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Crohn's Disease
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Posted 11/21/2016 2:30 AM (GMT 0)
so this has been super embarrassing. Is there anything that can be done to try to correct it? I'm okay with just accepting it and moving on but if there is anything I wish I could correct it. Ever since I had the fistula and really active disease in the rectum, I leak a small amount of liquid between bathroom trips. I thought that once I had formed stool again and the disease was in remission this would improve. It hasn't and its been a while now. its not a whole lot, just enough to irritate the skin and make me feel yucky and disgusted. Gauze didn't do much to help so I've been using paper towels which has worked fairly well until recently it started causing a lot of skin irritation. I haven't told my doctor about it because compared to everything else it is not even on the chart of problems of concern and I'm also somehow still embarrassed to even mention it.
Posted 11/21/2016 3:59 AM (GMT 0)
Ouch! Irritation down there is the worst! This may sound a tad gross, but what about cloth like a thin washcloth or something? The irritation would probably be less - like using a handkerchief instead of tissues when you have a cold. Paper products cause bad irritation because it's like getting tons of minuscule paper cuts.
Posted 11/21/2016 11:51 AM (GMT 0)
I get this problem sometimes. I occasionally even get flecks of blood when wiping, it's that sore. If I have bile diarrhoea, it can truly be agony - I'm left with dabbing extremely gingerly at the area with toilet paper wetted with cold water (more soothing than hot water).

Calmoseptine is better at treating irritation than preventing it. You don't need a lot - too much is counterproductive, as it makes it feel all moist and yucky. But a little bit, reapplied after each leak or BM, really does help.
Posted 11/23/2016 6:18 PM (GMT 0)
I had the same problem after surgery to drain fistulas, my new doctor recommended that I take Citrucel as directed, works as a binding agent to reduce draining, took several days, but I did notice a vast improvement! Good luck!
Posted 11/24/2016 4:02 AM (GMT 0)
Labradorite,

I am so sorry you are going thru this. I was never able to control my drainage either. I told my doctor about it. We increased my benefiber hoping the firmer stools would help. Nope...nada. I finally bought some super soft thin cloth and used that with calmoseptine. That cut down on the irritation but not on the smell.

BTW...even if you have a temp. colostomy...it does not stop. (Mucus drainage.) But now it only happens once a week or every 2 weeks.

I really hate this disease.

Hang in there. I hope you are able to resolve this issue.

Clo
Posted 11/25/2016 5:52 PM (GMT 0)
Lab, I'm currently suffering from this too and I can definitely relate. Well, wish I had a solution myself. Because of the drainage of the fistula, I have always to wear a pad. Yes, it's itself irritating to the skin of the perineum but it's much better than not using anything to catch up the drainage. Washing a lot and using soft pads, I was even thinking of getting soft cloth as Clo mentioned. I apply sudocrem to the area and things are somehow bearable.
Posted 11/26/2016 3:55 PM (GMT 0)
Thank you all for the input! I will try some of these suggestions.

@clo I agree, this disease is wretched. Im sorry that the drainage didn't even stop with the colostomy :(
Posted 11/29/2016 5:34 PM (GMT 0)
I second using a pad. I used a thin maxi that is very absorbant and takes the liquid away from my skin. I have a nasty rectal stricture due to scar tissue and if i'm flaring I leak and if something "gets stuck" on the way out I leak until it all comes out. sorry for the tmi but you guys understand.

Also it helps to keep some desitin or something like that on at all times.

hope you get some relief.
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