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Red painful burning rash around anus

I've had a bunch of problems all at once recently really.And I'm sorry for going into graphic detail ahead of time. But if its possible that all of my symptoms are related, I'd like to give the full story. So, with that being said, I just had sex about a week ago and tore my perineum, so I've been trying to be extra careful with cleansing because it is so sore. I started my period a few days after that so that added to my issue of cleanliness (I bleed heavily so I have to use a tampon and a pad as backup for overflow protection). Perhaps my first mistake in my "cleanliness" was wiping with a cold, wet washcloth instead of with toilet paper? It burned when I went pee (in ran into the tear), so I used that to cool off and keep clean. Well, I also had a short bout of constipation followed by diarrhea. Once again, trying to keep clean with a wet washcloth because of the soreness of my cut.

It's been a few days now that I've been doing this and I've got this really awful red rash (little bumps, some dark red like they've broken open and bled at some point) around my anus now (its gotten worse over the past few days, starting out as just soreness, then felt like maybe I scraped it from wiping so much, then the burning, and now it's unbearable). It burns like the dickens and is really painful to walk, sit, stand, anything. If my cheeks are touching, it hurts. The only relief I get is in a warm bath or if I separate my cheeks. I've tried a diaper rash cream that is compared to Desitin, thinking it might soothe it and it burned worse. Plus it was really hard to get off, which hurt worse. I thought maybe to try Preparation H (it was a kind that said "Cooling" on it), thinking that would soothe it and that felt like I'd taken a match to my sore skin. I had to take it off immediately. Definitely did not "cool" as promised. Quite the opposite. And then my mom gave me a "Creamy Petroleum Jelly" to try. This soothed one side that is just red and irritated and burned the other side that looked to be broken open. After a few minutes, the burning eased and I was okay for a few hours. Then the burning came back with a vengeance. I took a bath, wiping away all of it, and found that the rash has spread over more area now, and hurts just as badly.


What in the world could this painful burning be? And how do I treat this mess? It seems anything I put on the site to relieve the pain, just makes it worse. Please help!
17 Responses
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563773 tn?1374246539
MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL
Hello,
These bumps can be due to boils, infected hair follicles or abscess, herpes sores or hemorrhoids or anal fissure. Apply hot compresses on the boil. You need to consult a doctor for its drainage or for prescription of antibiotics.

Also get herpes ruled out from a dermatologist. The only way of ruling it out is by getting yourself tested for genital herpes. Laboratory tests include: culture of the virus, direct fluorescent antibody (DFA) studies to detect virus, skin biopsy, and polymerase chain reaction (PCR) to test for presence of viral DNA. I sincerely advise you to consult a dermatologist and get it ruled out.

It is very difficult to precisely confirm a diagnosis without examination and investigations and the answer is based on the medical information provided. For exact diagnosis, you are requested to consult your doctor. I sincerely hope that helps. Take care and please do keep me posted on how you are doing.




Helpful - 1
Avatar universal
Back in 2000 I had pain so bad I could not sit down, I went to the doctor after 2 days of this on the Friday, they booked me into hospital for surgery on an anal fissure on the Monday.  5 weeks of painful recovery.   Always get pain and rashes checked out asap, so you can avoid complications.  

Last week while under a lot of stress with study I developed an anal area rash, and was using clonea when it got really painful.   The weather has been very warm to hot for days on end.  The pain usually occurs after wiping that area and although I tried to use baby wipes to be kinder, it didn't help much and even promoted slight bleeding;  also a locum has prescribed a steroidal cream, I will start it once I get paid again.
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
I'm reading the posts here, and I am a man, but am having issues sort of the same. I have this very painful sore that develops on one side of my anus. It happens whenever I'm into the third or fourth day of working out. It feels like there is a tear off to the side of my anus and then I develop such a painful rash that I can barely sit down. The only thing that makes it go away, is weeks of not doing anything strenuous. I've been to 5 doctors already, and one has said shingles, but this has been going on 3 years now. I want to be able to work out, but this butt pain gets to be unbearable. I have no idea what it could be or what to do about it.
Helpful - 0
1 Comments
I would agree with it being Shingles, I have basically no immunsystem so if I get stressed in any form even Good I can get patches anywhere even there so I now take Acyclovir 800mg ..just 1 daily will keep my shingles at bay and I can have a normal life until we can figure out the reason for me having relapses constantly. ..try this ai bet it will help. Talk to your Dr.and get a script it can't hurt you anymore to try it !!
Avatar universal
So this is what I'm doing though down to every detail - the intercourse to the location of the tear, the leaking and color. I'm so worried that this won't go away (even though its only been little over a week since I noticed it). I have a GYN appointment in about a week and a half and I'm PRAYING that this issue will go away and isn't the primary reason for my visit. This is the worst and I just can't understand why a vagunal tear would result in an irritated bum ):  
Helpful - 0
1 Comments
there should be no connection....I get shingles on my back and lower back. sometimes I have had it at the base of my tailbone and right beside my anus, yes I freaked at first but that is the VERY END OF YOUR NERVES.so when I took my shingles med's it went right away.
Avatar universal
I'm struggling with a similar situation. I believe mine was caused by falling asleep in a wet bathing suit. Now my butt crack is very red and irritated. I have been using neosporin and I think it's making it worse. I was going to try diaper cream but after reading the post, I changed my mind. I'm going to try to find some of the silver cream stuff and soak in a tub of Epsom salt. I have a date tonight with my boyfriend who I haven't seen in a week and I'm so embarrassed
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
As an update to my previous post, I did take Ciproflaxcin XR 500 mg which I believe was a three day course and all symptoms disappeared a week after I began the antibiotic course.  No fun :(  the only bright side is that Chancroids are not recurring, after being treated...unlike herpes.  Hope that helps, and good luck!
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
I realize this thread is a bit older, but if anyone like myself who has recently experienced any of this and is searching for answers, I believe I have figured it out!

Before I go into what I did, see for yourself here:
http://www.herpes-coldsores.com/std/chancroid.htm

So, it's basically a bacteria (yes, technically an STD) and I contracted it while using a condom, albeit, improperly...because the condom had bunched up and I'm assuming slid down his penis.  This left me vulnerable, and partially injured with minor cuts which was just the kind of opening the bacteria needed to afflict me.  :(  so, after days of looking for answers online, I narrowed it down to this- Chancroid...or in the case of females, chancroids.  Sad, but true.  But the great news is that I am one day into treatment (all over the counter from Walgreens) and am nearly back to normal.

Here is what I did, step by step.

1) sat in a sitz bath- lukewarm water with Epsom salt and baking soda (10 minutes is fine).
2) washed my bumps and basically all external anal and vaginal area by hand with the Walgreens version of hepi cleanse.
3) after drying my body, while only patting my pelvic area down slightly, I used my blow dryer on the cool setting to dry all my sensitive areas off.
4) rubbed Curad's Silver solution antibacterial gel in a semi-thick layer over all of my bumps and perineum.  Dried again with blow dryer on cool setting.
5) applied a homeopathic salve called PRID drawing salve on all bumps and perineum.  
6) put on comfortable, breathable undies...and that's it!  Started feeling better in hours.

Truthfully, I believe the Curad's silver treatment was the luckiest and best of products I found today.  I spent a lot of time reading the labels, and comparing to what I had read about chancroids.  Hope this helps someone who is suffering out there.  Good luck!  
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
Have you tried rubbing a little aquaphor on it for a couple of days?
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
There is a fantastic vitamin called L-lysine,take one a day 500mg an never return.
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
Hi i have this problem and it come and goes! I get a red rash around the anus and it is burning like hell! It actually gets so bad that i can't even make an poop or should i say the poop is not so much the problem it is the wiping clean afterwards that is the *****!  I really need to find out what the problem is so i can fix it because it's driving me nuts and the burning is bad!
Helpful - 0
1 Comments
Hi mine is the same where it comes and goes, and iv been to see my doctor and he says he doesn't know what's causing it iv tried various creams and it soothes it for a little while, like a couple of hours then it starts burning and being sore , iv thought over and over what could have caused it and I believe it maybe caused by sweating in that area I have had this problem for the last 18 months now and I am getting anoyed that I can't pin point the problem, if anyone finds out what could be causing this please let me know!!
Avatar universal
I am having the same issue ... this is my second time and it is almost 1 year to the day ... I went to the urgent care the first time was tested for herpes the test was negative (I knew it would be) then they said maybe shingles since I have had chicken pocks, the third test was crones and colitis .... I have had EVERY test and all came back negative ... finally went away still have NO accurate diagnosis and it is back! I completely believe it is stress induced, the only thing that has changed in my ever predictable schedule is that I am working out regularly possibly sweat and stress induced.
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
I have the same problem right now, I can't sleep because whatever position im in its painful.
Did you take cold baths to soothe it? I just want it to go but just don't know what to do!
Through the days at work it's hard to do anything to help it and by the end of the day I'm in pain down there.
Please help with whatever advice! Be really helpful!
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
Hi, I believe I am having the same issue you had.  I went to the Dr the other day and she said that she has never seen anything like it, lol.  She doesnt believe it is an STD but more of a staph infection.  She put me on two antibiotics (metronidazole and ciprofloxacin).  The rash does seem to be getting better (in only two days) but I woke up this morning and it feels irritated again.  I was so scared that it might of had something to do with my boyfriend but she said no, not to worry.  I am just hoping that is totally goes away SOON!!!
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
Just thought I would follow up on this in case anyone else seems to get this problem.

This finally went away on it's own. Whenever I went to the bathroom or the pain/burning got to be too much, I'd wet a washcloth with cold water and dab at the area to cool it down, not wiping because that would hurt more. Just press against the area. Do the same to dry off. Don't apply anything to it because apparently it was anything moist on it (creams or whatever) that made it worse. I had to keep cooling the area down more often, but it still helped a lot more than applying creams.
After a few days of doing this and soaking in the bath as often as possible, the pain grew less and less. I was able to actually wipe again instead of dabbing at the area to clean as much as possible. And it just finally went away after keeping up the routine. :)
Helpful - 0
563773 tn?1374246539
MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL
Hello,
Yes it can be boils or abscess also. Boil is usually due to plugged sweat glands that become infected or by an ingrown hair. But on account of your unprotected intercourse history, the possibility of herpes also needs to be ruled out. Till that time, Apply warm compresses on the bump and keep the area clean. Drainage of the boil is done only when it becomes soft and forms a head. Take some over the counter pain reliever and consult a doctor for examination and antibiotics prescription.

I hope it helps. Take care and regards.


Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
I haven't been able to get to a doctor yet about it, but it seems to be going away. It's still a little sore, but it's definitely clearing up from the looks of it. I tried just not putting anything on it and keeping it as clean and dry as possible. Whenever it burned too bad to deal with, I'd use a cool wet washcloth just to cool it down and then let it air dry. It seemed to still burn, but not as badly. I tried warm water instead and that seemed to make the burn go away almost completely for a time.

I'll definitely get it checked out when I get a chance (Holiday season working in retail means not very many days off, plus I'm moving), but I am happy to see it slowly leaving.  

If it were herpes, wouldn't I have these sores in other spots as well? I doubt it could be that, but I was just wondering. And if it's not herpes, is there any way something like this could be stress induced? I've been under quite a bit of it lately.
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
So, the pain is getting worse. I feel like I have a chemical burn or something (I've been burned by Nair in the past on my legs and it took skin off. This feels very much the same as that) ... and have not the slightest idea what it is, or how to treat it. It seems to be weeping now? Possibly? Whatever it is feels sort of oily to the touch and is sort of an orange color against something white, but looks clear against skin.


Any ideas what this could possibly be and how I can treat it? I work in retail and have to walk around a lot as part of my job... so I think that irritates it some too what with the friction of walking and such. It feels awful!
Helpful - 0
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