Perianal abcess...has anyone ever had one????

[PainInTheButt08]

Hi,

Name change for privacy. Please, please if anyone has experience of a perianal abcess could you comment here as I am spiralling ☹☹

I've had what I thought was a little spot between my bum cheeks (sorry TMI) for maybe a couple of weeks, thought it would go away. Some days a little painful, others not. Today pain has sort of radiated to my bum cheek around where the spot is...got a mirror and had a look and it isn't red or angry looking, just looks like an under-the-skin kind of spot. I googled (dammit) and think it sounds like a perianal abcess.

I've since read a load of horror stories about it - the worst pain anyone has ever experienced etc - and that i will definitely need surgery if it is one. Has anyone had one and not needed surgery - or has and its been fine?! Sorry I'm such a wimp, never had surgery or GA before and feeling really scared and alone because I'm I'm embarrassed to talk to anyone 😭😭 I'm 28yo by the way, no pregnancies or anything.

Thank you so much in advance for any support or advice...going to ring Dr's at 8am tomorrow when they open. Xxx

Yes I had one. Yes it was quite sore but not the worst pain ever! I had it operated on (when I was 18). Recovery took about 2 weeks to heal, I haven’t thought about it since! (That’s almost 20 years!)

My ds had one a couple of years ago. Gp decided to leave it initially and give antibiotics but he ended up needing surgery.

As a hospital nurse I have seen patients with rectal abscesses and they all progressed to surgical treatment as they were serious enough to need it but they all say the recovery is better than how they felt before the procedure-we provided IV antibiotics and pain Rx and dressing changes. It's understandable to be nervous but you'll do well! Best of luck

If it's up between your bum cheeks rather than directly on or around your bum hole it sounds more like a pilonidal cyst to me.

Thank you all so so so much for your replies, I appreciate it SO much. I've worked clinically for the NHS myself treating patients with things far worse who were so brave, so I feel like such a big baby!!!

I think I am more worried about the recovery than the surgery having read a few horror stories on here. @Myeyeballsareonfire and @EKGEMS you have made me feel a bit better about this!! Totally a first world problem but I am sad that it might ruin my Christmas (last year was awful due to a family cancer diagnosis on 23rd December so was looking forward to a better one this year ☹). How was recovery and changing dressings/using the toilet etc? So glad to hear yours healed quickly @Myeyeballsareonfire !! 🙌🙌

@Babyroobs so sorry to hear your ds had this, hope he is much better now ❤

@NewHopeNow it's closer to that area but still between the cheeks, not as high as a pildonial cyst (I think I'd rather have one of them ☹)

Xxx

Both my sons had one as babies - one diagnosed at 3 weeks and one at 5 weeks. One had two saucerisation ops; one just had about two months of antibiotics and managed to avoid surgery. The issue was obviously packing the wound to avoid it healing over incorrectly but we had the help of a district nurse visiting to check it was ok - can you ask for a couple of reviews whilst it’s healing, maybe?

Thank you @Purplepeoniesdroppingpetals (love the name BTW 😊) - wondering whether months of antibiotics might be an option 👀🤔 or maybe that's just for little ones. I will definitely ask for reviews, even if I have to pay private because I know the NHS is really struggling at the moment and I don't want to waste their time but I definitely think I'll need some help. Partner would be an amazing help but he works away a lot.

Wondering if it'll be a quick surgery or if they can let me hang on until after Xmas 👀👀 xx

Yeah, you want want to know my husbands story then

I thought i had that but it was more of a boil in the end, and from what i looked up on line the absess gets worse.
I was in a lot of pain tho and it got infected. I had 4-5 salt baths a day and kept it super clean. Cotton underwear changed a few times a day and cotton dressing too.
It took a couple of weeks to clear and was very sore but it did.

Hi
I'm a surgical Advanced nurse practitioner, I see these almost daily. Your GP can take a look and if appropriate try you on a short course of antibiotics, if that doesn't work you will need a small operation. It's a short procedure and a quick recovery period

In most but not all cases

Some respond to oral antibiotics, some can be done under local but some do need a general. Literally take 5mins to do in theatre, but the healing takes time, most abscesses require packing to heal and you are at risk of reoccurrence or a fistula, but more than likely not, they’re very very common!

Thanks so much everyone for your comments, GP has given me antibiotics as some people have mentioned 😊 unfortunately I managed to pick up a bug day I was due to start them but already feeling a lot better, spot type thing is still there but pain has reduced a lot!! Will go back to GP if doesn't continue improving after antibiotics but fingers crossed.

Thank you so much for your comments, you have reassured me more than you know Xxx

I was diagnosed with a pilonidal cyst 13 years ago, was awful. Couldn’t even sit down and it gave me a fever and made me feel awful. I had antibiotics and it slowly shrank. A year later is flared up again, this time it after antibiotics it burst - let’s not go there. I was all set for this to keep recurring and… nothing since. So it’s not set in stone these sort of things will require surgery by any means!

I’ve got something similar brewing at the moment. What’s the difference between a perinatal abcess and a boil?

Mine is at the area where my upper thigh and buttocks join, just behind where my labia start.