Getting in the bathtub a lot helped, as hot as I could stand it. (Keep in mind I was dealing with episiotomy stitches AND this at the same time, not to mention some other unpleasantness from labor that I won’t detail here.)
I remember putting Vitamin E ointment (the kind they use on newborns) on it which helped.
I think I would have been better off not using anything intially on the actual hemorrhoids. Oh sure, they sucked, but they didn’t bother me nearly as much as the damage Preparation H did.
I’m not a drinker, but during those days I really could have used a shot or two. Switch to vodka if that’s what it takes.
Are you sure that you were not using Compound W by mistake?
Back to the OP:
Tucks is your friend. Use them to wipe after bowel movements and whenever the burning gets bad. Avoid immodium unless you are have bad diarrhea. It can cause constipation and that will hurt even worse.
Tucks pads helped me after I gave birth. It went away in a few days. Sitting was a challenge, but I’m not quite sure it was all the hemorrhoid’s fault. I ended up using my nursing pillow to sit on.
After I gave birth, since I ripped big time, I just sat on a maxie pad covered in an ice pack covered by tucks, no pillow other than that. They looked like pepperoni the first few days. Tucks really help to shrink swollen tissues.
Are hemorrhoids a common side effect of giving birth? And, Abbie I can’t imagine what this would be like in addition to having an episiotomy. Not that I’ll ever know since I am a guy, but when a female friend told me what an episiotomy was I seriously thought that she was making it up.
Thanks. I don’t have a donut cushion. Lucky for me, I am very paticular about the pillows I sleep on so I have some around that failed to make the grade.
Get a stool softener. Make sure to get the kind without the laxative.
Tucks pads are good for the wiping, but they dry too quickly to just apply to the area. Soak a cotton ball in witch hazel (same thing tucks is soaked in). You probably don’t want to use it at work since it’ll soak through, unless you use a pantyliner.
Name your hemorrhoid after somebody you don’t like. It won’t help with the pain, but it will make it easier to curse your hemorrhoid when it’s acting up.
As another woman who has had pregnancy/childbirth hemorrhoids, I recommend Preparation H. Don’t get the generic store brand stuff. The real thing only; it really does work. (Sounds like Abbie had an unusual allergic reaction. Sympathies for Abbie.)
Plus I take three or four Ibuprofen. Then I put my butt on a pillow and stretch my legs up the wall. Helps the blood drain the other way and relieves some of the pressure. Good luck with it.
Adam- Is it an “innie” or an “outie?” I whole heartedly recommend the Prep H cream. It contains a topical analgesic called promoxine. The regular ointment does not have this. But there is an advantage to the ointment- it seems to protect and coat the hemmy better than the cream. Sometimes, you have to experiment to see what works best.
If you have an innie and it hurts to poop, get yourself a stool softener like Hillbilly Queen suggested. I’ve found Colace to be a good choice. But I get the store brand version. Just make sure it has the same ingredients, and no stimulant laxative. And be sure to drink lots of fluids. You do NOT want your stool to get dry and hard. Feels like you’re passing a chef’s knife.
If you have an outie, a sitz bath is good. Well, it’s good if you have an innie as well.
Oh, and the three weeks? HA! I’ve been fighting mine since before Christmas! Every day. Surgery is looking pretty damned good.
I replied to another 'rhoid thread a few weeks ago, detailing all the stuff I’ve tried. I’d link to it, but I’m too groggy right now.
A frequent hemi sufferer here, my came from years of driving race car. Preperation H is my friend. You will find it’s not the pain that can be a real problem, it’s the itching when the 'roid starts to heal. It will drive you absolutely crazy. If it’s an inny, ice can provide immediate relief. Fill the fingers of a latex glove with water and hang in your freezer. When the pain becomes unbearable, take an ice finger, slide it in and sit on the toilet while it melts.
Now for the real gory parts. I have had hemmoroild procedures twice. The first time was the rubber band method. The doc popped it on and told me in 4 or 5 days I would find the rubber band and a raisin. The raisin being the dried up hemmoroid. I found the rubber band, never found the raisin. A few years ago I developed a bleeder that made any kind of #2 extremely painful. I had to have the spread em wide and stitch em up surgery. First they numb you. Then they have to dialate you. This is done with a large stainless steel dialator, think Stanley thermos with a rounded top. I was able to watch parts on a little TV and when the doctor’s hand disappeared from view, yes it was inside of me, I chose to close my eyes till they were done. The doc said I had an erupted fissure 14mm long. Other than some occasional itching, haven’t had any problems since.
Ummm… :eek: racer, how did you feel when the local wore off? I gotta say, I’m scared now.
And, I’m at the itchy stage now. From what you say, my innies are healing, which is a good thing. But the outie still throbs. From what the hubby says, it looks like the outie has a split the size of a grain of rice.