Abscesses on stomach

Glink

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Messages
252
Type of diabetes
Prediabetes
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Tablets (oral)
I've been diagnosed pre-d for about 3y now. On metformin and low carb diet and HbA1C has been great. Unlike many in the pre camp, I do experience symptoms quite readily when I have high blood sugars (urinary frequency, thirst, fatigue, thrush, etc.). I've now got what is my 3rd abscess on my abdomen since I was diagnosed. There's no trauma to this area (waistline/belly, roughly); they just seem to come out of nowhere and get red and angry and painful. In the past I've ended up just keeping them clean and self-lancing (with a meter lancet) to relieve pressure. I don't let them get huge and I'm not worried about them causing systemic infections (I would seek medical care if I were unable to resolve it on my own). However, I'm not really happy with this as a lifestyle. They seem to come at times of stress, so although I don't test regularly anymore I suspect this is sue to higher sugars.

Does anyone have advice for preventing these in the future? They hurt and many me worry about my sugar levels (although this morning I did test and got a 5.7, so that looks good). Thanks in advance.
 
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Ann1982

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Messages
432
Type of diabetes
Type 2
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Insulin
I've been diagnosed pre-d for about 3y now. On metformin and low carb diet and HbA1C has been great. Unlike many in the pre camp, I do experience symptoms quite readily when I have high blood sugars (urinary frequency, thirst, fatigue, thrush, etc.). I've not got what is my 3rd abscess on my abdomen since I was diagnosed. There's no trauma to this area (waistline/belly, roughly); they just seem to come out of nowhere and get red and angry and painful. In the past I've ended up just keeping them clean and self-lancing (with a meter lancet) to relieve pressure. I don't let them get huge and I'm not worried about them causing systemic infections (I would seek medical care if I were unable to resolve it on my own). However, I'm not really happy with this as a lifestyle. They seem to come at times of stress, so although I don't test regularly anymore I suspect this is sue to higher sugars.

Does anyone have advice for preventing these in the future? They hurt and many me worry about my sugar levels (although this morning I did test and got a 5.7, so that looks good). Thanks in advance.
Regardless of you managing it on your own I would go and get it checked. I have no idea what it could be but with diabetes it is always better to get it checked. Take care
 

Glink

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Messages
252
Type of diabetes
Prediabetes
Treatment type
Tablets (oral)
Well, I just moved to the USA and have to even figure out how to see a doctor now, so hoping it doesn't come to that! (And this week I am actually travelling internationally for work so really not planning on any non-emergency medical visits in the quite near future.)

I'm not worried about it getting worse because my last 2 resolved just fine and I feel confident that I know how to spot if were to get out of hand. I would just like to know what I might do preventatively. It is an area that gets rubbed (e.g., by trouser waistlines) but not sweaty, dirty, etc., and I don't inject anything so no obvious breaks in the skin.
 

bulkbiker

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19,576
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How big are they? I used to get quite large boil type things in the area you are describing that turned out to be hairs that had ingrown.. Lots of squeezing and hot compresses seemed to draw out the pus. Then they'd be really sore for a few days.
Maybe exfoliation could be helpful around the waist area. I must admit I don't remember having any recently so it could well have been the combo of excess sweat , tight trousers from being obese and sitting a lot ( I had a very sedentary job).
 

Glink

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252
Type of diabetes
Prediabetes
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Tablets (oral)
Yes, it seems likely that they might start with a hair follicle. That would make sense. I'm not terribly hairy but we are all mammals. I don't wear tight trousers or anything and am not very sweaty but it does occur around the waistline where some rubbing could happen. It's only happened since all this sugar nonsense started up, so I think perhaps I am more susceptible now somehow, and wish I could turn that around. Seems like there are periods in which I don't heal so well as before these days. Hrmph.

ETA - It's about pea sized and very red. Painful but tolerably so. Been keeping the area very clean and hoping it will subside soon.
 
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Diakat

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Are you testing your blood glucose at all?
 

Glink

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Messages
252
Type of diabetes
Prediabetes
Treatment type
Tablets (oral)
I just started again due to this. My control was so good that my doctor stopped prescribing them and I stopped testing. The past few days it's been kind of all over the place from 5.7-8.1 but I've been travelling and that always does bad things to my control. Hopefully will even out now that I'm back home and can have regular sleep & food schedule.
 

Diakat

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That looks like decent control to me.
 

Glink

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252
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Prediabetes
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Morning readings, but still not terrible--although I like to be below 7 if possible. It seems that I get symptoms of many types at a lower threshold than many others, for some unknown reason.
 

Goonergal

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I've been diagnosed pre-d for about 3y now. On metformin and low carb diet and HbA1C has been great. Unlike many in the pre camp, I do experience symptoms quite readily when I have high blood sugars (urinary frequency, thirst, fatigue, thrush, etc.). I've now got what is my 3rd abscess on my abdomen since I was diagnosed. There's no trauma to this area (waistline/belly, roughly); they just seem to come out of nowhere and get red and angry and painful. In the past I've ended up just keeping them clean and self-lancing (with a meter lancet) to relieve pressure. I don't let them get huge and I'm not worried about them causing systemic infections (I would seek medical care if I were unable to resolve it on my own). However, I'm not really happy with this as a lifestyle. They seem to come at times of stress, so although I don't test regularly anymore I suspect this is sue to higher sugars.

Does anyone have advice for preventing these in the future? They hurt and many me worry about my sugar levels (although this morning I did test and got a 5.7, so that looks good). Thanks in advance.

Was going to suggest it might be high sugars - an abdominal abscess that refused to go away led to the blood tests that saw me being diagnosed - but your testing suggests otherwise. Might be worth getting checked out by the Doc if they are a regular thing.
 

Indy51

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Messages
5,540
Type of diabetes
Type 2
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There's an autoimmune condition called Suppurativa Hidradenitis - could it possibly be that? There've been a few people with it on the forum in the past if you search.
 

Glink

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Messages
252
Type of diabetes
Prediabetes
Treatment type
Tablets (oral)
I doubt it's Suppurativa Hidradenitis, based on looking at that online. The abscess has been slowly improving as I keep the area super clean and use warm compresses. It's much smaller and not painful anymore, so yay for that. I seem to have lost a bit of weight again, though (not a good thing for me), and been rather hungry, so I'm doubly concerned about sugars (I haven't really been testing much; running out of strips and have been travelling which always throws things off a bit). I've stepped up my efforts to navigate this new American health care situation and hopefully will have some labs in the next few months to clarify things.
 

Brunneria

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Hi,

Symptoms like these tend to be linked with high or irregular blood glucose levels and often occur in women with pcos. I remember once reading an article linking high insulin levels rather than high glucose. Sorry, but I don’t have a link to the article. I read it years ago. By that I mean that your bg may be swinging about more than is shown by your current testingregime. And you can still get a low fasting reading yet have bg rising and falling at other times.

Or alternatively, your bg levels may be staying controlled, but you may be needing large/increased amounts of insulin to do this, because of growing insulin resistance.

I was (known to be) preD for nearly 20 years, I think (although hard to remember now), and I had 2 or 3 periods of boils that coincided with less low carbing and diet changes. I also found they recurred with stress, fatigue and anything that knocked my immune system. Then they went away again with fewer carbs, better eating, and less stress/disruption.

Interestingly, I have had higher bg at other times, with no boils, so I lean speculatively towards the hyperinsulinaemia theory.
 

Glink

Well-Known Member
Messages
252
Type of diabetes
Prediabetes
Treatment type
Tablets (oral)
Thanks for your response, Brunneria.

I suspect that, although I don't seem to have signs of PCOS, this may be spot on:
By that I mean that your bg may be swinging about more than is shown by your current testingregime. And you can still get a low fasting reading yet have bg rising and falling at other times.

I have also been more lax about my LC diet lately, and then the travel I've had for work has added stress and time shifting. So this resonates with me as well:
I had 2 or 3 periods of boils that coincided with less low carbing and diet changes. I also found they recurred with stress, fatigue and anything that knocked my immune system. Then they went away again with fewer carbs, better eating, and less stress/disruption.