What happens when a fistula first forms? Is the output constant or intermediate? Is it really straight poo, or watered down? Does it smell poo-like or vaginal?

I've got a doctor's appointment scheduled for Thursday to try to figure out what's going on. What started as a watery, clear, odorless discharge has become an almost constant watery brown discharge. AND I have soreness down there, but I don't know from what!

Any thoughts?

Gin

I'll be honest, I am not in the habit of smelling it, but I have, and while it doesn't smell exactly like stool, it doesn't smell like a normal, everyday vaginal discharge.
My leakage does vary. Some days I have none, other days are another story. It definitely comes and goes and I don't know a great reason to give you other than the consistency of my stool does have an influence. It isn't always the exact same color, but generally similar to the color of stool.
Sometimes I have an achy feeling internally, which I suspect is just irritation or inflammation inside the fistula tract. I think one of the biggest clues of determining a vaginal fistula is passing air. There is just no getting around that for any other rational possibility.

I hope you get some answers. My GI has not, still to this day, been able to visualize my fistula, but my surgeon has no problem. Lucky him.

I have had an Rv fistula for probably 8 yrs or so. I have tried to have it repaired 2x and it wasn't successful. I have never gotten any infection from it and basically it isn't too problematic. Has anyone heard of NOT doing anything about it? As long as I watch my diet it doesn't 'flare up'.

I think it can vary. People talk about having fistulas for years, but when I had mine, it was constant output and the most painful thing I have ever experienced. I was in the hospital when it happened and they rushed me in for another ostomy the next day. I had to sit up all night long holding a rag there and tossing it down when it was wet. I filled up the linen carts a couple times. It would not stop and it was the same output you'd get through an ostomy

And even though it was leaking sooo much, they didn't actually locate it and it healed on its own pretty quickly when I had an ostomy put in. They believe it was caused by a suture popping through since I had my takedown too soon (I had to because my ostomy was impossible to keep a bag on and was leaking constantly/eating away at my skin--I had such extreme output, there was nothing else they could do)