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Original poster

Great big effing boil on my neck! Help!

611 replies

BagofHolly · 13/08/2011 12:48

I've NEVER had a boil, ever, and now, 4 days after I go from long hair to a short bob, I've got something that looks like another nipple. It HURTS! I've put metanium on it and it's coming up to a point but there's no head on it. I don't feel too well either but that might be unrelated.

What should I do?! Help!

OP posts:
VivaLeBeaver · 15/08/2011 14:34

Glad to hear you're going to survive it.

I hear you about 10yo gps. Had to take dd to the dr today and receptionist said she could only offer me an appt with a newly qualified dr. Think she must be straight out of med school bless her, was even wearing her ID card like hospital drs do. Maybe she was expecting to be challenged. Grin

Hellishday · 15/08/2011 14:15

Well I am handing you a big award for bravery.
Red or White?

Original poster
BagofHolly · 15/08/2011 14:04

Well it's all a bit meh really! The ABs are doing the trick it seems. I waited 90 mins to see a 10 year old GP who spent less than a minute looking at it and wrote me a prescription for more flucloxacillin. It's going down in redness but the total area affected seems bigger.

I'm so disappointed it hasnt burst! What a tease! Going to get another hot compress on it later as it's still sore as anything. He didn't mention anthrax, black death or plague so if you're in Essex and reading this, you're safe for now!

OP posts:
aftereight · 15/08/2011 14:02

Keep checking back for an update, hope you are getting some good medical care on the isolation ward and are soon boil-less

VivaLeBeaver · 15/08/2011 13:44

Wouldn't be surprised if she's in hospital having iv antibiotics.

OhYouBadBadKitten · 15/08/2011 13:26

:( I hope the lack of an update doesnt mean that you are in a bit of a pickle with this. Thinking of you.

Moanna · 15/08/2011 10:14

I love this thread

VivaLeBeaver · 15/08/2011 09:58

What's happened, have you exploded in a big ball of pus?

chimchar · 15/08/2011 08:58

god...how yukky.

hope by now you are with the gp and are feeling better very soon.

despite the fact that you have a proper boil and that you are feeling unwell too, just wanted to say that you have a great sense of humour bagofholly....Smile

OhYouBadBadKitten · 15/08/2011 08:57

you poor soul. If you do get sent to hosp, I would do as wmmc says and pack an overnight bag with your choice of things you'd like with you.
Good luck.

FourThousandHoles · 15/08/2011 08:52

Oh wow. Just wow. Poor you OP, that looks awful.

Hope you get seen quickly.

whomovedmychocolate · 15/08/2011 08:43

Take a book and some pjs. You may be a while.

Good look. :)

Original poster
BagofHolly · 15/08/2011 08:19

Am at the doctors. Had a rough night, woke up 2:30 feeling like I was lying on a tennis ball. Got up and spent the next two hours downstairs with a hot compress. Bit more red wee came out, but it was much bigger so I sat there debating whether to go to hospital before everyone got up.

Instead had some more ABs, ibuprofen and a couple if co-codamol. Felt very shivery and crap, but that might have been cos I watched 2 hours solid of odd women making Christmas cards on the Create and Craft channel.

Back to bed, twin 1 woke 4:30, twin 2 at 5:30 and DS at 6 so am knackered. ABs have kicked in a bit, no longer shivery and the feeling of intense pressure has gone but the black centre is much bigger.

Waiting to see doc, along with the other undeads of the town.

OP posts:
monkeyfacegrace · 15/08/2011 07:35

Ooh so the saga continues. T-1 hour.

sorry to not be supportive

Grin
Valpollicella · 14/08/2011 23:31

Very pleased you've got an appointment tmrw. For all our poppin' lovin', yours has gone way beyond that.

Don't touch, and keep it covered.

And hope you get some super strength zappage from the Dr's tomorrow

CocktailMumma · 14/08/2011 23:11

Ouch!! That does look nasty and grim.

Really keep an eye on yourself over night. Child care may be a mare for you to get to A&E tonight but you may end up getting admitted for IV antibiotics if it gets much worse.

Hope you get some sleep and good luck at the Drs tomorrow. Let us know how you get on.

GeraldineAubergine · 14/08/2011 23:05

I dare say you need an incision and drainage and packing on that boil. You will probably need iv antibiotics as well. Poor you it must be really painful.

chocolateyclur · 14/08/2011 22:35

Wow. Just wow. Try to get it looked at ASAP.

And now I want husband to have some spots I can pop.

VivaLeBeaver · 14/08/2011 22:28

Someone I know got admitted to hospital from an infected flea bite as they had red lines tracking up their leg and felt unwell. They needed iv antibiotics.

Original poster
BagofHolly · 14/08/2011 22:21

Seeing doc first thing at open access surgery. A&E tonight is too tricky - kids, childcare, getting there etc and I really do feel a lot better, but not enoght to be complacent so tomorrow 8:30 will have to do. ABs should help, and apart from admitting me and dressing it I can't think what else they could do anyway. Temp 37 now.

How did this happen??? Did the hairdresser nick me with poo-covered scissors?

Am chastened by the stories of puss dripping onto brain stems and necrotising flesh! That's grim!

If it gets worse overnight I promise ill do something. They've already asked me the screening questions for meningitis and as has been pointed out, anthrax is painless, and this knackers.

Just been watching boils on YouTube and apparently in the USA they call the heads "relief holes." Nice.

OP posts:
Catsmamma · 14/08/2011 21:42

ooh that's way past home remedies!!

my favourite...just for the record, is a hot spoon compress.

choose a spoon big enough to cover the offending area, and put it into a jug of very hot water. Apply to pimple...hold as long as you can bear it, repeat as necessary.

OhYouBadBadKitten · 14/08/2011 21:34

I hope you are on your way to getting it seen tonight. It has spread rapidly since you first posted and if you don't get on top of it quickly you'll end up being admitted. Please go and get it assessed by professionals tonight.

Hellishday · 14/08/2011 21:29

God poor you. I am winging about a bit of bellyache while you are suffering with that .
Agree with everyone...get that seen to..maybe A and E?
I have to say you have retained a great sense of gallows humour.

whomovedmychocolate · 14/08/2011 21:27

I would say it's too late for oral antibiotics and you probably need a big fuck off bolus of the stuff to get it into your system quickly.

Sidge · 14/08/2011 21:25

You need antibiotics - flucloxacillin will help as it's good for soft tissue infections. You need 500mg four times a day.

You also have spreading erythema so it needs marking and a decent dressing applied, something like Duoderm that will help draw it out.

I would call out of hours if I were you. If you are feeling poorly and feverish then you need to see someone.