Abscesses & boils

Not heard of that before.
I get small sores on my legs ... always below the knee and nowhere else.
They burn so I ended up scratching them they end up bleeding and I end up with lots of them.
Only since I was diagnosed with diabetes.
Creams lotions etc do nothing.
Sometimes they have almost gone away ut then they suddenly come back again.
They leave scarring too.
I'm told it's to do with high glucose in my blood but I have pretty good control of my bloods.
Maybe once a week I have a spike ... highest the last few months being twelve and it's only for a few hours.
They've looked at it from every other angle to be honest even scabies .... shuddder .... and it's nothing like that.
So the odd sugar spike must be responsible./
I'm not to bad just now ... two on one leg half a dozen on the other.

Hi Dogbutler.
What are the causes?
The exact cause of HS is not clear, but the bumps and spots appear to be the result of blocked apocrine sweat glands and hair follicles.

Sweat becomes trapped inside the tubes from the sweat glands, which swell up and either burst or become severely inflamed (see Symptoms section above).

However, the disease is not infectious and it is not caused by an infection. It is not linked to poor hygiene.

It is thought that HS may be caused by a problem with the immune system. According to the British Association of Dermatologists, the disease may be linked to Crohn's disease. Many HS patients also suffer from another underlying autoimmune disorder (where the immune system attacks the body's own cells and tissues).

http://www.nhs.uk/conditions/hidradenitis-suppurativa/Pages/Introduction.aspx

I have a cousin with this condition. He is not a diabetic and he has had several surgeries. He is not overweight and does not smoke so really I think it is just the luck of the draw. Several people I know who are not diabetic have other autoimmune disorders as do several diabetics that I know.

It is a painful, debilitating condition and I hope that you will be able to get some relief from it.

Both my mother and I have suffered with abcess and boils in those areas just before and after being diagnosed as diabetic. I have one that comes up regularly if I have had a mega cheat episode. My doctor at the hospital told me, basically the high sugar is feeding the baddies that cause these. They are in high risk areas anyway with heat/sweat/hair follicles. And he likened having high blood sugar for bacteria as a chocolate fountain for us - lots of goodies and sugar to feast on and grow on

You are welcome. I personally think that abcess and boils should go on the list of symptoms up there with thirst, speaking to many other diabetics, but not many medical professionals seem aware of it, the consultant I saw was the only one who ever agreed there is a link x I guess another factor being that we heal much more slowly too, so what may be just a small spot in a non diabetic would flare up into the raging infection known as an abcess x

JACKTHELAD said:

Not heard of that before.
I get small sores on my legs ... always below the knee and nowhere else.
They burn so I ended up scratching them they end up bleeding and I end up with lots of them.
Only since I was diagnosed with diabetes.
Creams lotions etc do nothing.
Sometimes they have almost gone away ut then they suddenly come back again.

Click to expand...

Jack,

Though mindful that "not everything is due to diabetes", if it helps I have a sore that suddenly appeared in April on the side of my third toe of my left foot and won't go away.

It's small and circular (about 3-4 mm across), sometimes nearly heals up, at other times forms a scab and occasionally a yellow head with a small amount of pus (like a spot). The sore never gets any bigger (leastways so far) and the rest of the toe and nail are fine. It sometimes burns but I've developed the "hot foot syndrome" over the past year, so it often doesn't stand out.

I've never had anything like it before and I tell the doc about it every time I see him. He's generally pretty good but with this he just gives me a puzzled look and moves quickly onto something else. He has given me bactericidal cream and then an antifungal preparation, but neither has made a scrap of difference.

I've had good control of my BG during this time so I'm hoping it's due to something else (e.g. something that's got into the toe unnoticed, perhaps?) so I think the next time I see the doc I'll ask for a referral, as I really don't want this to develop into something worse.

Any ideas or similar experiences welcome, BTW ......

231tom, I don't want to alarm you,but I would see a different doctor or speak to a different member of the health team (ie if you on about the hospital dr speak to gp or vice versa). My mum was t2 and had a small sore on her foot, it turned into cellulitis and took literally months to heal it caused about 9 ulcers in the end with three stays in hospital, there were other complications too, but I don't want to scare you too much. Anyway, the point is DONT GET FOBBED OFF! I knew it was more than just a sore and kept bugging her and the dr, but you can lead a horse to water....... saying that she didn't help herself by watching her bg (she was also having cancer treat and saw diabetes as something less serious to actually be bothered with) or by taking her antibiotics as they made her feel sick