Self Diagnosed ... Help!
Posted , 3 users are following.
Ok, so from what I've read on-line, I just experienced a pretty major rupture of one of these cysts. Dr. said I had an ingrown hair ... just a bit inside the crease of my leg. Didn't make sense to me as a few days ago after doing yard work out in the extreme heat (Atlanta, Ga.) I felt a lump a good bit under my skin larger than a peanut in the crease at the top of my leg / groin. I have gotten this four other times over a few years after being out in extreme heat for hours. All the other times, the lump went away after I stayed out of the heat. This time a large boil type thing about the size of half my thumb surfaced a bit over from where the lump was. I applied heat compresses on & off over 5 hrs. per Dr. then with a mirror to see, applied a little pressure ... burst a hole and thick red yuck came out ... I am left with a hole about the size of a pencil eraser head. I have been cleaning it 2 x a day with soap, dry for a bit, apply rubbing alcohol - dry, then neosporen and wearing a skirt or cotton dress so nothing is against my skin. It's a holiday weekend - have to wait to make another Dr. appt. Please anyone ... How to you get the hole to heal? Should I apply more heat as it feels like there is more build up under the crease of where my leg meets ... well you know! Is there any advise in the early stage of this? Me ... 55, out of shape, 40 pounds overweight, spine damage and 4 yr. survivor of major serious cancer battle only 30 % survive just now starting to feel better and have some nearly pain free days, some antibiotics do a number on me after chemo - rip my stomach up, tung peels, takes a couple months to get over taking them. What is the best antibiotic if I absolutely have to take one? Time to drop some weight! I have some serious compassion for everyone that has this. I know what I have right now is very mild in comparison to what a lot of people get. I have certainly been through some incredibly awful health challenges but this is no walk in the park for people that have bad cases of this. Truly, my heart goes out to you ... Peace & Love to you. Thanks for any advice, info ...
0 likes, 4 replies
hypercat karinArt
Posted
Hi well the first thing to do is see a dermatologist for a proper diagnosis. The D will also be able to advise you on treatments which could help. The worst thing you can do is squeeze them as you run the risk of spreading the infection and, as you have found out, holes in your skin.
Doctors are often not aware of HS so seek an expert opinion. It sounds like your hole needs packing which is usually done by a nurse from inside out. This enables the skin to grow back over it properly otherwise you run the risk of having a hole permanently. See your doctor/nurse
When you get a flare up with infection then ab's will often help to get rid of it and help it heal up. It is impossible to advice you of the best ones as we are all different but your doctor should be able to precribe you a relevant one. I think penicillan is the one most commonly used. I am allergic to penicillan so use doxyclycline. x
karinArt hypercat
Posted
skellitor karinArt
Posted
Hi Karin, so sorry to hear of your health woes but glad you're looking after yourself. I agree with everything Hypercat said, definitely get in to see a dermatologist. A deep hole left by a cyst will need to be packed with gauze so that it heals from the deepest part to the front. If it's left alone it will just heal over at the front and you'll have a kind of bubble under your skin that fill with pus again (sorry for that beautiful imagery). Antibiotics could help since you've already had a significant flare up, to get rid of it in your system, but it will come back of course. The first antibiotic generally prescribed would be flucloxacilin, which is a penicilin, then oxytetracycline if flux stops working, then doxycycline if that stops working. The flux works well but you have to take it on an empty stomach and for me it gives a strange gassy feeling in my throat, like baking soda. So it could be uncomfortable if you have stomach problems after chemo, but your dermatologist would choose the best one for you.
Also they will give you (or you can request) Dermol 500 which is an antimicrobial lotion/wash to use on the areas that you get cysts, ie underarms and around but not on the groin. It will be better than your rubbing alcohol etc because it won't dry your skin. The rubbing alcohol could make your skin irritated and more sensitive.
I personally think that sweating is really good for HS because the infection is in the hair follicle and sweating clears the pores where the hairs are to prevent infection. If you've gotten cysts from working outside in the heat, it could be that your clothes were too constrictive and stopped your body from sweating freely, and so clogged your pores. Even if you're wearing more flowy clothing, in that location it could have been your underwear causing the constriction. Be sure to shower after doing sweaty work to get the sweat away from your pores and off your skin so that it's not layering over them and clogging.
It's a really annoying place to get cysts but power through! You're a warrior, don't ever forget it.
karinArt skellitor
Posted