting Ibrance, it has gotten worse and now other red blood cell indicators (RBC count, hematocrit, and hemoglobin) have also fallen outside of normal on the low end. My mo says this can be due to blood loss, so I have an appointment with a gastroenterologist next week.
Providing the bleeding is "only" from internal hemorrhoids, I would like to have something done with them. I am really tired of dealing with this along with everything else.
Does anyone have experience with rubber band ligation, sclerotherapy, or stapling of internal or external 'roids?
Any comments/suggestions welcome.
9/1/2016
An update for anyone considering hemorrhoid removal. My original GI doc would not perform any surgery on 'roids for whatever reason, referred me to a surgeon, who explained the various procedures but did not do rubber band ligation, to yet ANOTHER GI guy, who agreed my problem was bad enough to do something about and set me up for outpatient surgery. He banded 5 (yes 5!) internal hemorrhoids. I will not lie, the next 10 or so days were very uncomfortable, but within 3 weeks, I was healed. I have not had pain or bleeding since! It has been a huge improvement in my QOL and I would recommend anyone whose 'roids are making them miserable on a frequent basis to consider banding or other options. I am thankful every day that I did.
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Jobur, I'm guessing you have already searched the net b/c you have identified all the possible solutions. Your Gi doc should be Board Certified. Check out their credentials. Talk to them about their skill, infection rate, complication rates. Our usual questions. You're case has progressed beyond the acceptable range for hemorrhoid bleeding. You have made a good decision to see the GI guy.
Your GI guy will have minimal to no knowledge of Ibrance. Ask them to communicate closely with your MO who has a strong knowledge of Ibrance.
I have no clue about Ibrance. Question for doc: of the three therapies does Ibrance change the choice. May sound obvious. But say one therapy is better when tissue strength/ healing is altered because of a drug. That's important. That's the best question I can come up with. Hopefully if someone has more knowledge, they will give you more questions to ask. Good luck. sassy
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Thanks Sassy. I appreciate your thoughts on this. Hope you are doing well.
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First of all I miss Jill, This post will bump this thread and for you members that remember Jill, it will bring her back to your thoughts. She was such a joy.
I would like to ask permission of the stage 4 community to ask the Mods to change the location of this thread to the side effect's forum. I could start a new thread if that is your consensus. But comments can be lost. Problems with the rectum and vulva are universally affected by the awful treatments we go through. If your choice as a S-4 group, is I start a new thread I will abide by that. I can transfer by cut and paste my posts or completely start from scratch a new thread.
I'm into the wine tonight, and willing to talk of things that we are most uncomfortable with. Going with the flow and posting. Will abide by S4 response as to whether we can relocate this to the side effects forum. Bless you all
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Talk of the butt and vulva is so seriously avoided by women. Many women can't even say the word vulva. Yet, it can be a huge problem. Lady parts are so much work, the guys got off way easy.
Not sure how long or what I'll say, but I know it may surprise you. It will likely surprise me. I've lived the standard nursing life. I've lived a nonstandard married life, as my husband was impotent for < than 20 years out of a 38 year marriage. He passed. At 62, 2012, I found a very willing and able sexual partner. Nice
. The reason I mention this, is having an active sex life passed menopause can be real difficult for the vulva due to lack of hormones. Also, I went through Radioactive Iodine -131 therapy. in 2014 for Thyroid cancer . All was fine until the iodine. Things were fine till the RAI-131 in 2014. Since then, there was one period that I announced that the problems were gone. I was wrong. Just like BC, I then realized that vulva & rectal issues will never be gone. I work towards recognition and control of the issues. Those tie in later.
I couldn't believe as a nurse, I had never heard that post menopausal women had issues with the vulva or the rectum. You can see my posts to Jill. I went with what I knew and was post menopausal since 1996, Since I wasn't active sexually until 2012, that aspect was off my radar.
Then as I was being evaluated for vulva problems(cancer), as I'm now predisposed to a slew of cancers b/c of the RAI 131 therapy my understanding has changed. Life after RAI 131 was hell. The docs offered some treatment strategies. Those strategies helped some.
There was a moment, I prayed to die, bc there was an area that was so painful and nothing had worked. It was a seriously small area, but how it so intensely caused pain was unbelievable.
After the prayer to die, in moments I had a thought. I tried it, and it solved that worst case scenario. It was publishable as a one time case presentation. WHY? Because when I explained it to the Gyn and the Big wig Gyn oncologists, they did NOT get the significance that someone praying to die as a once in a lifetime thought that was solved by what I did had value., neither recognized how to use the drugs prescribed for the particular scenario as being different.
They are both great docs, I just had this very, very unusual presentation as a patient.
So, I'm going to write about what helped.
I will start with the most recent and work towards the other choices.
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The next post, I'm going to type in sequence from daily plan to emergency plan. I deleted what was here b/c the next post now makes what was here superfluous.
Just reread page 3. It explained the skin condition that was exacerbated by the RAI 131. Lichen Sclerosis. The dermatitis problems of the vulva rectal area can occur at any time of life, but are increased after menopause if memory serves me right. It's been several years since my initial search on it.
Dermatitis of the vulva / anal area may be a bigger problem in the BC community than we know as the chemicals wreck havoc on the skin.
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Care of the Vulva and Rectum:
Daily plan:
1.Avoid soaps and scented products. I have only used soap once in about 2 years. That one episode exacerbated skin issues and reminded me of why I stopped. I read the suggestion on the internet early when the problem occurred. I couldn't believe that I could be clean without a soap wash daily. I use the personal shower head on the power spray setting from one to multiple times a day, and post sex.
2. I use "Original Listerine" to wipe the vulva and anal region. I have done this for 5-6 weeks. This is very recent to the scenario.
I saw a list of "different uses for Listerine". I was impressed. The three things that I now use it for, weren't on the list, but they work for me. I use it in ears for itchiness(swimmers ear) and the nose for membrane swelling (allergies). I use q-tips. For the ears and nose nothing else worked ever. Many years of problems. Tada, success.
Then a light bulb went on, I used it on a cotton facial swab to wipe the vulva and anal region. There was some burning b/c it has approximately 30% alcohol. This has started a whole new phase. I can go for hours and more than a day without pain. I believe the future there may be a healing. I'm hopeful.
There are many good old time remedies in Listerine. I, generally, use it about once a day now. I will continue to use as needed with the goal of using only rarely. I will also be working to find a product that has the herbal ingredients that Listerine has without the alcohol.
3. Sitz bath with 1/2-1 cup of vinegar. Soak for 20-30 minutes. This was started in the early days of the problem after RAI. Didn't think of it till a few weeks after the Hydrocortisone time(below).
4. Bag Balm/ Udder Ointment:This is a petroleum based ointment with trade secret herbal products. Also, used in the early days and still used as needed. Particularly, if I need it for sex. I'm allergic to K-Y jelly.
5. Probiotics: Orally and sprinkled on the vulva/ rectal area. Probably, should have used it much more than I did. Started this years ago before reports came to the internet that this was useful topically. Now is being inserted into the vagina. I didn't do this, as I had have always purchased multi-organism probiotics and Lactobacillus is the only vagina recommendation. I even coined a word for it. Dusting.
6. Hydrocortisone cream. This was prescribed early in the phase after RAI caused the problem. The first instructions were to use it twice a day for two weeks, then twice a week which I did. It helped immensely.
In the worst initial phase, I used it as prescribed, i.e. the initial two weeks and then about 6 weeks more for the twice weekly application. This is always kept in the drawer for use as needed. I have not kept up with the twice a week recommendation b/c of the long term consequences of cortisone type products
There is a very big reason I have found alternative ways to manage the problem. A side affect of hydrocortisone products taken internally i.e prednisone, or externally as a topical, is that the skin thins. Once the skin thins nothing can be done to reverse it. Thinned skin on the vulva and rectum could be a huge medical problem. Hence, the search for alternative management approaches which are items 1-5.
Emergency Plan:
7. Hydrocortizone(HC) suppositories. The HC was prescribed to be put in the butt. On the day I prayed to die, within moments of the prayer, I had a thought, put it in the vagina too. I did and got relief in minutes. Putting it in the vagina was what was different from the docs or internet. The whole vulva /rectal problem, during that phase, was as if the skin was like parchment paper. There were tiny skin breaks.. The HC was prescribed by the GYN doc. She stated it was common practice to give them to post partum mom's with hemorrhoids and skin tearing caused by childbirth.
The HC melts and floods the small tears of the anal region. For me it worked, but didn't take care of the small tears of the vulva area. I had sense enough to get up and move around which caused the HC when it melted to rapidly flood the vulva area versus staying in the vagina where there wasn't a problem. Had I remained flat, the HC would not have so rapidly and widely flooded the vulva area.
I had to repeat this 3x's. Maybe did it a 4th time(fuzzy memory) since that first day.
I will always and forever keep it in the drawer..
Hope these suggestions help. In my initial internet and doc recommendations the info was sparse. I read so many reports from women that had suffered for years without much relief.
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I took the time to reread the 4 pages today. Lot's of good info. Many approaches.
Will add one more that's related to diarrhea and burning. Only had to use this a couple of times, thank God.
If you have burning with diarrhea, jump in the shower and use the personal shower spray on the single stream setting, and spray while pooping. Sounds totally gross. Yes, it is. But it so helps with the burning and is very protective of the skin and anus.
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EWHhhhhhhhhhhhhhh so gross on the shower pooping thing. But when acid is coming out of your butt, you will so quickly do it.
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Sas - I found this topic and read through many of the posts. Arghhh!! Anyway I just wanted to mention organic baby diaper products safe for private areas. I ride horses and always apply a baby ointment to these areas to avoid chafe. It has helped as an external moisturizer for me.
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Hello to all, I want to ask you about a rather embarrassing issue. At about 2010 I've had a lot of itching round anus, little blood on the toilet paper and then I noticed a little bump exactly outside the anus. I've done colonoscopy and biopsy of the bump. The colonoscopy came out clear except they've diagnosed hemorrhoids and biopsy said it was a genital wart but not the dangerous type of HPV.
Today, after one year of chemo and constipation, I've started again to have a lot of itching (during chemo I also had a fissure, with a lot of pain during going to toilet) and blood.The bump is at the same size and my gastro things its only external hemorrhoid... Did you had similar symptoms? I'm afraid again. (I used cream for hemorrhoids, and the blood stopped but the itching NOT).
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Hi Notered,
Thanks for bumping this great topic!
I have not had chemo or radiation but I do think that you should talk with your MO and Gastro more about your concerns and worries. Hopefully some folks will chime in here with their input.
I am having light blood on toilet paper after a bowel movement. It’s very very light blood and no itching. I attribute it to the mucositis (inflammation of the GI tract) from the Ibrance, which is a known side effect.
I believe the itching is a clinical hallmark of hemorrhoids.
My dad, who does suffer from hemorrhoids gave me these two cream to use and swears by it. I don’t know if they have them in Greece but maybe you can google the ingredients and see what you may have that is similar? Can’t hurt to try them while you wait to figure things out with your doctors?
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NoteRed, I had very bad internal and external hemorrhoids. I remember more pain than itching, but as long as the blood is bright red, it is more than likely hemorrhoids, so I don't think you need to be afraid. Especially since you have had a recent colonoscopy. After having hemorrhoid surgery (the bleeding and pain got to an intolerable level), I was given a script for 2% Lidocaine Hydrochloride Jelly. If the products LovefromPhilly suggested above are not working for you, maybe give the Lidocaine a try. It is only available by script here. I also see cortisone cream mentioned above, something else to try as it's great for itchy rahses, etc. Do read the fine print to make sure it's okay for use in that particular area! Hope you find the right answer for you.
Love you LovefromPhilly!
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awwww love you too Jobur!!! 🤗🤗🤗
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Thank you both for the tips. I will try to find a cream so I can feel some relief
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Here is my Dr prescribed treatment. Take a facecloth, wet the center, sprinkle with generous amount of salt, place ice cube in center, grab all 4 corners of cloth lift up & twist. take this ball & apply to area for as long as u can stand, it should sting a bit. The ice numbs the pain & reduces swelling while the salt dries up the hemorroid. Apply 2-3 times a day. Should be better in 2 days. Nothing to lose by trying, Works like a charm.
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also dabbing some witch hazel on a cotton ball and gently wiping the anus with that will help dry up and “tighten” up the tissues!
One other recommendation: toilet paper is bad news. Regular toilet paper, when viewed under a microscope, has tiny shards of glass in it!! It’s like wiping one’s ass with fiberglass!
I recommend using only the softest toilet paper available to wipe with (like Charmin). But I actually ONLY use non-scented baby wipes with aloe. And do not flush them down the toilet, as they are bad for sewer systems.
This is the gentlest way to clean after a bowel movement that will irritate the least, aside from using a bidet.
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