After three years of living with AF I joined these forums today, and have posted my intro here. Wanted to discuss a more specific topic: odor management.

I don't know if soiling of underwear is a common theme with AF, but I've had it after I got my condition. Before then there was NEVER any bad smell or soiling (I am a Monk-level germophobe and hygiene freak). I always wash and scrub with soap during my daily shower, and after each BM I use up 30 pieces of toilet paper (slightly dampened). The problem is that during the course of the day there is leakage and I can't clean every twenty minutes.

I don't think masking the smell with colognes etc will help much, or is even advisable . Is there some safe way of nullifying the smell? I believe that since the source of the odor is the leakage, the only solution will be complete healing of the fissure . However any workaround that can reduce or eliminate the smelly problem will be much appreciated

to the Forum. Presumably you have researched this thoroughly and know that you don't have a fistula? Have you been seeing a CRS for everything? If not, i would definitely make an appointment and ask what can be done. Don't just suffer through and put up with it. I use sterile dressings when I clean, and only water. Expensive but worth it for me.

There are lots of posts that refer to 'smell' on the forum, but no specific topic that comes up when I do a search. If you search, use the one above between FAQ and Portal where you can search in various ways, including by topic.

Try looking at this link, too. I know it's for Crohn's Disease, but might have some suggestions.

http://www.crohnsforum.com/showthread.php?t=9355

Hi Savaici, thanks for the welcome and the tips.

Yes, I did perform a search on "smell" before asking this question. Nothing came up that I could relate to, though. That link you gave to the Crohn's forum is full of useful info I haven't considered before.

I do have another appointment with my specialist this week, and I will ask about the prognosis of the condition and if something like a specific diet (as stated in the Crohn's forum link) can be useful.

Hi PITB

Im afraid the leaking is caused by one or both of the sphincterotomies you had. It's a known sideeffect of LIS. Try a search for leaking or soiling, maybe you will find some tips to manage it.

Best of luck!

JHH

I had discussed the leakage with my CRS before getting the latest spinchterotomy and he had said that it should go away with time. It is not improving as quickly as I would like and I hope he will have some better answers when I next meet him.

In general does such a leakage due to spinchterotomy get better with time, or will it always stay given the nature of the incision never healing completely?

PainintheB,

These are some specific posts re "leakage due to spinchterotomy" on google that you might like to look at, if you have not seen them already.

http://www.google.com/search?q=leakage+ ... ent=safari

Thanks Savaici, I looked up that google search and the first PDF that comes up could be useful in strengthening the spinchter. However I will ask my doc first if I should do that, since the very point of a spinchterotomy is to relax the muscle.

By the way after my latest checkup the doc found that I have hemorrhoids as well now, and a small fissure. Yay me! So now I have a minor procedure scheduled to clear away the hemorrhoids. Doc says once they are gone the leakage should go away as well. Let's see.