2007-02-06 - 12:20 a.m.
Found this on the internet, can't tell if it's trying to be funny or if it's serious.
Hi I am almost 30 and have had problems with my anus since I was 25 years old.
I noticed it one morning, at first I thought I had fleas and then I thought it was anal parasites, I felt lousy. My anus still itches most of the day and while I have learnt not to itch it during the day I find I can't get control of myself at night, I do it in my sleep and not to mention how embarassing this is when I stay overnight somewhere. I haven't told my girlfriend yet about my problem and since we both still had twin beds from our college years I made up some story about "needing my space" so I could sleep in another room and minimize the chances of her catching me and thinking I'm disgusting. I have trouble sleeping and can easily wake up with the itching. I take 50 mg of benadryl each night to help try and stay asleep. Not to exaggerate too much, it isn't bad EVERY day but most days IT IS this bad. I have even stopped wearing my jeans during the day and that has helped a little bit especially since the winters are pleasant down here. But still after a bad nights itching it can feel like I am sitting on nettles I am having extreme itching and pain after a bowel movement. I have tried to alter my diet, more brown rice and oatmeal, yet not much help though I now have a regular schedule of Bowel Movements. I have also tried an extensive amount of Fiber products and an assortment of Stool Conditioners. I have tried Batch after Batch, No help whatsoever. For years I have used an arsenol of creams not excluding Anusol, Sarnol both the 2.5 & the 0.5 dose, the list goes on. Right now I am using Sarna to give temparary relief when the itching and pain are really bad. I am very hairy so this is not really helping either. I use cotton balls and a hair dryer after application, and most baths and showers. I thought at one time it to be a fungus but doctors have since told me that it was not a fungus. I am so tired. So now I am looking for any new advice that may help. Generally I lubricate with vaseline and use gentle cleaning techniques druing a flare, I heard that plain old witchhazel works for flares too. Could it be a fungus? Is this because of the chemically bleached Toilet Paper process that began in the early 1980's? Just to keep adding to the list I have tried Canesten HC, talc, bathing, showering, wet wipes instead of standard toilet roll, and doing nothing at all but I am making no progress.
...I'm just a little too embarrassed to go to a doctor and ask for help because I don't knoe how to explain what I have..or how I got it?
