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Diagnosed 8 years ago but now with a new possible diagnosis - thoughts about fistula and abscesses

Wed, January 08, 2020 3:08 PM

Hi all...I was diagnoses around 8 years ago with UC and was also told that there was a "pocket" that could be Crohn's related but never confirmed with biopsy. P.S. This may get just a little graphic but all this stuff related to Crohn's and UC ends up being a little TMI. :) For the past six years, I've had these lumps and they turn into what I would consider an abscess. I can't sit, stand, lay on my side, or walk comfortably when this happens and the odds are that it is going to happen on the weekend and I know that a specialist should see this lump. Then it bursts. Sometimes it is pus and blood and other times, like yesterday, it was blood that I didn't notice till I stood up from the toilet after urinating dripping from my anal area which was definitely bright red but with more a liquidy red after I wiped. Not the usual kind of discharge that I have but I feel that some of it was a bit of pus. I was already on antibiotics for a sinus infection so it may have tamed the growth of this particular abscess. I do have a recurrent fissure but I don't think the infection is coming from there. I did see a new GI doctor today since my UC has been under control for the last six years except for a small flare a couple of years ago. He thinks that this may be related to a fistula or deeper abscess and has ordered an MRI. I would like any thoughts or feedback if anyone has had these types of symptoms and the outcome. I'm thankful for the specialist I saw today. I've been unable to get anyone to respond to my problem and they just kind of write me off for the last five years. That has been super frustrating. My health is relatively good and I'm active so I don't use my healthcare too often but have finally hit a point of "I'm done" and someone has to know what I'm talking about and not brush it off.

sbarca
Joined Nov 1, 2011

Wed, January 08, 2020 6:19 PM

Reply posted for sbarca.

Sounds like a fistula, and I’ve had a lot of experience with those. Sometimes the pressure build up to incredibly painful levels. You can try to pop it, but they usually pop on their own. You can treat them with setons, or as I casually refer to them, drains. Ive got at least two going now. One that is still actively draining to the point I have to keep a gauze bandage on it. I just renewed an antibiotic to try to get the infection under control. See a colorectal surgeon about it.

charbs
Joined Oct 31, 2016

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