Anul fistulas?

Anyone got them or had them? how did you cope? got any tips to ease the discomfort.

Yep... had one for nearly 3 years. My Christmas present one year was to have the *&%$ thing burst having first swollen to the size of a plum - ouch ... but the relief of the pain after it burst was wonderful!!

[and not all anal fistulas by any means are caused by anal sex or other sexual practices... often it is no more than an infected hair follicle or boil that gets out of control. Mine was definitely the hair follicle thing... my butt is strictly exit only!]

Since then I've had two operations and The Thing is still with me but much smaller. I've now given up on surgery for treatment to see if it can be cured by other means. Antibiotics are notoriously poor at getting the root of this particular problem.

You may be different but my experience is that it swells (and hurts), bursts (hurts a lot!) then subsides (no pain) only for the cycle to be repeated. For me this cycle is about every 14 days.

My treatment:
When it bursts (I'm a bit gross in that when it swells I squeeze it and burst it myself because then I can control where and when it bursts) I have a hot bath with some salt dissolved in it (and if I can't have a bath I wash it with soap and apply some antiseptic liquid like TCP).

Then apply Sudocrem ointment (the zinc based barrier ointment frequently used for nappy (diaper) rash). This has the amazing property of working its way INSIDE the fistula even when the opening is very small.

For the first day or so after it has burst I protect it with a pad of cotton wool which greatly eases the discomfort and keeps it clean.

Wash the area very thoroughly at least once a day, especially after having a poo.

Using this system I've greatly reduced the size and discomfort of the fistula.

I posted a question on here about other treatments and the best answer seemed to be a plantain poultice - when I can get some plantains I will give it a try. The main problem is that fistulas heal at the outside and trap some of the infection inside so that they come back again and again (surgery is designed to lay the whole thing open so it heals from the inside out - not that it worked for me!). Anything that keeps it open and "weeping" will help it heal from the inside - which is how I found Sudocrem to be so good.

Good luck!

I think you meant anal fistula.....it's a condition where by a tear occured inside the lining of the rectum. And over a period of time, bacteria gather on the tear and start eating through the wall and create a separate tunnel on the buttock. You will require surgery and some time to recover. The chances of recurring is high and you might need to be operated again. This could occur for some people who involve with agressive anal sexual activities. Unlike the skin on our body the lining of the rectum does not recover easily or quickly. You need to abstain from anal sex for a long time and be extra gentle should you decide to do it again. For others changes of diet is very important. High fibre diet ease the passing of stool as oppose to abrasive spicy diet.

you need to go to the doctor and get antibiotics to kill the bacteria. Also buy at your local drug store Stool Softener, that way you don't have to put and aggravate the fistula. Also try anal ointment for lubrication. What worked for me also was cleansing the rectum every time I went to the restroom to do number 2. But get some anti-biotic cause the fistulas can really be a pain in the butt.