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[Dorothy]

I've had a bit of itching and soreness around the anal area for a week or so, and then 2 days ago, I had diarrhoea and felt something 'pop' out.  I've had a look and there is just a smallish round pink bulge there - it gets a lot better overnight and when I first get up, it feels fine, but I have a job where I am standing on my feet all day and after the first couple of hours I am demented - and very conscious I'm not pulling my weight too as it is so uncomfortable to walk.  I had a look on line and the advice says that it could either be piles or a prolapse; if it's the first, wait a few days to see if it gets better and if it's the second, see your GP immediately...which is really not helpful as I don't know which.

I've only just registered with a gp in my new area and was there the day before this happened, trying to convince her that a 41-year-old woman could have menopause & VA and would she please renew my prescriptions to treat both.  I did win eventually (although I had to explain what Ovestin was and what it did...) but I don't want to go back too soon in case she thinks I'm a hypochondriac!  But I'm worried if I leave it, it will get worse.  Anyone had anything similar? 

I haven't had any bleeding and hardly ever get constipated, and it seems I am young for either piles or a prolapse, but I can only assume it's down to everything 'sagging' due to the change.

[Ju Ju]

Oh I get that feeling that I'm making a fuss, when I go to the doctors, even yesterday when I'm struggling with breathing! But without patients, the doctor wouldn't have a job. Let her do her job.Piles or prolapse are visible and very physical, so much easier to deal with by any doctor and certainly cannot be put under the hypochondriac label. Stop worrying and go and have your nether regions examined!

[Maryjane]

I have had piles 30 years , had surgery years ago 😳😳😳💥💥💥, personally I would treat as piles for a week in a DIY way and if no improvement go to GP.

With this meno lark , I give everything a few weeks to see other wise I would be there daily.

[Elizabethrose]

Hi Dorothy

This is very common. I had a 13 day migraine once so everything 'backed up'. When I eventually got moving, I felt a pop and had what looked like a finger sticking out of my bottom. I was totally freaked out! Went straight to the Doc, terribly embarrassed, but they clearly see this on a daily basis. I was prescribed a prescription only cream which made it disappear in about 3 days, brilliant stuff - I was so relieved! Really sorry but can't remember what it was but they said that an otc product would not have sorted it! Good luck x

[Scampi]

I had a really nasty one last year (I couldn't sit, lie in certain positions, stand for any length of time, without real eye-watering pain ... and getting the urge to go to the loo made me cry with fear of the pain to come), and I really didn't want to go to the doc.  I treated it myself with Germoloids ointment (the one with hydrocortisone and a local anaesthetic), and a real 'find' for me were Boots own brand wipes 'for haemorrhoid-prone areas' - I found them in Boots (!!) in the pile cream section.  They are really soft and contain witch hazel - I found them very soothing. 

I found that after a couple of days of treatment with the Germoloids, the swelling had reduced to the point I could get the thing back inside - the relief was indescribable!  It was so much less painful, and I just kept putting it back after each toilet visit.  I got away without that dreaded GP visit!

I hope you find relief soon - they are horrible.

[Urbanchick]

Sounds like piles to me - mine always starts with itching!   I agree with the advice to try OTC ointment, but don't worry if it takes a while.  I went twice to docs last year with one that took about a month to go.   You have my sympathy, but don't panic, the hydrocortisone creams will get to grips with it.

[Dorothy]

Thanks everyone - I did try to call the GP today, but they are 'closed for training' to improve their service...errrr, would have thought staying open at the times you are meant to stay open would be the best way to do that!  So I guess that's made a decision for me and I will have to try the OTC stuff tomorrow and see what happens.

Am a bit worried though that I don't have any of the factors that make me liable to piles - never get constipated, have normal BMI, eat loads of fresh fruit & veg and fibre, never strain to 'go' and have raised my feet onto a step to go' for years. Wondering if I should see the GP anyway, just to check....or is this health anxiety kicking in?

[Dorothy]

Thanks again!  As I haven't been able to get through to them today, it will probably be late next week before I can get an appointment, so I think I'll try the cream and if it vanishes/reduces before the appointment, I'll cancel - I'm thinking that if it's not piles, whatever it is is unlikely to go away using the cream.

Megamind, I didn't realise that sitting on the loo for a long time could cause them too - I did used to spend ages on the loo in my teens and 20s as I would have gut-wrenching period cramps followed by flooding, so when one was coming on, it was less messy just to sit on the loo and wait for it! 

[Dorothy]

Just wanted to say a big thank you to all you ladies for your advice.  I was on the pharmacy doorstep at 7am yesterday morning and they gave me some Anusol.  It's feeling a bit better today, so hopefully it is piles and the treatment is working.  I have booked a GP appointment for next week though a) to check it IS piles and b) to see if there is anything else I can do to stop it coming back as all the stuff they advise online is how I'm already living!

Thanks so much for your support - I was feeling terrible earlier in the week, in so much discomfort and pain and really tearful and your help and advice made me feel so much better. 

[Megamind]

Glad you're feeling better 

[marras]

Hi Dorothy, hope you are feeling better. I thought I'd put my two ha'porth into the mix! I have had what they call a perinanal haematoma which is similar to piles but not quite. It is very easily treated by applying an ice cube. This tip was given to me by my consultant when I was in the BMI clinic in Basingstoke having a major operation for cancer. 'Oh, you want some ice on that' he said. So I wrapped an ice cube in a surgical glove and lay on my side with it up my bot for about an hour! Next day it was gone and hasn't come back since. So, if it's not piles and the doctor says it's a perinanal haematoma, that's the treatment.

[Dorothy]

Saw the GP this morning and she confirmed it is piles which is a huge relief.  She has given me prescription pessaries and ointment which she said should work faster, and also pushed it back into place - I had tried doing this myself without success, but obviously didn't use enough force!   

Sadly, she said there is not much I can do to prevent recurrence as my lifestyle is already very anti-pile apart from my job, which I can't afford to cut back on.  But at least I know what it is now, and how to treat it, so hopefully it won't be so stressful in future. 

[Elizabethrose]

Well done Dorothy! They may never occur again - it's only happened to me once, which quite frankly was more than enough!
Hope you continue to mend x

[Dorothy]

Well done Dorothy! They may never occur again - it's only happened to me once, which quite frankly was more than enough!
Hope you continue to mend x

I won't disagree with that - amazing how something so small can cause so much distress!

It's my day off today, so I've taken the dog on a long walk, done a little bit of Christmas shopping and for the first time in a week, I haven't been constantly aware of my own behind!  Bliss!

[Megamind]

I feel sorry for you that you got them even though you do everything to help avoid them. Hopefully, it might be a one off and you won't get them again.

A way to push them back up is to lay in a hot bath and then try but I'm never that successful at it and it does hurt a bit.