Welcome, as an Internist I will try to answer your Medical Question, for informational purposes only, please see your doctor as needed.
Hello. It sounds like your abscess is still draining, and as long as it remains clear and non-painful, and you don't have a fever
Even though it stopped draining for a week? And what do you mean by clear? The pus is greenish and sometimes bloody
it is not a problem, it should continue to drain. One issue that the colon doctor may have to address is formation of an anal fistula, a persistent track
if it is greenish, you still need antibiotics
Ok, so I have to go back to urgent care to get more? the same one, or a different?
you have to continue antibiotics until it becomes non-purulent
how big was the abscess?
do you know?
well the part I could feel was like the size of a nickle, but they said there might be more deep inside
you would continue the same antibiotics if you were cultured
as that remains the dominant organism in the flora
Is it ok that I wasn't on the antibiotics for a few days though?
you just need more keflex, until you see the colon doc
it will still be the same organism
What is purulent?
if it is green that means you are making white cells against it
that it is still active bacteria
Is there anything I can do to prevent a fistula?
you have to wait until the drainage stops
then after it stops you can do a few things to prevent it from forming a fistula
So can you prescibe me antiobiotics?
there are a variety of methods
sorry, cannot prescribe anything online, it is against the law in the US
but you can call the pharmacy
if you filled with them, they may have a refill for you
how long can abscesses take to stop draining?
they can drain for weeks,, if your abscess was very large, you may have to pack it
did the doc discuss packing with you?
no.. it just broke on its own in a tiny pin point
and it opened it up for you?
enough to drain, but they didn't open it larger
well sometimes if it is large, they have to open it up completely to prevent a fistula
but I would see a colo-rectal surgeon
how can they tell how big it is?
and start the antibiotics now
they can MRI the area
and tell you
usually it is contained by the glandular tissue
so it will not get too large
but my concern is that the opening wasn't big enough
so it's not likely to be like filling my entire lower body?
so it closed without completely draining
you don't even have a fever
so it is walled off
and you just need to keep the orafice open so it drains
get back on the antibiotics if it is green
you are welcome
Dr Frank T