Concealing Fistula Leakage and Odor - Suggestions?
Posted , 6 users are following.
Hello,
35, male
I developed a fistula when I was about 15 years old. One night I woke up due to a sharp pain at the base of my tailbone. and felt the abscess. It wasn't diagnosed until I was 32 about 3 years ago because other than that one sharp pain and the odd blister that was back there, it never bothered me again.
It occurred at the very top of the groove between the buttocks.
Unfortunately, in the past 4 years or so, the fistula has begun to leak profusely. It's almost as if it "sweats" and I can feel the fluid at the very top of the buttock where the fistula is leaking down into the rest of the buttock groove. Because of it, I leave a noticeable odor on any chairs that I sit in, and develop wet stains on all of my pants near the top. The stain is noticeable on my pants and embarrassing, so now I only where dark clothing. The odor is even more noticeable, as it lingers on my clothing. I notice it every time I get up from a sitting position. If I notice it, others must notice it too, and it is incredibly embarrassing.
I have tried:
1) Powder - the powder quickly congeals and does not stop the odor or "sweating"
2) Vaseline/Petroleum Jelly - temporary solution ineffective after about an hour or two. Odor and wetness occur, only slightly delayed.
3) Bundled tissues/toilet paper - this works sometimes, but the bundled tissue shifts and moves throughout the day and does not stay on or over the fistula
4) Body spray - unfortunately the odor of the fistula discharge is stronger.
Does anyone have any suggestions for concealing odor and wetness? It will be some time before I can go in for surgery.
0 likes, 7 replies
jo39075 mike94577
Posted
My goodness, I have had an unhealing perianal abscess wound for 4 years and exactly the same happens to me. I completely feel for you it's awful it genuinely changes your lifestyle. I'm female and over the years I have found the best thing that helps is wearing the extra Tena pads. These do help a bit and I'm afraid that is the only advice I can give you apart from don't use Talc because it will clog everything up making it a lot more easier to get abscesses.
hope this helps
john5656 mike94577
Posted
jo39075 john5656
Posted
As I said above, you are right, it's true especially for you men, it really does suck and it's bloody expensive!! But it does work. The lady incontinence ones are best because they are bigger
AnalAbscess mike94577
Posted
Are you able to have a bath using epsom salt? This will help to keep the area that is draining cleaner and might help with the drainage. You can get small potty like baths to sit your b.u.m. in but it sounds like yours is quite high up. Your local nurse might be able to give you some tubes of saline you can squirt into it and these you can use away from home too. The other thing is to get the nurse to also give you some square gauze and low tack medical tape to tape it on to you. Changing these regularly will help too. you should not have to pay for these but I know some people do. Amazon will have all the necessaries.
Also do you eat much veg? How much sugar is in your diet. Cut out the latter and increase the former if you can. this will help your immune system to fight the infection. Even for a short time until you go in for surgery, doing this is not easy but it will most certainly not do you any harm. Any other questions please ask. Good luck.
Mphokki AnalAbscess
Posted
Hello
I'm a male
I also have a fistula condition and I was born with it. At first I didn't know I had this problem until it bothered me when I was a teenage from the age of 16 till now I'm turning 23 tears old and I haven't enjoyed my lifestyle, people act funny around me because I smell. I even had a surgery,it's very painful and caused trauma I don't ever plan on going back there. I honestly thought I'd be fine after surgery but still no difference whether I bath twice a day and even do the sit ins bath. It's even hard sitting next to people because of the funny ass smell. I wanted to know how do you treat your fistula in order to smell better. I see y'all complaining about the fistula leaking and the solution being given is wearing pads. How do you get rid of ass smell. I've tried using body wash, different soaps both with perfume and none perfume soaps but none of it works. Even tried the Dettol and Salvlon antiseptic none of it work 😢. What's your advice for me?
Mphokki mike94577
Posted
Hello
I'm a male
I also have a fistula condition and I was born with it. At first I didn't know I had this problem until it bothered me when I was a teenage from the age of 16 till now I'm turning 23 tears old and I haven't enjoyed my lifestyle, people act funny around me because I smell. I even had a surgery,it's very painful and caused trauma I don't ever plan on going back there. I honestly thought I'd be fine after surgery but still no difference whether I bath twice a day and even do the sit ins bath. It's even hard sitting next to people because of the funny ass smell. I wanted to know how do you treat your fistula in order to smell better. I see y'all complaining about the fistula leaking and the solution being given is wearing pads. How do you get rid of ass smell. I've tried using body wash, different soaps both with perfume and none perfume soaps but none of it works. Even tried the Dettol and Salvlon antiseptic none of it work 😢. What's your advice for me?
madison42456 mike94577
Posted
Hi,
I'm a 23 year old female and I completely understand how you feel. I have had a fistula for over a year which started out as a haemorrhoid.
I feel completely embarrassed every time I have to undress or wear light colour clothes or even to dry off after a shower. My fistula has a constant odour and constantly leaks when I defaecate, fart etc. My wound is open and shows no signs of closing. I am scheduled to get surgery, but it is not an urgent case so they are not in a rush and I find that the symptoms I have are getting worse overtime.
I have found using specific wash for your sensitive areas and wipes with no scent help mask the scent but like the other comment have said wearing a pad and constantly changing it does stop the odour and the leakage. As for the leaking what I have found helps me is i squeeze out the liquid "puss" and it helps it stop leaking for a short period of time, whether this be a couple hours or throughout the day.
I highly suggest going to a doctor or specifically a colon specialist and talking about options of surgery If it is available and I highly request going to your doctor and getting them to check for any infections and getting them treated just as my fistula has caused me to have many infections over the time as it is constantly leaking and close quarters to sensitive areas.
I wish you the best