Hello again from the Compound Lab!
One of the sad realities of healthcare is that ailments don’t care about your dignity. If you tell your coworkers you have the flu, they’ll likely be sympathetic. On the other hand, if you tell them you have hemorrhoids, you may get some odd looks (depending on your coworkers’ sensibilities).
But just like the flu, hemorrhoids and other rectal conditions—like anal fissures—are a fact of life, and they are just as deserving of high-quality treatment. There are some OTC treatments available for rectal conditions, but they may not always be the most effective options for you. Especially for more resistant or severe cases, your doctor may decide that prescription-strength medicine is what you need.
Unfortunately, most medicines your doctor may want to use aren’t available as a regular prescription and need to be compounded. The most common treatments we see are blood vessel dilators such as diltiazem, nifedipine, or nitroglycerin (to promote healing), numbing agents like lidocaine or prilocaine, and steroids like hydrocortisone (to reduce inflammation).
These medicines can be made into creams, suppositories, or a unique dosage form called a rectal rocket (I’ll talk more about rectal rockets next week). Whichever option your doctor prescribes, we’d love to help get you some shame-free relief!
As always, we're available in the lab Monday through Friday, 9am to 5pm. Or you can email me anytime at brandon.ladage@belewdrugs.com. We’d love to hear from you!
Until next time,
Brandon
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