Fistula or what?

Hello! Brand new here and hoping for some helpful insight!

I had a perianal abscess about 2 years ago that ruptured and drained on its own. I went to hospital but they just gave me antibiotics, said it was draining on the outside, and sent me home. I've noticed off and on over the past 2 years that it sometimes feels like it's coming back but it never gets as large as it did that time. Now, I have the symptoms again and I suspect maybe it's a fistula but I find it generally useless to go to the hospital so I have nowhere else to turn for more info about this.

Here's the deal: It's painful to sit. Feels like my perianal region is bruised and I'm constantly pressing against it. It hurts slightly less if I lay down but i do still feel a pressure near the anus. It seems that something happened yesterday and I "leaked" a noticeable amount of yellowish liquid and some blood from the vaginal area. Now, today I got my period, right on schedule. It hurts a lot to put in a tampon. I do NOT have a fever.

It was like this about a month ago, I went for a colonoscopy (for other reasons) and GI didn't see anything concerning except that he said I looked very sore. Shouldn't he have seen something if I'm feeling like this?!

I've been having hot baths with epsom salt which feels good while I'm in it. I've also tried an ice pack which also feels good while I'm using it. Neither have any long term affects. I tried hemorrhoid treatments at one point but they didn't help (and now I realize that's not what this is, so that makes sense).

Please, please, please, is anyone out there who can help me get to the bottom of this?!

It could even be a recto-vaginal fistula, where the fistula doesn't exit to the outside anywhere. It is just a tunnel that connects the rectum and the vagina. That's what happened to me. I would ask the OB to take a look - with my RV fistula, my GI usually sends me to the OB. I would also ask for a referral to a colo-rectal surgeon.

It’s possible. I don’t know if you also have chrohns or UC, so only a Dr can tell you if it’s just inflammation or fistula. My GI mentioned like if you press on your butt cheek and feel pressure around the rectum that can be a symptom. Go to your GI. They will order tests likely and if needed they’ll refer you.

Hi Missjjellybean,

Sorry to hear what you're going through. I've had a rectal fistula for two years now and let me say, it sounds like you may have one too. If discharge is coming from your vagina then it's possibly a rectal vaginal fistula? These are a commonish form of fistula in women.

My fistula wasn't found for a while. Doctors kept telling me it was just an abscess because they couldn't find an internal opening. Often, the only way to find a fistula is an MRI scan. It's too small for a surgeon to spot with their eye, and the other methods they use to detect don't always work (didn't for me).

Good luck, and keep us up to date with news!