Anyone had an abscess heal with antibiotics alone?

[hopeful]

Anyone had a perianal or anal abscess heal with antibiotics alone (i.e. without needing cutting and seton placed?)

Thanks everyone for your answers.

Hopeful

 

[Valek]

Hi Hopeful,

I had (still dealing with it since last July) a perianal abscess...theres 2 antibiotics (cipro and flagyl) that could heal the abscess but unfortunately the antibiotics cant do the full effect since it cant actually get inside of the infection so they have to drain the abscess (doesnt hurt) then give you antibiotics to help it heal but if theres a fistula (which i have right now) the best med to treat it...its Remicade (which im on right now and it made the fistula draining stop) but its not heal yet...i hope my next infusions (my 4th is coming up next week) will do the trick.

 

[lamor32twigs]

I had an abscess about 2 years ago that did heal with cipro and fragyl alone. I was also on humira at the time, so maybe that also assisted with getting my crohns better controlled.
I think most of the time, they do need some sort of intervention, but not always.
Good luck

 

[krbsmom]

actually I had abscess before i knew i had crohns, i was given antibiotics and told to soak in iodine solution in tub hot water for twenty mins several times a day, it healed on its on doing those two things. Of course with active crohns Im not sure if this would be the case.

 

[e13 boy]

actually I had abscess before i knew i had crohns, .

Same here.I had 5 absceces & 2 fistulas all cut out (7 sep ops) a decade before i finally got diagnosed.I was then told that was the start of CD.

 

[hindyg]

I was recently hospitalized due to an abscess - well actually two abscesses (absci?). Anyhow - had no idea I had an abscess. Assumed it was just a really bad flare. Was put on a cipro/flagyl combo to handle the flare. Had a CT Scan as a precaution before starting humira. It got very swollen and hard and was pressing against the abdominal wall. Turns out it was two bad abscesses. Was immediately hospitalized where they drained the abscesses.

I just went for a follow up CT Scan 2 weeks after the drain was removed. I still have a pocket of fluid in there. Will continue the antibiotics and rescan in 3 weeks. Hoping for a more positive outcome.

The key issue is if the fistula has closed up. If it has, then the antibiotics will most likely clear everything up. If the fistula hasn't closed up, the bacteria will keep collecting.

 

[glum chump]

I have had perianal abscesses---I get them about twice a year for the past four years. Each time, I've had a combination of Flagyl and Clarithromycin for ten days and its cleared up the abscesses/fistulas each time. I haven't had any hospitalization or surgical interventions for them. The only medication I was taking at the time was Imuran.

Because they've been perianal, I also hot compress my abscesses and fistulas several times a day until they burst. What a relief when that happens!

 

[KateRitta]

Antibiotics have a difficult time working on an anal abscess, or any abscess, prior to drainage because the collection of pus lowers the pH so far that no antibiotic can work, which is why a two pronged approach is used in treatment.

 

[RFarmer]

Like Kate said, antibiotics don't always work well. Some doctors would argue that they don't work. (which obviously is disproven is this thread ahah)

Generally, they give them anyways, because of the possible system infections. But it is relatively rare for the antibiotics to heal them on their own... I think it might have to do with the state of the tissue, how much the abscess fills, and the body's response... Some people can pop an abscess, take some antibiotics, and it doesn't fistulize or fill up again. But, this is unfortunately rare.

 

[debbien]

I hope so, I am on Flagyl and Cipro As well as Prednisone and if that doesnt work I am not sure what will happen.

 

[Mountaingem]

Yes, I have, multiple times. I took Flagyl and Cipro, for about six weeks at a time. It cleared up really well; since I've been on Remicade it hasn't returned.

Hope you have good results, sending you healing thoughts

 

[RFarmer]

Wow. There's a lot of you who've had success with antibiotics alone. I've been led to believe that most need surgery or higher-tier medicine. This is interesting. I also just realized it's totally old... hahahaha. But, and interesting find.

 

[Entchen]

Hi: My GI takes about the most laid-back approach possible. (Off-topic: I both like and dislike this approach.)

Anyway... abscess #1 developed with a fistula back in early spring. My instructions are simply to express the abscess and call if I develop a fever. So it's abscess develops - express - repeat every week or two. It's not lovely but not the worst thing ever, either, although there can be a little pain sometimes, and I think I feel a bit more sick when the abscess is building up (before I notice it). Mind you...I'd love to see it GONE! Or at least the repeated abscesses gone, if not the fistula.

Abscess #2 developed in June. Interestingly, once it opened on its own (may I add: yuck), it started healing right away. It was fully healed without any kind of treatment within a few weeks.

 

[Jennjenn]

I had an abscess at the closure site five weeks after suregry on my small intestine. I could not move one night, and my fever spiked up to over 104. I was so ill within such a short period of time. I was rushed to the ER and when they found out what was wrong they stablalized me and then transfered me to where I had my surgeries at another hospital because no one would treat me. I was told the surgeon needed to fix me. That person who said "fix" then corrected himself and I was told that she should be taking care of me. I was sent back to the place where I still till today have sick feelings when passing by that hospital. The surgeon came in and I kicked her out. I REFUSED another surgery. It cost me 2.5 weeks in the hospital and many tests to make sure it was closing but YES there are possibilities that antibiotics and other meds can mend an abscess. I am glad I stuck to what I wanted. I was also happy I told that happy go cutting surgeon who looked at me like another prada purse to get out of my room and that I did not want her near me.

 

[graphitec]

Im sorry if I distract from the topic a bit - what does the earlier poster mean by "express" ing her abscess? Cutting it open?

 

[AlliRuns]

No abscess, just multiple fistulas for a long time. Been on many courses of antibiotics, th did not heal, had surgery twice, still did not heal.

 

[Sailorluna]

Hi Graph - generally "expressing" means forcing the infection out. generally by squeezing the abcsess.

 

[honantongl]

I have an abscess. I didn't have surgery when the doctor told me to. It was painful then, now it's not painful, but I could feel some soft tubes or string like texture from the abscess. The doctor told me now to have the surgery now, wait until it gets painful again.
I'm still worried about those tubes, are they going to become fistula?????

 

[Tuff]

Have you mentioned it to your doctor? I had an MRI a few years back, and found out that I had multiple fistulas through the buttock muscles that never broke through the skin. They eventually healed, but it took a while.

 

[jcashen87]

So I have had what I think is a hemorrhoid. It's a bump maybe close to the size of a dime, its external. Mostly but right on the cusp of my anus. I went to Reno a couple weeks before my surgery and this hemorrhoid popped. It leaks out yellow and greenish pus several times a day still. I just got out of the hospital from having a partial colectomy I should have had them check it up then. I'm wondering if maybe this is a little abscess. I have had internal hemorrhoid show up on my scopes closer to the anus before but I developed this little thing after tapping off prednisone.

Can hemorrhoids do this? Is is sounding like an abscess?

 

[honantongl]

Have you mentioned it to your doctor? I had an MRI a few years back, and found out that I had multiple fistulas through the buttock muscles that never broke through the skin. They eventually healed, but it took a while.

oh. so they do stay hidden. Did they cause any problem? (Could you feel them) 1 month after 1st discovering the abscess, my buttock and back of thigh have sore feelings, it seems to stretch from the sciatic bone to the thigh under the muscle. I'm not sure if they are projective pain or from pus or other things. Are they possibly fistula??
So did you receive any surgery or medicine to heal them or they healed themselves?
Is it possible to be diagnosed at this point?..

 

[Tuff]

oh. so they do stay hidden. Did they cause any problem? (Could you feel them) 1 month after 1st discovering the abscess, my buttock and back of thigh have sore feelings, it seems to stretch from the sciatic bone to the thigh under the muscle. I'm not sure if they are projective pain or from pus or other things. Are they possibly fistula??
So did you receive any surgery or medicine to heal them or they healed themselves?
Is it possible to be diagnosed at this point?..

I had a high abscess at the time too, and was in the hospital. I got IV antibiotics 4 times a day. The fistulas showed up on MRI, and were painful. My left buttock is still missing some muscle mass. The only way to know for sure is to contact your doctor and have a follow up.

 

[honantongl]

I had a high abscess at the time too, and was in the hospital. I got IV antibiotics 4 times a day. The fistulas showed up on MRI, and were painful. My left buttock is still missing some muscle mass. The only way to know for sure is to contact your doctor and have a follow up.

Thanks for the advice. I will probably get a ultrasound or MRI.
I hope you are getting better soon. I heard it may take longer or sooner for the missing flesh to grow back.