I have an abscess in my butt cheek, thats the best way to describe it. I was waiting and waiting for it to drain and finally one day, while i was on vacation, it opened up. So now i have 2 fistula on my butt cheek. They are draining daily, with mucous and blood. Can anyone tell me if this can be treated with medication? Im not due to see my GI for 2 more weeks. I do have refills on cipro and flagyl, wondering if i should start myself back on the meds? Has anyone had any luck treating their fistulas without surgery?? This is all so new to me, kind of freaking out that i have two new holes in my body...
Butt cheek abscess and fistula...
- Thread starter hurla31
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Oh dear, not so good :-( Are you able to phone your GI? The antibiotics are probably what they would advise to fight the abscess, but I think I'd want to check with the doc.
I will phone my doc tmrw...maybe he will direct me to take the meds.
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Curious, are you certain you have fistulas or could they just be draining Abcesses? Have they done an mri or anything?
It is not fun dealing with this stuff. I hope you find your answers.
I believe they say that fistulas generally need to be dealt with by surgery of one type or another.
It is not fun dealing with this stuff. I hope you find your answers.
I believe they say that fistulas generally need to be dealt with by surgery of one type or another.
Entchen
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Hi: Poor you! Been there. Some say that antibiotics are unlikely to help abscesses in that area, so you might not be prescribed antibiotics (it seems to vary based on GI preference / experience). I did not try antibiotics. For me, an increase in my Imuran dose did the trick of getting the two sealed up -- no recurrence for about 3 months now, thank goodness. Else, we were going to talk Remicade (gah!).
@SailorLuna, my GI feels that any opened abscess is technically a fistula, so he treats them as the same thing. I thought that one of my seemed different from the other (the diagnosed fistula) in this regard, however, as when it was open there was much less drainage. So I tend to agree with your statement. One seemed more like a recurring abscess than a fistula...but then, I'm going on personal experience with 2 abscess/fistulae only?
@SailorLuna, my GI feels that any opened abscess is technically a fistula, so he treats them as the same thing. I thought that one of my seemed different from the other (the diagnosed fistula) in this regard, however, as when it was open there was much less drainage. So I tend to agree with your statement. One seemed more like a recurring abscess than a fistula...but then, I'm going on personal experience with 2 abscess/fistulae only?
I have diagnosed myself, I feel they are fistulas. I have had the abscess for some time now. The area where the "fistulas" are is reddish in colour and almost circular and kind of harder in texture than my normal skin. There are 2 tiny holes, one appeared first and then the next a few days later. Lots of drainage on the first few days. The whole area is tender.Does that sound like a fistula??
I am also on Emuran, taking 150mg, which is the most my GI can put me on i think....
I am also on Emuran, taking 150mg, which is the most my GI can put me on i think....
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I believe that you can not tell an abscess from a fistula from the outside. It is possible for an abscess to fester and drain for a long time and still be an abscess. Sometimes they wont heal without being surgically drained and cleaned. When I feel a kind of lump or thicker part back there its the puss pooling up and not draining right.
I have two fistulas, one is vag/rect and mostly quiet and the one on my butt that is nothing but trouble that has been cut open 4 times.
KWalker had a really bad abscess - I think he said it grew to the size of a tennis ball - he had it for three years I think. It was not a fistula. You may want to read his "blood and puss" posting.
The antibiotics help when I have a fever or bad pains from the thing reinfecting. If it is a fistula they won't "fix" it.
When I called my GI and told them that I thought I had an abscess they sent me directly to the surgeon and would not see me for it. It could be different where you are but at my clinic they are pretty excitable if they think you have an abscess let alone a fistula.
I have two fistulas, one is vag/rect and mostly quiet and the one on my butt that is nothing but trouble that has been cut open 4 times.
KWalker had a really bad abscess - I think he said it grew to the size of a tennis ball - he had it for three years I think. It was not a fistula. You may want to read his "blood and puss" posting.
The antibiotics help when I have a fever or bad pains from the thing reinfecting. If it is a fistula they won't "fix" it.
When I called my GI and told them that I thought I had an abscess they sent me directly to the surgeon and would not see me for it. It could be different where you are but at my clinic they are pretty excitable if they think you have an abscess let alone a fistula.
I never had any luck taking Flagyl for my fistulas, it would help for awhile, but it never healed them completely and after a couple of weeks it would just stop working. It took me 5 years to find somebody who would do surgery, so I took flagyl off and on in those 5 years.
Funnily enough, I just had surgery, and now have two setons, and am back to taking the flagyl.
Funnily enough, I just had surgery, and now have two setons, and am back to taking the flagyl.
oddly enough I am currently in the hospital for that (came Monday AM to ER) One of the abscesses my butt check greet about half the check and hard as a rock. It had been draining for a week SLOWLY. By GI phoned in antibiotics on WED but the pain just got horrible and the point I cold not walk.
Long story short I am here for 3 days on IV antibiotics and had to have it drained. I am on Cimzia and was scheduled to start Rem tomorrow, but until infection is gone (has been slowly growing for over a month) the GI in hospital says the biologics will not help close the fistulas.
Long story short I am here for 3 days on IV antibiotics and had to have it drained. I am on Cimzia and was scheduled to start Rem tomorrow, but until infection is gone (has been slowly growing for over a month) the GI in hospital says the biologics will not help close the fistulas.
So will the fistulas ever go away?? I can't imagine having these extra holes in my body forever. I am not looking forward to surgery of any kind. My abscess seems to have gotten a lot smaller since the fistulas started to drain, I haven't heard of anyone having them heal on their own....Hope you guys are feeling better soon!!!!
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Hurla - did the doc have you start the antibiotics?
called and left message with his receptionist, im calling back tmrw!!
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that's frustrating! Hope you hear back Thursday.
I had several fistula from my rectum opening onto both butt checks 'pepperpot' bum (and bladder). Agony until they burst. Used to get bowel gas coming out etc. Healing depends on how well established they are. I had mine for years until I gave in and had an ileostomy. Still took a few years to heal post surgery. There are the new drugs specifically designed to help heal fistula I think they are called 'biologics' (infliximab) that were not available when I started with fistula. Best wishes.
I hate when air comes out. Such a weird feeling. I can't get into see my gi til my appt in a week and a half. I hope meds will help
