I realize that does look alarming, especially since it’s on your own body, but it’s probably just the top layer sloughing off. Really, you don’t want the top to seal over before the bottom of the pit heals, otherwise you get another abscess and get to do this all over again. Yuck. You don’t want that to happen. In other words, this may well be the least icky alternative.
The exposed tissue has a pink/red appearance, which means it’s getting supplied with blood and will heal.
Remember to take all your antibiotics as directed, lots and lots of fluids, and keep any follow up appointments with your doctor.
Having had a few abscesses I can say this sort of appearance isn’t unusual during the healing process. Of course, I’m not a doctor so take the word of a trained professional over me, but based on my limited experience this is all part of the process.
The things I do for you people. Here is a picture of my abscess with a quarter above it. I couldn’t twist around enough to get a straight-on shot, but you get the idea.
I want to thank everyone who has been supportive, helpful, and funny. Not that this has been fun for me, but it would have been suckier without you all to whine/talk to.
Alas, I am not that flexible. And I love y’all, too.
I can still feel a hard lump of gunk under there, and the hot packs don’t seem to be making it softer. If I have to deal with Abscess 2: Electric Oogaloo, I’m not going to be happy.
The red area is looking a little smaller today. There was more drainage last night than the previous couple of nights. I can still feel a hard lump, though.
To top it off, I now have a rash on my arms and legs. I don’t know if I’m suddenly allergic to my soap or detergent or what, but I haven’t made any changes recently. Claritin and hydrocortisone cream help a little, but I’m still itchy.
It could also, potentially, be a reaction to the antibiotic or something else. If it gets worse TALK TO YOUR DOCTOR. If, Og forbid, you start getting short of breath GO TO AN ER. Or it could just be that your body is a bit over-sensitive to something else due to the infection.
You will probably not have a severe reaction to an antibiotic but it’s a good idea to keep an eye on any sort of rash from a situation like this. Do you have a follow-up doc visit soon? Be sure to mention it.
Continued draining is good (if yucky). Less redness is good. That hard lump will likely, eventually, go away but again mention it to your doctor next time you see him.
Most of the time these things resolve without further excitement, but it’s important to keep an eye on things.
Are you still finishing the course of Bactrim? IANAD, but I would hold off on the next dose and call your doctor. I had pretty much the exact same thing happen to me a few years ago with an abscess and a Bactrim prescription and a rash/hives appearing on the evening of day 8 after the abscess had pretty much cleared up. I got in to see the doctor the following morning and they diagnosed a sulfa allergy and told me it was a good thing I’d stopped taking the pills as soon as I saw the rash starting or I might have been much sicker (as it was, I was covered head to toe in huge red blotches and running a fever). Call your doctor.
Thanks to everyone’s concerns, I called the doctor. He wants me to stop the bactrim (I only had 1 day left) and come in. I get contact dermatitis from all kinds of stuff, so I didn’t really think anything of it. I really do appreciate everyone’s advice!
I’m sure the doctor will be able to give you more advice, but Zyrtec helped with the itching and hives for me (it was still prescription at that time, but I think you can get it OTC now). Benadryl didn’t do jack.
By process of elimination, the doctor diagnosed me with a sulfa allergy. Since I only had one day of bactrim left, she isn’t going to put me on another antibiotic. She prescribed triamcinolone cream and three days’ worth of prednisone pills, so I won’t sleep for a week. I can keep taking Claritin or whatever works, and I’m supposed to keep an eye on my low-grade fever. If the fever or the rash gets worse, or if I start throwing up, I’m supposed to go to the ER in case I’m having a severe allergic reaction to the bactrim.
She looked at my abscess and said it’s looking pretty good, and I shouldn’t let it scab over yet because it’s still draining.
Sorry to hear about the itch - as a Very Allergic Person I can sympathize.
Unlike chizzuk Benedryl is my go-to for allergies and Zyrtec is useless or worse for me - isn’t it wonderful how we’re all different? Use what works for you and, of course, if you have any questions take the word of your personal doctor over us strangers on the internet, however sympathetic we may be.
I don’t like prednisone, either but it really does seem to knock down allergic reactions. As a bonus, it should help reduce residual inflammation from that abscess, too.
If you’re itching a lot give your fingernails a really good scrubbing - if you don’t have a hand or nail brush use a toothbrush. No matter how careful you are you’ll probably forget and scratch, or scratch in your sleep, and you don’t want any gunge under those nails giving you another infection! (Voice of experience here… bad memories.)
