Abscess?

I was curious as to how you know if you have an abscess or not? I have what looks to me like a pimple the size of a BB about a half inch away from my rectum. It is a little red and tender but nothing extremely painful. I can feel it when I'm walking around enough to know something is there. It seems like it has what looks like a whitehead on it. I definitely know it's not a hemmie as I've had plenty of those. I can feel a slight dull throbbing coming from that area as well. I have no pain or discomfort during bowel movements either. I am scheduled to see my GI for a checkup on the 21st so if it's still around I can always have him take a look. I've been putting pads soaked with witch hazel in the area but hasn't made much of a difference yet.

Thanks

I had an abcess about a month after my colonoscopy and it sounds like how mine started out.  Not to scare you, but don't let it go like I did.  I  tried all kinds of home remedies thinking it was just a pimple and when I couldn't take the pain anymore I went to my family doctor and they sent me directly to my surgeon's office (which freaked me out) and he actually lanced it and then I had to go to Opti Care for 5 days after so they could clean it and repack it.  Had to take an extremely high antibiotic for 10 days ~ so please don't wait.  It's not something I would wish on anyone :(  Good luck and take care ~

let me tell you, I unfortunately have tons of experience with these things! If it is an abscess, & it very well could be the beginning of one, it'll only get worse fast- it won't go away on it's own. It will become more & more painful & swollen, so painful that you will only find relief sitting in a super hot sitz bath. Then it'll either burst on it's own, or you'll wind up at the ER if you can't see your GI first. An abscess is nothing to foola round with, true- but they get worse fast. It's not something that will linger for a week or so, not changing in size or feel. Sue is right too- you may tend to feel crappy, feverish, just sick overall- the first one I had I felt awful, the second one, not so much. If it does burst on it's own, you'll want to immediately call your GI- they will most likely put you on Cipor & Flagyl. I recommend hot sitz baths anyway- if it's just an ingrown hair or pimple, those will help. and if it si an abscess, the hot water really helps with those- even the GI's recommend sitz baths for abscesses! Good luck- I hope for your sake it's not!

well, I remembered my GI gave me his personal cell number a while back and I sent him a text and pic...he called me back and sent me to see a rectal surgeon at the ER to have it checked before I leave for Dallas tomorrow. At the ER, I saw the ER doctor and he took a look and did a rectal exam (rectal exam was normal) He then contacted the surgeon I was supposed to see but for some reason the rectal surgeon could not come in so they sent him a picture. Based on what he saw, he said it doesn't appear bad enough to drain at this point. He has me taking the antibiotic Cephalexin every 6 hours for 10 days and sitz baths. I was told to keep an eye on it, look for fever, chills etc. My GI called me back for an update and was rather upset that the surgeon didn't come in directly to see me.

I'm still hoping for an ingrown hair lol. At least for the most part, it doesn't seem to be getting any bigger at the moment and the pain I can feel is extremely minimal. From what I understand, the antibiotics won't get rid of the abscess but only treat the infection once it either bursts or is drained. I've got epsom salt and baby wipes packed for my trip

anything going on, Gordon? Better, worse??? I think my recent abscess is coming back, I'm totally bummed! I should know definitely by tomorrow afternoon- have had a dull tingly pain at the abscess site the entire afternoon. I just did a sitz bath, so... Hope you have net access on your trip, & that your "spot" is not acting up! Keep us informed!

 I'm glad it's not worse! It must be on the mend, which is nice indeed! I totally agree with the one thing or another problem- my UC has been ok lately, but suddenly my labs are completely wacked, the abscess is on & off...... makes a body think twice about surgery, you know?

Yup- when I'm stuck in the sitz bath 4x a day, gulping down Cipro & Flagyl for what feels like ages, worrying about the cost of meds & health insurance, it's very easy to say "F this!" & think long & hard about going ahead with surgery. Then, the days get better, & the thoughts go away.... It's a mentally tiring cycle. Draining. Hard to believe this can go on for years & years... I was diagnosed in 2002 & have only had a really rought eim of it since 2007. That's not too long, only 3-4 years. I have to wonder if I'll be in the same cycle for the next 20+ years. Horrifying!

well, just an update on this since the "thing" still has not gone away. I had a follow up with the CR surgeon today who looked at it a couple weeks ago when he said it's not an abscess. He was a bit surprised that it's still there and did notice it's still a bit bigger than what it was. He even brought in another doctor to look at it. Me mentioned the words "skin tag" while examining it and he couldn't get anything out of it (I assume he was squeezing). Both doctors also checked "inside" as they were curious as to if it's a fistula or not. They said there could be a hairline "tunnel" if it is a fistula. Either way, he's going to remove whatever it is and if it turns out to be a fistula, he'll have to do a fistulotomy on it. I'm scheduled to get it done on April 8th. It's still not painful but does get irritated and itches/burns a bit on occasion. I'll be completely knocked out for the procedure but just hope it's something minimal.

     Gordon...I know exactly what you are talking about.  My surgeon did not sew my anus closed and I still have some issues.  about a month after surgery, I developed a hematoma inside the anus which the surgeon drained at one of my office visits .  Hurt like the dickens!  He placed me on cipro and I had to go back a few weeks later.  Seems like that cleared up but I still, and this is 9 months post op, have some discomfort from time to time.  Last month was my last scheduled follow up visit and he said I had a "skin flap".  Well, it feels like a hemmie..itches, etc.  He told me to use this lotion called Calmoseptine...I think that is what it is called.  I have been using Tucks and Wallgreen's hemorrhoidal ointment because I couldn't find the Calmoseptine.

     I want to add that the surgeon did send me for an MRI of the pelvic area with and without contrast but I went to a local imaging center and they were very incompetent and the test results were inconclusive.  They also sent a letter to my surgeon suggesting I have an ultra sound of the rectum.  He said "how in the world can you have that done if you have no rectum?"  UGH.

     I hear ya about the decision to have surgery.  I tossed it around in my head for a long time.   Seems like when you have good days surgery is the furthest from your mind...but OH those bad days are Hell.

     Eva and Gordon, do these "so called" skin tags ever drain?  It seems like from time to time mucus comes out, some days more so than others.  Is an antibiotic of any help?  I can still feel the lump and it is uncomfortable.  Geez, I thought I would be through with all this nonsense when I had surgery.  I have no rectum or colon.  My ileostomy is perfect, never any problem there, but this is annoying!

Eva, if mine is a skin tag, nothing has ever drained from it yet. I have seen spots of blood on occasion when it's really irritated but only trace amounts. Mine is also about an inch or so away from my rectum and it honestly still looks like a big pimple but has now been lingering for close to a month. I was on antibiotics for 10 days trying to treat it and they didn't help one bit.

I have some issues, but they are due to a recto-vaginal fistula that I've had for about 3 years. I think the latest abscess, if it did leave a fistula, is pretty close to the rectum. Thankfully! The RV fistula only bothers me when my UC is active, same scenario as the other one- more frequent & more loose bm's equal drainage from all sorts of places that should NOT be draining fecal matter! Gross. I've seen a couple surgeons about repairing it, but none were too promising. Since I'm always in some sort of low-level flare, any "patch: they would try wouldn't take since it's inflamed tissue. And a j-pouch wouldn't be an option for me either, since the pouch contents would drain thru the fistula also. As well as the fact that a fistula alone signifies Crohns to a surgeon. Depressing- the first year or so I was really down about it, the whole thing made me feel pretty bad about myself. But now.... well, it's just one more hassle! No big deal, in the grand scheme of things! Gordon, I've heard the antibiotics won't treat the abscess, but will prevent it from becoming more infected, encourage draining, etc. Supposedly the only meds to help an abscess are the tnf blockers. Which haven't helped me in the least, not in that department.