Anal Boils???

I'd guess and willing to bet on a fistula trying to burst thru to the outer world. Sorry. I wish I had a more optimistic outlook on that round, red, raised, lump. (((hugs))), Christine. If your doc doesn't call you back by the end of business hours, call him on his afterhours number. You want an appointment yesterday for him to take a look at it - and DO something!

Hello Nikki,

Do you have a fever? If you do, then it is probably infected. Go to the ER if you can't get in with your Dr. today. The ER may say it can wait, and then you will know it isn't urgent. But you don't want to take a chance by waiting too long -- it could go septic. I've had two abscesses and one was on the verge of sepsis. Not fun at all.

I'm hoping it is just a pimple or infected hair folicle and not an abscess/fistula!!

I hate it to! I'm very glad your Dr is so responsive! For tonight, try a nice warm, relaxing sitz bath. Take tylenol or something before you go to the Dr. because he/she will propably push on it during the exam. It probably won't be painful at all. Most of all, try to remember that it is far better to take care of whatever it is now than let it get out of control! Your healing time will be much shorter! Please let us know how it goes!!

sounds like a perianal abscess to me. i suffer from these. go to your GI or a colorectal surgeon to lance it (aka pop it). it sucks, but is quick and you'll feel tons better immediately. granted a bit bloody though. i recommend using those femine pads for the other end (finally found a good use for them). you'll need some antibiotics for a few days as you've got an open wound in an area highly populated by bacteria.

the ones i have never fully healed. they come and go. summer/hot weather seems to exacerbate them. it sucks. gets to where i cant walk or sit some times.

instead of preparation H (it is useless for this) get a prescription strength hydrocortisone cream, like proctocream. ask your doc for this. another good one is calmoseptine ointment. you can get this over the internet w/o a prescription at www.calmoseptineointment.com

hot bath/spa helps a lot but the key is to pop it and relieve the pressure.

Let us know what your doc says! I hope it goes well.

I <3 calmoseptine!  Ask about it at your pharmacy.  Most places don't stock it, but they can get it in a day or two by request.

I get these all the time - even in my vaginal area. Mine are not fistulas, but instead just Crohns manifestations in that area. I've had several docs look at it and none wanted to lance it but let it drain on it's own.

*shrug*

they are VERY painful and uncomfortable.

i am an er practitioner and see things like this every day. don't put anything on it until your dr sees it- ointments may seal in the bacteria. use sitz baths or warm packs as many times as you can prior to your visit to the dr, and keep it clean and dry. take your temperature, and if you start running a fever, if it gets more painful, or you start feeling as though you have the flu, you should go into the er. make sure that you are scrupulously washing your hands. not medical advice, just advice. best of luck

Sarita, I doubt very much it is a Bartholin gland abscess. Wrong area. The Bartholin glands are located inside the labia and would normally protrude into the vaginal area not near the rectum.

Nah, not Bartholin. My PCP thought one was once but when sent to an OBGYN to have it drained, she said it wasn't and wouldn't touch it. They are not internal, if you know what I mean...

I've had 4 GI's take a look at them during my stint with this LOVELY disease and they all said that Crohn's can sometimes manifest itself in boils on the skin. Sometimes they are red painful bumps, sometimes red bumps with hard lumps underneath (like a mass), and sometimes the red painful bump grows into a boil and drains before clearing up. They could all be lying but none of them have wanted to mess with them.

When I get one, I know I'm getting ready to flare and I call the GI about an extra Humira shot. They clear up a few days after that.

*shrug*

Christine,
I am not sure just what u may call that bump u were referring to.
However, 1 year ago;I had what sounds like exactly the same problem.

It was red and very sensitive.It was like a thumb sized knot under the skin and was red.
I had to have it cut open and mashed out.This hurt like hell. I went through the same lancing and mashing on this same spot 3 times and it was a very bad experience;as every time i went to the ER they stuck needles in it to numb it b4 they started mashing it out.Smelled so bad it stunk the whole room up-i am not lying.
Seems like about every 1 or 2 weeks it came back.

Finally- do to inability of ER nurses etc.. to solve this problem I fixed it myself.

How I solved this particular bump problem...

I cut it open with a razor blade;mashed it ALL out and then mashed some more. Then used a syringe and flushed it out real good with hydrogen peroxide and alchohol 50/50. I was sure to stick the end of the syring well inside the cut b4 i started flushing it out.

After this it went away.

Near the rectum to do this u will have to be truly tired of them sticking needles in such a sore spot on ur bottom.Mine was within 1/2 inch of my rectum.

Like i said they stuck me and cut it open 4 times....finally i had to cure it myself.

With any luck-perhaps they fixed it 4 u the first time...

TRULY :) GOOD LUCK

G.

p.s. by the way, i still have a thumb size knot there-i believe it to b scar tissue do to them cutting it so many times in the same exact cut.

I'm hoping so anyway.

I hope this helps :)

Sounds like an abscess. I have unfortunately had a few of these. I used to sit in the warm tub or put a handtowel and soak it with warm water and place on the abscess. I have never had abcesses that burst on their own or drained on their own they just grew and grew until it was too much for me to handle. So the sooner you go to the doctor the better. Hope it's not an abscess, but if it is at least you saw it early before it became extremely painful. Hope your doctor's visit goes well and the doctor can help you.