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red,swollen,painful under the skin under right armpit with no head?

About two weeks ago I went to get an armpit wax. Two days later while showering I noticed an m&m shapped ball under the skin under my right armpit. It hurt to touch but was not visible to the eye really, you could see my skin raised but no color or head or anything. I freaked but there is no cancer history in my family. I called my gyno she told me over the phone to do hot compresses so I did that for the day but the pain was growing and I still saw no head. Three or four days later the bump had swollen up but no longer round more oval and long along the top of the armpit crease,  plus another smaller oval had developed under the crease of the armpit and another smaller one to the side but all three felt they connected and still no color or head to be seen. I had an important convention that weekend so I toughed out the pain but come this Monday, pain was worse and now I could see red under the skin. I bought boil cream, neosporin, rubbed aloe on it, no head. So my sister in law gave me ampicillin I am on the fourth pill of that antibiotic and I need three more to finish. I have been taking advil for pain which helps momentarily and with this combination the swelling reduces just a little but hours after taking, comes right back. I have researched similar symptoms I keep getting boil but from the images I've seen, it's not quite what I have. Its not round and there is NO HEAD. It hurts! What could this be? My husband was recently laid off from work so that's why I have not gone to doctor. I don't know how well the antibiotics have been working, don't know how long it takes to see improvement. Should I finish them out to see what happens or go to doc or er? THANKS IN ADVANCE!
10 Responses
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587083 tn?1327120262
Hi
I am sure ,as your doctor has suggested, that once you have taken all the antibiotics,the swelling will subside and so will the itching.Antibiotics take sometime to be fully effective.
Anyway,always keep an eye on it and if you see that the hardness is not diminishing but  enlarging,call your doctor and let him know about it.
Best wishes to you...
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Avatar universal
I am on day four of the bactrim antibiotic twice a day and clindamycin antibiotic three times a day. I have six days to go. The special gauze they had inserted under my armpit to finish absorbing the staph infection from waxing has been removed and the cut is healed. It still feels a little hard and itchy where they lanced.  Is this normal? Doc said antibiotics will do it.
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Avatar universal
You have a friend in me : ) Have a great one!
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587083 tn?1327120262
I am very happy for you!...Make sure you take all the antibiotic prescribed.
Thank you for letting me know about this good news!
Take care now...
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Avatar universal
Hi Zouzi just want to let you know the doc lanced it and EVERYTHING came out, indeed it was an infection from the wax and I shouldn't have waited so long. I am now on proper antibiotics and doc says I will be just fine. Thanks again : )
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Avatar universal
Thank you, I really appreciate your help!
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587083 tn?1327120262
I am glad that you are going to see your doctor.After examining the lump/lumps, he/she could drain it or give you some sort of antibiotics to have this infection properly treated.
Waxing or shaving often cause these kind of infections.
I hope that you will feel better soon.
Take care...
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Avatar universal
What do you think the doc will do? Lance it?
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Avatar universal
Thank you so much. I agree about the antibiotics,  I'm just desperate. I will go to doc thanks again!
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587083 tn?1327120262
Hi.  
Waxing could have caused irritation and inflammation of the skin.The inflamed skin may lead to secondary infection of the hair follicles in the armpit, resulting in folliculitis, which manifests as lumps under the arm. Lymph nodes around the area may also become swollen because of the infection.This also may appear as lumps.
I don't think that taking antibiotics from your sister in-law was a good idea...what works for one person might not work for the other and it could be dangerous taking them when not prescribed by your own doctor.
I think that you should seek medical attention,before the infection worsen.
Best wishes...
Helpful - 0
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