I think I have an abscess or boil - advice needed

[tigerlily72]

I have what I think is either an abscess or a boil right on my bikini line. I've had something similar before since being diagnosed as diabetic but it eventually went away and I did not go to see my GP at that time.

It's reoccurred in exactly the same place and the area is red, swollen and very tender. I've "googled" looking to self diagnose and it looks like I will probably need to see the GP or nurse next week (surgery is not open at weekends).

I am overweight which I know doesn't help but I have lost weight in the last 2-3 months and trying to eat sensibly for continued weight loss. Does anyone have any advice in the meantime. Can I self treat it? Will it be necessary to see the Dr to (for example) get antibiotics to treat it?

 

[2131tom]

Suggest you pop down to the pharmacy, ahead of needing to go to the GP's, and see what they think and might have for it. I get similar and they can be red, big and sore but I've found they always heal up OK after a couple of weeks.

With me, they seem to happen around pressure points, around the armpits, beltline or where my skin creases in the groin area. I think blocked hair follicles are a common cause but I've never associated them with my T2 or found them to be more common since my diagnosis.

As a nipper in the '50s my mum used to slap a poultice on them to 'draw them out'. There seemed to be a few more of those things around then - maybe we didn't wash enough? - together with boils, abscesses and something mum called whitlows

 

[tigerlily72]

I meant to update so only a day or so late. My hubby had an appointment at the surgery on Monday morning so he asked the nurse's advice. They made me an appointment to go in the same morning.

It turned out to be a boil and I was prescribed a course of antibiotics.

So, if anyone gets anything like this or similar get it checked as it won't go away on it's own!

 

[mfactor]

So, if anyone gets anything like this or similar get it checked as it won't go away on it's own!

Mine do.........had them a lot in my 20s and tried all sorts of stuff on them , antiseptic creams etc.......... and nothing much worked so had to either get them lanced or wait for them to burst....

However a Doctor (unofficially) advised me to use Tea Tree Oil and have used it ever since , if I start to get anything that looks to be that type of thing I just dab neat tea tree on it for a day or so and voila it goes away........

Not had a boil etc go past the redness under the skin for over 20 years now......

But make sure you get the "pure" stuff as some are diluted................

 

[tigerlily72]

I'd forgotten how useful tea tree oil was so thanks for that reminder Pretty sure I have some somewhere but may be past expiry date. I'll need to get some more and put it in the first aid cupboard/box.

 

[Squire Fulwood]

"In exactly the same place". Either external or internal cause. Is your bikini a bit rough round the edges?

Go to your doctor and explain it is in the same place.

 

[ladybird64]

I don't want to frighten anyone but just want to add a cautionary note to this.

My daughter (when she lived with us back in 2011) developed what looked like a hard spot/boil type thing at the bikini line area, she has quite serious obesity due to a rare syndrome, and this area was semi covered by her "podge pocket" - the fat apron that hangs down a bin. She is a type 2 on insulin and metformin. I was treating it as a spot, antiseptic cream etc when one morning she said to me "it's turned into a hole" (she has learning difficulties).
To me it looked like whatever it was had burst but she was complaining of soreness so I popped her up to the docs, we were also due to go on holiday. The fairly innocent looking "spot" was actually an ulcer, which had to be cleaned, dried and the dressing changed 3 times daily for over two weeks - that was how long it took to heal, because it was in such an awkward place, a skin crease. Any spots, boils etc that aren't responding to treatment, or anything that seems a bit dodgy, get it checked out.

Better safe than sorry.

 

[Brunneria]

I used to get them.
Mainly in my late teens and 20s, before i got (better) control of my blood glucose.

For me, there is a definite link between their occurrence and greater bg fluctuations.

 

[Larissima]

My sister was diagnosed with T2D when she went to her GP for an abscess on her inner thigh.

Something that can help calm down a red, angry and sore boil is a crushed aspirin mixed with a drop of water, applied with a sticky plaster a couple of times per day. Obviously, if it doesn't get better within a day or two, get to the GP!

(I know you already have, @tigerlily72 ! Hope you're feeling better)

 

[tigerlily72]

Thanks to all who've responded with helpful suggestions/advice. It's gone down a lot although I'm still taking antibiotics. I've been putting a few drops of tea tree oil in my bath to aid healing as well

 

[Blip22]

Sometimes only antibiotics will do, for more mild infections fenugreek tea can work it contains a chemical used in antibiotics to treat bacterial infections particularly Staphylococci