Boil/abscess

[Whitz]

Hoping someone can help.

I have a boil/abscess (on the buttock) that is so painful.

Does heat treatment work?

Should i just get antibiotics from the chemist (flucloxacillin)

Or should i go and get it lanced (dont want to as it is very painful)

Any suggestions, remedies appreciated.

Thanks

Whitz

[Dragonman]

Hoping someone can help.

I have a boil/abscess (on the buttock) that is so painful.

Does heat treatment work?

Should i just get antibiotics from the chemist (flucloxacillin)

Or should i go and get it lanced (dont want to as it is very painful)

Any suggestions, remedies appreciated.

Thanks

Whitz

I suffered from this some years ago. Eventually in agony, even worst than my gout. The abscess eventually reached the size of an egg!

Would not go until I took antibiotics, bathed in hot water, and on coming out of the bath had to have a very good friend gently squeeze. It burst after 4 days, not a pleasant site in your pants!

All this was on doctor's recommendation, and he said if it did not burst in a week he would need to lance and drain.

[lopburi3]

I would get it checked before you assume it is anything. Even doctors can be fooled by such things - I had a sebaceous cyst diagnosed as a lymphatic tumor by mistake years ago - only after it was removed did the doctor admit the expat GP in Bangladesh was right.

[KhunMarco]

Hoping someone can help.

I have a boil/abscess (on the buttock) that is so painful.

Does heat treatment work?

Should i just get antibiotics from the chemist (flucloxacillin)

Or should i go and get it lanced (dont want to as it is very painful)

Any suggestions, remedies appreciated.

Thanks

Whitz

I suffered from this some years ago. Eventually in agony, even worst than my gout. The abscess eventually reached the size of an egg!

Would not go until I took antibiotics, bathed in hot water, and on coming out of the bath had to have a very good friend gently squeeze. It burst after 4 days, not a pleasant site in your pants!

All this was on doctor's recommendation, and he said if it did not burst in a week he would need to lance and drain.

Same Same here 10-15 years ago, bath in hot water and a bit of disinfectant till it is ripe

Man , IT IS PAINFUL!

Regular hygene aside, one of the main cause (so told me my doc) is wearing wet clothes (for ex. wet bath suit) for prolonged time, humidity and all that nice stuff...

Good luck!

[Whitz]

Think i will go and get some antibiotics from the chemist then apply the heat treatment!

Its certainly worth ago rather than being poked and prodded, for now anyway.

Whitz

[Rinrada]

Sounds like a lance jobby ...sorry..

Got bitten once on the arm by something while in the bush in West Africa but since I was going on leave didnt want to consult the local witch doctor....o dear.

Later on the flight back ( British Caledonia) found that i was having difficulty lifting anything bigger that a large glass of wine so decided that i had better see the quack on arrival.

Next day I wandered into the Hospital for Tropical Deseases (behind Euston Station)and realised when the receptionist almost fainted that I had made the right decision...

My old arm had doubled in size....

The doc was great and a bucket was produced and he did the old one-two with a claymore (seemed like it)and half an hour later I was off to the pub again with enough Peni-cil.to save king Kong...

Aint funny but could be much worse ...dont leave it........

[Wolfie]

I had similar (same place) couldnt sit down without being in a lot of pain (sitting down is a main part of my job)

I ended up going to the local hospital emergency department and got the bugger lanced, had the wound treated and cleaned everyday for a couple of weeks then all was well... hada couple of mini infections after but nothing serious.

My advice, get your ass (sorry, pun intended) down to the local hospital and get it sorted out... only hurts a bit... honest 'guv!

[mouse]

Had the same to the right of my navel about the size of a tennisball a few months back. Went to the local private Hosptial and due to immense pain and possible complications I was put under and it was opened and thouroughly cleaned. Seems the cyst which are ususally caused by a virus ended up causing a deep infection and an absess. As a side gift of the proper exam, that I received, I was found to be a Hepatitis 2 sufferer. Some of the problem with the infection was the Diabetes. I know the pain. Good luck and get to the Doctor asap.

[Sheryl]

Without examining the abscess, I can't say if it needs to and is ready to be lanced....but if it does, then it should be. Don't delay, go to a doctor. He/she will; advise you if it looks likely to burst on its own with tiem and heat or needs lancing. Which by the way is not that painful. (the actual lancing, I mean...there will be pain after it has burst and even more pain if ity doesn't). You can ask the doctor to use local anesthetic if it is going to require deep incisions. Doctor can also best advise on choice of antibiotics by doing at least a gram stain, if not culture, on the pus.

Don't mess about, these things can flare into cellulitis and before you know it, it's full scle hospitalization and a course of IV antibiotics.

I'm a nurse so I do self-treat most things -- including abscesses (assuming they are located where I can see and reach!). I got a small blister on my foot a few months ago, waited a bit too long before doing any serious wound care (after all -- just a blister) and boom! abcess. Which progressed within a day to full-fledged cellulitis. At which point I lanced it and went on heavy duty antibiotics and kept the leg elevated and thankfully, that did it...but it was close. The infection was literally, visibly spreading hour by hour and I very nearly had to go in for IV treatment and complete rest of the limb. You never know what bug is in there and some of them can wreck real havoc once they start to spread in the surrouinding tissue.

[khall64au]

Grrrrrrrrrross!!!!!!!!!! Sorry, but you brought back so many memories. I had the same problem when I was a kid and my mum always used a "drawing" ointment to "ripen" the, the, thing....

Then it was a matter of extracting the "core" ......... oh gawd, it still almost makes me wretch after all these years... the pain, the pain!

So, am curious now... what actually causes the affliction?

[Whitz]

Glad someone understands what i am going through - Pain wise

I am such a coward with doctors and hospitals and tend to suffer rather than get treatment.

I have had one before about 6 years ago which i had to get drained under general, they packed the wound and i had to have the packing changed every day for about 2 weeks, painful!!!!

This one has blossomed right in the scar of the previous one

Yesterday i went and bought some Dicloxapen 500mg and after taking 3 the bugger may well burst (sorry) this weekend.

If not, Monday off to the Doc's , wish it was on my arm or leg then i would have no probs

Whitz

[Dragonman]

Grrrrrrrrrross!!!!!!!!!! Sorry, but you brought back so many memories. I had the same problem when I was a kid and my mum always used a "drawing" ointment to "ripen" the, the, thing....

Then it was a matter of extracting the "core" ......... oh gawd, it still almost makes me wretch after all these years... the pain, the pain!

So, am curious now... what actually causes the affliction?

I believe there can be a number of causes, but mine was due to an infected hair follicle. I've also had them in my groin and my armpit.

[Sheryl]

The cause is an infection of the tissues below the skin, usually but not always because bacteria got in through a break in the skin. Many types of bacteria can be responsibile. (Which is why the same antiobiotics do not work in all cases). As a defense mechanism the body attempts to keep the infection localized and that is what leads to the abscesses -- a large influx of white blood cells trying to keep the infection contained. As painful as they are, abscesses are better than the alternative which is a widespread tissue infection.

If skin and tissues infections are caught and treated early, the need for deep incision can often be averted. Delaying treatment or incorrect self-treatment increases the odds of the kind of ordeals described above.

[jdinasia]

get to the Dr ... don't wait ...

[Dakhar]

Yep,

I'd say go see the MD. I had a cyst flare up on the back of my neck. It was very deep. The MD's did not want to do anything about, except antibiotics. Finally, one of my employers (an MD) took pitty on me and drained some of it with a syringe. He did not get it all, but what little he did get, relieved a lot of pain.

Eventually my body did the rest, the cyst calmed down, and that same MD removed the cyst. Docs really do not want to remove a cyst while it is infected, it complicates things...

Trouble is, they don't want to remove it when it is not infected, because insurance feels it is unecessay. Go figure.

[leisurely]

GO TO THE DOCTOR. I had an abcess in my groin, treated unsucessfully with oral a/b's for four days. When the pain got so bad I couldn't sleep mr L took me to the hospital where they admitted me and drained the bugger under g/a . The relief was enourmous. Don't delay and if you think it is a pilonidal sinus (ingrowing hair) you will be anaesthetised and have it flayed open to heal.

Good luck.

[g00dgirl]

I'm writing this post out of Phuket International Hospital, I have a completely red, painfull, swollen lower right leg, they said I had to stay in hospital, they try to give me IV antibiotics for the past few hours but the IV line keeps getting blocked. Thankfully I got a room with wireless Internet or I would feel terrible. They say its cellulitis, at least here someone said something. In Bangkok hospital and Mission hospital they did not tell me anything much than 'infection'. I would like to know where from though. I can see a little sting wound or bite wound at the center of the swelling on my upper shin. But I also had a 1.5 cm small bump for 2 weeks or so that was completely painless and not red or anything. I just don't know if something bit me, or what it could possibly be, I'm scared I'll lose my leg or something. The swelling started Sunday morning, got really bad Sunday afternoon when I was walking around at Central festival shopping, walking became too painful eventually.

Monday night I saw Dr. Thiti at Chalong circle, he gave me antibiotics but no improvement by Wednesday, so I went to all the hospitals, shocked to hear I have to stay in hospital.

[Sheryl]

Yes, celluitis is serious and requires aggressive antibiotic treatment, they are doing the right thing. I assume they've also told you to keep the leg elevated and that they are providing hot pads.

This is exactly why prompt treatment of minor skin infections and abscesses is important.. to avoid what you're going through now.

It's impossible to say for sure but my guess would be that the little bite mark or sting in the center of the inflammation is where it started. Happened to me many years ago, something bit me during the night -- not sure but think it was some kind of spider -- and it quickly flared up into cellulitis.

The good news is that it usually resolves completely with IV antibiotics. I f I read your post correctly, you've only had a few doses so far. Don't panic, follow their recommendations, and look to start seeing improvement within 48 hours of starting the IV antibiotics. If there isn't, they should change the anitibiotics and perhaps call in an infectious disease specialist. But most of the time the usual drugs will work.

That's improvement within 48 hours -- not full cure. You may have to stay in the hospital as much as a week or more. Strongly advise you follow their recs and don't take any chances. The "usually resolves" applies only to people that get a full course of treatment. I won't scare you with what can happen to people who don't but I think you already have an idea.

P.S. They have probably already done so, but make sure that they checked your fasting glucose (blood sugar) as diabetes can contribute to rapid spread of skin infections. In which case it is essential to get the dioabetes under control in order to be able to clear up the infection.

[GuyLakeman]

Sounds like a lance jobby ...sorry..

Got bitten once on the arm by something while in the bush in West Africa but since I was going on leave didnt want to consult the local witch doctor....o dear.

Later on the flight back ( British Caledonia) found that i was having difficulty lifting anything bigger that a large glass of wine so decided that i had better see the quack on arrival.

Next day I wandered into the Hospital for Tropical Deseases (behind Euston Station)and realised when the receptionist almost fainted that I had made the right decision...

My old arm had doubled in size....

The doc was great and a bucket was produced and he did the old one-two with a claymore (seemed like it)and half an hour later I was off to the pub again with enough Peni-cil.to save king Kong...

Aint funny but could be much worse ...dont leave it........

I had an arm bite in Hong Kong while walking the hills...

blew up like balloon next day

again like you hospital rushed me in and put me on drip with arm in air

I felt a bit of a prick but then it was all over in a day or two

Go get the treatment

[dumball]

'khall64au'

Grrrrrrrrrross!!!!!!!!!! Sorry, but you brought back so many memories. I had the same problem when I was a kid and my mum always used a "drawing" ointment to "ripen" the, the, thing....

Then it was a matter of extracting the "core" ......... oh gawd, it still almost makes me wretch after all these years... the pain, the pain!

So, am curious now... what actually causes the affliction?

Strange , when I first saw this thread I had similar thoughts of the old cures , first the 'Drawing cream' , when it ws RIPE a bottle was warmed up in hot water and held over the boil , the crap that came out as the bottle cooled was unbelievable , then more cream for a few days . Never did see or hear of anyone losing a limb or whatever in those days , by the way , the milk bottles in those days had a large mouth .

[krading]

Reminds me of the old joke about Irish Paddy standing on the gallows as the hangman asks "Any last requests"

"Yes, could you put the rope around me waist, oi've got a boil on me neck"

[tutsiwarrior]

I don't understand the relationship between boils and cysts as the former are painful and get red and 'ripe' and cysts aren't/don't...I've had a number of cysts removed by doctors, never had no boils...

gotta great story about sitting on the bottom edge of the bed and the wife gettin' right in there in 'squeezing formation' on the middle of my back (no pain or inflammation, hadta be a cyst) and the mother exploded; there's a stain on the ceiling above the head of the bed - two concentric half circles, now carefully preserved - from the flying pus/blood discharge...ye hadta see it to believe it...

[Senior Player]

I thought I’d throw in my own tuppence on the matter of abscess and drainage, especially for those in the Pattaya area. Mine was in my scrotal region, but at first I was unsure of what it was as it only started as a small lump. Extremely anxious I made an appointment with the urology department at Bangkok Pattaya Hospital. The diagnosis was a cyst and not anything cancerous. Cost of the consultation was approximately 800 baht. The advice was to get it surgically removed and sown up. After getting a cost for either a general or a local anesthetic, I made my appointment for the op. Stupidly I thought I had more time than I actually did before it worsened, so I made the appointment for 2 weeks later. Big mistake. I should’ve had it done that afternoon when the surgeon was available and before the pain and misery started.

 

Long story short, the lump grew increasingly over the next three days until it had formed into a formidable abscess. Now extremely painful to sit down I was trying desperately to bring my surgery forward, but was told it was was no longer possible. Eventually the abscess burst, oozing blood and puss in my boxer shorts. There was an immediate short-lived relief due to the pressure being eased. However, the wound had not completely rid itself of the bacteria inside. When I phoned the hospital they were extremely concerned and told me to come and see them immediately. Truthfully, I was in no condition to sit down in a taxi for the 20 minute ride to the hospital, so I agreed to come along the next day.

 

That night I packed around some gauze I had bought in anticipation of the abscess breaking. The next day I hobbled into a taxi and was seen by a different urologist straight away, who said I’d need to have it drained further and packed after. I was immediately hooked up to an IV and given aggression antibiotics before the procedure. The doctor who performed the operation did it all under a local, not the general I had hoped for. Regardless, the draining took approx 20 minutes before I was walked into a recovery room afterwards. The anesthetic wore off pretty quickly, leaving a sensation akin to having a red hot poker inserted in my nether regions. Within another 30 minutes I was good to go home and just had to pay up and be given my medication and painkillers. The Tramadol really helped ease the intense burning sensation.

 

The total cost, including medicine, came to about 20,000 baht. I was told to report back every day to A&E to have my dressing changed. This involves having the gauze that’s been inserted into the hole the abscess left behind, and a new gauze being packed tightly inside again. It’s now been 7 days since I first had my dressing change, and I’m still having new gauze inserted daily. The wound is very deep and needs daily attention. I’m figuring perhaps a total of 14 days until the packing is finally ceased. 

 

Either way, I’m extremely grateful for the doctor, Jimmy Kongcharoen MD, for his expertise and helping rid me of my constant pain. The nurses in A&E have also been truly wonderful.

 

[phkauf]

.

Edited March 12, 2019 by phkauf