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Anal fissures developing with ileostomy

annawato

Moderator
Staff member
So I've had this ileostomy for 8 months now. My crohns has always been in the small intestine although I have had anal and throat abscesses before.
Recently I have developed another anal abscess which self drained leaving a fissure or fistula which is continually draining pus or blood. Plus I have haemeroids. This disease is so unfair. I'm not even using my rear end and this all develops. So many of you have stomas created to solve this problem so i have no idea what can be done. The only thing I am grateful for is there is very little pain since I don't have bowel motions.
Anyway this is just a whinge. grrrrrrrr.
 

DJW

Forum Monitor
That's awful...I'm so sorry to hear that. Is the GI doing anything to treat you?
 
Location
Australia
Oh Anna I'm sorry to hear that.
I hope you're not in too much pain.
It's annoying isn't it - when you don't even use it and it still gets wrecked.
It is such a random disease.
I hope you're feeling ok.
 

nogutsnoglory

Moderator
What the hell! That is so aggravating and hard to understand. The area is clear and dry so why is it being attacked? You poor thing.

This makes me so upset because I likely need an ileostomy but what's the point if it might continue like yours does. F crohn's.
 
This is one of the things I worry might happen when I get my ileostomy soon. My rectum keeps prolapsing and giving me all sorts of problems. They're leaving the rectum in (I'm not sure exactly why?), and I keep thinking that I'll have the ileostomy and will still be having to have surgery for prolapses and haemorrhoids and still spending hours on the loo trying to pass mucous/blood through a prolapsed bowel, or having mucous leaking out where I currently have bowel incontinence. :(

I'm so very sorry you're still having these problems, I wish I could say something helpful, but I'm pretty much in the same boat in that I'm having an ileostomy because all the other treatments for this area have failed. The ileostomy is the last resort, what can you do when your last resort fails?!
 

PsychoJane

Moderator
Sorry you are dealing with these issues even after surgery Anna...
I wish it could solve our issues everytime. I mean, for what we give, we deserve the peace that comes with it. Is there anything that could help your condition in the near future? I see you have done most medication from your post, does your condition bother you to the point of trying new molecule? Could antibiotic alone bring some relief? I've never dealt with fissure so I don't know much about what is helpful...

UnXmas,

Could it be because you are in age to consider to have children? I know that when I said I was considering to have child in the next 5 years my surgeon said he was leaving my rectal stump and would reopen later for that matter. Keeping the rectum allows everything to sit in a better place to allow conception.
 
UnXmas,

Could it be because you are in age to consider to have children? I know that when I said I was considering to have child in the next 5 years my surgeon said he was leaving my rectal stump and would reopen later for that matter. Keeping the rectum allows everything to sit in a better place to allow conception.
I'm infertile :( and my surgeon knows that so I don't think that can be the reason.
 

annawato

Moderator
Staff member
thanks everyone for your support as usual. I am seeing my gastro on Thursday so he will probably have some solution. I think antibiotics might do the trick and if not then maybe the pred foam (??) that Samboi used could be helpful.I'm keeping positive that there will be a way to get over it, just needed to have a whinge.
NGNG and UnXmas don't let my problems put you off. The majority of people with stomas find they do the trick and solve the problem I just seem to be incredibly unlucky with this disease. And as I said its early days, my gastro may have a cure.
UnXmas, perhaps they are leaving the rectum so that yo could have a reversal at a later date? Are they removing your entire large bowel? Or maybe they think removing the rectum will cause problems elsewhere? It is puzzling and certainly something you need to find out about. Is your surgeon clear about the problems you have with prolapse and leakage? If its any consolation, I only get mucus poops about once a month or less so it shouldn't be too great a problem.......(reaching for straws)
PsychoJane (PJ from now on :) if you don't mind ) what is the new molecule? TNF meds or stem cells?
:heart: anna
 
thanks everyone for your support as usual. I am seeing my gastro on Thursday so he will probably have some solution. I think antibiotics might do the trick and if not then maybe the pred foam (??) that Samboi used could be helpful.I'm keeping positive that there will be a way to get over it, just needed to have a whinge.
NGNG and UnXmas don't let my problems put you off. The majority of people with stomas find they do the trick and solve the problem I just seem to be incredibly unlucky with this disease. And as I said its early days, my gastro may have a cure.
UnXmas, perhaps they are leaving the rectum so that yo could have a reversal at a later date? Are they removing your entire large bowel? Or maybe they think removing the rectum will cause problems elsewhere? It is puzzling and certainly something you need to find out about. Is your surgeon clear about the problems you have with prolapse and leakage? If its any consolation, I only get mucus poops about once a month or less so it shouldn't be too great a problem.......(reaching for straws)
PsychoJane (PJ from now on :) if you don't mind ) what is the new molecule? TNF meds or stem cells?
:heart: anna
Hi, thanks. I hope all goes well for you, and you haven't put me off. Although there's a chance I'll still have the problems I mentioned, I cannot wait for the surgery as at least I will not be having constant diarrhoea with a prolapsed bowel! I've already had a total colectomy, so I guess that means it's all removed except the rectum, though I've had different doctors tell me different things about what "total" means in that context. I have to check it all out with my surgeon - he knows all my problems inside out (literally!) and has operated on me five times before. What parts of the bowel were left didn't concern me before I knew I was having this surgery, so I'd never bothered to ask him before now.

I really do hope you get some solutions soon. When I see my surgeon I'll ask about what we'd do if I still get haemorrhoids or leaking after the surgery and will let you know if he has any bright ideas.
 
Location
Australia
Hi Anna
The salofalk and pred foam butt facials have worked a treat on my fissure.
Fingers crossed it will do the trick for you.
Hope the trip to the GI goes well on Thu.
 

annawato

Moderator
Staff member
I'm off to see the surgeon on Wednesday and REALLY hoping he doesn't want to do anything yet. My GI put me on cipro which cleared everything up whilst i was on it but of course it came back as soon as I stopped. You all know the drill. Anyway he is also retrialling sulfasalazine which used to make me nauseous. So far so good so maybe theres hope for me yet. I'm kind of excited but......
Funnily enough I've become rather fond of my stoma, for all its quirks and bad habits - not sure if I would want to get it reversed yet if the sulfa... does work. But I guess the sulfa has to actually work before I come to that decision.
Has anyone else found it did/didn't work? What problems did you have or did it just not work.
 
Location
Australia
I was in remission for about ten years on mesesal.
I desperately wish I could go back to it.

I'm more fascinated by the fact that Cipro cleared up your fissure.
Did it really??
 

annawato

Moderator
Staff member
Oh I don't think its cleared up the fissure, just the infection. I think the underlying problems are still there as I still get occasional pus and lots of blood about once a week. No idea where thats coming from.
 

nogutsnoglory

Moderator
If its once a week now could it be residual? Maybe its mostly clear. I feel so terrible that after diversion you still have to deal with this crap.
 

annawato

Moderator
Staff member
well I saw the surgeon today and I have a fissure and abscess and possible fistula so he is going to insert a seton on Monday and have a better look around.
So no magic cure Samboi. :). Didn't even clear the abscess just closed it up!
Do setons hurt? Or the procedure?
 
Oh my Anna :( This is something you REALLY don't want to deal with, especially if you have STOMA! Suck big time! I am so sorry for you :kiss:

Hope everything goes well!!!
 

nogutsnoglory

Moderator
Setons aren't supposed to hurt but the surgery for placement does. Expect blood for 2-3 days and lots of dressings in there. My setons and I have had many aggravate me though and aren't painful but rather just annoy me because I feel them.
 

annawato

Moderator
Staff member
Well I had the surgery yesterday and as per usual with me things were a bit more complex than they expected. Abscess plus fistula which tunnels off in a few directions plus the fissure where it leaks out. Surgery was scheduled for 12 noon but I ddin't go in til 4.30. I am sooo glad I had a couple of cups of tea in the morning. With my overactive stoma I was very dehydrated plus had the missing caffein headache. Anyway as far as I was concerned it all went well. No real pain on waking and can't feel the seton at all so all is good. Now its just got to all heal. I see the surgeon again in 4 weeks.
 

annawato

Moderator
Staff member
Oh yeah, had to stop the sulfasalazine as GI thinks it is increasing my peripheral neuropathy. Am now about to try 6mp again. Its related to Imuran which gave me pancreatitis and I'm more scared of taking one tablet of it than I was about surgery on Monday. I think numb feet might be preferable to vomiting and off the richter pain - but we'll see. I'm hoping terriernut has all her paws crossed for good luck. :)
 
I never was brave enough to try 6MP after my experience with azo pancreatitis. I understand your fears! Fingers and toes crossed that you will do well with it.

So glad you are done with your procedure and are doing well with it thus far. You need a break from your Crohn's life for awhile. Maybe take a day off from it and start up again the next day. :wink:
 
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