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Abscess & Cellulitis
About a week and a half ago I started to develope a lump, redness, and pain just outside the crease of my right thigh. Over the weekend it progressively got larger, developed a whitehead, and started draining pus/blood on its own (DO NOT try pushing, sqeezing or poking with a needle on your own).During this time it was VERY painful and hard to walk, sit or get comfortable. Once that finished, there was blood, lots of it, but this is normal (I of course did not know this and began to panic). Just put a dry gauze or paper towel there and change it frequently. I wanted to go to the hospital but because of the high cost and lack of good insurance, I was advised by my father to wait and see a dermotologist the following Monday. Yet when I arrived, she said that " we usually treat an abscess during the beginning stages and this was to sever for her to handle" and sent me to the hospital anyways. I was pissed!
The ER doctor first stuck a huge, long needle into my thigh near the abscess, which went about half way into my leg. This was a VERY painful procedure and it barely took away the pain (honesty I felt EVERYTHING!) Once my leg was "supposedly" numb, he then proceded to to slice open the wound "so it could drain more." I screamed, cryed, and left scratches and bruses on my mother's arm during the whole procedure (and I have a very high tolerence for pain so be prepared!) After feeling the scalple slicing open my abscess, then the doctor found a previous abscess under that one and had to slice it open as well. After all of this, it was time to begin packing the wound with this stringgy gauze filled with antibiotic by using a small pair of sissors to do it. I felt everything! It felt like he was poking the abscess with the sharp sissor and then dragging it around the inside edges of the wound. Another very painful and tramatic experience!
He wanted me to come back to the hospital the very next day because I also had an infection inside called cellulitis which is "a very serious condition" and must be watched carefully. Usually the packing remains inside the abscess for two days and then removed. When I returned they first removed the gauze which is not that painful, but then had to push on the wound to see if anymore pus came out..ouch! Then it was repacked again (again very painful, especially when using sissors to do it) because the wound was so deep and infected. I returned to the ER the following day and had the packing removed for the final time and then was told to have a follow up visit with either my primary care doctor or dermotologist to make sure it's healing properly.
I believe that this abscess was cause by a pair of underwear that was too tight, cutting off the circulation to a gland that lies right outside the crease of the thigh. The paperwork suggests that an abscess (sometimes called a "boil" occurs when bacteria gets trapped under the skin and begins to grow) can be caused by an insect bite, ingrown hair, blocked oil gland, "pimple," cyst, or punctured wound. The pus forms inside the abscess as the body responds to the bacteria. Antibiotics are not required in the treatment of a simple abscess, unless the infection is spreading into the skin around the wound known as "cellulitis" (which I had).
Here is everything I was perscribed and told to do:
- Medication: Bactrim or Septra and Keflex (because occasionally with cellulitis the infection will be resistant to one antibiotic and another must be perscribed)
- Home care with cellulitis: (1)limit the use of the affected part, since excess movement can cause the infection to spread. (2) if the infection is on the leg, walk as little as possible during the first few days of treatment and keep your leg elevated whil sitting to reduce swelling.(3) be careful not to miss any doses of antibiotics, especially during the first seven days.
-Home care with abscess: (1) the wound may drain for the first two days so cover the wound with a clean DRY bandage (I used gauze pads). If the dressing becomes soaked with blood or pus, change it.(2) Once the gauze packing is removed you should wash the area carefully in the shower or bath ONCE A DAY, untill the skin opening has closed. (3) You may use acetaminophen (Tylenol) or ibuprofen (Motrin or Advil) to control the pain
- keep the wound as dry as possible once drained, just wash the area around it
- healing of the wound will take about one to two weeks depending on the size of the abscess (but don't worry, they write you a doctor's note for work)
- get the lump checked out as soon as it starts forming to avoid cellulitis and going to the hospital (you might still have to have it drained but at least you can go to a cheaper doctor who WILL do it and not experience all the pain and suffering of a full blown abscess)
The ER doctor first stuck a huge, long needle into my thigh near the abscess, which went about half way into my leg. This was a VERY painful procedure and it barely took away the pain (honesty I felt EVERYTHING!) Once my leg was "supposedly" numb, he then proceded to to slice open the wound "so it could drain more." I screamed, cryed, and left scratches and bruses on my mother's arm during the whole procedure (and I have a very high tolerence for pain so be prepared!) After feeling the scalple slicing open my abscess, then the doctor found a previous abscess under that one and had to slice it open as well. After all of this, it was time to begin packing the wound with this stringgy gauze filled with antibiotic by using a small pair of sissors to do it. I felt everything! It felt like he was poking the abscess with the sharp sissor and then dragging it around the inside edges of the wound. Another very painful and tramatic experience!
He wanted me to come back to the hospital the very next day because I also had an infection inside called cellulitis which is "a very serious condition" and must be watched carefully. Usually the packing remains inside the abscess for two days and then removed. When I returned they first removed the gauze which is not that painful, but then had to push on the wound to see if anymore pus came out..ouch! Then it was repacked again (again very painful, especially when using sissors to do it) because the wound was so deep and infected. I returned to the ER the following day and had the packing removed for the final time and then was told to have a follow up visit with either my primary care doctor or dermotologist to make sure it's healing properly.
I believe that this abscess was cause by a pair of underwear that was too tight, cutting off the circulation to a gland that lies right outside the crease of the thigh. The paperwork suggests that an abscess (sometimes called a "boil" occurs when bacteria gets trapped under the skin and begins to grow) can be caused by an insect bite, ingrown hair, blocked oil gland, "pimple," cyst, or punctured wound. The pus forms inside the abscess as the body responds to the bacteria. Antibiotics are not required in the treatment of a simple abscess, unless the infection is spreading into the skin around the wound known as "cellulitis" (which I had).
Here is everything I was perscribed and told to do:
- Medication: Bactrim or Septra and Keflex (because occasionally with cellulitis the infection will be resistant to one antibiotic and another must be perscribed)
- Home care with cellulitis: (1)limit the use of the affected part, since excess movement can cause the infection to spread. (2) if the infection is on the leg, walk as little as possible during the first few days of treatment and keep your leg elevated whil sitting to reduce swelling.(3) be careful not to miss any doses of antibiotics, especially during the first seven days.
-Home care with abscess: (1) the wound may drain for the first two days so cover the wound with a clean DRY bandage (I used gauze pads). If the dressing becomes soaked with blood or pus, change it.(2) Once the gauze packing is removed you should wash the area carefully in the shower or bath ONCE A DAY, untill the skin opening has closed. (3) You may use acetaminophen (Tylenol) or ibuprofen (Motrin or Advil) to control the pain
- keep the wound as dry as possible once drained, just wash the area around it
- healing of the wound will take about one to two weeks depending on the size of the abscess (but don't worry, they write you a doctor's note for work)
- get the lump checked out as soon as it starts forming to avoid cellulitis and going to the hospital (you might still have to have it drained but at least you can go to a cheaper doctor who WILL do it and not experience all the pain and suffering of a full blown abscess)
I've had two bumps for a few days now and they became so incredibly and unbearably painful that I would cry when every I moved my arm. I have an extremely high tolerance for pain so the fact that it hurt so badly really scared me. So I went to urgent care on Friday. I was freezing, nauseous and had severe cold sweats. The Dr said one of my bumps had developed celulitis. Unfortunately this bump happens to be right on a tattoo I had just gotten and that has just barley healed. He had to touch my arm and I cried quite a bit. I was sent home with intense antibiotics as well as pain medication. The next day I could not move. If I sat up or got out of bed I would vomit. So I spent the day hugging the toilet and in bed. I stopped taking the pain medicine as I felt it wasn't working and I'm not sure the antibiotics will do much good since I can't even hold down water right now. I'm scared. I've honestly never felt so much pain, and I've had 2 kids. I'm supposed to wait until Monday to go in to see a nurse however, I don't think I can wait that long. Holding back from vomiting now acatually. This post has been helpful. I'm just so scared and I can't stop throwing up.y last dose of the pain medication was taken late last night but it's still effecting me really bad.
I have had spider bites and cellulitis and they took a month plus to heal but a friend told me once at the start of anything that i thought might be either again hit it with bleach first u have to break the skin enough for the bleach to get in. But i swear it does hurts horribly bad but the next day the bump is gone and just a scab is there whuch in comparison bearly hurts..and fyi cellulitis is staph once u gwt staph u er prone to get it repeatedly it stays active in your body..just try it once you will see it is better than the long painful process.
How will i know if the 10dy supply of keflex will heal my cellulitus
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Hello is anyone there
I have a abscess on my lower labia which normally I get with no pain and small they go away..this one got kind of round and long..large to say the least and painful..when to hospital they stuck a needle in got 2cc of puss fluid decided to cut open nothing came out packed it and I was sent home.because where it is I constantly pee on it even though I try push over..it was cut on sat today tues not as much pain seems to gone down abit however because how went packing not staying in..it have home care yesterday got new packing but came out this morning home care comes back tomorrow not suppose get wet but not easy however I try to dry off as much anyone else go through this how long does it take?
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