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History: Crohn's, Sacroilitis, ruptured appendix, several fistulas into the psoas muscle, all resected with hemicolectomy and doing well since.  On sulfasalazine for the sacroilitis (although Humira is being recommended.)

I have gone to the gyn nurse practitioner twice for this: (sorry it is all pretty gross)

Started with a lump adjacent to my vaginal opening.  It eventually drained a huge amount of white drainage.  Since that time the area is small, firm and drains pink to red drainage, just spots at times or general pink drainage. That was 2 years ago and it is still there, lately I get little pimple like sores that pop and go away.  I went to my gyn twice for this and both times she just said, "I dont see anything but come back if it starts to drain."  Well they are always draining!  I felt like she just didnt want to deal with it.  Anyway, I am at a loss as to what to do.  Also, I need to start Humira and I want to get this cleared up so they do not worsen or get infected.

Any ideas?

 Reply posted for SaraMS1017.

I also meant to add that even when this area isn't causing problems, it is still hard (feels like scar tissue or something) and one spot is tender to the touch. 

 Reply posted for LIN.

After reading this thread, I am beginning to think I have an abcess in the rectal area. It has been there for quite some time, although sometimes it goes away on it's on. I was just diagnosed with Crohns in Nov 09 and I know for a fact my gastro. doctor saw it, but she never put a name on it and all she said was "the bottom region is usually more difficult to heal." I started Pentasa right away and then switched to sulfasalazine in Jan. because the pentasa was way too expensive. It did get better while on these drugs and hasn't been a problem until this week. Now it is inflamed again, very tender and painful and up until yesterday, it was draining pinkish fluid. Now it is even more painful but not draining anything. Does this sound like an abcess?? Will it go away on its own like it has in the past? Any advice would be great. This is all still relatively new to me and I hate everything about this stupid disease.

 Reply posted for LIN.

I had a perianal abcess years before I was dx with Crohn's. It was drained and continued to drain off and on for years and there was a hard pea sized lump there for years.  No one ever mentioned Crohn's to me at the time, which still makes me cringe when I think of how an early diagnosis could have saved me so much pain and illness.  Anyway, it was never resolved until eventually I got another abcess, developed high fevers and other Crohn's symptoms, and was diagnosed with Crohn's and put on Remicade and Imuran. The Remicade cleared them up completely. The opening is still there and it drained off and on for a while but it hasn't bothered me in a very long time. According to CT scan, the fistula has completely healed b/c of the Remicade. It was a miracle for me!

The best advice I ever got from a GI was - "When you notice these symptoms (abcess symptoms), don't let anyone tell you that this is "just" an abcess. This is all part of Crohn's and should be treated as part of Crohn's."  If your Gyn doesn't get it, it may be because he or she doesn't have the background in IBD. I would recommend your GI or even a colorectal surgeon take a thorough look at you. I had a wonderful colorecetal surgeon (who was female - thank god) and took such good care of me. All of the procedures to open and drain the abcesses were painless. She was very respectful and made me feel comfortable. I know how embarrasing it is but really, it's part of the disease and should be taken very seriously. Good luck!!!

 Reply posted for LIN.

Oh I feel your' pain.  I have small bumps near my groin area and one around my rectal area. They have gone up and down over the years and sometimes they really drain alot of fluid and others they are just small hard masses.  I too have been too embarrassed to show my gastro but I think I really should.  I did speak to my regular physician and show one of them to him and he tried treating it with antibiotics with little results.  I think since there seem to be so many of us who are experiencing this then it probably or could be something related to the crohns and really should be addressed to the gastro and not the derma or reg. phys.  I know it sucks but I figure I have had three kids and god only knows how many people were down there poking around when I gave birth so I would think I would be able to suck it up and let my gastro take a look at it LOL.  This disease is so embarrassing in so many ways. 

 Reply posted for LIN.

I was diagnosed with peri-anal Crohn's in 2000.  I developed a small pea sized bump under my skin in the perineal area in 2001.  I also had the gyn doc look @ it and no one could tell me what it was.  It was eventually diagnosed as a fistula that was opened to the skip from my rectum.  Over the years I have since developed an additional 3 in the same region.  I attempted a surgery around 2005 called a fistula plug for the first fistula.  It was not successful due to some inflammation in the rectum at the time of surgery.  I have had them abscess and rupture several times over the years.  All I can advise is sitz baths with betadine and talk to your doctor about Humira.  I have been taking Humira for about a year and a half now and 2 of the fistulas have closed.  They are very stubborn and take a very long time to heal (at least for me). 

 Reply posted for atmchick.

oh, I just can't stand the thought of going to the dermatologist over this.  I am just sick of doctors.  The GI, the Rheumatologist, the dermatologist, the GYN, the inernist. 

 Reply posted for LIN.

I have gotten the same thing around my pelvic area!  Derma does not know what it is but has drained it twice. 

 Reply posted for chas7999.

Thanks for the help, not a carbuncle, but between the vagina and anus.  Thus the issue,(not willing to show it to by GI or dermatologist) my gyn does not "see it", although it is firm, relatively painless and drains very small amounts of pink to red drainage.  But now I get an occasional hard pustule in the area that clears up within a few days.  I think maybe it did start as an abcess.  (at the time I had abcesses in other parts of my body and had a ruptured appendix, so I kind of thought it could be something migrating out??)

I read that people with IBD can get perineal sores, could this be what they are referring to?

I guess what I need is a better gyn, it just takes all my effort to get up the nerve to go there (doctor phobia) and then when she just shrugs and "cant see it" I go home and worry over it and try to get up the nerve to go in again. 

I need a better GYN.

 Reply posted for LIN.

Are these bumps in the area of your pubic hair?  If so, or if not, they may be abcesses known as furuncles or carbuncles (spelling may be off on those), could be fistula's too, but doesn't sound like the bumps are draining stool or urine.  Maybe try seeing a dermatologist-if they are abcesses or boils they may be able to drain them, get rid of the infection, and lance them so that they don't come back-because of your IBD you're not going to heal up from an abcess or boil like a regular person-it could be that this is the problem-and the abcess just keeps abcessing.  No matter what it is, sounds painful and like you really could use some help getting rid of this-try getting in with a dermatologist--Good luck!