Hemorrhoids

[sr71blackbird]

I have them.I know a lot of people that do too. I do not like having hem and I'd like to get rid of them. The thing is, I do not like anyone touching my ass. So, I avoid talking about it with my Dr. I have attempted to have this resolved once by going to a hemorrhoid Dr., and I did bite the bullet put up with the painful and humiliating and extremely uncomfortable screening and examination. They all say that the procedure is "painless", but it is anything but. He zapped them with infrared and they did seem to go away a bit and he had me come back two more times and on the third time he zapped them all for good measure and within days they all seemed to come back. I found the entire procedure so unpleasant that I never tried to address it again. So, I suffer now and who knows what I might have going on down there. I cant understand why Dr's do not want to knock you out to examine and treat these things. I bet that if a Dr did, and the patient never felt anything, many people would appreciate it and go have the procedure done and who knows if lives could be saved by detecting rectal cancer.
I know that knocking someone out is risky and expensive and medical insurance may not cover it But I really do not like that area probed and any pain. Meanwhile I have a problem and it will probably keep getting worse and worse and I could have it dealt with if Drs could just see to it that the the patient feels no part of it. Just my two cents.

[Dr Steve]

I have them.I know a lot of people that do too. I do not like having hem and I'd like to get rid of them. The thing is, I do not like anyone touching my ass. So, I avoid talking about it with my Dr. I have attempted to have this resolved once by going to a hemorrhoid Dr., and I did bite the bullet put up with the painful and humiliating and extremely uncomfortable screening and examination. They all say that the procedure is "painless", but it is anything but. He zapped them with infrared and they did seem to go away a bit and he had me come back two more times and on the third time he zapped them all for good measure and within days they all seemed to come back. I found the entire procedure so unpleasant that I never tried to address it again. So, I suffer now and who knows what I might have going on down there. I cant understand why Dr's do not want to knock you out to examine and treat these things. I bet that if a Dr did, and the patient never felt anything, many people would appreciate it and go have the procedure done and who knows if lives could be saved by detecting rectal cancer.
I know that knocking someone out is risky and expensive and medical insurance may not cover it But I really do not like that area probed and any pain. Meanwhile I have a problem and it will probably keep getting worse and worse and I could have it dealt with if Drs could just see to it that the the patient feels no part of it. Just my two cents.

I totally get it. There's this procedure called a "prostatic biopsy" where some urologists take a 6 inch needle and STICK IT THROUGH YOUR TAINT INTO YOUR PROSTATE to get samples. Often this has been done under local anesthesia and it's just brutal. I have had patients come back and tell me "I don't care if I have cancer, I'm never doing that again". I have told my urologist time and again that if he ever wants to do one of those on me, he'd better put me to sleep to do it. He assures me that the more modern "transrectal" approach (where they stick the needle in through your rectum instead of the taint (which is called the "perineum" in medical-speak)) is supposed to be more civilized. Sounds like it, doesn't it?

Everyone has a different threshold for pain and discomfort. The problem with anesthesia is that even the "light kind" (so-called conscious sedation, which is used for colonoscopies and such) carries risks with it. Very few docs are willing to put patients at risk for life-threatening complications for something they consider "minor", such as a hemorrhoid exam. The problem is, as you've very aptly pointed out, that everyone's definition of "minor" is different. I never had a problem giving someone a minor tranquilizer before a procedure if someone told me they were terrified or really bothered by it. Just letting the next doctor know that you have a problem and it really bothers you to get it looked at will make him/her more sensitive to the issue.

If your hemorrhoids get bad enough, eventually they may need to do surgery on them...they'll put you out for that.

In the meantime, read this thread: http://www.ronfez.net/forums/showthread.php?t=72117

Also get some CITRUCEL and take a couple of scoops in 8 ounces of water daily (obviously, check out everything I say with your medical doctor). Most hemorrhoids are caused by too-high pressures in the colon which are caused by our crap American low-fiber diet. Citrucel is a fiber supplement that 1) tastes pretty good 2) doesn't cause bloating, and 3) isn't too expensive. Increasing the fiber in your diet should decrease the recurrence and worsening of hemorrhoids over time.

good luck!



your pal,



steve

[OGC]

.... Most hemorrhoids are caused by too-high pressures in the colon which are caused by our crap American low-fiber diet. ...

I've always lived with the belief that a nice loose movement is a good sign. Is this a good assumption ?

[Dr Steve]

I've always lived with the belief that a nice loose movement is a good sign. Is this a good assumption ?

A "nice loose movement" sounds pretty good to me as long as we agree on the definition of "loose" (meaning not watery). Splattering chili all over the bowl frequently is probably a sign of a problem.

as long as you have a nice, fluffy, delightfully smooth movement (as opposed to chronic diarrhea) I think it's a good sign. Increasing fiber makes you looser than people in this country are used to, but should not cause loose, watery stools.

Just FYI (and I'm throwing this out just because I thought of it, and not because of anything anyone in this thread has said), anytime you have a change in bowel habits with no explanation, it's a good idea to talk to your health care provider about it.