Hemorrhoids
27 guides tagged Hemorrhoids
Explainer
What Is a Suppository? Types, Uses and How They Work
A suppository is a solid dose of medicine, or on the vaginal shelf a moisturizer or supplement, shaped to be inserted into the rectum or vagina rather than swallowed. It melts or dissolves where it is placed. This is the plain-English foundation: the rectal and vaginal types, what each Drug Facts label states about use and timing, how a suppository works once it is in, and the stop lines every label shares.
Read the guide →~9 min read
Explainer
What Are Suppositories Made Of? Cocoa Butter, Glycerin and PEG Bases Explained
A suppository is an active ingredient carried in a base, and there are four bases on the OTC shelf. Cocoa butter melts at about body temperature and is the labeled protectant in Preparation H. Hard fat, hydrogenated vegetable oil, is the base in Dulcolax, FeverAll and Monistat ovules. Glycerin with sodium stearate is the whole of a Fleet glycerin suppository, which dissolves rather than melts. Polyethylene glycol dissolves too and tolerates heat best. And boric acid is a powder in a gelatin capsule. The base decides how a suppository melts, stores, leaks and whether it can be cut.
Read the guide →~9 min read
Comparison
Tucks vs Preparation H Wipes: Pad or Wipe, and the Moment Each One Is For
Same active, same Drug Facts label, two formats. Tucks Medicated Cooling Pads, 100 count, at $7.68 are small witch hazel cotton pads for pressing against the skin or leaving in place, about 8 cents each. Preparation H Hemorrhoid Wipes with Witch Hazel, 48 count, at $6.34 are full-size cleansing wipes, about 13 cents each. Cleanse with the wipe, soothe with the pad; most people with a hemorrhoid end up with both. Prices verified via the Amazon Creators API on September 5, 2026.
Read the guide →~10 min read
Review
Tucks Pads Review: The Witch Hazel Pad, and Whether the Kit or the Wipes Beat It
Buy the 100 count jar at $7.68, about 8 cents a pad. Witch hazel is the labeled astringent, the pad is for external use only, and the label allows up to 6 uses a day or one after each bowel movement, with children under 12 sent to a doctor. The Multi-Care kit adds a half-ounce cream for $9.66; Preparation H wipes and DUDE wipes are the flushable benchmarks at about 13 to 14 cents each. Prices verified via the Amazon Creators API on September 5, 2026.
Read the guide →~9 min read
Comparison
Suppository vs Cream for Hemorrhoids: Which Preparation H Format to Use, and When
Location decides. A suppository melts inside the lower rectum, so it is the format for internal hemorrhoids and symptoms a cream cannot reach; a cream goes on the outside, so it is the format for external itching, burning and swelling. Preparation H sells both with the same phenylephrine label: Hemorrhoid Suppositories, 12 count, pack of 2, at $17.96, about 75 cents each, and Hemorrhoid Symptom Treatment Cream, 2 oz, at $12.48, about $6.24 an ounce. Many people need both. Prices verified via the Amazon Creators API on September 5, 2026.
Read the guide →~11 min read
Explainer
Suppository Melted? What to Do, and When It Is Still Usable
Put it in the refrigerator, still in its wrapper, for 15 to 30 minutes, or hold it under cold running water until firm. Glycerin labels and pharmacists both direct exactly that for a softened suppository. A suppository that re-hardens in its sealed wrapper in roughly its original shape is fine to use; one that has leaked out of the wrapper, re-hardened flat or in pieces, or split into layers has lost part of its dose and should be replaced. This page goes through the recovery step by step and the judgment call by base.
Read the guide →~8 min read
Review
Proktis-M Review: The Hyaluronic Acid Rectal Suppository, Without the Claims
Proktis-M is a non-steroidal rectal suppository with hyaluronic acid, sold at $29.99, and it is not an OTC drug: there is no Drug Facts panel, no named active with a labeled purpose, and no use we can quote. The listing describes it in the maker's words as for healing of the anus and rectum; we describe it as a lubricating, moisturizing suppository and stop there. The count is not published on the listing. Preparation H at about 75 cents, Calmol 4 at about $1.01 and Anusol at about $1.08 are the OTC benchmarks. Prices verified via the Amazon Creators API on September 5, 2026.
Read the guide →~9 min read
Comparison
Preparation H vs Calmol 4: Vasoconstrictor or Protectant Only?
One difference decides this. Preparation H suppositories combine cocoa butter with phenylephrine HCl, a vasoconstrictor, and its Drug Facts panel carries an ask-a-doctor list that comes with it. Calmol 4 is cocoa butter and zinc oxide, both protectants, with no vasoconstrictor at all. Preparation H is 24 for $17.96, about 75 cents each; Calmol 4 is 24 for $24.12, about $1.01 each. Prices verified via the Amazon Creators API on September 5, 2026.
Read the guide →~9 min read
Comparison
Preparation H vs Anusol Suppositories: Printed Panel Against Pharmacy Name
Preparation H for the printed panel and the lower price, Anusol for the protectant-style name, Calmol 4 if you want both a protectant-only formula and actives you can read before you order. Preparation H Suppositories, 12 count pack of 2, at $17.96 is about 75 cents each with cocoa butter and phenylephrine on the Drug Facts panel; Anusol Suppositories, 12, at $12.90 is about $1.08 each with actives the listing does not publish. Prices verified via the Amazon Creators API on September 5, 2026.
Read the guide →~9 min read
Review
Preparation H Suppositories Review: The Phenylephrine Suppository, Box by Box
Buy the 12 count pack of 2 at $17.96, about 75 cents a suppository. The Drug Facts panel lists cocoa butter as a protectant and phenylephrine HCl as a vasoconstrictor, directs up to 4 per day, and sends anyone under 12, anyone pregnant, and anyone with heart disease, high blood pressure, thyroid disease, diabetes or trouble urinating to a doctor first. The 48 count costs the same per unit; the ointment and wipes are the external companions. Prices verified via the Amazon Creators API on September 5, 2026.
Read the guide →~11 min read
Review
NeilMed Suppositories Review: Glycerin, Bisacodyl and Hemorrhoidal, Individually Wrapped
Buy the NeilMed Glycerin Laxative Suppositories, 30 count, at $9.19 if you need glycerin suppositories that are individually wrapped. That wrapper is the reason the line exists: Fleet's jar is loose and about 9 cents a dose, NeilMed's box is sealed unit by unit and about 31 cents. The bisacodyl and hemorrhoidal listings do not state a count in their titles, so we review them on the label rather than the price per dose. Prices verified via the Amazon Creators API on September 5, 2026.
Read the guide →~10 min read
Explainer
How to Use a Rectal Suppository: Laxative, Hemorrhoidal and Fever Types
A rectal suppository is inserted pointed end first about an inch past the muscle at the opening, with you lying on your side, and you stay down for about 15 minutes. What happens after that depends on the product: a glycerin or bisacodyl laxative is labeled for a bowel movement in 15 minutes to 1 hour, a hemorrhoidal suppository simply coats the tissue, and an acetaminophen suppository is absorbed for fever. This guide covers each type, plus the pre-filled liquid glycerin applicator, exactly as the labels direct.
Read the guide →~9 min read
Explainer
How to Store Suppositories: Room Temperature or Refrigerator, by Type
Store suppositories cool, dry and sealed. Most labels direct controlled room temperature, roughly 68 to 77 degrees Fahrenheit, and several add that the product may be refrigerated or should be chilled if it has softened. Cocoa butter and hard-fat suppositories are the ones that belong in the refrigerator in a warm house; glycerin suppositories keep at room temperature in a sealed jar or wrapper; boric acid and other capsules want a dry cabinet. The table below gives the storage line for each type, and the bathroom is the wrong room for all of them.
Read the guide →~8 min read
Explainer
How Long Does a Suppository Take to Work? Every Type, by the Label
A glycerin or bisacodyl laxative suppository is labeled for a bowel movement in 15 minutes to 1 hour. A saline enema is labeled for 1 to 5 minutes. A hemorrhoidal suppository has no time window, because it relieves symptoms rather than producing an event, and its label caps use at 7 days. An acetaminophen suppository is dosed by interval on the box, and a vaginal antifungal runs 1, 3 or 7 nights with a 3-day improvement check. Boric acid makes no time claim and treats nothing. The table below puts every type side by side.
Read the guide →~9 min read
Review
Doctor Butler's Review: The Lidocaine and Phenylephrine Ointment, and the Rest of the Line
Buy the Hemorrhoid and Fissure Ointment at $19.99. The listing title states lidocaine and phenylephrine HCl, which puts it on the shelf with Preparation H's lidocaine cream at $26.58 and Curist's 6 oz tube at $24.00. The Advanced ointment, the witch hazel spray, and the 12 to-go packets round out a line that is external-only and carries the full phenylephrine ask-a-doctor list. Tube sizes and percentages are not published on the listings. Prices verified via the Amazon Creators API on September 5, 2026.
Read the guide →~11 min read
Review
Calmoseptine Review: The Barrier Ointment People Use Around Hemorrhoids, and What Its Label Actually Says
Buy the 4 oz tube at $10.99, about $2.75 an ounce, unless you want a jar. Calmoseptine is a skin protectant with a Drug Facts panel listing menthol and zinc oxide; its labeled uses are skin irritations, diaper rash, heat rash, insect bites and a moisture barrier, per the listing and the label. Hemorrhoids are not on that list, and this page says so plainly. The 2-pack and 4-pack bring the price to about $2.20 and $2.06 an ounce. Prices verified via the Amazon Creators API on September 5, 2026.
Read the guide →~10 min read
Review
Calmol 4 Review: The Protectant-Only Hemorrhoid Suppository Without Phenylephrine
Buy the 24 count at $24.12, about $1.01 a suppository. The Drug Facts panel lists cocoa butter and zinc oxide, both protectants, no vasoconstrictor, and allows up to 6 per day for adults. That makes Calmol 4 the suppository for anyone the phenylephrine list on Preparation H sends to a doctor. The 3-pack is a cent or two cheaper per unit; the cocoa butter titled listing is the same product at a higher price. Prices verified via the Amazon Creators API on September 5, 2026.
Read the guide →~10 min read
Review
Boiron HemCalm Review: A Homeopathic Ointment and Tablet, Explained Without the Marketing
HemCalm is homeopathic, and this page says so in the first sentence: its claims are based on traditional homeopathic practice, not accepted medical evidence, and are not FDA evaluated. The 1 oz ointment at $7.41 is the one to buy if you want it, and it sits beside a Preparation H ointment at $6.98 and an Amazon Basic Care ointment at $5.21 that carry Drug Facts panels with named OTC actives. The 60 count tablets are about 18 cents each. Prices verified via the Amazon Creators API on September 5, 2026.
Read the guide →~10 min read
Buyer's Guide
Which Witch Hazel Pads Should You Buy? Tucks, Preparation H, Birchwood A-E-R and Major Medi-Pads (2026)
Buy Tucks Medicated Cooling Pads, 100 count, at $7.68. It is the witch hazel pad every other pad is compared against, the Drug Facts label covers external itching, burning and irritation, and 100 for $7.68 is about 8 cents a pad, the cheapest per use on the shelf. Below it: the Tucks kit with cream, Preparation H's wipe, Birchwood's A-E-R pads titled for postpartum, the Major Medi-Pads jar with aloe, and DUDE's big box. Prices verified via the Amazon Creators API on September 5, 2026.
Read the guide →~12 min read
Buyer's Guide
Best Sitz Bath Salts (2026): Lansinoh, and What to Pair With the Soak
Buy Lansinoh Sitz Bath Salts for Postpartum Care, 10 oz, at $14.15. It is the only credible sitz salt on the shelf, about $1.42 an ounce, and it is a soak rather than a medicine. A sitz bath is half a routine; the other half is what goes on afterward, and the rest of this page is that: Tucks and Birchwood A-E-R pads, Doctor Butler's postpartum spray and wipes, and Balneol for cleansing. Prices verified via the Amazon Creators API on September 5, 2026.
Read the guide →~12 min read
Buyer's Guide
Best Lidocaine Hemorrhoid Creams (2026): Preparation H, Doctor Butler's and Curist Compared
Buy Preparation H Hemorrhoid Symptom Treatment Cream with Lidocaine, 1 oz, at $26.58 if you want the name brand in a small tube; buy Curist Fissure Hemorrhoid Cream, 5% lidocaine and phenylephrine, 6 oz, at $24.00 if you want the same class of product at about $4.00 an ounce. Lidocaine is the OTC active a label may describe as relieving hemorrhoid pain, and this page ranks every credible tube, ointment, packet and wipe that carries it. Prices verified via the Amazon Creators API on September 5, 2026.
Read the guide →~13 min read
Buyer's Guide
Hemorrhoid Wipes, Ranked (2026): Preparation H, DUDE Wipes, Tucks and Doctor Butler's
Buy Preparation H Hemorrhoid Wipes with Witch Hazel, 48 count, at $6.34. It is the reference medicated wipe, witch hazel is the labeled active, and 48 for $6.34 is about 13 cents a wipe. Below it: the 96 count, DUDE Wipes at 144 for about 14 cents, Tucks pads at 8 cents, the Totables travel pack, Doctor Butler's organic witch hazel wipes, and the Rapid Relief lidocaine wipe for pain. Prices verified via the Amazon Creators API on September 5, 2026.
Read the guide →~13 min read
Buyer's Guide
Hemorrhoid Relief in Pregnancy and Postpartum (2026): Tucks, Sitz Salts, Perineal Spray and the Barrier
Ask a doctor first: that line is on every OTC hemorrhoid label, and this page repeats it before it ranks anything. With that said, Tucks Medicated Cooling Pads, 100 count, at $7.68 is the product hospitals send new mothers home with, at about 8 cents a pad. Around it: Birchwood A-E-R pads titled for postpartum, Lansinoh Sitz Bath Salts, Doctor Butler's Pregnancy & Postpartum spray, Preparation H flushable wipes, Calmoseptine for raw skin, and Balneol for cleansing. Prices verified via the Amazon Creators API on September 5, 2026.
Read the guide →~14 min read
Buyer's Guide
Best Hemorrhoid Suppositories (2026): Preparation H, Anusol, Calmol 4 and NeilMed Ranked
Buy Preparation H Hemorrhoid Suppositories, 12 count, pack of 2, at $17.96. It is the reference internal hemorrhoid suppository, its Drug Facts label lists a vasoconstrictor and a protectant, and the two-pack works out to about 75 cents per suppository. Below it: Anusol, Calmol 4 with cocoa butter and zinc oxide, NeilMed, and the hyaluronic acid and witch hazel alternatives for people who want something other than the standard formula. Prices verified via the Amazon Creators API on September 5, 2026.
Read the guide →~14 min read
Buyer's Guide
The Best Hemorrhoid Creams and Ointments (2026): Preparation H, Doctor Butler's, Curist, Boiron
Buy Preparation H Hemorrhoid Symptom Treatment Cream, 2 oz, at $12.48. It is the reference external cream, its Drug Facts panel pairs phenylephrine with protectants, and the 2 oz tube is about $6.24 an ounce against $8.64 for the 0.9 oz. Below it: the petrolatum ointment, the lidocaine creams from Preparation H, Doctor Butler's and Curist, the store-brand ointment, the homeopathic Boiron, and Calmoseptine for the skin around the problem. Prices verified via the Amazon Creators API on September 5, 2026.
Read the guide →~14 min read
Buyer's Guide
Anal Fissure Treatments You Can Buy OTC (2026): Doctor Butler's, Curist, PROKTIS-M and the Cleansers
Buy Doctor Butler's Hemorrhoid & Fissure Ointment at $19.99 for the pain, Balneol Cleansing Lotion at $15.98 so wiping stops reopening it, and a warm sitz bath for the rest. That is the over-the-counter fissure routine, and this page is honest about its limits: no OTC product is labeled to heal a fissure, the word fissure appears on listing titles rather than Drug Facts panels, and a fissure that bleeds or lasts more than a week is a doctor's business per every label here. Prices verified via the Amazon Creators API on September 5, 2026.
Read the guide →~14 min read
Review
Anusol Suppositories Review: The Other Pharmacy Name, and What the Listing Does Not Tell You
Buy the 12 per pack listing at $12.90, about $1.08 a suppository, and read the Drug Facts panel on the box before the first one, because the listing does not publish the actives and Anusol has sold more than one formula. The alternate 12 count listing is $24.82 for the same count and should be skipped. Preparation H at about 75 cents and Calmol 4 at about $1.01 are the benchmarks. Prices verified via the Amazon Creators API on September 5, 2026.
Read the guide →~9 min read