Who do I see about my butt?
October 27, 2010 7:03 AM Subscribe
I'm pretty sure I have hemorrhoids. What kind of doctor treats those?
I'm a very healthy chick in her mid-20s, but I have a very sensitive stomach and usually eat an extremely clean diet (no dairy or gluten and very little sugar). Last week I went on a bender and ate ice cream and pizza, had some extremely violent BMs, and for the past few days I have had that feeling... that I have a hemorrhoid.
I've been applying a hydrocortisone cream (proctosol) twice a day for the past few days. It feels a little better now than it did on Monday, but it still hurts a lot when I have a bowel movement (even though they are back to being well formed, soft, generally "good" poops).
Are there any other home remedies I can try besides:
- Sitz bath/soaking
- Hydrocortisone
- Drinking a ton of water/eating fiber
- Sitting on a cushion
- Walking around (as opposed to sitting all day)
I exercised yesterday and it definitely felt better for a while after that (maybe because of increased bloodflow elsewhere in the body?) but the effect seems to be temporary.
I'm starting to think that if it doesn't die down in a day or two I should see a doctor. My insurance is really great and I don't need a referral from my GP to see a specialist, which is good because my GP is really inconvenient to see (but otherwise amazing). So what kind of doctor treats hemorrhoids?
I'm a very healthy chick in her mid-20s, but I have a very sensitive stomach and usually eat an extremely clean diet (no dairy or gluten and very little sugar). Last week I went on a bender and ate ice cream and pizza, had some extremely violent BMs, and for the past few days I have had that feeling... that I have a hemorrhoid.
I've been applying a hydrocortisone cream (proctosol) twice a day for the past few days. It feels a little better now than it did on Monday, but it still hurts a lot when I have a bowel movement (even though they are back to being well formed, soft, generally "good" poops).
Are there any other home remedies I can try besides:
- Sitz bath/soaking
- Hydrocortisone
- Drinking a ton of water/eating fiber
- Sitting on a cushion
- Walking around (as opposed to sitting all day)
I exercised yesterday and it definitely felt better for a while after that (maybe because of increased bloodflow elsewhere in the body?) but the effect seems to be temporary.
I'm starting to think that if it doesn't die down in a day or two I should see a doctor. My insurance is really great and I don't need a referral from my GP to see a specialist, which is good because my GP is really inconvenient to see (but otherwise amazing). So what kind of doctor treats hemorrhoids?
I think technically a butt doctor is a proctologist, though a gastroenterologist covers some of the same areas...
posted by mdn at 7:36 AM on October 27, 2010
posted by mdn at 7:36 AM on October 27, 2010
You probably want to see a proctologist. However, being hemorrhoids are a very common result of pregnancy, you might talk to your OB/GYN.
Also, it sounds loony, but I swear by Nupercain and a cold can of Coke. Apply Nupercain liberally; sit on the can of Coke. It really helps.
posted by headspace at 7:48 AM on October 27, 2010
Also, it sounds loony, but I swear by Nupercain and a cold can of Coke. Apply Nupercain liberally; sit on the can of Coke. It really helps.
posted by headspace at 7:48 AM on October 27, 2010
Being THAT hemmorhoids... lord, what a difference one word makes.
posted by headspace at 7:50 AM on October 27, 2010
posted by headspace at 7:50 AM on October 27, 2010
I've given the following tips to several people who cleared up hemmoroids within a couple weeks. My ob/gyn gave them to me for post-partum hemmoroids years ago. You're already doing some of the steps.
Buy: sitz bath, Anusol cream or Prep H, baby wipes
--Keep drinking lots of water
--Eat a couple oranges or tangerines or a grapefruit every morning in addition to other fiber rich foods without going overboard. You want enough fiber to soften things, but just enough so you only have one bowel movement or so a day. No bananas, rice, etc.
Hopefully you can get on the same bowel movement schedule every day so you can do the rest of the steps at home.
--When you know you're about to have a bowel movement, fill up the sitz bath with very warm water, as warm as you can stand it. Keep the sitz bath by the toilet. Have your BM, wipe yourself gently with baby wipes, then place the sitz bath on the toilet and sit in it for about five minutes.
--When you're done, immediately insert an applicator-ful of Anusol Cream or Prep H.
--Not a bad idea to switch to baths for a couple weeks either.
It's a gradual process, but everyone I know who's followed this regime fixed the problem within a couple weeks. It's still a painful at first because the hemorroids will hurt the first week you do this. But day by day you'll get better.
posted by Elsie at 7:53 AM on October 27, 2010 [1 favorite]
Buy: sitz bath, Anusol cream or Prep H, baby wipes
--Keep drinking lots of water
--Eat a couple oranges or tangerines or a grapefruit every morning in addition to other fiber rich foods without going overboard. You want enough fiber to soften things, but just enough so you only have one bowel movement or so a day. No bananas, rice, etc.
Hopefully you can get on the same bowel movement schedule every day so you can do the rest of the steps at home.
--When you know you're about to have a bowel movement, fill up the sitz bath with very warm water, as warm as you can stand it. Keep the sitz bath by the toilet. Have your BM, wipe yourself gently with baby wipes, then place the sitz bath on the toilet and sit in it for about five minutes.
--When you're done, immediately insert an applicator-ful of Anusol Cream or Prep H.
--Not a bad idea to switch to baths for a couple weeks either.
It's a gradual process, but everyone I know who's followed this regime fixed the problem within a couple weeks. It's still a painful at first because the hemorroids will hurt the first week you do this. But day by day you'll get better.
posted by Elsie at 7:53 AM on October 27, 2010 [1 favorite]
Your GP (or someone else in the same practice) can cover this. Depending on your exact symptoms and what they see / feel on examination, they may send you to a gastroenterologist to have it confirmed with scope.
Generally, they will suggest what you've done already to see if it goes away on its own. If you're in Europe they have slightly different approved meds. If yours are actually thrombosed (have a clot in them) or don't get better, there are minimally invasive procedures they can do to reduce them (like putting rubber bands on them to make them regress). Those would be done by a gastroenterologist.
posted by a robot made out of meat at 7:59 AM on October 27, 2010
Generally, they will suggest what you've done already to see if it goes away on its own. If you're in Europe they have slightly different approved meds. If yours are actually thrombosed (have a clot in them) or don't get better, there are minimally invasive procedures they can do to reduce them (like putting rubber bands on them to make them regress). Those would be done by a gastroenterologist.
posted by a robot made out of meat at 7:59 AM on October 27, 2010
just thought I'd mention, since you used the words violent and painful, be sure it's not a fissure. Different treatments required.
posted by kristymcj at 8:31 AM on October 27, 2010
posted by kristymcj at 8:31 AM on October 27, 2010
Recurrent hemorrhoids may require treatment by a Colorectal Surgeon. A GP or Gastroenterologist may be a good place to start, but most of them do not do definitive management. (Also, no physician refers to themselves as a proctologist anymore.)
posted by ruwan at 8:35 AM on October 27, 2010
posted by ruwan at 8:35 AM on October 27, 2010
nthing Colorectal Surgeon, using IR (infra-red) clotting device.
posted by Rad_Boy at 9:07 AM on October 27, 2010
posted by Rad_Boy at 9:07 AM on October 27, 2010
It depends. See your GP first. If they think you might need additional treatment, you may see either a gastroenterologist or a colorectal surgeon.
posted by honeybee413 at 4:35 PM on October 27, 2010
posted by honeybee413 at 4:35 PM on October 27, 2010
Sometimes Tucks wipes (witch hazel) help more than Nupercainal/Prep H.
posted by IndigoRain at 7:08 PM on October 27, 2010 [1 favorite]
posted by IndigoRain at 7:08 PM on October 27, 2010 [1 favorite]
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by griphus at 7:09 AM on October 27, 2010