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Perianal abscess recurring? Absolute nightmare

Posted , 11 users are following.

cheryl1209
cheryl1209

Okay here goes. I thought I'd post on here as doctors seem to not be of much help with this. On New Year's Eve I had surgery to drain a painful perianal abscess. It had developed to an excruciating point over the course of about two weeks. I was given two courses of antibiotics at first but eventually had to have emergency surgery. I had a Foleys catheter inferred into the wound, a tube with an inflated balloon on to keep the wound draining for about 4 days. Having the catheter in was so debilitating and I couldn't look after myself. Once the catheter was out I was getting the wound packed everyday but it wasn't too deep and packing only lasted 2 weeks then just daily dressings for the open wound. The wound hurt in a sore, cut skin kind of way but nothing like the abscess pain. It was discharging a bit but nothing alarming according to nurses. However, 2 days ago, it started to feel like it did when the abscess was there, a wider spread pain that felt much deeper. It's now worse and is leaking ALOT of fluid which has no odour and is clear and sometimes mixed with blood. I saw a doctor who examined me and said it doesn't seem like a deep infection and maybe the wound was infected so gave me antibiotics. However, the pain is so similar to the initial abscess. I had a very hot bath today and it is leaking the fluid heavily from the incision hole. If this is an abscess again is it draining itself? Or could these symptoms be of an infection of the wound and not an abscess? Doctors keep just telling me it's something else and to wait and see but if it is the abscess I'd rather sort it ASAP so that hopefully the healing process isn't as bad. Any advice would be brilliant. This is totally taking over my life because I thought I was on the mend and this has put me back again. I'm only 26 and just want to live my life. I'm also a diabetic but my sugars are really good ATM. Please help x

0 likes, 9 replies

9 Replies

  • teisha69
    teisha69 cheryl1209

    Posted

    Oh you poor love sounds like u have had a few weeks of hell I wonder if u perhaps have a fistula???? They can sometimes happen after an abscess certainly what happened to me they can be rather troublesome to fix and I found doctors don't really know what to do with you as it seems u need all sorts of tests to ascertain if u do have one or not. But these things do take a while to settle I really do wish u the best of luck with it all
    • cheryl1209
      cheryl1209 teisha69

      Posted

      Hi Teisha 

      Yeah it's been pretty awful. The doctor said she thinks I do have a fistula and thinks the antibiotics im on will improve that. The pain is worse after I go to the toilet but once I've had a bath and the stuff drains out it feels 1000 times better. Saw a doctor today who said it was nowhere near big enough for a surgeon to intervene and because it was draining it was unlikely to be an abscess because they're usually walled off in a cavity. I just really don't want to have to go through all of that again, I just wanna get back to normal. sad So frustrating. Thanks for your help smile

    • teisha69
      teisha69 cheryl1209

      Posted

      Try and keep yr bm as soft as possible I remember it all so very well and it's awful with an active fistula u may well feel really tired also that's normal just keep an eye on any lumps/abscess reoccurring and go a and e if they do to get it drained and get some proper pain relief cause it is agonising X I really hope it starts to get better for u soon X X X but fistulas can be a bit tricky to sort X mine is but that's cause it was awkward and went somewhere it shouldn't of lol but that's just my overall bad luck aha X X i hope u are getting some support at home X X feel free to message me anytime I remember at the beginning how alone it can make u feel X X X and I am good at hearing the details so don't worry bout that lol aha only so many people u can talk to about poo and bums n stuff hahaha X X X keep yr chin up x
    • teisha69
      teisha69

      Posted

      Ps I think u would need more tests to see where fistula is actually going!!!!
  • eddi18
    eddi18 cheryl1209

    Posted

    Hi, its all very scary and frustrating because you just want it to get better and heal and just get on with life.  very frustrating I know.  I have been dealing with this since September 2015. just take it one day at a time. been off work all this time.  Eat lots of veg and healthy food, and stay away from fast foods and junk. I have multi vitamin an Vit C daily, and make sure I have oats with nuts in the morning. 

    About the wound I shower and spray the water into the wound which helps, but keep it clean as possible. I live with a nurse so am very fortunate she can do my dressings for me daily at home after the shower. 

    I had the abscess,  then it developed into a fistula(one only) and now have a seton. waiting for the next stage in healing this. The 3rd op is in 2 weeks time. 

    I would call my GP as often as I would need to get answers.

     An MRI would show what the fistula/abscess looks like inside.

     would speak to the nurse doing your dressings as well she can refer you back to the surgeon or GP.  

    Call the surgeon again if needed. and just enjoy the good days and relax and take it easy on the bad days.  Good luck and hang in there.

    • Danyall
      Danyall eddi18

      Posted

      Hi Eddi18 I am ina similar situation to yourself. One abscess I&D and a Seton drain fitted. Got to go back in three months I am assuming to check on the Seton but I was given very little info from the hospital.

      Let me have an update if you can. Thanks

  • marisass
    marisass cheryl1209

    Posted

    I'm on my 4th abscess and headed for surgery yet again tomorrow, it started deep, intersphicteral. The second surgery the put a seton in to aid in the draining and WOW did it drain. It would come without warning and the clear fluid leaked to the pint that it looked like I peed my pants. A couple weeks ago the fluid went from clear to dark colored blood. The abscesses then leaked into both sides of my buttocks and created new abscesses.

    I know an abscess is an effect i don't know the cause and all the rectal specialist tells me is I have "really bad luck".

    I can't live like this, i have no answers and it's causing me to be very depressed and sad. The unknown kind of does that.

    I'm an otherwise healthy 38yr old and never had any symptoms prior to August and now it's mid October and i'm on my 4th abscess. In 38yrs i've never had health issues, and now all of the sudden i've been through 3 surgeries with my 4th tomorrow.

    I can't decide what's causing the most pain, mental anguish or the pressure from the abscesses.

    Please let me know if they ever figured out your problem & here's to hoping you have better luck than me!

    • AnalAbscess
      AnalAbscess marisass

      Posted

      Hi

      There have been some updates in the last week to other threads in this abscess non dental forum that may be of help to you.  Any questions please ask. hope you recover soon.

    • tulip78
      tulip78 AnalAbscess

      Posted

      It was scary when I first got my abscess my GP said it is the size of a golfball, it appeared in a week!! Then I was on strong antibiotics for three days before emergency surgery, then I had the wound packed every other day for 4 weeks, It healed too quick on the otside so i was left ith a 5mm pocket so had to have it reopened and they made the incision bigger though there was no infection. It was packed everyday then for the next six weeks,, now a year later, i have a small hole right in the middle of the incision wound and a small hemorrhoid like lump right on my bootom. Think it's a fistula. sooooooo worried about incontinence

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