Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with anus

"Stick that in your ass and smoke it!"

inoculatedcities — Tue, 17 Jun 2008 15:36:08 -0800

What is the origin of the phrase "[to] blow smoke up [someone's] ass"? While reading this book it occured to me that the phrase might have its origin in early resuscitation efforts. The stimulant properties of tobacco smoke were well known in the 18th century and apparently blowing tobacco smoke into the anus was an anecdotally-supported method of rescucitation (until Sir Benjamin Brodie's experiments in 1811 demonstrating the toxicity of tobacco and the ineffectiveness of anal fumigation). The author, Mickey Eisenberg, notes that "The process of of blowing smoke in the rectum seems bizarre today, but it is possible that the dilation of the anus by the tube provided some reflex stimulus of respiration." (pp. 61).

No OED handy and I've found nothing useful online. Perhaps the phrase has its origin in this ineffectual practice? Or am I way off?

Who do I see for a butt rash?

Anonymous — Thu, 24 Jan 2008 22:11:45 -0800

Never-ending, super itchy, flaky butt rash. What kind of doctor do I see? Male in his 20's here. Rash between the cheeks has not responded to Lamicil, 1% hydrocortisone, gold bond or yeast infection cream. It comes and goes on a weekly basis and has been for months. It itches so bad that lately I'm up half the night scratching. Bits of skin are flaking off.

My fiancee is making me go to a doctor because we have exhausted all over-the-counter possibilities. At my local hospital/clinic, I have the option of seeing a GP, a dermatologist, or a gastroenterologist. I would feel most comfortable seeing the gastro guy, if only because he (and it will be a he, if I get my way) looks at and puts things up butts on a daily basis and I am terrified of and embarassed about going to the doctor for my delicate issue. I have had hemmorhoids in the past and perhaps that could have something to do with it, but I'm not sure if gastro guys deal with the, erm, external issues relating to the butt. Or do I see a dermatologist for what seems like a skin issue? Or a Family Practicioner (GP), who might treat stuff like this on a daily basis? Who do I make the appointment with?

And what precisely should I say on the phone when they ask why I need to visit? I can't just say that I have a mysterious rash around my anus. Maybe that I have a "rash in a delicate area"? Does the receptionist always need to know the dirty details?

Seriously. What's up with my anus?

(bb|[^b]{2}) — Mon, 05 Nov 2007 20:07:45 -0800

Hi there. Remember me? Well, I'm back, and my butt problems continue. So I went to see my doctor about my itchy butt (he saw through the hair just fine, BTW), and he diagnosed me with pruritus ani, which is latin for "I have no idea why your ass itches." No hemmeys or fissures, no pinworms, just an unidentifiable urge to scratch my anus. He told me to switch from boxer briefs to plain old boxers (to help keep things aired out) and to keep using hydrocortizone cream for the rest of my life... and never, ever, EVER succumb to the urge to itch. Easier said than done.

I followed his advice, and for a short time the itching seemed to go away, but it's recently flared back up. Basically it works like this:

- Nothing feels out of whack down there (no skin flaps or bulging veins).
- No blood on my toilet paper or in my stool.
- No pain from bowel movements. In fact, my BMs don't seem to have any affect on the state of itchiness.
- Sitting alleviates the urge to itch almost immediately.
- Standing and walking aggravate the condition.
- Hydrocortizone doesn't always do the trick, so I've recently started using a generic version of Benadryl cream, which seems to be a little more effective.

Despite having two huge health care systems in my town, neither of them have a Proctologist. Do they go by a different name these days? We have several colo-rectal surgeons, but they seem to extreme for Mr. Itchy Ass 2007. I don't want to go back to my regular doctor, because, frankly, I think his prognosis was a bit weak.

Has anyone out there had a similar affliction? How did you ever find relief? Please help?! My anus is killing me!!! And I don't want to see any IANAD bullshit... I already figured as much.

Nearly killed 'im!

Anonymous — Sun, 04 Jun 2006 01:29:00 -0800

RectumFilter. How do I deal with and/or prevent repeated anal fissures? I am a male in his late 20s who does not insert things into my rectum but I get repeated anal fissures that leave a decent amount of blood on the toilet paper. I saw a doctor earlier this year who said my rectum and colon were in good shape but that I had several small tears around my anus. It seems to me that most of these occur when I move my bowels. He recommended a stool softener and Anusol -- which work well in healing them but I repeatedly get new ones. I'm tired of this!!! Any suggestions?

butt blood!

fabesfaves — Mon, 28 Nov 2005 17:36:48 -0800

Is blood coming from a cat's butt always serious? Nice start, eh? Yesterday was the second day where we discovered that our cat had eaten some of my hair. This was fairly obvious, as he was tracking his poop around with him by a strand of it hanging out of his rear end. I know--gross. Anyhow, I cleaned him up, and I know you aren't supposed to "pull things out of cats butts" because of the intestinal issue, but hair is so fragile that I figured it was ok. And anyhow, it came out really easily. I then had to wash/scrub his butt and the surrounding area because he had made quite a mess of himself. I'm sure I irritated this highly sensitive area for him, but what can ya do? The bottom line is--today, right after he pooped, I checked out his butt to make sure there was no trail (because now I'm worried that he's going to drag poop around with him all over the house) and he had a small amount of red blood on his anus. There didn't seem to be much, if any, on his poop, as far as I could tell in the littery mess. He also pooped yesterday after the incident, and it was just fine. Should I be worried? Does he need to see a vet? I know I should just ASK a vet but since it's late, I just wondered if anyone had any first-hand experience with this type of thing. I called the emergency vet and they said it sounds like it can wait until tomorrow, but I'm just wondering if I should even bother taking him to his regular vet. He is acting perfectly normal, eating, drinking, being himself, etc. He's also not vomiting, which is something the emergency people asked me. In addition to this main question, has anyone else had a cat who seemed to like to eat their hair? My hair is pretty long and it's hard to not get it all over the place--I try to clean up/vacuum a lot, etc. but he's still getting his hands on some somewhere!

What's wrong with my bum?

By The Grace of God — Thu, 10 Nov 2005 13:53:34 -0800

I'm having troubles with my tushy! So, I drop the kids off at the pool, as it were, and wipe, and I often see blood on the tissue (a small bit; slightly more when I use more pressure while wiping.) A digital examination reveals a slight bump at the edge of tush-hole, like a skin tag or something. Rectal itching sporadically but chronically. Note - I've had this problem for years. Is this a hemorrhoid? Has anyone else had such a thing? There's never any pain, but it's quite annoying. I use wipes now to keep clean and the occasional cortisone cream to control itching.

I will be going to a tush-ologist, don't worry.

Help with hemorrhoids!

Anonymous — Fri, 21 Oct 2005 14:35:02 -0800

Tell me about hemorrhoids! Read more inside if you don't mind some details! Yep, I've got them. I'm a 31 year old male. I thought they were just for old people, but I was wrong. So, does anyone have experience with them? How do they form? How do you get rid of them? How long does my anus keep burning?

no, I'm not a back door man

Anonymous — Tue, 26 Jul 2005 16:26:17 -0800

I have haemorrhoids. Do I need to do anything about them? They are not painful, just a dull ache sometimes. I've never had surgery for anything besides dental work, and the thought of surgery just scares the bejeezus out of me. If you've had surgery for haemorrhoids, what has your post-operative experience been like? And will my haemorrhoids stabilize over the long term or get progressively worse? Are there any serious risks (like mobile blood clots) that could result from just leaving them be? Any other advice?

What is the street name for the practice of ingesting cocaine by blowing it up your anus?

magullo — Thu, 22 Jul 2004 06:59:50 -0800

What is the street name for the practice of ingesting cocaine by blowing it up your anus?

(I only read about it, I swear)

Grooming for, uh, down there?

gravelshoes — Thu, 24 Jun 2004 11:18:33 -0800

I have a hairy anus (come on inside...) I am curious as to the best way to manage my man hair in this region? surely some advanced techniques have been developed which promote comfort and hygiene for this little discussed male burden?

also, what is the benefit of my hairy anus from a darwinian/evolutionary point of view?