Chronic Boils (Carbuncles?)

[azbutterfly]

Hi everyone. :) I have a question about a chronic boil, or sebaceous cyst, or carbuncle, what ever it is called.  I get it in the same place over and over and over again - have for years now.  It's right by my rectum (sorry) on my right butt cheek.  I've had two surgeries on it in the hospital over the years and nothing keeps it from coming back. I've tried antibacterial soaps, tea tree oils which is said to kill Staph, continuous bathing, Echinacea, vitamins, healthy diet.  "Nothing" helps.  So much for the ingrown hair theory!  I really don't think that is it at all at this point.

I did find a drawing salve that works wonders about 4 years ago that has now become very expensive, (Furuncle Med) however, I've since found one that is less than $5 dollars that also works.  I just found it through a friend.  It's called Ichthammol Ointment, they sell it at Walgreens and it does the same thing, it pulls the infection out within 2 to 3 days under a gauze bandage.  The other drawing salve is over $40 now on line.  I don't have to buy that one anymore.  It used to be $26 dollars when I first found it.

Just as one boil goes away and begins to heal, here comes another one right behind it in the same place.  I wear a constant patch on the area with either drawing salve on it, or neosporin on it so it won't become infected, and keep it spotlessly clean.  At one point, in 2002, it got the size of a large lemon and I could barely walk, the skin even turned black and blue around it and I had put a heating pad on it, not knowing what else to do at the time, and when it burst it had a very foul odor to it and just squirted blood like a jugular vein would!

Is there anything today that I can do so it won't keep coming back on a regular basis?  I'm so very tired of it....

Thank you for any help you can recommend that I haven't already done.  :)

[azbutterfly]

Hi, and thank you for posting. Yes, as I've mentioned before, I have had two surgeries on it with the sac removed.  I've been tested for HIV, and Diabetes and I have neither.  I am 57 and weigh 140 pounds, I do have fibromyalgia.

The area is kept clean at all times and looks like a healing wound with no infections surrounding it. I can really feel the scar tissue beneath the surface. I guess it will just remain a mystery to me.  I've also read that antibiotics only work temporarily.  I eat well, juice vegetables, make my own health smoothies,etc.

The surgeon did refer to it as a sebaceous cyst but didn't recommend antibiotics of any kind.  He operated on it twice, about a year apart, and in two different places telling me that he removed 'everything' except the kitchen sink.  :)  Not much else can be done I guess.

Thanks for your reply though, I really appreciate it.  :)

[Bhupinder Kaur, MD]

Hello,
From the symptoms it looks like a recurrent boil or abscess. Recurrent boils are found in diabetes, HIV infection, or other immune system disorders. So please get your blood sugar evaluated. Also get it differentiated from an infected sebaceous cyst. Treatment includes small surgical opening into the skin and removing the sac (excision biopsy).

It is very difficult to precisely confirm a diagnosis without examination and investigations and the answer is based on the medical information provided. For exact diagnosis, you are requested to consult your dermatologist. I sincerely hope that helps. Take care and please do keep me posted on how you are doing.