msimon wrote:Is this swelling painful? If so, does the pain reduce when the swelling reduces?

A little bit, though more uncomfortable than painful. When it reduces there is no pain at all but LOTS of discomfort still. It's strange. Do you think it could be a haemorrhoid? If so, would you please mind taking a look at the thread I started in the haemorrhoid section, if you get time?

I just feel that it swells and reduces so rapidly it couldn't be a haemorrhoid, but then I don't know a whole lot about them to be honest!

Can I ask when you experience this swelling? I have skin down there that does this, especially after my LIS. It swells when my butt is relaxed, like BM time and then recedes as things tighten up again after, throughout the day. I have had this happen before my surgery too and found it was related to the botox injections I was getting into my pelvic floor. I think mine is mainly tissue, maybe skin tags.

What colour is your swelling? What shape is it? How large is it?

Thank you for your help, msimon.

I have been to my GP this morning who says I have a perianal haematoma. This is sometimes referred to as a thrombosed external haemorrhoid, but technically that isn't correct. It's actually a kind of blood blister. And my doctor says it can come and go. Most will resolve on their own so my GP has told me to use lidocaine cream to sooth it and to lay down as much as possible to decrease the pressure on it. I think if it doesn't go away they can do a procedure to drain the blood. (I will put this in my other thread too in case the information is useful to anyone reading it!)

I am relieved to finally know what the swelling is! Now I just need them to figure out why I have so much discomfort when there is no swelling and everything appears normal!

So glad you got an answer to your mystery swelling. I have also heard of a thrombosed hemmorhoid being called a perianal hematoma. Interesting...Did your Doctor indicate what may have caused it or how long they take to go away? I would suppose that even when the blood goes away it is still somewhere in there causing pain? Maybe the pain will go when the trapped blood goes...