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Abscess turned fistula

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Posted 6/14/2012 8:26 PM (GMT 0)
Hi everyone. I was diagnosed with UC summer 2011, and I was infected with CDIFF during my stay at the hospital. I've had two flare ups of UC since, and 3 more bouts with CDIFF.

1.5 months ago, I had an anal abscess. I had it cut, it healed in 2 days. 2 weeks later I caught step throat. Amoxicillin triggered another CDIFF bout, but my cycling of one week on one week off of Vancomycin beat it within a few days. It's been two weeks since that bout with CDIFF, and my doctor just diagnosed the "start" of a fistula and told me it looks like a small pore that is oozing a little bit of puss. He told me not to worry, it isn't too urgent, and to talk to my GI about Remicade, and possibly later (within a year or so if it doesn't heal) to see a anal-rectal surgeon.

I'm a 25 year old male, in good shape, and I eat healthy. Although I just read a post here that milkfats cause IBD and I drink Keifer daily because I thought it supposedly helped UC because of the probiotics within it...

Does anyone know if a fistula can possibly heal itself? If so, how long might it take, if I am not currently in pain? I was in pain yesterday, but the darn thing seems to have drained itself out and I feel much more at ease today.

Should I see an anal-rectal doctor right away? Start taking remicade before it gets worse?

What can I do to nip this thing in the butt ? (literally...)

Thanks everyone.
Posted 6/14/2012 9:28 PM (GMT 0)
I have had many,plus emergency surgery for a golf ball sized puss ball.
Anyhow to try and nip it in the bud. Topical antibiotic cream helps,probiotics help.
Very hot sitz baths, the idea is to keep it open and draining as much as possible.
Many times they will heal if they can drain.
I have had many that were not open,so the heat from sitz baths will eventualy make the skin thinner and they hopefully will break. I have broken a few myself with a needle,do this at your oun risk.
If sitz baths are not hot enough you can also get in a bath tub, put your butt up near the faucet outlet and run as hot a water
as you can stand, a few times a day. Do not burn your private parts. I have done this when they will not break.
My other technique to break them is go in a small boat in a rough inlet for about 6 hours,no seat cushion all the bouncing
will eventually break it if it is big enough. True story.
I have not had a bad one in years,always apply topical antibiotic a few times a day,if I feel anything funny going on,and will start yogurt or probiotics and sitz baths.
You can get a sitz bath for about 10 bucks or so at a drugstore.

Once it turns into a fistula it is more difficult to heal,since many times it is a track into the rectal wall,and can become contaminated with bacteria/stool.

Sometime the only way to fix them is surgery.
Old Mike

Post Edited (Old Mike) : 6/14/2012 6:47:49 PM (GMT-6)

Posted 6/15/2012 1:38 PM (GMT 0)
Old Mike, it seems in your response that you're mostly talking about how to deal with an abscess, correct? It sounds like the OP has what is thought to be a fistula, and like you said, they rarely heal themselves.

OP, I think you should go ahead and see a colorectal surgeon, just so you know for sure what is going on. There are many different treatment options for fistulas, and as they rarely go away on their own, I think it's best that you see one. I developed a perianal abscess almost a year ago and had it drained. Unfortunately, I also ended up with a fistula. I do want to mention that my abscess/fistula was not at all thought to be associated with my UC, because I was in complete remission at the time. One can develop them in conjunction with IBD, but those are generally associated with a flare. I asked the colorectal surgeon if he thought Remicade might heal my fistula, and he said no, because I did not have any active inflammation.
Posted 6/15/2012 1:42 PM (GMT 0)
Some fistulas can be successfully treated, others not so. You do really need to see a CR surgeon. They rarely heal without proper intervention.

Sue
Posted 6/15/2012 8:30 PM (GMT 0)
I have a question, I get leaking out of my butt and sometimes I feel it sometimes I don't. but when I look on my pad it's sticky yellowis stuff, hardly a smell to it. Could that be an infection of something that is inside? I don't see anything on the outside but my skintag. I don't see a doctor until a month from now! A colorectal surgeron who removed the skin tag before in the same spot came back two weeks later. I wonder do I have a infection? I don't have a fever or anything but could a fissure or something else be leaking? JW any thoughts?
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