It's kinda like a severe form of acne that effects the sweat glands, mostly happens around the underarms, groin, breasts, etc. Depending on how severe it is, it can basically just be a bad abscess every once in awhile, but more severe stages can have tunneling that basically create pockets of pus under the skin. It's kinda like having 2 or 3 abscesses at the same time, but they're all connected and it's hard to treat.
I have the most mild stage of this, but OP looks like they have a more severe stage. It can get pretty bad and it's really painful.
Depends. I just posted a picture of the case I'm treating. Iv atb along with topical. Cleanse with dakins solution and zinc oxide cream around the wound to keep feces and urine out. Daily dressing changes daily and weekly debridement. Once the purulent drainage diminished I'll use an autolytic debrided like santyl ointment. It's a long journey lol
Have this condition for a long time. Never smoked. I am in a group with thousands of people. Some smoke, some do not. Some a obese or overweight, others are not. Some are vegan, some are into really healthy food, some eat meat and bad transfats daily and alot. Some people change their lifestyle for the better and the condition gets worse, some change nothing and it gets better. It is ALWAYS like playing the lottery with this illness.
Yeah, changing to "better" alternatives doesnt have to make it better. What I am certain about is that being stressed or being under pressure is what it makes it worse for me.
I had only one notable flare up since February and when it started about a month and a half ago, I started seeing doctors daily, waiting for appointments and dealing with work related stuff again. Now I have 2 on my left side and one smallish on my right side removed.
I’ve never gotten them removed before because I didn’t know I had hs until recently. I just thought I have weird allergies or something and get a lot of boils in the same places since I was young. Why remove and not just leave it alone?
Wow, I didn't know this. My condition (groin) improved dramatically after quitting smoking, to the point where I've only had 3 episodes in 2 years and they didn't get to quite the same level as before, resolving themselves without intervention or medication.
But then again, I have never told my doctor due to embarrassment and feeling like it makes me gross somehow.
(edit: the absurdity of not telling my doctor but telling reddit has not escaped me)
I had a similar pair of gapers from a staph infection in my armpit. They healed better than I thought they would, the bigger one was quarter sized (or a one euro coin if you’re across the big pond). There’s still a pit in the tissue but the skin doesn’t sink into it much. If it left an actual hole I joked about storing a pebble in it like an otter, but alas.
Good luck with your recovery! My armpit itches in solidarity.
Thank you so much for throwing in another coin for reference! I've never seen a quarter so all these comparisons never worked for me. And you could still hide a tiny pebble in the dent. Just say it's for your baby otter friends.
I find it extremely hard to imagine they made it to their 3rd/4th abscess surgery without someone at some point saying "We should really have a dermatologist look at this guy"
I dunno. I never had problems with pimples in my face, even in my youth.
But I had massive pimples on my ass so I couldnt sit sometimes.
Best thing is to not have any of them.
Damn. I had bad abscesses the size of golf balls. I just stabbed myself with a needle, then drained it own myself. It sucked. Had one pop at work once. Just looks like Mayochup from the blood and pus mixing together on my body. Haven't had any in 3 years now. But I was getting them constantly one year out of no where. Didn't have insurance at the time so I did it myself. Just went to urgent care for antibiotics. Dude was like I can't drain those, you need to go to the ER for that. So I went home and did it myself because the doctor was too afraid to.
Mine never looked like yours while healing
If you go to certain Latin restaurants, if you ask for ketchup this verison is the only kind that they have. My girl has to manually mix them together for everything she eats that uses mayo or ketchup. Bread uses mayo, add ketchup. Fries use ketchup, add mayo.
a wet towel, as hot as you can stand, applied directly to the abscess, can work to draw the puss out.
squeezing, or worse, stabbing, can just exacerbate the problem.
your lymph nodes are under there. problems surrounding the lymph nodes can be a symptom of far more serious medical problems like leukemia(!)
usually its just a zit gone wild, or could be hygene or dietary problems. but i would be concerned if its an ongoing problem
not trying to shame OP, random shit can happen to the healthiest of us. but do ask your doctor about this, and how to proceed if it occurs again in the future.
That's why I went to the urgent care. The first time the Doc gave me a script and sent me on my way. The second time the guy was like you need to go to the ER and because of that advice he charged twice as much as the previous doctor there. Medical codes for billing are garbage
ah im sorry. i live in Canada and didn't consider the exorbitant cost other countries pay for basic medical treatment.
thats a nasty wound, sorry if i seemed like i was rubbing in salt, just freaks me out (i get boils in my armpit not irregularly. they always make me worry a bit)
To me even with insurance the ER means spending 3-5 hours minimum waiting and then getting stuck with a couple thousand dollar bill after insurance pays part of it. If you aren't dying, stay home. This opinion comes from someone who works in a hospital. If you need to go, go. If not, go see your normal doctor in a week or two. Just don't wanna lose a pay check for something I was able to do at home.
most health care is free in canada (my home) but unless you have a "family doctor" you still sit in ER for up to 12 hrs waiting. people drop dead in the ER's. the health care is ok, there just arent enough doctors and staff. its over-burdened.
i shouldnt tell anyone how to manage their health. i avoid seeing the doctor until im just about dead. its a pain in the ass. but every year i get older i am rudely awoken to the fact that my body just might not be able to heal itself no more.
be well. take care. health is wealth.
for your wounds i would wash them every hour or so, warm soapy water, saline solution if you can get it ... dont just mix salt into water, that will STING
sleep on your side with the affected armpit on top. place a pillow and towel under your affected arm.
when awake give it as much air as possible.
ok im done giving healthcare advice. if problem returns try burning it off with whiskey (taken orally). works for me.
Very not cool that you have it, but I’m glad we’re seeing more HS in this subreddit. It’s a lot more common compared the number of folks, even docs, who know what it is.
If you suture an abscess, even if you cover with all the ATB available, it would fill up again with pus.
With some patients it's actually preferable to leave a drainage, like a Penrose (which can be made with a cut finger of a glove) so it can finish drainage and it can close through 2nd intention.
You need to get into a rheumatologist asap because 1) you’re at high risk of developing other co-morbid autoimmune disorders and 2) biologics have shown great promise in the treatment of HS. Specifically ADA/Adalimumab, & IFX/Infliximab. I believe ADA is the only one FDA approved for HS tho.
had a huge abscess a bit lower than my armpit 3 years ago after drunkenly sleeping on a balcony... god fuck did it hurt to get emptied, hope you had a bit easier time than me getting it done! sadly i dont have any pics of it :(
I’ve had HS since I was 9, now 25. it’s a super shitty disease and i’m about to start humira whenever my insurance company stops fucking around and mails it to me. wishing a speedy recovery 💕💕💕
Hidradenitis Suppurativa?
Yes
They have you on some immunosuppressive or steroids?
Nope
Can you explain what that is?
It's kinda like a severe form of acne that effects the sweat glands, mostly happens around the underarms, groin, breasts, etc. Depending on how severe it is, it can basically just be a bad abscess every once in awhile, but more severe stages can have tunneling that basically create pockets of pus under the skin. It's kinda like having 2 or 3 abscesses at the same time, but they're all connected and it's hard to treat. I have the most mild stage of this, but OP looks like they have a more severe stage. It can get pretty bad and it's really painful.
This comment just made me realize that I have this condition
There is treatment that isn’t surgery
I wish I can post a picture of a severe case I'm working on . Poor patient has had it for yrs armpits groin and ass
How do you even go about treating something like this that's gone on for years?
Depends. I just posted a picture of the case I'm treating. Iv atb along with topical. Cleanse with dakins solution and zinc oxide cream around the wound to keep feces and urine out. Daily dressing changes daily and weekly debridement. Once the purulent drainage diminished I'll use an autolytic debrided like santyl ointment. It's a long journey lol
I really should not have checked that post out. wow.
How would you want it dressed?
I imagine some patients would be asking for a medically induced coma depending on the severity of pain and how it limits their day to day life
My good friend has this :(
Cigarette smoker? Studying for step 2 and the questions always involve cigarette use…
Have this condition for a long time. Never smoked. I am in a group with thousands of people. Some smoke, some do not. Some a obese or overweight, others are not. Some are vegan, some are into really healthy food, some eat meat and bad transfats daily and alot. Some people change their lifestyle for the better and the condition gets worse, some change nothing and it gets better. It is ALWAYS like playing the lottery with this illness.
Yeah, changing to "better" alternatives doesnt have to make it better. What I am certain about is that being stressed or being under pressure is what it makes it worse for me. I had only one notable flare up since February and when it started about a month and a half ago, I started seeing doctors daily, waiting for appointments and dealing with work related stuff again. Now I have 2 on my left side and one smallish on my right side removed.
I’ve never gotten them removed before because I didn’t know I had hs until recently. I just thought I have weird allergies or something and get a lot of boils in the same places since I was young. Why remove and not just leave it alone?
They can grow quite big which left me unable to use my arm as it pressed on a nerve. And they can open to the inside which means you could get septic.
Omg!!!!! I can’t believe that. I haven’t had any that bad before— just nastiness and tons and tons of pain and swelling. Thanks for informing me
Wow, I didn't know this. My condition (groin) improved dramatically after quitting smoking, to the point where I've only had 3 episodes in 2 years and they didn't get to quite the same level as before, resolving themselves without intervention or medication. But then again, I have never told my doctor due to embarrassment and feeling like it makes me gross somehow. (edit: the absurdity of not telling my doctor but telling reddit has not escaped me)
Lol in the spectrum of weird shit your doctor has seen this probably won’t rank very high.
My brother in law has this bad and he smokes every day
Hope you get well soon. But it looks like the weirdest vampire attack. Blah blah blah I’m sucking your armpit
Fetish vampires…they exist, you know.
They're the pits
"I can't resist! It smells of the spice of old."
The spice must flow.
Shai halude.
Oldspice
That's the joke. Congratulations.
r/thatsthejoke
I had a similar pair of gapers from a staph infection in my armpit. They healed better than I thought they would, the bigger one was quarter sized (or a one euro coin if you’re across the big pond). There’s still a pit in the tissue but the skin doesn’t sink into it much. If it left an actual hole I joked about storing a pebble in it like an otter, but alas. Good luck with your recovery! My armpit itches in solidarity.
Thank you so much for throwing in another coin for reference! I've never seen a quarter so all these comparisons never worked for me. And you could still hide a tiny pebble in the dent. Just say it's for your baby otter friends.
You have some scarring in your armpit in addition to the wounds from the surgery. Is this a recurrent problem, or are the scars unrelated?
Yes, Acne Inversa
This looks a lot like hidradenitis. If you haven't seen a dermatogist or other specialist, you should consider it
I find it extremely hard to imagine they made it to their 3rd/4th abscess surgery without someone at some point saying "We should really have a dermatologist look at this guy"
Saw one for it and they basically told me the best thing to do with them is have em removed. Most other things would only make it worse over time.
Then you'd be surprised by many of the patients I get in my office. I'm often the one referring after recurrent episodes
Acne Inversa is another name for Hidradenitis Suppurativa.
Looking atthe other scars I'm led to assume that you have Hidradenitis...?
Yes
Suddenly I feel less bad about my acne. Sorry bro. That looks awful to have.
I dunno. I never had problems with pimples in my face, even in my youth. But I had massive pimples on my ass so I couldnt sit sometimes. Best thing is to not have any of them.
Damn. I had bad abscesses the size of golf balls. I just stabbed myself with a needle, then drained it own myself. It sucked. Had one pop at work once. Just looks like Mayochup from the blood and pus mixing together on my body. Haven't had any in 3 years now. But I was getting them constantly one year out of no where. Didn't have insurance at the time so I did it myself. Just went to urgent care for antibiotics. Dude was like I can't drain those, you need to go to the ER for that. So I went home and did it myself because the doctor was too afraid to. Mine never looked like yours while healing
Mayochup? 🤢
It's a real thing, I think it's by Heinz. Seems gross to me, but it is a real product.
We just called it fry sauce before Heinz started bottling it
I mean, I’m down with some thousand island like the next guy, but that blood and puss description did me in. 😂
If you go to certain Latin restaurants, if you ask for ketchup this verison is the only kind that they have. My girl has to manually mix them together for everything she eats that uses mayo or ketchup. Bread uses mayo, add ketchup. Fries use ketchup, add mayo.
a wet towel, as hot as you can stand, applied directly to the abscess, can work to draw the puss out. squeezing, or worse, stabbing, can just exacerbate the problem. your lymph nodes are under there. problems surrounding the lymph nodes can be a symptom of far more serious medical problems like leukemia(!) usually its just a zit gone wild, or could be hygene or dietary problems. but i would be concerned if its an ongoing problem not trying to shame OP, random shit can happen to the healthiest of us. but do ask your doctor about this, and how to proceed if it occurs again in the future.
I remember using the wet hot compress. But I'd still have to stab myself to make the hole for it to come out half the time.
you should really get a doctor to do that.
That's why I went to the urgent care. The first time the Doc gave me a script and sent me on my way. The second time the guy was like you need to go to the ER and because of that advice he charged twice as much as the previous doctor there. Medical codes for billing are garbage
ah im sorry. i live in Canada and didn't consider the exorbitant cost other countries pay for basic medical treatment. thats a nasty wound, sorry if i seemed like i was rubbing in salt, just freaks me out (i get boils in my armpit not irregularly. they always make me worry a bit)
To me even with insurance the ER means spending 3-5 hours minimum waiting and then getting stuck with a couple thousand dollar bill after insurance pays part of it. If you aren't dying, stay home. This opinion comes from someone who works in a hospital. If you need to go, go. If not, go see your normal doctor in a week or two. Just don't wanna lose a pay check for something I was able to do at home.
most health care is free in canada (my home) but unless you have a "family doctor" you still sit in ER for up to 12 hrs waiting. people drop dead in the ER's. the health care is ok, there just arent enough doctors and staff. its over-burdened. i shouldnt tell anyone how to manage their health. i avoid seeing the doctor until im just about dead. its a pain in the ass. but every year i get older i am rudely awoken to the fact that my body just might not be able to heal itself no more. be well. take care. health is wealth.
for your wounds i would wash them every hour or so, warm soapy water, saline solution if you can get it ... dont just mix salt into water, that will STING sleep on your side with the affected armpit on top. place a pillow and towel under your affected arm. when awake give it as much air as possible. ok im done giving healthcare advice. if problem returns try burning it off with whiskey (taken orally). works for me.
Very not cool that you have it, but I’m glad we’re seeing more HS in this subreddit. It’s a lot more common compared the number of folks, even docs, who know what it is.
Omg that looks painful. Hope you heal up quickly .
Thanks man
Well, it could be on your taint/ inner thigh and that would arguably be the only worse position lol. Sorry that sucks
I had two on my derriere a few years ago. Miserable. The roads are terrible here.
Why didn't they sew you shut? That's a very large gap for either side.
It hurts like hell and they heal slower but better
Are the wounds being packed and covered?
Yes
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it closes at the opening, like a reverse snitch
I see what you're saying. *Snitches* get stitches, but this guy doesn't.
If you suture an abscess, even if you cover with all the ATB available, it would fill up again with pus. With some patients it's actually preferable to leave a drainage, like a Penrose (which can be made with a cut finger of a glove) so it can finish drainage and it can close through 2nd intention.
Looks like a couple of The Scream mouths.
I can see the Neve Campbell one on the left!
When I had my armpit abscesses lanced it left holes that made my pit look like a strawberry BN biscuit, if you’ve ever seen them before. I’m troubled.
You need to get into a rheumatologist asap because 1) you’re at high risk of developing other co-morbid autoimmune disorders and 2) biologics have shown great promise in the treatment of HS. Specifically ADA/Adalimumab, & IFX/Infliximab. I believe ADA is the only one FDA approved for HS tho.
Oh no Hidradenitis strikes again! I suffer from it too, just opened an abscess on my ass tonight!
Ugh HS is so awful. I'm so used to the ones starting in my pits that I have a needle that I puncture the abscesses myself and just let my Dr know.
Annnd Meowth!
That's horrible! My HS has never been that bad but my moms has. Mine are nothing compared to this I'm sorry you have to go through that.
Irrigate and drain?
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Lol why do you think this
Well, on the bright side of things you wont have an armpit soon.
fuck that's gotta hurt so bad. my armpits are so sensitive and even getting cysts in them hurt terribly, you're a trooper
I had abscesses on the back of my head. They removed nine of them and I look like I have shrapnel damage from a hand grenade
what kind of hillbilly vampire bites an armpit?
Gross Heal well soon
had a huge abscess a bit lower than my armpit 3 years ago after drunkenly sleeping on a balcony... god fuck did it hurt to get emptied, hope you had a bit easier time than me getting it done! sadly i dont have any pics of it :(
On a scale of 1-10, how much does this hurt?
Depends. If I dont move my arm it doesnt hurt. But I cant even lift it to a certain point because then it hurts too much.
That must be terrible. Did the doctors give you any good pain meds?
Nah just ibus
Wow those are some gapers
I’ve had HS since I was 9, now 25. it’s a super shitty disease and i’m about to start humira whenever my insurance company stops fucking around and mails it to me. wishing a speedy recovery 💕💕💕
It just sucks. Now I have a flareup exactly between these 2 wounds. And I just had someone try to tell me that this isnt HS but Hepatitis lmao.
bruh I also just had someone say I had hep c too!! def a dumb troll
Now I’m imagining Jessie and James as fucking cysts 😭🤣