Afraid to go to doctor

[mypreciousfairy]

Hi:
I am dealing with my second bout with a staph infection (had one last year about this time).
It is at the bottom of the back of my neck (recently had a tattoo redone in that spot). Anyhow, started as what I thought was a pimple, quickly grew & you know the rest of the story. I have a refill for Sulfa, which I had filled & started taking a few days ago. I know I shouldn't have, but I have squeezed it twice to try to relieve some of the pressure.
Now I am scared to go to the doctor because I am taking the Sulfa & because I squeezed it.
I know I get afraid of being judged by people (I am working on that issue in therapy) but do you think, considering I have already began the sulfa, that I even need to go to the doctor? It's not getting any worse and the body aches & chills are gone.

[Jeffrey S Guy, M.D., M. Sc.]

If you have a collection of puss such as an abscess, a doctor need to lance or drain the abscess.  All of the antibiotics in the world are useless if an abscess remains undrained.   If you have had two episode and both treated with sulfa- perhaps a different antibiotic.  If plan A does not work, don’t stay with plan A.   If there is drainage, it should be cultured—period.  Years ago, doctors had a pretty good idea what types of bacteria caused certain infections in various parts of the body.   With all of the issues of drug resistance now a days, that principle does not hold.  Therefore, all infections should be cultured in order to determine the appropriate antibiotic therapy.  

[mypreciousfairy]

Thank you for confirming what I suppose I already knew. I guess my fear is MRSA & being quarantined (do they do that??)
I will take your suggestion & call my doctor today.