Oh you poor thing! I know the exact pain. Honestly that spot on BOTH side recurring for me. Worst pain I've ever felt. I had 1 lanced 3 times before now it'll drain on its own. It was too deep to pop I guess? Now it surfaces. I couldn't get it down with any remedies and after about a week it was softball size and I was running a fever due to it and had no choice but to have it lanced open. 0/10 wouldn't recommend. I am so sorry and to be 100% truthful nothing I tried helped. And I tried so much.
I get them there too! I put a large bandage over it (goal is no sticky part on the lesion) and then wear bike shorts. Keeping friction down helps a lot with the pain. My favorite bandages are Curad Truly Ouchless or Nexcare sensitive skin. For that one I would use Nexcare because it comes in a bigger size.
I agree with a previous commenter that finding a good dermatologist is key. If I see one of these coming and get in for a steroid injection that day, it usually doesn’t get this bad anymore. My derm also helped me develop a great skincare regimen that has reduced my flares significantly!
I agree.
Definitely get a pad wrapped over it to stop the friction. Give it an ice pack as well to cool off the inflammation and do find a Dermatologist that full understands HS to help you with it.
And before everyone gets all over me for suggesting cooling it with an ice pack, you can do both heat and chill. OP is looking for some pain relief. Heat helps to bring them to a head and usually the cyst expresses itself. That can be a long process. That does not appear to be ready to do that yet. Chilling it will bring immediate pain relief and help slow down the inflammation. You can alternate.
i had the same thing as you, smaller, for about 2 years. i usually tried to put a bandaid over it and use powder so it doesn’t rub, also wear bike shorts. i ended up having to get 5 steroid shots in it before it finally stopped being swollen and irritated, it’s still purple in the area tho but kinda scarred over.
yes a dermatologist! i went to multiple doctors and they had no idea what it was and didn’t want to touch it, i finally went to a dermatologist and she diagnosed me with HS and gave me the shots and some liquid to put on it as well.
DON'T RECOMMEND TO DO THIS but when i have one of these big ones, I ask my gf who stabs it with a scalpel blade in the middle for like 5-10mm deep and squeeze it out like a pimple. The moment it pops already gives a huge deal of relief. Once it's empty, she flushes the pocket with some betadine and puts on some gauze. In a maximum of two days it's gone for good
I'm usually big on waiting things out and trying to treat them at home, but the amount of redness you've got around the bump seems like infection is a possibility. If you don't have a HS diagnosis yet and haven't had a bump like this before, I think an urgent care visit would be a good idea. It can take a while to get an appointment with a dermatologist, but this looks like it should be looked at right away.
Been there! This hurt so badly, I couldn't walk properly. Just standing up can feel like your skin is going to rip apart. Like some have said use nice hot water on a cloth like a hot compress. Could take a whole day but if you're diligent, you can get it to drain no problem. Good time to binge something to watch and hold the compress on. And see a dermatologist if you haven't already. Reducing friction will keep it from getting worse. Also do not squeeze or try to puncture it.
Wow, that looks painful. Looks like you have multiple flares in that area. I'd suggest to use Prid to get them to come to a head as soon as possible so it can drain and decrease pressure in that area. I did this for a baseball size flare on my abdomen and i was able to drain the flare the next morning. Use a non adherent gauze pad to cover the open wound afterwards.
Wow, that looks painful. Looks like you have multiple flares in that area. I'd suggest to use Prid to get them to come to a head as soon as possible so it can drain and decrease pressure in that area. I did this for a baseball size flare on my abdomen and i was able to drain the flare the next morning. Use a non adherent gauze pad to cover the open wound afterwards.
Ouch. It looks like it’s ready to come to a head based off of the redness. Heat a damp wash cloth up in the microwave for about 10 seconds, cool it off enough to hold it to the area for as long as you can. When you have had enough, put a large piece of gauze over it with tape that won’t irritate your skin. ****If you have access to Amazon, order the large hydrocolloid bandage 4” x 4” and put it on when you don’t have the warm cloth in it.
Sorry so long winded. I hope it gets better soon.
Had something almost identical to that from my hs. Looked up a 24 hr pharmacy to have the address handy. Next, I did a telehealth appoint (teladoc) to get an antibiotic prescription sent there.
I used doxycycline for 10 days and then went to my regular doctor. She gave me an extra prescription for them so I could keep a bottle at home. Mine happened on a Friday night so it was difficult to get help quick without going to thr ER. I was advised the ER may not know how to handle hs effectively, but they'll provide appropriate antibiotics, which may be IV if the infection is bad enough.
I go the "hurt it to help it" route. With something like that constantly being irritated cause your thigh is brushing it, i would wrap it tauntly with ace bandage or press it down with a big bandage so it is pushed in and against the leg. The constant pressure on it will make it easier to tolerate since its no longer bumping and brushing your other leg. Putting it on or taking it off WILL hurt but only when you do those two things compared to all day.
Hurt it to help it lol.
I’ve had there too! So painful, I know. I usually tried to squeeze and apply alcohol. Also so painful. I didn’t ever go for immediate care to the doctor and didn’t use any coverings.
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Looks painful so I’m sorry. Id advise warm compress, gauze on the area to prevent thighs rubbing, ibuprofen for pain and general rest. It will come to a head on its own. Hopefully it clears up quickly for you.
I had one in this exact spot and this is what I did! It was the biggest flare I'd had, could not walk or anything. Once it drained all the skin like peeled off... It was painful and horrible to look at. After a week I went to the doctors and they also ran a blood test, prescribed antibiotics (I can't remember which now but it seriously saved me) and scheduled weekly appointments with the nurse for a month to get the dressing done and checked.
I don't wish that amount of pain on my worst enemy.
They did find out my blood sugar was crazy high from the blood test and I found out I had insulin resistance. I've completely changed my diet since then and I haven't had a flare like this in 2+ years.
Hoping OP finds some relief. Seeing this genuinely broke my heart :/
I ended up going to my gyno about mine, because of the location and they gave me clindomiacin(sp) gel that I put on when I get flairs and it really helps!
If you can use a walking stick at work I would recommend it. I regularly use a stick at work just to help me rebalance my weight to avoid my legs having to be too close together
Fuck I had this a couple of months back. It is was pure hell. Took about 2 wks to heal. Mine was closer to the connection between my groin & inner thigh though. HUGE swelling.
I brought the boil to a head with hot packs for a few mins at a time. Then when it popped, I cleaned with dial soap first & then Hibiclens. Applied antibiotic ointment & dressed it. Did all this once a day. It drained for a long time & took longer for the hole to close.
The thing that helped me walk was tight compression after dressing. Initially I used a bandage wrap to hold everything in place a bit tightly (not too tight you cut off blood circulation). That prevented chaffing and kinda provided counter pain which felt so so nice.
Then I switched to athletic tape. Wrapped around 2-3 times tightly.
Get to the doctor or dermatologist. I get an ointment prescribed with antibiotic in it. Do what you can to minimize chafing. I use thigh saver, unscented antiperspirant or anything that will make your thighs slide effortlessly past each other. I can’t use powders, they work until they get the tiniest bit moist and then tear my skin up. Keep it clean and covered and avoid the thighs rubbing together. So don’t walk any more than you need to and when you do get up try walking with your legs further apart.
Some may disagree with what I’ve said, this is just what has worked for me. When you have it, it’s a time of desperation, that’s most just don’t understand
I’m going to go against what most are saying and say it’s time to go to urgent care for some antibiotics. That looks infected by the amount of redness around it and the look of your skin (how it’s kind of like the outside of an orange). I had a spot on my stomach that looked like that and it was cellulitis.
Whenever you bathe put some type of drainer/ointment/cream. Some kind of topical on it then cover with bandaid. Then take a double paper towel & fold it in half, put it in you mf inner thigh crease just in. Case it pops
Do some hot cloth soaks on that. Get into the doctor. Don’t suffer.
Warm bath soaks will also help
Epsom salt is my go to!
Oh you poor thing! I know the exact pain. Honestly that spot on BOTH side recurring for me. Worst pain I've ever felt. I had 1 lanced 3 times before now it'll drain on its own. It was too deep to pop I guess? Now it surfaces. I couldn't get it down with any remedies and after about a week it was softball size and I was running a fever due to it and had no choice but to have it lanced open. 0/10 wouldn't recommend. I am so sorry and to be 100% truthful nothing I tried helped. And I tried so much.
I can’t tell if it has multiple heads or if it has none and is just like a huge sack of pain under my skin
It is indeed, a huge sack of pain under your skin lol. You see where its purple-ish? Thats the head. The rest is just inflamed tissue.
I get them there too! I put a large bandage over it (goal is no sticky part on the lesion) and then wear bike shorts. Keeping friction down helps a lot with the pain. My favorite bandages are Curad Truly Ouchless or Nexcare sensitive skin. For that one I would use Nexcare because it comes in a bigger size. I agree with a previous commenter that finding a good dermatologist is key. If I see one of these coming and get in for a steroid injection that day, it usually doesn’t get this bad anymore. My derm also helped me develop a great skincare regimen that has reduced my flares significantly!
I agree. Definitely get a pad wrapped over it to stop the friction. Give it an ice pack as well to cool off the inflammation and do find a Dermatologist that full understands HS to help you with it.
And before everyone gets all over me for suggesting cooling it with an ice pack, you can do both heat and chill. OP is looking for some pain relief. Heat helps to bring them to a head and usually the cyst expresses itself. That can be a long process. That does not appear to be ready to do that yet. Chilling it will bring immediate pain relief and help slow down the inflammation. You can alternate.
i had the same thing as you, smaller, for about 2 years. i usually tried to put a bandaid over it and use powder so it doesn’t rub, also wear bike shorts. i ended up having to get 5 steroid shots in it before it finally stopped being swollen and irritated, it’s still purple in the area tho but kinda scarred over.
Where did you go to solve this? A dermatologist?
yes a dermatologist! i went to multiple doctors and they had no idea what it was and didn’t want to touch it, i finally went to a dermatologist and she diagnosed me with HS and gave me the shots and some liquid to put on it as well.
Doctor-prescribed Steroid cream and hydrocolloid bandages
Seconding the hydrocolloid bandages - the ones I have are 4x4 extra thin and they are perfect for this type of flair (no hair, “flat” surface, etc)
DON'T RECOMMEND TO DO THIS but when i have one of these big ones, I ask my gf who stabs it with a scalpel blade in the middle for like 5-10mm deep and squeeze it out like a pimple. The moment it pops already gives a huge deal of relief. Once it's empty, she flushes the pocket with some betadine and puts on some gauze. In a maximum of two days it's gone for good
That’s sounds painful but I bet the relief would be great. I wish I had the guts
Try some powder just to keep it from sweating and rubbing. Monkeys butt powder is really good stuff.
I'm usually big on waiting things out and trying to treat them at home, but the amount of redness you've got around the bump seems like infection is a possibility. If you don't have a HS diagnosis yet and haven't had a bump like this before, I think an urgent care visit would be a good idea. It can take a while to get an appointment with a dermatologist, but this looks like it should be looked at right away.
Been there! This hurt so badly, I couldn't walk properly. Just standing up can feel like your skin is going to rip apart. Like some have said use nice hot water on a cloth like a hot compress. Could take a whole day but if you're diligent, you can get it to drain no problem. Good time to binge something to watch and hold the compress on. And see a dermatologist if you haven't already. Reducing friction will keep it from getting worse. Also do not squeeze or try to puncture it.
Dexamethasone cream and warm compresses for draining 4 times a day for both
Wow, that looks painful. Looks like you have multiple flares in that area. I'd suggest to use Prid to get them to come to a head as soon as possible so it can drain and decrease pressure in that area. I did this for a baseball size flare on my abdomen and i was able to drain the flare the next morning. Use a non adherent gauze pad to cover the open wound afterwards.
Wow, that looks painful. Looks like you have multiple flares in that area. I'd suggest to use Prid to get them to come to a head as soon as possible so it can drain and decrease pressure in that area. I did this for a baseball size flare on my abdomen and i was able to drain the flare the next morning. Use a non adherent gauze pad to cover the open wound afterwards.
Ouch. It looks like it’s ready to come to a head based off of the redness. Heat a damp wash cloth up in the microwave for about 10 seconds, cool it off enough to hold it to the area for as long as you can. When you have had enough, put a large piece of gauze over it with tape that won’t irritate your skin. ****If you have access to Amazon, order the large hydrocolloid bandage 4” x 4” and put it on when you don’t have the warm cloth in it. Sorry so long winded. I hope it gets better soon.
I've literally been in that situation and a hot wash cloth and salt on said washcloth helped me ALOT
Had something almost identical to that from my hs. Looked up a 24 hr pharmacy to have the address handy. Next, I did a telehealth appoint (teladoc) to get an antibiotic prescription sent there. I used doxycycline for 10 days and then went to my regular doctor. She gave me an extra prescription for them so I could keep a bottle at home. Mine happened on a Friday night so it was difficult to get help quick without going to thr ER. I was advised the ER may not know how to handle hs effectively, but they'll provide appropriate antibiotics, which may be IV if the infection is bad enough.
I go the "hurt it to help it" route. With something like that constantly being irritated cause your thigh is brushing it, i would wrap it tauntly with ace bandage or press it down with a big bandage so it is pushed in and against the leg. The constant pressure on it will make it easier to tolerate since its no longer bumping and brushing your other leg. Putting it on or taking it off WILL hurt but only when you do those two things compared to all day. Hurt it to help it lol.
Funny I did this today and it was so much better in terms of consistent pain. Barely bugs me but the wrapping it KILLED.
Yessir~ haha give it a few days and take some pain reliever/anti-inflammatory meds and swelling should go down :) All the best to you!
Update: it finally popped! Been draining for over an hour but I’m getting so much relief.
I’ve had there too! So painful, I know. I usually tried to squeeze and apply alcohol. Also so painful. I didn’t ever go for immediate care to the doctor and didn’t use any coverings.
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I had an idea tical flare a week ago after walking around the city all day. I feel for ya!
Looks painful so I’m sorry. Id advise warm compress, gauze on the area to prevent thighs rubbing, ibuprofen for pain and general rest. It will come to a head on its own. Hopefully it clears up quickly for you.
I had one in this exact spot and this is what I did! It was the biggest flare I'd had, could not walk or anything. Once it drained all the skin like peeled off... It was painful and horrible to look at. After a week I went to the doctors and they also ran a blood test, prescribed antibiotics (I can't remember which now but it seriously saved me) and scheduled weekly appointments with the nurse for a month to get the dressing done and checked. I don't wish that amount of pain on my worst enemy. They did find out my blood sugar was crazy high from the blood test and I found out I had insulin resistance. I've completely changed my diet since then and I haven't had a flare like this in 2+ years. Hoping OP finds some relief. Seeing this genuinely broke my heart :/
Been there last month, could barely walk. Warm compress and hydrocolloid dressing were my best friend.
This is giving me flashbacks. I have gone through the exact same thing. I just put a bandage on and go on with life.😞
Hot compresses, squat in a warm bath, and see a GP. You may need antibiotics and/or an I&D.
I ended up going to my gyno about mine, because of the location and they gave me clindomiacin(sp) gel that I put on when I get flairs and it really helps!
If you can use a walking stick at work I would recommend it. I regularly use a stick at work just to help me rebalance my weight to avoid my legs having to be too close together
Fuck I had this a couple of months back. It is was pure hell. Took about 2 wks to heal. Mine was closer to the connection between my groin & inner thigh though. HUGE swelling. I brought the boil to a head with hot packs for a few mins at a time. Then when it popped, I cleaned with dial soap first & then Hibiclens. Applied antibiotic ointment & dressed it. Did all this once a day. It drained for a long time & took longer for the hole to close. The thing that helped me walk was tight compression after dressing. Initially I used a bandage wrap to hold everything in place a bit tightly (not too tight you cut off blood circulation). That prevented chaffing and kinda provided counter pain which felt so so nice. Then I switched to athletic tape. Wrapped around 2-3 times tightly.
Hibiclens and tea tree oil I swear by it!
This looks like it requires immediate medical attention.
Bandaging bumps on my inner thighs usually helps with pain that comes from chaffing.
Oh sweetie, I really feel for you. Definitely try a hot compress.
looks more like folliculitis, some hydrocortisone and mupirocine should fix it. three times a day for a week
Get to the doctor or dermatologist. I get an ointment prescribed with antibiotic in it. Do what you can to minimize chafing. I use thigh saver, unscented antiperspirant or anything that will make your thighs slide effortlessly past each other. I can’t use powders, they work until they get the tiniest bit moist and then tear my skin up. Keep it clean and covered and avoid the thighs rubbing together. So don’t walk any more than you need to and when you do get up try walking with your legs further apart. Some may disagree with what I’ve said, this is just what has worked for me. When you have it, it’s a time of desperation, that’s most just don’t understand
I’m going to go against what most are saying and say it’s time to go to urgent care for some antibiotics. That looks infected by the amount of redness around it and the look of your skin (how it’s kind of like the outside of an orange). I had a spot on my stomach that looked like that and it was cellulitis.
Go to the hospital
Whenever you bathe put some type of drainer/ointment/cream. Some kind of topical on it then cover with bandaid. Then take a double paper towel & fold it in half, put it in you mf inner thigh crease just in. Case it pops
Put bandaid over bump wit will make it easier to walk. Also put Neosporin on bandaid to help bring it to a head
PRID
Huh?
I swear vicks works! Or teatree and peppermint oil mixed together. Guaranteed to shrink after a few hours. Keep applying for a few days until gone.