Hello, djverse81, Thank you for contacting HCM with your quiery. You have had hemorrhoids before and sounds like they were treated with medications, creams, oitments etc along with stool softener and a high fiber diet recommendation. That probably was External in nature. It is possible to get recurrent hemorrhoids especially if you have chronic constipation and have to strain to have a bowel movement. You mention that you don t feel any lumps outside but experience pain on one side. I am glad that you don t see any blood. If the pain is more of a burning type and intense, it is more likely to be a Fissure or a small tear on one side of the anal opening. This happens when the stool is really hard and during straining , the lining will develop a small tear and this could give you the type of symptoms you are experiencing. Make sure that you are getting enough fiber in your diet and you are also drinking plenty of fluids. Start taking one or two stoll softeners a day. If the stool is still hard , you can use a PEG solution (Polyethylene Glycol) which you can get over the counter and follow the instructions on the package. That usually works well. You can adjust the dosage if you start having watery stools. There are hydrocortisone creams (5-10%) mixed with local anesthetic agent and applying three or four ttimes a day will help heal it. If you continue to have pain or develop any bleeding , you should contact a colo-rectal specialist (Proctologist) who can help you after a thorough exam. I wish you well.