Abscesses are extremely difficult to clear up with just antibiotics. The medicine just can't get where it's needed. They generally need some sort of drainage.

Antibiotics mostly serve to help keep the abscess contained. Once it "ripens" then it can be lanced and drained and the real healing begins. Sometimes they just burst on their own before you can get to the doctor for incision and drainage. You can tell when it is ready because the pain is intense and the skin thins and darkens over it. Relief of the pain is immediate with drainage of the pus.

Jan

I had an abscesses in 2012 that came to a head on its own. And yes, the pain was INTENSE! Having said that, I can't really wait around for this one to do the same. I'm headed to the ER where my surgeon is on call to have it taken care of tomorrow morning. It's tromodol in the meantime I also forgot how much these swollen lymph nodes in the groin hurt!

For those who've had perianal abscesses excised, did they put you under or just use local anesthesia?

My abscess was drained under local anesthesia - my choice, since I was in the office and the CR surgeon offered to do it in his office then and there, under local, or schedule an O/P surgery and put me under. I wanted it over with so chose the local.

The shots hurt a lot, I won't lie (they were just outside the vag. opening, which I realize is not the same location as yours, but still ... Relief was indeed immediate.

Sorry you're going through this - good luck.

I hope they put me under for this. When I had my two abscesses treated back in 2004, they did, but those both required setons. I really don't want to be awake while they slice around there

Yikes, sorry to hear about this. I hope it's all taken care of and over soon.

Gin

Heading to the ER now. Hopefully, they put me under, excise this damn thing and start me on the road to recovery.

Got it excised bedside yesterday evening. Damn that first numbing needle hurt like hell!!! Sore today but more so from the incisions.

Glad to hear it's over and done with. On another note, do you have any insight as to the reason you get abscesses? If I recall from way back, do you also have fistulas with setons?

Did they give you antibiotics to take for awhile?

Nope. I wish. I do a sitz bath every night and use flushable wipes too.

My abscess turned into a fistula. Be on the alert for that... 50% of them do. I have a seton in, with no real direction to do anything else at this point. It's not great, hurts often, but it's "liveable."

Rachel, that is my fear as well. My first two abscesses did the same. The third one I had opened up on its own and that was the end of it. I'm praying that this one is a one-and-done too!

I had to go back to the surgeon yesterday for the follow up and got another numbing needle and another round of slicing and dicing - they said the first incisions made on Saturday weren't deep enough.

Today, the pain's been a lot less and the swelling has diminished. I'm heading back to work on Thursday. I go back on the 28th for my follow up and if it's still raw, I'm going to have an MRI to see if there it's a fistula. I hope not.

Rachel, also I had my setons in for six years and they didn't bother me. In fact, I was freaked out when they eventually broke because I looked at them as an insurance policy. My original ones were rubber band like material but they were eventually changed over to mersaline. What a HUGE difference that made!

DS, what is "mersaline"? Trying to find info on it and can't seem to. How does it make a difference to you? My setons are kind of rubber, and haven't bothered me, but one has broke....

That rubber material sucks. I dealt with them for a good six or so years and they rubbed the area raw. When I went to my new surgeon, he replaced them with mersilene, which rather than a rubber-band like material, is a braided polyviolene suture material that is barely noticeable and does not cause abrasions. Here is the link (you have to scroll down a bit - it's the green one): http://www.surgicalspecialties.com/material-guide

Thanks - I'm going in to have my seton(s) replaced next month, and will absolutely ask about this mersilene. I'm also wondering if they last as long as the rubber ones.

They last way longer! The rubber ones that I had were tied together at the ends with silk. Over time, the silk breaks. on the other hand, the mersilene setons are tied together using their own material so there is no silk to contend with. Their diameter is also much thinner - think spider wire fishing line. Initially I was concerned that the reduced diameter would not permit flow but they worked just fine. If you want, have you surgeon speak with mine (Dr. Donald Colvin of Fairfax Colo-Rectal, VA). There are several forum members here who've used him. His practice has been outstanding in my experience.

Thanks so much for the info, deathstalker, I did not realize there were options to the rubber. I'm looking forward to changing over -- a bright spot in the world of fistulas/setons!