Hey everyone. I wanted to post and say that my fissure is healing well. Good soft fiber diet (prunes and other fruit), lots of water, and +12 UMF Manuka Honey.
But now it seems like the sentinal pile I had at the top of my fissure has ruptured and may be infected. Anyone ever had a fistula? Or an abscess?
I was using hydrocortisone ointment on the Sentinel pile to shrink it down, but the cream thinned the skin and made the pile pop.
I have been putting Neosporin on the opening, but there's not that much pus coming out. It's usual pus color, but sometimes it's got a red tint to it. Damn it, this stuff is so frustrating and annoying.
How can I tell a fistula from an abscess? I don't even have much pain. I went to work today and yesterday, and sat comfortably for 6- 8 hours.

Hi, It can be so frustrating when you feel you are moving forward to get setbacks. Let us hope it is just a minor thing. It will be best to get it seen by your doctor preferrebly your surgeon. Fortunately it doesnt sound angry and infected but still important to have it looked at as you have been doing so well and for your own peace of mind. Meanwhile try to keep the area as clean and dry as possible. XX Pia

If it burst and you have pus it sounds like an abscess. A fistula can form from an abscess. Best to get this checked out by your doctor because if it does form a fistula it's better to find it out as early as possible.

I have to agree with Jnr here, having suffered an abscess myself. Piles do not pop but abscesses do....
The period leading to the rupture of any abscess is the painful time. Once an abscess ruptures, you have immediate relief. I could sit quite comfortably too after my abscess ruptured.
I would stress however that you get it checked asap by your GP. They are pretty good with abscesses but not so much with fissures & fistulas in my experience!
There is a risk of infection so they will give you anti-biotics if they diagnose an abscess.
Fistulas form from abscesses in 50% of cases, so hopefully you will be lucky. I wasn't! I developed a fistula as a result of my abscess but it was easily treatable, although surgery is the only option there.
Definitely get to your GP asap to check it all out.
Fistulas are also not particularly painful, more a nuisance...
It could be that your concentration has been so much on the fissure that you have possibly (although not intentionally) neglected thorough cleaning of the surrounding area as abscesses form from blocked pores.
I would also stop applying any topical ointment or cream on the area as it may have aggravated things and a CRS will advise you to never apply anything on an abscess or fistula as they are open wounds...
Pia has got it spot on when she says keep the area thoroughly clean and as dry as possible at this stage........
Good luck and hoping it's not all as bad as you fear :)

Just wanted to share my experience too....I had an AF for 3mths, then finally had surgery (LIS) - but about 6 weeks post surgery I developed an abscess near my fissure site.
I was already having 2 salt baths a day, showering 1-2 times a day and using wipes on my bum after a stool to keep the area clean. Sometimes you're just unfortunate and the small tiny glands under the skin, around the anus become blocked, this builds up, becomes infected and this is your abscess! And it's true - the pain comes before the abscess has "popped" - it's due to all the pressure from the "gunk" inside it - I couldn't even sit down or drive when I had my abscess.
I recommend, like the others, that you see your GP or better yet a surgeon straight away. And don't let your GP attempt to drain or pop the abscess - this was the advice from my surgeon...the anus is such a delicate part of the body with an intricate anatomy all of it's own and many GPs don't understand this!!!
I was lucky, that with increased frequency of hot tea tree oil + sat baths i avoided surgery...I was given the option of trialling this as I was not ready for another anaesthetic.
I wish you luck!
Oh, and you may not always get antibiotics with an abscess - an abscess is a walled off area of infection that antibiotics cannot penetrate. If it's just an abscess with no other tissue compromise than antibiotics may be pointless.