Topic: Recurring Boils on Legs and Butt

[Fishloaf]

Well, I was searching around the internet for my issue and ran across this place.  I did search around the forums a bit and read quite a few posts on my type of problem.  Just wanted to tell you all what was happening and get some opinions.

I am 31 years old and until about 6 months ago I had never seen a boil in my life. I have always had the typical ingrown hairs here and there along with some pimples but nothing real serious.  The first one I got was on my lower right leg.  It became about 2 inches around and very red and sore.  At the time, I had no idea what it was or anything about it, so I squeezed the hell out of it trying to get it to burst.  This obviously made it worse and actually spawned a "mini" version of it about 2 inches below the first one.  I finally went to the doctor and they lanced the big one but did nothing with the smaller one.  They sent a culture to see what type of bacteria it was.  They gave me some antibiotic for Staff and said they would call if it was something else.  They never called....

Well, this has now gone on for 5 months.  I have now has a total of 7 of these things.  I have had 4 on my butt, 2 big ones and 2 smaller ones and one in a not so comfortable private area.  All besides the first have gone away without being lanced but they seem to take forever to do so.  Once gone, they are leaving a very UGLY scar, dark and brownish, sort of looks like the skin in the area "dies". 

I went to see my regular doctor about these things about a month ago.  They ran all my bloodwork, testing bloodsugar, etc etc.  All of that came back normal and I have been referred to a dermatologist.  Of course, it will be a month before I can even get in. 

My biggest fear is that one of these things shows up on my face.  As of now, they are showing up in hidden areas....I could not imagine these ugly scars being on my face.   Any help would be appreciated.

If it helps, I am 31 years old, a smoker and do not have the most spectacular diet.  I do have good hygiene and have began using antibacterial soap since this started.  I keep these things covered up and clean when they do occur....


Thanks for listening....

[Bamawing]

Welcome to Skincell!

Sounds like it might be HS... a problem that a TON of our members have. I'm sure one or more of them will be along shortly to give some more insight. If it is HS, the good news is that it probably won't show up on your face.

Good luck with the derm!

[Celery Peach]

  Hi Fishloaf

It sounds like Hidradenitis suppurativa to me too. The fact that it hasnt responded to antibiotics and the areas that the boils are ocurring, also the staining left after the boil goes is the norm with HS. Theres loads of info about it here at Skincell, but if you have any specific questions, just shout up. Of course, I'm not a medical expert by any means, so a diagnosis from a professional will be in order....you could always put it to them, as HS is pretty rare and generally only recognised by a Derm.

http://www.skincell.org/hidradenitis_suppurativa.shtml

HS can actually develop in any area that hair grows....pretty much everywhere then. It is very rare on the face tho, usually preferring the back of the neck and around the ears, but again, rarely.

How are you coping ? Are you in a lot of pain ?  We all have different things that we use that ease it a little. I find Aloe Vera gel straight from the fridge most soothing for the groin area. I also take Ibuprofen and Paracetamol and use hot packs to encourage draining. I hope you can get in with a derm soon. I did find also that Oxytetracyclines taken long term were effective for a while, so you might want to ask your family doctor for those if the derm appointment seems a way off, tho they are quite hectic on the stomach.

[psirosisvirgin]

Good luck with the derm appointment

[Fishloaf]

Thanks for the replies.  I would decribe the pain as moderate right now...It can be severe at times, the first one on my leg was pretty awful and made it tough to walk.  The other have hurt pretty bad but nothing extrodinary, I can function with it.  Honestly, I have not done much in the way of relief.  I bought some stuff called "boil ease", which does not seem to do a hell of a lot.   Other than that, I try to put compresses on it and sometimes antibiotic ointment.  So far, nothing really makes a difference.  It takes these things at least 2 weeks to go away completley. 

I have never really heard of HS before.  There is no treatment???  Can they do anything to prevent the boils from showing up?  The thought of just having to accept these things coming back is pretty scary.  I could end up with 100 of these scars.   

[Alex68]

Fish-i get these things on the inside of my thighs.. I have been getting them forever. If it makes you feel any better, they stop there for me. I do get folliculitis elsewhere on my body, but the larger ones have never gone beyond the inside of my thighs. I get them a few times a year.

They do leave a dark spot when they go away, but even that will not stay forever. It is normal, a derm told me, for the dark spot to take a long time to finally dissipate. A month or two in some cases.

[spiky]

  Hiya Fishloaf,

I have HS too. It can be very painful, and not at all easy to cope with. It does sound very much like HS. Celery Peach is our resident expert - based on (painful) experience and lots of research.
You are not at all alone with this condition here. CP's advice about Aloe Vera gel is very much worth taking. After my last 'experience' with that most uncomfortable area I bought some and although I didn't need it - by the time I was fit for shopping the spot had gone - but I've got a bottle tucked away in the fridge now! With HS, most of us have different experiences with treatments. I spent a long time on Oxtetracycline, which worked very well long-term. But how different things work with different people is still mystifying. Cleanliness is not an issue - so don't feel you are 'dirty' in any way. The discolouration does last a long time, but it does fade - I've had whoppers under my boobs but they fade! Plus an evil one in my armpit a few weeks ago - that came from nowhere and has all but disappeared since it drained! So hang out for that diagnosis, and try some of the things we chat about here to ease pain, and encourage the boils to come to a head and drain. And know that you're not alone with this - everybody here, no matter what skin conditions we have, can share and understand a lot of your experiences.

[Fishloaf]

Well, I finally went and saw a Derm.  The good news is that she seemed very familiar with HS and said that is not what I have.  They believe I am just a staff carrier and that we need to somehow get rid of it.  I am not entirely confident they will, as she gave me the same antibiotic I had taken before, I am just taking it for longer.  I also have some kind of antibiotic gel I have to put in my nostrils. 

[Celery Peach]

  that is great news Fishloaf ! I am so pleased for you that the proffessional opinion is NOT HS !  I hope they did a culture to determine this.

The gel for your nose is very important to get rid of the staph, as for a lot of people, that is where it hides, so make sure you do exactly as directed. You cant mess about with Staph, we dont want it developing resistance. lecture over   

http://www.drmirkin.com/morehealth/G167.htm

Hope you feel better soon Fishloaf and this is the end of it for you 

[Bamawing]

That is good news! Staph is curable, right? Best of luck, Fishloaf!

[AC]

Hi, Im glad the doc said it isnt HS for you, so in that case I have a little bit of imfo for you.
Garlic and garlic tabs work great on boils (non HS) and the Alo vera gel CP mentioned should help to. Good luck with the staph infection as well...

~AC

[Fishloaf]

They just called me back and are now switching my antibiotic.  It appears the type of bacteria I have is "MRSA"??  Anyone here know anything about this?  They did not tell me if this is better or worse, just changed my medication to Tetrocyclin or something like that.  Any help appreciated!

[Alex68]

Hi Fishloaf.. mrsa is a resistant bacteria I think. I think it stands for Methycillin Resistant Staph.. or something. Maybe your first antibiotic wouldnt work on it, and they switched you to something stronger.

There are a few threads about mrsa on the board here, if you do a search.

Good thing you caught it early, I think that type of bacteria is not good if left untreated.

[Celery Peach]

  Hi Fishloaf

I am sorry to hear that its MRSA. As Alex has said, it isnt better or worse than normal staph, it just means that you might have to try several different antibiotics til you get rid of it, because this particular strain of Staph you have is resistant to many antibiotics.

More info here : http://www.patient.co.uk/showdoc/27000607/

Also, if you have any active boils you may want to try some Manuka Honey, they have had great results treating MRSA with it :  http://www.manukahoney.co.uk/article3.html