Hemmorrhoids
Hemmorrhoids - What a Joy!
As someone with personal experience in hemmorrhoids I’ve got a few things to say. Oh my word, you want to hold a party when they seem to be getting better. The first time I had a bad bout of hemmorrhoids I knew what caused it, I was lifting heavy boxes and I was only in my late twenties. Trust me I stopped lifting heavy boxes.
My hemmorrhoids first showed up after giving birth to my second child, what a happy occurrence. Most times when they arrive they are of short duration and easily manageable. But, I have now had two occurrences when they have been extremely painful, to the point of bleeding.
My Hemmorrhoids Journeys
The first time I went through the ordeal, here’s how I tried to make them better. I was like a junky, looking for anything in the drugstore that might work. Of course I never went up to the pharmacist and said ‘Hey, I’ve got really bad hemmorrhoids – what do you recommend?’ I just didn’t want to ask, call me lame but I decided not to ask. I also did not go off to the Doctor because I did not want anyone poking around at anything that was already so painful.
To start with I tried Preparation H cream, and that seemed to soothe them a tiny bit, but it did not really help me. This is the cream that comes in a tube with the option of putting an end on it so that you can also incorporate some of the cream into the afflicted rectal area. Being me, since it already hurts I don’t really want to aggravate it more, so I opted not to use the internal apparatus for my hemmorrhoids at that point in time.
What worked for me, Tucks Medicated Pads; I started using them and it cleared up pretty quickly. This is one product I can personally vouch for in regards to my first bout with hemmorrhoids a few years back. I have found a good place to purchase Tucks medicated pads, at Costco. They keep these pads behind the pharmacy counter at Costco where I live so you need to go and ask for the Tucks pads at the pharmacy.
The second time around well guess what? I cannot find any of the Tucks Medicated pads at our local drugstores, imagine that! They have this other kind that does absolutely nothing to make it stop hurting. So, I started out with the Preparation H and have progressed to suppositories by Anusol; this has been going on for over a week now.
The fear of, ‘Oh my gosh, I think I have to go to the washroom!’, you prepare yourself for pain. Here’s what I do to make it as easy as possible. I know the temptation is to push, but please don’t, it only makes it worse; prolonging your healing time. Wait it out, if only a little will come out, stop there and do not force the issue. This may mean you will have to make many trips to the washroom but stick with the no push rule.
Where I messed up this time in regards to my hemmorrhoids is obvious to me now. I think I caught a stomach bug or some adverse reaction to what I had eaten or drank, it’s in the water, don’t drink the water! Arghhhh. Kidding, perhaps it was not in the Osmosis filtered water, but then again it could have been.
Geyser Eruptions - Beware!
Anyhow it turned out my rectal area was no longer producing solids, it was more like a geyser spewing vast amounts of water in a torrential downpour; an explosion of nastiness. Voila I’ve got myself some extremely painful hemmorrhoids to contend with. So dummy that I am I decided to take some Pepto to stop the fecal eruptions. But, not good enough, I took something stronger, Immodium! Bango, the Immodium stopped the diarrhea but I’m now constipated. Oh, woe is me! I’ve got hemmorhoids and now I’m constipated, great move ex-lax.
No, I did not now attempt to take ex-lax, can’t go from one extreme to another. What I did was go to the drugstore once again. I thought well this is not good, what can I buy to help myself out? I bought an invalid ring, yeah well, what can I say; a rubber ring to sit upon, certainly not a throne of honor. I also bought some stool softener, very gentle edition and some Benefibre to help regulate myself – the clear choice. Be careful with fibre, too much can cause constipation and further aggravate your hemmorrhoids.
Take note here, if your diarrhea is related to E-Coli it is not recommended that you take Pepto or any other anti diarrhea medication; nor should you take stool softener. E-Coli can be very dangerous. To find out more on E-Coli click here.
I took two stool softeners the first day and one the next, did not cause any real bad reactions, it seems to be lessening the agony somewhat. I also had a couple of treatments of Benefibre in a glass of juice or water. Since I have started the combined treatment of Stool softener, Benefibre and Anusol suppositories my hemmorrhoids seem to be subsiding. I can stand the pain at least, perhaps when it is completely over I will do a Happy Dance!!
So people, don’t push, if it’s not ready, don’t force it. Don’t wait either, if you feel you have to go and have a bowel movement, go there pronto. If it’s only a small performance, let it be that; you can always come back later, a few times perhaps. Don’t yo-yo your system either, from geyser eruptions to the five o’clock traffic jam, try to avoid this at all costs.
Be in a town where the drugstores carry Tucks Medicated Pads, or you can order them online! As stated earlier in this article you can purchase the pads at Costco, they keep them behind the pharmacy counter, at least they do in the town where I live. If ever in doubt at a pharmacy you should ask the pharmacist if they do carry them?
Hemmorrhoids update Nov 2012
I'm happy to report that since the above noted major bout with this painful dilemma I have not had a serious recurrence. My first experience with kidney stones led me to drinking plenty of water and lemon juice, and I'm assuming this has helped out with the hemmorrhoids as well.
I have changed my diet as well. I never did really drink soda pop and still don't, but I did used to love my iced tea but have since cut that out, too much sugar. Must admit I am a lover of cheese and have cut way back on the consumption of my beloved cheese.
The thought of cheese brings me to mentioning how I love poutine, french fries with gravy and cheese in general. I have found a way to at least still have my french fries, I bought the acti-fry and absolutely love it. I will be putting up an informative hub on the acti-fry in the near future. A tablespoon or two full of olive oil and you have great tasting french fries.
I have went way off topic here, but the idea I am trying to get across to you is that we need to eat and drink much healthier. Every step we take towards healthier consumption makes a difference. Sometimes we don't have to give up things we love, there are often alternate methods for preparing these foods that will make them a healthier choice.
Always start your day with plenty of water, add in a little lemon juice, lemon juice is a great friend of mine. Don't stop with the water ritual in the morning, continue adding water to your body throughout the day. Lack of water causes dehydration and then dehydration can cause a whole lot of other health issues.
- When to See A Hemorrhoids Doctor
Hemorrhoids are a very common condition, and the good news is that most people who get them will not need to do much to treat them. - From Cleopatra to Obama: A Look at Hemorrhoids History
Gather up boys and girls. I am most definite that neither one of you would like to see hemorrhoids sticking out. I bet that would totally gross you out.