I really contemplated writing this post because no one really wants to talk about personal health issues like hemorrhoids. Simply the name itself is off-putting.

The more and more I thought about it though, I felt like it was my duty to write about my experience because of how unbelievably miserable I was for a week and how amazingly better I felt after trying out two natural remedies. I know I’m not the only one to combat this. If I can help alleviate the unnecessary pain from someone, then it’s worth it.

So here I am — talking to you about butts, hemorrhoids, and the two things I used to cure one of the most painful hemorrhoids I’ve ever had.

But first, I need to share a bit of my background with this whole “issue.”

When I gave birth to Andrew four and a half years ago, I experienced “worse than normal” hemorrhoids. I truly believe a large part of that happening was due to the fact I had an epidural and literally couldn’t feel how I was pushing. Healing from those hemorrhoids was pure misery. From that point forward, I had random “butt issues” that you can read about in this post — from fissures to removing a painful hemorrhoid via rubber band ligation. And trust me, you NEVER want to go through the rubber band treatment because it is literally one of THE worst pains you’ll ever feel in your life. I vividly remember driving down the freeway after my appointment in California profusely sweating with Andrew in the backseat because of how much pain I was in.

Once I got my diet in order, eliminated most dairy for a while (due to bouts of diarrhea, unexplained chest pains, and constipation), and invested in a squatty potty, the times I experienced a hemorrhoid flare up became very rare.

That is, until three weeks ago.

No Bowel Movement for 4 Days + Straining = Recipe for Disaster

Three weeks ago we decided to take our last “family of three hoo-rah” to Disney World for four days. Even though I drank unthinkable amounts of water because of how miserably hot it was (don’t ever do Disney in the summer months in FL, FYI), I never once had a bowel movement those four days. I think it’s important to note during those four days I was not eating what I normally would if we were at home. Towards the end of the fourth day (Sunday), I felt so bloated and uncomfortable that I sat on the toilet and sorta “forced” myself to go. That was a terrible mistake. If you’re someone who suffers from hemorrhoids regularly or have suffered from them in the past, you know that the worst thing you could possibly do is to strain, force, or push a bowel to come through.

The next day (Monday) I had some stomach cramps and experienced looser stools because my body was literally trying to push out all the crap I ate. Loose stools can irritate your rectum which may cause a hemorrhoid to flare up. Sure enough on Tuesday, I had a hemorrhoid.

I didn’t treat it because I usually don’t have to but by the next few days, the discomfort started to increase and by Friday, the hemorrhoid became painful and large. I tried suppositories, over-the-counter ointment, witch hazel, and natural bottom balm but nothing was working. The pain went from me being able to walk around (uncomfortably) to me laying in bed as much as I could. I honestly couldn’t bare getting up for fear of the sharp stabbing pain.

My Breaking Point and the Light

One week later and I was still uncomfortably hurting. I hit my breaking point. I cried and cried, and cried some more. I was tired of the pain, I was tired of being bed-ridden, I was tired of my hips hurting, and I had a long list of things that I needed to get done to prepare for the arrival of this baby in 6 or so weeks.

As I was crying, searching the web for ANYTHING that could help me, I came across this glorious thread. Countless numbers of people going through what I was and finally finding relief through the application of… are you ready for it?… Apple cider vinegar!

Yes, apple cider vinegar. And no, there is nothing that apple cider vinegar can’t cure.

Multiple comments about how the pain was reduced drastically after the first application and almost all gone by the second and third. For the first time in one long week, I felt like I had found hope and relief was soon to come. Some people reported a burning sensation but to just push through it because the burning would eventually subside and comfort would follow. Some people said they would take a sitz bath with diluted ACV and some said they would soak a cotton ball in ACV and apply directly to the skin.

After the article on ACV, I also came across this article about using essential oils to help heal hemorrhoids. At the end of the article, the author mentions something about a homeopathic oil specifically made for treatment of hemorrhoids — whether they are thrombose, internal, or external. I read the reviews on Amazon and it seemed like a majority of people felt relief from it and that was good enough for me — I ordered it immediately.

That was one of those times I was incredibly grateful for Amazon’s Prime subscription because it would only take two days to receive the oil.

How I Cured the Painful Hemorrhoid With ACV and Homeopathy

While I was waiting for the oil to arrive, I started with a sitz bath that had 2/3 cup epsom salts, 1 cup of raw apple cider vinegar, 15 drops of geranium oil, 15 drops of lavender oil, and 15 drops of chamomile oil. As I was sitting in the sitz bath on the toilet, I felt a little bit of relief. Unfortunately, once I got off the sitz bath, I felt like the hemorrhoid had protruded even more because of how long I was sitting.

That’s the only thing I don’t understand about sitz baths — I feel like they are contradictory to everything you read about reducing the chances of hemorrhoids since sitting on the toilet for long periods of time is known to cause a hemorrhoid to pop through. After using the toilet seat sitz bath twice, I decided to just sit in my bath tub with the same ingredients and felt much better after getting out. I did this once a night for the next four days.

90 minutes after the sitz bath, I soaked a cotton ball with ACV and applied it directly to the hemorrhoid. When purchasing ACV, please choose the kind that is raw with the mother in it. People were right when they said it would burn but within a few minutes, the pain went away. I let the cotton ball sit there for about 5 minutes for the first time and gradually increased each amount of time but not ever exceeding 15 minutes. Although it was a little sore after the direct application of ACV, the next day I noticed a significant difference.

Relief, finally.

Once I received my homeopathic oil, I applied the oil as stated on the bottle — three daily applications with two drops. In between the homeopathic hemorrhoid oil, I applied the ACV on a cotton ball. After the second day of doing this, I stopped the ACV and continued on with the homeopathic oil. Since ACV is acidic, I didn’t want to overdo my application. I also feel it had served it’s purpose of taking the “edge” off and was no longer needed in the healing process.

Within three days of using the homeopathic oil, my pain level went from a nine to a two. After the third day, the hemorrhoid began to noticeably shrink with each consecutive day.

I’m currently on my seventh day since starting the natural remedies and I imagine I only have one more day until the hemorrhoid is gone completely.

How to Prevent That From Happening Ever Again

Aside from not eating “normal” food during our Disney trip, one thing that I stopped taking during those four days was my magnesium powder. Although there are many reasons why I take magnesium daily, one HUGE benefit I have noticed is that it keeps my bowel movements regular. I will NEVER go on vacation again without taking my magnesium powder — ever.

And although this was such a miserable experience, I’m thankful I now have natural remedies up my sleeve that work — especially with our second baby’s arrival in November. I’m also thankful that I’m able to share this with you so you don’t have to go through as much pain as I did.