How old are you? You should have a colonscopy(sp?) done just too make sure you don't have other issues.

But eating more fiber, yogart and using Preparation H will relive hemorrhoids...if that is indeed your problem.

I'll admit that I got a bad case once.

My doctor said that part of it is genetic, that some people just have weak vascular plumbing. He also noted many of things that others have said.

But he also said that one of the biggest problems was when people read on the toilet. Sitting on the toilet will strain the hell out of those blood vessels no matter what, so finish that chapter after you finish your business. Sounds funny, but makes sense.

"You cant return a book after its been in a restroom,they can scan the book and detect it".

Sienfeld series:George Constanza

sorry for bringing up a month old thread, but i was wondering how much metamucil to take a day. i got the capsules...also, i read online that if you start taking metamucil, one of the initial symptoms is stomach aches - anyone experienced this? i def need to increase my fiber and i was thinking about becoming a vegetarian. any more tips?

I've never had a problem with stomach aches when taking fiber. I buy the generic orange flavored sugarless powder and take a couple tablespoons a day. Haven't had any hemorrhoid problems since and they used to be a substantial problem for me. Taking daily fiber was one of the best things I ever did.

Are you a male or female? Most males-but not all, do not do well with energy levels that are needed to ride a bike on a vegetarian diet even if you supplement with lots of bean protein, it's just not the same kind of protein that meat has. I, as well as other friends I've had, noticed an extreme energy fade when trying veg diets. I tried my veg diet for about 6 months and finally could no longer stand it and went back to meat with amazing energy regain. One friend tried his for 9 months that was sponsored by the 7th Day Adventist hospital in Glendale California that kept close watch over his diet; mine as well as another friend were diets programmed by health food stores and books. None of us could stay on the diet and expect to ride day long rides in mountains of California, and even shorter 4 hour rides into mountains became a real headache. Though there has been a couple males on this forum that are on veg diets and have experienced no issues, so you may have to try it to see if it works for you.

If your a female, most females don't have an issue with veg diets. I knew female riders that were meat eaters that switched to veg diets and noticed no loss in energy-but noticed no gains either.

Usually all you have to do is increase you daily veg more and not eat cooked veg's as cooking breaks down most of the fiber not to mentioned depletes most of the vitamin and mineral content.

I would also suggest reducing or eliminating (pun not intended) alcohol and coffee.

These things are difficult to keep under control. For me, I have around one outbreak a year and it has been difficult to isolate a trigger.

Since my recent episode, I've started taking 1500mg (3 tablets) of Citrucel every day; one tablet AM, mid-day, and PM. Religiously.

Further, I will never use dry TP again. Religiously.

Further, I have improved my diet even more and it was pretty good before.

I want to state, for the record, that I have never used performance enhancing drugs or substances............................................................except large quantities of caffeine.
But what does that have to do with 'roids?

But does Crank affect the nether regions of the gastrointestinal tract? What about Crack?

what do you use instead?

I either wet the TP with water/witch hazel for home use or hemorrhoidal pads if I am on the go.

So, apologies if you think I'm being a pain in the ass posting to a 1 year old topic, but I just stumbled upon this when trying to research if there was any relation between biking and roids, as I'm having a hard time believing my doctor who says, "No Way". I have not had any other the other "Normal Causes" circumstances, so I'm looking for the reason why some higher being just decided to F#$! me where the sun don't shine. :eek:
I commute about 8 miles daily, and take my bike out regularly for leisure as well, so probably put a few thousand miles on my bike a year. I have one of the rugged, kevlar seats on there now. Everyone else that tries my bike cant understand how I ride with a chunk of steel between my buns. I just like the ruggedness of the seat as it takes a few hits now and then downhill freestyle, and it stays out in the elements sometimes. It withstands everything!

I feel horrible that many of you have had years of troubles, where I've just begun, but I got royally screwed with a like level 4 external thrombotic all in one night, so WTF. I think I would remember if I had attempted to launch an A-bomb out the day before. So I learned a lot about these little slugs in a few short weeks. On the ole Metamucil, boy do those babys fall out now. So from the readings I'm off to a good start on the fiber, but why I went from 0 to 4 I can't understand, as I never had any issues before that I was aware of. Maybe that little itch WAS telling me something. :D

What I'm wondering is, How long do you all usually have the outbreak/symptoms? I know you all probably don't have them externally, so you might think they're gone when they're really just schlepping around waiting for a rainy day. But just on average how long do you believe they last?
I'm on month 3, but I'm seeing the light at the end of the tunnel, as the light can make it's way around again. Is this normal behavior by consensus/experience?

LOL! TMI, but amusingly told!

It took me 1-2 months for it to completely go away. The pain decreased to a manageable level in the first week or two. My one piece of advice is to make sure you determine what caused it and rectify it.
In a case of supreme stupidity I drastically increased my fiber intake. That is fine in and of its self if you are hydrated. I was not. Thus, things ripped 6 months later forming a fissure that has provided pain the likes of I have never encountered in my life. My specialist has me on the path to healing but fissures take months to heal.
You do not want a fissure. It makes a hemorrhoid look like a walk in the park in comparison.
Now I eat plenty of fruits and veggies, drink plenty of water, and have basically given up many items that cause constipation including but not limited to meat. However, I also have a long history of stomach issues.

I repeat, take a big ole dose of powdered fiber every day. Then it doesn't matter if you are hydrated or what your diet is on any given day or any of that. You will have a clean purge every morning right on schedule and you will never again have to deal with the issue. Once I discovered that, and I don't know why it took so long, my life literally changed.

This isn't directed at the previous posts, just a comment in general.:)

Is it the burning or the itching that causes you the most grief?

or maybe the bleeding. :eek:

Well, I'm out of the woods now. Was mostly a pain sitting anywhere, and I didn't commute on my bike for almost a month till I was fairly comfortable. Getting up, coughing, laughing, crying. Season premier sitcoms were out of the picture for fear of laughing. :lol: You never know how much your ass is connected to everything else you do in life till you're handed one of these puppies.

I was just looking for a census of how long they last in general. When I first went in to the doc, he just gave my hydrocortisone, and said "sitz baths" and it should go away in a week or so. Well, two months later I started becoming more concerned. This is why I was looking for a more realistic survey.

Not if you have anything other than some very mild symptoms, that crap is useless for real rhoids!

Sorry but that is incorrect. If you are dehydrated fiber does nothing.
Fiber makes things move by absorbing water into your stool. Some say that it makes things harder without water. In fact quite a few resources state that when you increase your fiber intake to also increase your water intake. I have confirmed this with a rectal specialist and my own general practitioner.
I also have quite a few issues with my stomach and gi tract so I may be a wee bit more sensitive.

All I know is I sure don't go out of my way to make sure I'm hydrated. I drink very little water each day and I start my day with strong coffee which should dehydrate me. Otherwise I maybe get 8-16 oz of juice and some milk in the evening. So, sorry, I stand by my original statement. That's what works for me. YMMV. ;)

I do get 8 oz of water with the fiber though.

I am dealing with this issue now, and have talked to my sister-in-law who is a doctor, and she immediately said that cycling can create the problem.
I just got a road bike 2 weeks ago, and have increased my riding quite a bit, not to mention having my "back-side" on a harder seat than I am used to.
I am going to treat my "friend" before riding a lot, but for those saying or hearing that riding cannot be a cause, that is not correct.
The force of pushing during a ride, and with your pressure all centered on your tail, can definitely cause or activate a hemroid.

My next challenge is to try to find a better saddle. Anyone have any recommendations for a male saddle that distributes the pressure more???

Ummm,,,,,,,,,a WTB Rocket V Race............Or,maybe try a recumbent bicycle?

OK, this thread can go back to sleep....................................................

I still say get enough fiber and it will absolutely not matter what kind of seat you ride on because they will never be an issue. Now if you already have them can the style of saddle effect them? Perhaps but lack of fiber will be the root cause, not the seat.