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how do you know if you have a fistula??????

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Posted 9/8/2008 2:04 AM (GMT 0)
I am just wondering how do you know when you have a fistula??? Is it very obvious or painful???? 
Posted 9/8/2008 2:24 AM (GMT 0)
Good question. Unfortunately there is not a concrete answer. You usually learn you have a fistula b/c you find an opening somewhere on your skin (peri anal, peri vaginal, even tummy) that begins to drain or becomes an abcess. However, you could have one inside from an area of intestine to another OR--more seriously--from intestine to organ. These are usually diagnosed with some sort of xray or MRI, ect. Unfortunately, they don't always show up. Recto-vaginal fistulas make themselves known by discharge and/or gas from the vagina---then, unfortunately, one can have stool pass too.

Pain? Well, that's another question not so easy to answer. I believe that I had strange shooting pains in my lower abdomen when my fistulas were forming but there was no way to really prove this.

If you think you have a fistula, you should mention to your doc as this might change your treatment. GOOD LUCK.
Posted 9/8/2008 2:47 AM (GMT 0)
You could also google fistulas to find typicaly symptoms and more detailed info on them since everyone who has/had fistuals experiances likely differ in some ways from person to person, probably even from fistula to fistula.

I sure hope you don't have one.

:)
Posted 9/8/2008 2:05 PM (GMT 0)
my peri-anal fistula seemed like a very large pimple/cyst that wouldnt go away. Finally it "popped" and just continued to drain.
Posted 9/8/2008 6:45 PM (GMT 0)
Thanks you guys, it just gives me abit of insite on what to look out for.
Posted 9/8/2008 8:03 PM (GMT 0)
I actually have the same question kinda. Ive noticed since dropping down from the prednisone I have a weird discharge from inside my vaginal area, its like a redish yellow color, and has a sour smell (sorry if thats too much info lol) I dont have any pain from that area, I asked my GI about it and he said it might just be a side effect from tapering the prednisone, but I just find it really odd. Has anyone else had this happen?

Posted 9/8/2008 8:57 PM (GMT 0)
MAG--sounds like you should see your gyn. S/he can see if there's a fistula opening in the vagina. Unfortunately, I wasn't seeing a gyn at the time mine was forming and my GI thought the discharge wasn't a fistula either. Good luck. Hope it's NOT a fistula!!
Posted 9/8/2008 9:31 PM (GMT 0)
Yikes, MAG, I think you should go in and get that checked out.

I am wondering also can fistulas heal on there own????
Posted 9/8/2008 9:52 PM (GMT 0)
With meds they can heal...although some require a little help from surgery.
Posted 9/14/2008 8:47 PM (GMT 0)
Mine started as an abcess, which burst in about a week. Very painful. Then the small hole would never heal up, and would continue to drain. The hole wasn't exactly painful, but would burn sometimes.

I wasn't aware of having Crohn's at the time. So they did a fistulotomy to repair it. It took a year to heal up!
Posted 9/15/2008 1:44 AM (GMT 0)
This is a topic that set me off tonight. I was checking out another health info site and some info that was presented to doctors for diagnosis. Upon viewing the pictures, I realized that I had a condition referred to as HS which often appears in CD'ers and can be a pre-existing condition or marker of sorts of an impending exterior skin lesion or abcess. The picture showed what I would describe as a "boil like" area or nodule under the skin with a "pimple like" surface. I had noticed two of these on my body during my earlier treatments with remicade when I first was diagnosed. One was vaginal and the other one was on my shoulder where I had some compromised tissue from an injury. The remicade must have done it's job and cleared these up. I do remember they hung around for several months and nothing topical I applied made them go away. Heat compresses did help them drain. I was a little upset with my doctors upon this realization because my PCP, GI and GYN "ALL" knew about them and never said a word. I am not an unusually anxious person but I would have at least like the respect from my medical team to present possible occuring symptoms and effective treatment options. Isn't this WHAT WE PAY THEM FOR! I agree with PB4...google and learn all you can because YOU are your best advocate! Mag...please go get checked out by your GYN!
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