Poll: Any connection between out-of-the-country travel and developing fistulas?

[Thirdtime]

I am wondering about this. I'm not sure there's a connection, but I would like to see if there is - possibly.

I can state that I did travel outside of my country (U.S.) and I did develop a fistula(s). The travel came first.

This most recent fistula happened after travel outside the U.S.

Not sure how to take this poll here, but am wondering:

Who has a fistula that has never traveled outside of their own country?

How many of us have fistulas and would say they developed one but had traveled outside of the country prior to it occuring? (Maybe the travel was days, weeks or even years - just want to know if there's any correlation between the two).

Thanks for any replies.

 

[Sailorluna]

My fistulas were not related to being out of the country.

 

[Thirdtime]

Never out of the U.S. - anywhere?

Sailor, I want to make sure I understand correctly. So you developed fistula(s) but you have never traveled out of the US - or else you developed a fistula before you ever traveled out of the country? Do I have that right?

Thanks for taking the time to respond.

(I am from MN too)

 

[Jennifer]

If it helps at all, I've never had a fistula and have traveled out of the country a few times. Although when I do travel (except for my first trip out of the US) either to another country or state I tend to get sick with either strep throat (I'm more than likely a type C strep carrier though) or an ear infection.

 

[KWalker]

I've never had a fistula but I had a serious abscess and I've never been out of the country... well far

 

[Thirdtime]

Crabby and KWalker - thanks for chiming in too... all of this is helpful.

 

[Heather_D]

I developed a fistula about a year after traveling outside the US; however I also started Cimzia around the same time.

 

[Thirdtime]

Heather - that's interesting... this last one I developed came about 3 months after travel outside of the U.S. Since we don't know / Doctors don't know what causes this, I think it makes sense to look at everything, including travel. I wonder if some of us that are susceptible to having intestinal ulcers/fistulas are more likely to get them if we travel and are exposed to the "bugs" from another country. I would think most people could travel fine and maybe exprience diarrhea but perhaps nothing more. Even my very first fistula came "after" travel outside the U.S.

I appreciate your reply... thank you!

 

[Heather_D]

Thirdtime - It's definitely an interesting thought. I agree that everything should be explorered since there is no known cause for any of this. I felt better for the week I was there, however it was my honeymoon so I was stress free for the first time in months!

 

[eilsew]

I have lived out of the country (US) for the past 8 years, and in four different countries, and have visited more countries than I can count, and have never had a fistula. I cannot fathom there being a correlation.

 

[Thirdtime]

Absence of fistulas

Thanks for your reply to this. Since you've not had a fistula then perhaps you are not prone to them? For those of us who have them and have traveled out of the country prior to getting them, there could be a correlation. That is what I want to learn.

Doctors today have no idea what causes this problem and unless you've had one, you can't know how uncomfortable and sometimes quite embarassing it can be. I don't wish it on anyone. I am going through drastic measures to get rid of mine - a temporary ostomy is my path for this.

A person really needs to have a sense of humor about it all if they do have one. I hope you never have to learn what it's like. Medicine has come a long way but it still has so much to learn and we don't have the "big picture" on this yet. In fact, I think it was just in the relatively recent past that they discovered that some ulcers could be treated with antibiotics. We still have so much to learn.

Thanks for your opinion - I appreciate the response. All opinions matter.

 

[Grumbletum]

Won't do any harm to explore all areas, I guess. I lived abroad for over 20 years, returning to the UK in 2007. First Crohns flare in 2010, with abscess and enterovesical fistula.

 

[Thirdtime]

Thanks Grumbletum

Interesting. Yours came after too... Thanks for responding.

 

[xX_LittleMissValentine_Xx]

I have thought about this, but had the idea of it being to do with being in an aeroplane and something to do with the pressure rather than the microbes.

 

[Thirdtime]

Thanks for posting a reply little Miss Valentine. So, if you have/ had a fistula, would you say it came after travel out of the country? (Even if it was years and years later). Which came first?

Your thought is interesting too...

 

[Sailorluna]

sorry about my delay in answering your question. I have fistulas and had never been out of the country.

 

[xX_LittleMissValentine_Xx]

I developed a fistula about a year before I first went on a plane. But I have been travelling outside the country all my life. But I have never been outside of Europe, usually only France.