So, Who's had a Perianal abscess?

[MyMorningHasBroken]

I think I may have one. Woke up yesterday with tender bump/lump in that area, however, although it's painful to touch, it's not mega painful and certainly not in any excruciating pain. It's swollen red and a bit itchy.
Pretty sure it's not haemorrhoids as I'm used to those and not in same location.
I had an abscess in the same location when I was a child but nothing since.
So, I'm trying to hold on and see if it gets more painful as abscesses are supposed to right?

[Assam]

Me!
Turned into a fistula which i just had repaired after 18 months of agony & bleeding every time I went to the Loo. All healed nicely thank god

[MyMorningHasBroken]

Assam, was it really painful at first or did it 'evolve'?
I really don't want to go to the Dr as I *have to get to placement tomorrow for assignment due it ect ect....I'm wondering if I can hold on until next week if not in too much pain.

[MyMorningHasBroken]

..and glad you are healing well and have it all getting better :)
I know I was about 3 and hospitalised when I had one as a child, can't remember much more.

[nulgirl]

I had one about 15 years ago right on my coccyx. It started off annoying and then became absolute agony. I ended up having to have a operation to remove it and have a district nurse "pack" it for weeks to ensure that it healed correctly. The next time I suspected that it was starting I hot-footed to the doctor ASAP to get antibiotics which seemed to stop it growing too big.

I haven't had another one since thankfully but it was honestly sorer than childbirth...

[MyMorningHasBroken]

:( poor you nulgirl. That doesn't sound fun. \maybe I'll hot foot...

[Assam]

No it developed slowly, I thought the pain was piles, it was only when i developed the fistula the consultant said there was an abcess (which had healed by then 🙄) BTW the gp who examined me several times thought it was my episiotomy (sp?) scar opening up! Couldn't have been more wrong and massively delayed treatment.
As a pp has said antibiotics stopped it in its tracks, id go with that
Poor you [masses of sympathy]

[MyMorningHasBroken]

Thanks Assam, I'm going to get my assignment in tomorrow AM and work and then I'll call and hope it's all sorted by Monday
I wonder if it's possible for something like that form after many years ? (probably not) but interesting my old abscess was in the same place I think. (that's like 30 + years ago though so doubt it! )
Yes, I had an epistiotomy but that is further forward I think.
Oh what a lovely conversation! Dreading having people look down there again. I have a whole lot of piles to greet them too! :(

[HumphreyCobblers]

Go to the doctor asap. I went in and was told it was piles. "It really hurts" "yes, well piles DO hurt"

Three days and a lot of pain later I was admitted and operated on, but left with a fistula that needed a seaton stitch and SIX GA to fix. Grim

If I had been correctly diagnosed to begin with I wouldn't have had such problems.

[YvaineStormhold]

Me. I was a twenty year old university student.

I went to the doctor and was told it was piles.

I was in total agony - it got bigger and bigger and then one day I was at home visiting my mum and I slipped on the stairs, landed on my arse and it burst everywhere.

I still didn't go to the doctors - I spent weeks leaking blood and pus until it healed up by itself.

It came back seven years later, and again another seven after that. Being a bit older and wiser, I was straight on the antibiotics both times, but the pain was still horrendous until it burst. Hot cloths and hot baths helped.

I have been left with a small fistula, but the GP thinks that to interfere with it would make things worse ( it rarely gives me any trouble these days) so I'm just hoping after twenty two years I'm done with it.

[MyMorningHasBroken]

Humphrey, been quite lucky with my piles (had since about 18 and quite a lot) but they rarely hurt or bother me which is why I'm sure this isn't one of them for me. I know lots have a lot of pain with them but in my case not so.

Also this 'thing' is further out than them.

[MyMorningHasBroken]

Yvain - that sounds horrendous. 7 is the perfect number!

[milkjetmum]

Get down the docs, dh had one, fistula tracked up rather than out and perforated his bowel in two places. bowel op number 5 booked for October...

I thought he had man flu

[Assam]

Ah yes, my fistula came out exactly where you'd expect the episiotomy to be.
I wonder if there's a problem diagnosing this then if thats two of us...
I know what you mean about being investigated down thete...desperation was the only thing that lead me back to the gp several times. That said the registrar, consultant and everyone were absolutely lovely.
Sympathy for all of us

[MyMorningHasBroken]

milk - that's some proper manflu!! I do hope he recovers well from his op coming up. Good luck with all of that

The last thing that I want to do is tell my mother I have an anal abscess and can she look after the kids as she'll be on the phone to all her friends right away to gossip about pray for me. Gotta keep this one quiet.

[milkjetmum]

Haha yes we don't use the words anal fistula in front of the children otherwise all the school and nursery will know. Dad has a poorly leg

[MyMorningHasBroken]

the extremity of the leg?

[gobbin]

Yes me, mine was due to Crohns. It came up like a barrage balloon over a few days, was exquisitely painful until it went bang overnight and then drained constantly for about 9 years and kept at bay by daily antibiotics. Infliximab infusions for the Crohns finally saw it off.

[MyMorningHasBroken]

Mine seems to have gone down now, so I'm going to sit on it and see. Did you have lots of tummy aches with Crohns gobbin?
Just wondering as I've a lot of mucous and I hardly ever get normal bowel movements now. (either constipated or the opposite) but no stomach aches. Was wondering if it could be something like that.

[gobbin]

No, I lost a lot of weight quickly and had diarrhoea when usually I'd go 3 times a week. Bowel pain came later with adhesions and blockages. If you're passing mucous, got an abcess and irregular bowels it'd def be worth a trip to the GP to check it all out.

[BettyCrystal]

Antibiotics. Kept mine at bay a few times, had draining another couple of times. Was chronic for 5 years until it became acute, burst & had draining in hospital.
Fistula now. In final stage of surgery after another 5 years. Hopefully it will heal up once & for all... Not to scare you! But get it seen too.

[BettyCrystal]

Seen to, obvs.

[BettyCrystal]

Yvaine, falling on my arse is my number one fear. Especially when I had a cutting seton in place... cold sweat

[MyMorningHasBroken]

Interesting Gobbin. I'll mention it when I go - I've lost 3 stone this past year but that was intentional really though it's come off easier than I thought. Also read that Hidradentis supportiva sp? can be linked to Crohns.
How do you mean 'chronic' Betty vs acute? Was it just kind of lingering ?
My other boil has a similar cycle. It flares up, drains, goes down and I have a scar there, repeats every few weeks. Because it (and the other new one) just seem to disappear I forget about it until they come back but have scars in both places. (one in groin, one on buttock) The 'abscess' inside is the latest. :(

Also, regarding HS I've just come on today! ( mentioned earlier these boils come before period.Strange)

[Drquin]

Do you think the HS has improved with weight loss? I had a HS diagnosis overseas, which UK doc went along with ......
Whilst a lot of info says it's not a problem solely for the overweight, I've found mine got much better as I've lost 4 stone this year. Might be coincidence ..... Hoping not!

Anyway, back to you OP ..... Hope it calms down

[BettyCrystal]

Chronic as in cycles similar to yours. Like an inactive volcano! It would flare up, anti-bs or draining. There was a scar, kind of a black mark always there. After 5 years it blew up badly, surgery then... A fistula.
Lived with that, but same thing. It flared up, say once a year. The surgery is being done in stages, so hopefully it will eventually be cured. But the area's never going to right again. Might as well sell my bike!