Anal fistula

Hi Lesley,

sorry to hear of your problems. All I can offer is sympathy as I am currently walking around with one seton after surgery to lay open my fistula in October. A few days before Christmas it started getting really painful again and I've spent the holiday on antibiotics to try to clear up the problem. I am due to see the consultant again but still waiting for an appointment (too many patients and not enough clinics I'm told)

Yes I have had the glue surgery 3 times and failed. The key of healing is clean diet. If you take pain killers make sure your taking enough Mirlax to keep the stool loose. If you have the glue surgery Don't laugh a lot. I know sounds weird but it you laugh really hard you could blow air right through the fistula. Get the flap surgery if you can. Make sure your on antibiotics before and after. Don't get the surgery if your inflamed down there. Clean diet is a must. Take tumuric as well. Get better. My life sux at the moment now a has been for the past 6 yrs fight this. Good luck. Jeff

I have had two fistulas and several surgeries for same. First fistula they used glue; didn't work. Was horrably painful right on my rectum. They drained it felt so much beter. Never completely healed; had to where a sponge 4X4 pad changed several times a day; went on for about three years. Then I got another fistula; huge about half size of my fist they drained this one as well and put big curly drain tube in. Took those out after a few weeks and put thread like drain tubes in for a couple months. Was doing an excellent job of draining. But thats my problem still draining after seven years. I use  like I said befor 4X4 sponge pads changed several times a day. Doc says he can't do any thing more unless I want deep musel surgery that will cause major incontance. Obviously don't want that. BTW I am a type two diabetic which dosent help. I have to wear dark pants because sometimes leaks through sponge and onto pants; very embarasing. I am not in any pain, it's just inconveience. Don't have a sex life and when in gym have to change pad in toilet area. Getting to my point if any one out there knows what I should do, please help.

Hi sorry not updated recently. Still waiting to go back in for my next op. Can I ask does anyone else get joint pain all over there body and muscle cramps on there calves. It's gradually getting worse. I feel some days I struggle with basics like moving around. At the moment my neck , hands and legs are the worst. I've tried putting heat packs on them. Back taking codamol 50/300 to no avail . Any help would be appreciated x

I've had an anal fistula for 9 years now, let me know you one thing and that is antibiotics won't cure a fistula, it will only help get rid of the infection. Fistula isn't an infection, it's an abnormal tunnel connecting two places together which aren't suppose to be connected. Only way you can sort of get rid of it is through surgery and different people have different luck on them. Another option is to live with it, you can theoretically make the fisula go into remission, so it discharges less and has no swelling or pain at all which will lead to a better wellbeing of life. To do is to make sure to watch what you eat. I've stopped eating red meats such as beef for the last 5 years, including peppers, lemons and lime. I had to go through countless trials and errors and finally found out that these foods caused by inflamination and discharging. Once I cut them out, I had a pain free fistula, I can lead a normal life and do what I want. Find out what you can and cannot eat and I promise you will live a better life than performing countless surgeries on your ass making it look like a failed Kardashian.