Abscess (pic), should I pop it?

[WanderingTrolley1]

Very painful abscess on inner thigh developed Sunday evening, saw Dr Monday morning, she prescribed antibiotics which I don’t think is making any difference - red area has grown over last 3 days.

This spot came up today and it getting larger. Do I pop it?

Does the redness fade when you roll a glass over it?

Are you feel breathless? Or breathing faster than normal?

Any blue or pale patches of skin or lips?

If any of these are something you're experiencing, then back to A&E.

If you're feeling ok then keep up with the antibiotics but keep an eye on the rash area.

Have you popped it yet???

Its lucky OP hasnt put her address on here, you guys would be queuing round the block, to either pop it or for tickets to see OP pop it 🤣

although I concede if it was me I'd have already had a go at it

Have a really hot bath and then squeeze it

Hot compress after hot compress and light pushes after a while. I bet it will explode.

Pop it, definitely. It will feel so much better. Disclaimer: I have no medical training whatsoever but really, really want to see the popped pictures.

Sorry, guys. I’m going to resist temptation… if this hasn’t popped through the night (I’ll be amazed) and think ill call 111 in the morn!

Go in if it's aching. It could be an infection and get into the bone. I had a bone infection before and it's serious. Although I did not have the same thing as you.

Anyway they will want to swab the pus to run a scan to see which antibiotic to use...

Just... if it continues to hurt go in. I didn't think I had a serious problem and I ended up spending each day getting an IV infusion of antibiotics...

Not trying to scare you as it's probably nothing major. I just want you to take care of yourself.

Hot bath, big dollop of magnesium sulphate cream on it under dressing and by tomorrow morning it will have opened itself.

The other thing that works is Voltarol cream - it is anti-inflammatory and a painkiller.

Pop it pop it pop it pop it pop it!

Following in the hope of a good popped picture soon

OP this is not a tactic on my part to get you to squeeze (though personally at this stage I'd sterilise a pin and insert it) but I was at A&E this week for a complaint different to yours, having been advised by 111 and the medic who dealt with me told me 111 were not fit for purpose and not to bother.

So boil a kettle and find a pin, cotton wool and some TCP...

Omg how have you not popped it??

I had one of these delights once on my perineal area while heavily pregnant a few years ago, though mine was bigger and more swollen, like a golf ball. It was unbelievably painful - the sort of pain that makes you cry every time you move at all, even if it's just your eyeballs.

I remember waddling to the doctor (as OH wasn't available to drive me) with my giant belly hanging, toddler in tow, and the monstrous boil chafing in an unbearable manner with every step. God knows how I made it, but I did. The doctor had a good peer at my arse and prescribed antibiotics, then said to come back if nothing happened and she would lance it. I don't think the antibiotics did anything, but the boil did finally rupture a day or two later. The relief was immediate and immense, but the satanic bile that spewed forth from it stank like a rotten corpse that had shat its pants. 🤮

Stick a pin in it immediately and bust that bad boy!!!

Stick a little hole in it with a sterile needle then put liquid soap and sugar on a dressing and wear over night, it will draw the poison out.

If you don't burst it now I guarantee you'll have a smear of yellow/brown pus on your bedsheets by morning

I would keep a very close eye on that, if you have a thermometer take your temperature twice a day and if it goes over 38c get to a&e pronto.

Ouch! That looks like it’s going to pop itself in the night anyway so I’d be in there with a sterilised needle first…

Oh wow I will be dreaming of this tonight! You have strong willpower op! Though seriously please keep an eye on the red area. Don't feel bad if you need to go back in and get it checked xxx

You're a stronger woman than me OP. I'd be having the time of my life with that right now 😍

If you get any red lines tracking out from.it I would just go to A&E.

It's scary how quickly these can get nadty

Another one who would pop it...

I once had an infected finger - came up over the course of the morning at work, and by mid afternoon, the side of my finger was bright yellow and clearly full of pus and i felt shocking.

I left it, thinking I'd get a doctor to look at it at the walk in clinic at the end of the day.

Then, my boss called me into his office to take minutes for a meeting. As I reached into my pocket for a pen, by finger BURST as it brushed against the fabric, and ejected a large amount of pus over said pen, inside my pocket etc.

It was NOT the sort of environment where you could say "OHMYGOD MY FINGER JUST EXPLODED" so I had to sort of discretely clean my pen and hand on the side of my trousers, grab a tissue to wrap around my finger and crack on, leaving a trail of blood and pus across my notepad.

Much better to handle pus in a controlled fashion.

Pop it, (please) you don’t want that gunk squirting in your bed.

These things come to a head like that for a reason, i.e. that they need to burst to get rid of all that pus. Why would you leave it to burst by itself all over your sheets when you can do it in a controlled way with dressings etc available?