# Anal Boils



## painbgone (May 27, 2007)

Hi all,Anyone go through this ordeal. I woke up one morning with a hard lump right next to the anus. I really got scared--this has never happened to me before. I was also running a temp of 100. Thank goodness I got an appt. to see the colon/rectal surgeon that day. He said (after anoscope & partial sig) that I have a boil (due to infected hair follicle). I was put on two strong antibiotics--Keflex and Flagyl. Then to put polysporin ointment on the boil. Wow, is this uncomfortable! Anyone else experience this? It is not soft or draining yet, it has only been 2 days. I see the dr again in a week.Please let me know how long this take to heal and what you had to do.Thanks


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## 14048 (Mar 1, 2007)

Painbgone, you are lucky. My "boil" turned out to be a fistula that I just had surgically repaired a few days ago. If you sit on a heating pad, the heat should help bring it to a head so it will drain. I am surprised the doctor did not open it so that it would drain and relieve the pressure so that the pain would be gone. Good luck, hope it turns out okay for you. GadJett


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## Prudy (Jan 21, 2006)

Sitting in a tub of hot as you can stand it water.. or putting your butt into a sitz bath if you have one.. for three to four times a day ... will help this to open and start draining.. My GI even suggested once the abscess opens to apply pressure to help to drain more.. You can do this with a sterile 4x4 ... gauze pad.. I did it every time I used my sitz and when I used the bathroom.. doesn't sound pleasant.. but it does help it to drain once it is open.. Let it open first .. though before you do that.. I don't recommend pushing on any infection before it has started to drain..


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## overitnow (Nov 25, 2001)

You may also get some relief from applying tea tree oil onto it. It will absorb into the skin and kills bacteria. Mark


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## painbgone (May 27, 2007)

Man, these antibiotics make me nauseous. Dr. made me stop the Flagyl because I was getting tingling in my one foot--found out this drug can cause neuropathy.So now, just on Keflex, but my stomach is queasy. Took some Bonine to help with dizziness and nausea.Did you all take antibiotics when you had the peri-anal boils? I'm hoping they will just shrink up and go away--or am I dreaming??????


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## Feisty (Aug 14, 2000)

You need the antibiotics, at least for now, because of the fever you have/had. The fever is a sign that you have an infection. The very warm sitz baths or sitting in the tub in very warm water several times a day will help it to open and drain. The heating pad is a good idea, too, if you don't like to sit in the tub.Try to eat some easy to digest foods when taking the antibiotics. It may help you to not feel quite as nauseous by keeping something light in your stomach. Also, if you can tolerate yogurt with live cultures, then try some of that, too.


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## NancyCat (Jul 16, 1999)

Ouch







I've had similar things but on my buttocks. What might help you is to use a sitz bath (they sell one that fits over the toilet seat at many drug stores) or buy one of those hard plastic patio resin chairs (the ones that stack into each other) put it in the tub put on your shower and lean over and let the warm water go over the area for 10 minutes marning & evening.Regarding the antibiotics, if the area is infected you need them. I have GI issues when i take them too. My gastro suggested that I take the product cultrelle which is acidopholas which puts good bacteria back into your stomach. Nausea is a common side effect, it will pass. For now take the med with food and maybe munch on saltines.I tend to get a lot of blocked oil glands and ingrown hairs in that area. I do the shower thing when I feel one coming, also warm compresses. Sometimes you can catch it before it gets infected and it will re-absorb back into your body.Another suggestion: I work for an opthalmologist and we see people who get blocked oil glands in their eyelids which form cysts and get infected. We tell people to take 1,000 units of flax-seed oil an odorless gel cap sort of pill. The theory is that this supplement makes the bacteria less friendly towards flaring up & causing infection. Its also a mild anti-inflammatory. Dont take it if you take blood thinners like coumadin.Hope this helps PS-Don't take the flaxseed oil while you are on the antibiotics. My gastro said some people get nauseaus from flaxseed oil, (I dont) and in that case it wouldnt be appropriate for you, especially now


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## Prudy (Jan 21, 2006)

Yes.. most take antibotics when having issues like this.. 95% of the time the bacteria is E-Coli .... Any medication unless stated to be taken on an empty stomach should be taken with food.. Especially Keflex ... that is what I took in March when I had my abscess.. I eat yogurt daily anyway.. but I made sure I took my pill with my meals.. Having IBS-D already.. I wasn't about to wish more on myself.. I did well with it only had minimal problems.. and had to take it for 10 days... of 1000 mg per day... It is important to take the meds.. the infection can go into your blood stream otherwise.. and I don't think you want that.. it is serious and would require hospitalization... I highly recommend the sitz baths like I mentioned before.. they are soothing to say the least.. but it will help the are to soften and open up to drain.. that will relieve the pressure but also let the infection drain out..put a small 4x4 there when it does start to catch the pus.. and you can put the antibotic ointment on it like your doctor recommends... at the same time.. Once the pressure is relieved it should feel better.. it will feel raw for awhile until it heals.. but if you keep doing the sitz baths.. that will ensure that all the pus is draining out and not building up to form again.. as it heals up... Some of us talk from experience with these.. I am one..


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## sirjohn (Sep 29, 2009)

I've had a number of these type boils, one I drained everyday for several months, had puss or clear fluid in it everday. Others just burst and went away. Had one that wasn't on the outside but was deeper in my rectum. (I felt it tear open when I was lifting a heavy weight, like a small balloon letting out air). It would produce foul smelling clear liquid, and continually leak out for several days before it was done. I could push on the side of of my rectum just underneath my scrotum, and get more liquid to come out. It stopped and healed up in less then a week.I also have had a number of boils on my back. Never went to the doctor or got any antibiotics for any of these, just popped themwith a razor and let them heal. This has been over the last 30 years.My skin sensitivity all over my body had gotten so bad, I finally went to a dermatologist about a month ago. He said I had dermititus on my face and chest, and staph infection on my back side.Gave me augmentine for an antibiotic, and clindamycine to put on the spots on my back. Also desonide cream for my chest. And mupirocin ointment to place in my nose. Selenium Sulfate shampoo to use on my head and chest. And hibicleans soap to use on my back where the staph is.


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## sirjohn (Sep 29, 2009)

My mom said it was pretty amazing I could have had staph infection for so long(30 years) and not have it kill me or do some serious damage.It may have been even longer, I may have been born with staph infection, I'm not sure. I just remember getting boils and large pimples in different parts of my body as long as I can remember.


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## sirjohn (Sep 29, 2009)

The augmentine, gave me massive continual diarriah (I have IBS Constant constipation) to the point where it was difficult to breath. Thought maybe I was going to die.I stopped taking all laxatives, but just the augmentine (and possibly in combination with the clindamycine as it can give you diarriah to it says on the directions) gave me constant diarriah.The constant diarriah dehydrates me all the time. I try and drink some pedialyte to replace electrolites. But it's very hard to control.After almost a month on the augmentine, I"m off it for 4 days and am suppose to see the dermatologist today. The dermititus on my head and chest has pretty much gone. The pimples/boils on my back are much better. The dermitologist said before It take a long time to get rid of the staph infection.In the last 4 days since I stopped taking the augmentine, I became constipated again. And had to go back to my 8 doses of mirilax, I'm taking 2 table spoons of MOM with it this time, rather the 3 senna everyday. Since my skin is better, cause the MOM seemed to make my skin break out more.


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## sirjohn (Sep 29, 2009)

dermatologist said my staph infection was pretty much gone.Like I said I don't know how long I had this staph. But about, 15 years ago I stopped bathing everyday. As my skin seemed to be drying out all the time. I use to work in a reasturant cooking in a hot kitchen and smoke cigarettes. And would end up putting vaseline on my body all the time. Especially a lot of it before I did bathe. (dermatologist told me that was a mistake, to use aquaphilic loation after bathing)Since I got the IBS, about 8 months ago, I was going without bathing for a week or more or changing my clothes. I was just to depressed to clean up. This really seemed to increase my skin problems.Now, I bathe everyday, and use the special soap from the doctor.I put on clean clothes everyday too. Its really hard to find clothes I can wear though that dont make itch because of my sensitive skin.So I have to worry about wearing my clothes out, and having nothing to wear.I have so many problems, from urination, to my clothes. I'm really surprised I haven't gone insane or commited suicide.


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## BQ (May 22, 2000)

Sir John watch what you wash your clothes in as well.. you might have problems with harsher detergents.Yes keeping yourself clean can make you feel so much better on many levels... so it is worth the effort.Try to stick to cotton clothing and make sure you wash anything new first before wearing it.Glad you are done with the antibiotics now. Hopefully your gut will calm down some now. Keep us posted.


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