Question: I've had a boil between my vagina and anus for 3 weeks. It has come to a head and drained a couple of times, continually getting smaller. I had it checked last week by my ob/gyn. She said keep doing what I had been and it would eventually dry up. 2 days ago I noticed it was coming to a head again. I took a sitz bath and it started to drain a little (blood, no pus). I have used Boil Ease (20% benzocaine) successfully to get a closed boil to come to a head. Yesterday I put Boil Ease on it to speed any draining. This is the first time I have used it on an open boil. For the last 30 hours, the labia above the boil (right labia only) has been somewhat hard, numb, and aching. Am I having an adverse reaction to the ointment? I saw a convenient care doctor today who prescribed Bactrim. He didn't know what it was and just wanted to use antibiotic to be safe. Do you know what could be happening? I don't have pain in the labia, just pressure and intense ache.

Is the area infected or reacting to the benzocaine? The boil looks almost completely gone. I only feel numbness and pressure up above it in the labia. What is a fistula or sinus?