Strange Acne Outbreak

[N09]

I haven't had acne for at least 5 years.  But last Friday night, I started to break out on my chin.  And if I were to break out, it wouldn't be there -- I never used to break out there.  So I'm already concerned at that point and wondering what's going on.  Then, even more unusual, the acne became quite painful and deep within a couple of days...and at the same time I noticed that underneath my chin, approaching the throat area, I had a sore spot..it didn't seem to be red --  maybe light pink at best (which could have been from me pressing on it).  It didn't hurt when I pinched the skin, but it did when I pressed in.  However, my throat didn't hurt when I swallowed, so it almost seems that the pain is coming from on top of the throat tissue.  And this wasn't an acne mark like what was on my chin.

So the only thing I could come up with for this strange and unusually painful acne outbreak, was that there was some type of infection on the tissue of my throat that was spreading up to the immediate area of my chin.  I've been putting Proactiv solution on my chin and it might be helping a little, but the pain is still there in spots.  It's also very hard to "pop" these blemishes.  When I try, I have rare success and usually it's more watery liquid than the puss that you would expect from a normal zit, and it doesn't relieve the pain and pressure.

On Monday night I started taking Doxycycline.  I had been sick and got a prescription for it a couple of months ago but never took the medicine, so I have the full bottle.  I'm hoping this will take care of any possible infection I might have.

The thing that started really getting me concerned happened today.  I noticed a similar, painful and deep acne-type lump/blemish on my pubic region...just above the penis and underneath the pubic hair.  I am starting to worry that if there is an infection, it is in my blood stream now.  

Any advice is apprecated.  Thank you for your time.
N09

[Alan Rockoff, MD]

There is no one way for acne pimples to present.  Some people usually have small ones and then later get deeper ones, or usually get them on the forehead and then get them on the chin.  Whatever this is, attempting to pop it is not helping matters.  I advise you to use the ProActiv system, to leave the bumps alone, and to stop trying to "relieve the pressure," by any means other than warm compresses.  Also, see your doctor and find out what this is.  Speculating about bloodstream or throat infections is not doing you any good at all.

Best.

Dr. Rockoff

[N09]

Oh boy, I'm realizing now...wondering if this could possibly be herpes...I've found another one of these lumps on the back of my upper leg.  It's like a red lump (just smaller than dime size) that's a bit painful and almost seems like a bit zit.  Please doc, give me good news. Thanks.

[jlestat29]

you say herpes only gives off a clear fluid, but can a small pimple only give off clear fluid also if popped?

[N09]

Final note.  I have been painting my walls with latex low-odor paint for a while now.  Could this be a reaction to the fumes if I haven't really ventilated the room well?

Also, I went to a doctor today.  She said the bumps looked like folliculitis.  But it seems odd that not only would several areas on my chin all the sudden get folliculitis, but that it would appear on my pubic area and on the back of my leg.  She said the bumps didn't look like herpes...that there weren't any *****-type heads to the bumps.  She did a blood test for herpes and a strep test b.c. my throat appeared red.

In the meantime, two more bumps appeared on my face as of this morning, and now it seems I have a stale taste in my mouth...don't know if this is related.  Thanks, and sorry for being long-winded.

[Alan Rockoff, MD]

I agree with your doctor.  This sequence of events really isn't strange at all.

Dr. Rockoff

[N09]

I just got back from a dermatologist who said it was either a staph or strep-type infection that happened to spread downward into the hair follicles.  He gave me cypro...do you think this sounds like an accurate assessment based on what I've said?

[Alan Rockoff, MD]

It certainly does.

Dr. Rockoff

[poor_me so embrassed]

okay so i have really bad acne on my chest not my boobs but my chest  and i was given this medication for it but if anything i think it makes it worse it hurts soo bad and burns like non otehr and instead of just being pimples it looks more liek a rash because its red everywhere not just on the pimples and i ahve tryed everythign to egt rid of it i have had blue gel pills maroon gel pills yellow gell pills freaking pink powdery pills yellow powdery pills i went on try cyclen for birth control and ive been given a numerous amount of creams from teh dermatologist and nothing is working the least bit and i am running out of options its one thing to make it go away but can you at least give me a soloution to teh incredible pain will something like axutane help??? plz give me advice it hurts so bad

[megc99]

ok I am in almost the exact same situation. The past few days my face has broken out a lot, I have had problems with acne before and I have been taking orth-try-cyclen for 4 years now, plus in the last year I have been taking doxycylcen for the acne prescribed by my derm, as well as benzaclin as a topical agent, it has worked very well and I rarely break out.
So this past week I broke out with 4 cystic pimples on my face (which rarely happens), I treated them with the benzaclin and took all my pills but it didnt help (usually it does), then the other day I found a pimple in my genital area, I have had a pimple there once or twice before, they were somewhat cystic and a little painful but I just washed them with a washcloth in the shower and they were usually gone in about two days, so I always figured they were just pimples, but the other day I had a little itching in my genital region and I know I dont have a yeast infection, and I am worried this could be herpes, I will get tested but I just need someone to calm my nerves, could these just be pimples? I mean I have only had them in the genital region a few times and they always went away rather quickly although they were more painful than a pimple on my face would be. I have read some herpes patients can be asymptomatic, so maybe I just dont have many symptoms except these, but they are still freaking me out. Does this sound like an outbreak? Ive also read there is usually a very painful outbreak oon after being infected which if I have herpes never happened, The few times I have had pimples in that area they werent that painful and went away quickly. HELP!