Yeah, I had an abscess a few weeks ago that took a round of clindamycin to kill and the worst night was definitely when I woke up at 3 am to find that it had burst and leaked the most rancid smelling pus I had ever smelled down the back of my nightshirt. I probably spent 15 minutes just wiping it up as it oozed out with TP and then I took all the dirty tp in a plastic bag, tied it up and left it in the garbage can in the garage because no way was that shit staying in the house any longer than necessary. It’s really freaky having a hole in your skin where there never had been one before.
The pictures look kinda like a nipple to me. Maybe you can get a temp job as a sideshow freak - the Amazing Cow Woman! Udderly Astonishing! Real! Alive! Admission only $1.00!!
That’s me, always looking for the silver lining. Or extra nipple.
Because it’s a classic… my saga starts on post #44. Enjoy.
I used to get these. Doc would prescribe the meds but he urged me, lots of hot compresses, hot and moist, until it comes to a point, and then pressure to get the gunk out. I would bring water to a boil in the microwave, dip in a clean cloth, press to the boil as much as I could without screaming, then repeat. Dozens of times. Sometimes I did scream. But it worked. That sucker has to start pointing, as my doc said.
My worst one was a sebaceous cyst that got infected. I was home sick for about a week.
Hope you start feeling better.
So, you didn’t know it was on your butt before your shower? Didn’t it hurt while you were sitting, walking around, wearing clothes?
Broomstick, I am very mistaken, sorry for that.
Y’all. I think I’m going to bleed to death. That damn thing has been releasing a slow but steady stream of blood and pus all day. I’ve gone through three gauze sponges and one bra. But that huge area of redness isn’t any smaller. It’s never going to end.
Is the area of redness any larger? Go get a Sharpie and circle it. If it gets bigger, call your doctor again and let him know. Don’t want it to turn to cellulitis.
Keep washing it, keep the area clean, wear loose clothing. Get lots of rest, as these things are exhausting, both mentally and physically. If you start a high fever though, get to ER right away.
The red area isn’t larger, I don’t think. I’ve had a low-grade fever all day, I’m mildly nauseated from the bactrim, and I’m just tired. I’m going to the doctor tomorrow morning, unless my fever gets worse before then. It hasn’t gone above 99.5F so far.
It’s starting to drain, which is a good sign.
Keep us posted!
Yep, they can ooze/drain for quite awhile. You just have to keep re-bandaging them.
Like everyone else says - keep an eye on fever and if it gets bigger. I’ll also add that if the pain gets worse that is also a sign to get immediate medical attention.
Don’t miss that follow-up with the doctor.
Q: should we be advising her to use an astringent and a cottonball on the surface area before re-bandaging? No, its not to rude her out, just to possibly keep the surface area clean?
I’d feel really crappy if I didn’t say anything and it got infected worse.
Op, I don’t know you from a hole in the wall, but nobody deserves a miniature golf hole in the middle of their back…
no matter what the par is…
She should follow her doctor’s instructions in that regard.
I mean, yeah, keep it as clean as possible, but, y’know, the inside that’s oozing onto the outside is all kinds of not clean, so you can’t drive yourself crazy on that front. This is not even close to a sterile wound.
Using an astringent is *not *part of the general abscess or wound care protocols; astringents cause capillaries at the wound edge to constrict and shrink, instead of opening and nourishing/cleaning the wound, so they should not generally be used on open wounds except for certain weeping pressure ulcers or eczema. But if her doctor told her to, then that’s what she should do.
He just said to shower like normal and change the dressing when it gets grody. I appreciate the concern, though!
Two things I’ll never be able to un-see: the abscess looks like a nipple, or it looks like a miniature golf hole. I love the SDMB.
You’ll want to wash off the skin around the hole when you change the bandages. Plain water will probably work if you’re doing it frequently, you just want to get crud off the top of your skin. Too much soap will dry the skin out and cause problems - just wipe it up. Intact skin is actually a pretty decent barrier.
When the swelling goes down you might have a thin layer of skin peel off around the affected area, like what you get peeling after a sunburn. It’s the stretched layer of very-top-of-the-skin which is composed of dead cells that don’t unstretch when the swelling subsides. I found it alarming the first time it happened so I thought I’d mention it so you don’t freak if it does happen. It may or may not.
When my abscess was oozing I had those chux things to put under the affected area, which soaked up any leaks during the night and saved me from having to wash the bedding constantly. Much nicer to simply chuck the chux.
You can get chucks at Walgreens and CVS and the like, over by the Depends and Poise pads (incontinence supplies.) They’re usually called “underpads” on the package. We call 'em chucks. I have no idea why. Even the reusable sturdy fabric chucks that aren’t chucked are called chucks. Maybe it was once a brand name?
Make sure you go to the doctor’s prepared on friday with a video camera.
You tube is chock full of this stuff, and you would be amazed at what people do to themselves in a home surgery set-up, not to mention seeing some folks showing their faces when they get a boil, growth, or unborn twin squeezed out of their back at a family reunion.
for shear bizzarro-land disgusting, this one just cannot be topped
Who are these people?
This guy is probably makin thousands off of this youtube video.
I didn’t break the link, because it’s gross, not pornographic
Oh, and the cameraman is a major baby, and ruins what could have been an epic video, but it’s got enough for you all to get an idea of the shear size of this thing. WTF was this guy thinking for the 30 years it was growing in his body?.
I knew exactly which video this was going to be before I clicked. I have to agree. They really needed someone with a stronger stomach to do the video. This could have been amazing. I find his gagging more off-putting than the actual excision. I introduced my mother to the wonderful world of zit popping on YouTube with several videos, including this one. She loves it. 
They might be cheaper in the pet supplies department, where they’re listed as “puppy pads” or “house training pads.” Or maybe not–sometimes human OTC medical stuff is cheaper than the exact same thing packaged for animals. It’s bizarre, but true.