Abscess stopped draining

I've had an abscess that has been bugging me since May. After rounds of antibiotics it didn't go away. So went and and had surgery to open it up and check for a possible fistula. Good news, no fistula. The abscess was doing fine for the past 4 days but now it's stopped draining and is getting swollen/more painful.

I'm afraid it's coming back, and almost want to open up the scab and make sure it's draining myself.

Is this normal healing? When it was draining it was ALOT of blood/puss. Nasty. Mabye the rest will be re-absorbed by my body?
I just dread the thought of having to back to that asshole surgeon or any other dr. right now.

Thanks

I don't have experience of external abscesses, but the swelling and heat would worry me a bit. I wonder if a heat pad or warm sitz baths might reduce the swelling and encourage more drainage til you can get to see someone?

I'm doing the sitz baths. The first one at home looked like a scene from the movie Carrie. Just a tub of red water..gross. A heating pad is a good idea. If it's still looking like it is I'll call the surgeon or GI on Monday and see what they have to say. if I get a fever I'm headed to the ER. i was warned about sepsis and I'm taking it seriously.

Absolutely, take no chances. Hope it's not all flaring up again and keep us posted. Big hugs.

I go through this every couple weeks. The draining slows down and it starts to fill up. A few days of heating pad and sitz baths seems to help. I squeeze it a bit too - how gross is that? Ew! But hey it works. I have a fistula connected so it may not be exactly the same.

My surgeon never cares about the back up icky stuff, unless I have a fever or the pain is terrible.

I hope this doesn't turn into a fistula...that's what they thought it was originally, draining near my anus causing an abscess. My surgeon said he hopes he isn't opening a can of worms by doing this, but hell, I could hardly stand the pressure/pain before they opened it up.
I had surgery Monday and had to go back Friday and they opened it up a little more under a local (OUCH).
Thank god he gave me pain meds....my GI usually isn't that nice.

I am sorry that you are going through all this. It's not fun. I think it is normal for the draining to slow down some in the days after the surgery. At least it did for me, the first couple days it was lots of icky stuff, then it eased off. It still drained but not as much.

Funny that he said that about opening a can of worms, I thought that if you have an abscess that is not resolving that it had to be lanced.

My surgeon made it sound like abscesses generally result in a fistula in people with crohns. I hope you don't have one...but if you do.... well, they aren't so bad. Annoying but once they put in the seton it helps it not to back up and require more surgeries.

I know the feeling I've recently has an old psoass abcess site on my right quadrant open op, I thought it was just puss for a few days but now passing gas through it so a dreaded fistula, waiting on scans to see where it's connected to but looks like it will be right down near rectum and thinks a colostomy is my best choice.

Gosh, this makes me worry that I have a fistula. I hope not. I'm scared to death of surgeries. I just had my gall bladder out 2 weeks ago..

Please read my "lots of blood/puss" thread. I just went through this big thing in November/December where I had a surgery then had it draining, it closed up and I ended up having a second surgery. I'm about 6 weeks out of my second surgery and I seem to be healing much better but I had a lot of problems even after my first surgery so its definately not something to mess with.

Well they put a seton in today. As far as I can understand now they found the opening near the beginning of my rectum.

Frustrating..but I'm on pain meds so right now it's ok I guess. I'm hoping it will make things better as the area heals some.

Ugh...

I hope you heal up quick. Keep doing the sitz baths.

I hope it heals better this time and the pain meds help take the edge off. Feel better.

Thanks guys. I read the blood/pus post, very close to home, and many of your other threads. I want to say more but I'm still feeling messed up on meds.

It feels like someone shoved a straw up through it...I guess that's how it is the first day or three.

I have been messing with these abcessess for almost 10 years. I have had some drained but the fistula's and pain keep coming back. Unfortunatly, I have not had much relief since. I was on Remicade and that seemed to work a little but I kept having seizure like symptoms and high temperatures. Went to Humaria with no side effects but does not seem to be working.

Currently, I have at least 4 places where the gunk is coming out, gross, once I push and drain them I get a little relief. I use very warm waterin the tub and sit on a heating pad alot which gives some relief also. Going to see my GI tomorrow, to complicate this I just had abdominal component surgery (basically rebuilding your ab muscles as mine split from resection surgery).

Hopefully I can get this under control soon. I as everyone on this board just wants to get their life back.

Wow Scott, that is terrible. I hope things get better for you!! Jonhenry, you as well. Feel better soon guys!

Gabismommy said:

Wow Scott, that is terrible. I hope things get better for you!! Jonhenry, you as well. Feel better soon guys!

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Thanks, GI has put me on Cipro and Flagyl today, feel better I know that it is all in my head as the drugs cannot act that quick...but hey I take anything. Did alot of blood work to see how my B12 and vitaminlevels are. Should no more on Monday.

Yea, I really feel for you guys :-( I hope the C & F combo works for you Scott. They helped heal a bowel/bladder fistula for me.

What does c and f do? I've heard it mentioned a lot.

C&F stands for Cipro and Flagyl. They are both antibiotics.

The one I am on is called Sulfameth. I think it's also
Called bacteine.. I have now been scheduled for surgery on Tuesday to drain and I guess repair. He thinks I have a fistula.

Love the sticky at the top of this forum!
Anyway, I stopped draining again and had it drained and they put in another seton. My normal surgeon is out until the 4th, but I got in on the 5th. His PA guesses he'll want to schedule another surgery for the fistula..ugh..better pain meds help.

I'm kinda getting used to this routine...I just want a few months break so I can change jobs and have time to get new insurance before fall when I have a scope scheduled..

On a weird/gross note, the morning I was going to get it lanced I jumped out of bed quick to run to the toilet and the top part (it was getting almost baseball sized) burst. I thought I sharted, but it was puss chunks and blood with what looked like a little poo..I actually put some in a plastic bag to give to my GI when I see him tomorrow..can't wait to see the look on his face.

C&F suck

Just updating... Saw the surgeon today, he's going to an "exam under anesthesia, fistulotomy possible seton or other indicated procedures." This time it'd be a cutting seton, which I'd have to go back and have tightened, doesn't sound great, but maybe he'll do something different...

Saw my GI on Tuesday last week. He had no interest in my abcess/fistula situation and wanted to leave it to the surgeon. Spent about 5 minutes with me dodging questions before I got pissed and he wormed his way out of the room. I love his PA though, she came back and documented more in my visit record.

So after sharing that visit with my surgeon he said he'd help me find a new GI or consider trying something like remicade to help heal it up. I think once he realized how much this was bothering me he's taken much more interest. I definitely feel like I have more trust in him, WAY more than my GI...

So...wait some more. Off of narcotic pain meds. I'm guessing I should clear my body out a bit before surgery, I'll be on them again and I don't want tolerance/addiction issues.

Keeping my fingers & everything else crossed that you get this all sorted sooner rather than later.
You have had a rough time, all of you & my heart goes out to each & every person who has had these issues. I had surgery last year for an abcess & ended up with another 3 more straight after. It was awful. but they have not plagued me as much this year so there is hope.
Can't believe your GI's behaviour though.
Wonder how he would react to being in your position. Would be nice to change places with our docs, just for a short time so they would know how it feels.