Fistula

I am going in for an MRI next week to check for a fistula in my anus. Anyone ever had one of these? What did they do to treat it? (my GI said possibly new medications....)

The only real treatment for fistula are medications. Depending on how sever it is, your doctor may put you on flagyl (an antibiotic) or Remicaide is pretty good with fistula. I have had my fistulas for a year now because they seem to be unresponsive to medication, so I had a temporary ileostomy at least in part to let the fistulas heal (I think this is a very last ditch treatment).

Hope your MRI goes well.

My fistula was near my exit, but on the outside.
I was on Flagyl and Cipro whcih did keep it dormant for a while, but eventually I had to have surgery to have it removed.
Good luck with the MRI, let us know how it turns out.

Have a look in my story for fistulas, I'm not sure if you male or female.
Antibiotics usually clear up the infections in the fistulas (abcesses) but they generally don't close the cavities. Infliximab works wonders for fisulas, but docs don't prescribe it unless nothing else works.

Surgery (draining and the new proceedure with little drains, can't remember the name of it), is usually the only way of permenantly getting rid of them.

Good luck with your MRI, hopefully it's only one. they'll treat it with Flagyl (antibiotic). Just remember, don't drink while on Flagyl. They don't mix well....

Hiya Erin, I've just had an ileostomy for my fistulas too.

yup ive had anal fistulas as well. fun little suckers arent they?

remicade took care of my first one quite nicely, but then it stopped working for me after some years and more popped up. ive been on both flagyl and cipro for them and had a lot of surgical drainings for them, like danman mentioned.

they can either insert 1) a seton which is a small thread that will keep the tract open so the pus will not collect. 2) a rubber drain which is much like a seton but is rubber and slightly larger in diameter. 3) a penrose drain which is a plasticy tube- much like the shape of a ziti noodle. i think they only do this when the fistula opening becomes very large though.

there might be more but these are the three things i have had done before. any questions ask away! that was probably a lot of info. good luck!

kello82 said:

yup ive had anal fistulas as well. fun little suckers arent they?

remicade took care of my first one quite nicely, but then it stopped working for me after some years and more popped up. ive been on both flagyl and cipro for them and had a lot of surgical drainings for them, like danman mentioned.

they can either insert 1) a seton which is a small thread that will keep the tract open so the pus will not collect. 2) a rubber drain which is much like a seton but is rubber and slightly larger in diameter. 3) a penrose drain which is a plasticy tube- much like the shape of a ziti noodle. i think they only do this when the fistula opening becomes very large though.

there might be more but these are the three things i have had done before. any questions ask away! that was probably a lot of info. good luck!

Click to expand...

Thanks for the explanation Kello, I couldn't remember the name of the Setons.

I was due get them inserted during my last hospital visit. They were going to try and insert them while I was in surgery for my Ileostomy, but for some reason they couldn't get them in.

I've had a couple of surgeries the old fashioned way by simply draining the abscess and packing them for a few months after.

Fistulas haver been the worst part of my Crohn's journey. They have been the bane of my life for the past 12 or so years.
Since my Ileostomy 6 weeks ago, they are totally gone now. I can still feel an itch in the effected areas, but this is a normal feeling in the healing process.

I wish I could put some sort of positive spin on fistulas, but unfortunately I can't. All I'll say is that as soon as you feel one starting, go to you Doc for antibiotics. The earlier you get the infection sorted out the better.

I also have 3 of them that just will not clear up.
Been on cipro,flagyl,remi.nothing seems to work at this point.
Been avoiding surgery (ileostomy) for 3yrs now and I think my time
has definitely ran out.

They are literary are big pain in the ass...

How accurate is an MRI and exam under anaesthesia at diagnosing a fistula. My son had one and they said it is gone but the reason his abscess remains is that it closes too fast on the outside. He now has a penrose drain that is keeping it open and his pain is finally low. I am just curious about what meds to go on once the abscess heals. He takes pentasa and we added Entocort a month ago. His scopes and video capsule only show crohns in his ileum and jejunum. Not even microscopic evidence on biopsy anywhere else.

Thanks!