Three months I've had this

[AJ09]

I've just wrote out a post that took absolutely forever just for it to disappear so am annoyed.

This is going to be long due to the amount of stuff that has happened.

In April I started to feel incredibly itchy down below and thought I had a case of thrush. I used some canesten I had at home and didn't work. I rang GP who prescribed me the 2% cream and oral tablet over the phone.
I took it that day and uses cream for two weeks with no change.

I ended up booking an appointment with the nurse at my GP as I was covered in tiny bumps and sores from scratching. She looked and said 'folliculitis' prescribed me flucloxacillin and advised me to find a different way to get rid of pubic hair other than shaving.

This did clear up for two weeks then it started to come back but this time my vulva wasn't affected. It was my inner thighs and bottom of bum cheeks. All where you would sweat and rub.

I changed from soap in the shower to using emollient cream which helped a lot with itching. I made sure I showered everyday so sweat didn't have chance to sit and cause spots.

However, nothing worked and I went back to see her. Once again was prescribed flucloxacillin. This time the spots took their time to go but once they did another would pop up elsewhere.

I left it for a few weeks trying to see if anything I was doing was working, I used an intimate hair removal cream that was naff, used talc
To keep dry, wear baggy cotton shorts around house and lie down on sofa with legs apart to feel some relief.

Nothing helped much. I went back and pleaded that nothing was working, she prescribed me an antibiotic gel to use for three weeks. I've been using it two weeks and if anything it's made it worse.

I now have a large lump under my skin on the crease on my leg that is too painful to touch and I'm finding it so hard to walk without feeling pain. I also have a big spot with a. Head on it on inner thigh that rubs terrible.

So since April I've had/tried x amount of flucloxacillin, antibiotic gel, talc, sudocrem, ladies boxers to stop rubbing, use emollient cream, wear baggy shorts at any time I can, stopped shaving and now have a bush (dislike this very much) I've bought magnesium sulphate paste but too scared to use incase there's an explosion of pus.

All that's happened is spots are taking ages to go and another will pop up close by.

I'm at wits end and feeling very down with what's happening. I can rarely have sex due to the closeness of inflamed spots. I feel it's affecting my marriage as sex is a big deal for us.

I can barely walk anywhere so chose to stay home with legs apart on sofa, I have to walk around for 12 hours on my job so I cover the inflamed spots with plasters until I'm home but then uncover them so they can heal quickly.
I just don't know what to do and don't want to visit the nurse just to be prescribed flucloxacillin again.
I haven't taken antibiotics for years so I am worried how this amount I've had lately is affecting my liver.

I don't know if my immune system is not working properly and this will be something I can never get rid of. I would cry if that was the case.

I recently had a blood test and all that came back as low range was b12 and folate levels.

Please can anyone tell me if this has happened to them and if they tried anything differently to what I have? Three months this has been making me feel incredibly sad and low I can't see what else I can try.

I'm early 30's if it's relevant.

Thanks

From your lovely anatomical diagram the lump is likely to be a furuncle or infected hair follicle. Possibly combined with ingrowing hair ( result of regularly shaving).

It is only a suggestion but have you changed washing powder? Or are you using fabric softener (bad idea in hot weather due to sweat)? It is worth checking and remember that even usual brands can suddenly change ingredients to something you are allergic to.

Good grief, op. This sounds so horrible and I'm so sorry. I wish I had the answer for you. I would push very hard to see a dermatologist.

It doesn't look fungal but you never know.

I haven't changed washing powder in years. I was asked by my nurse if any changes I had made in the past few months in April and I haven't made any changes.

I think I'll see how I get in at my sexual health clinic and if there's no help there I will try to seek out a dermatologist

That's where I get a lot of my HS breakouts
Mine vary from very small whiteheads to big golf ball lumps under the skin to black/purple blood filled ones

Sounds like HS... I had one so bad on the top of my thigh that I couldn't walk until it burst and then the hole it left meant I had to have it packed by a district nurse. Do you have any other lumps boils etc? Mine started under my breasts but thighs and armpits have been the other major regions

I have them nowhere on my body but inner thighs and bottom of bum cheeks

Just an update I phoned 111 last night as my husband said it looked like an abscess that's on the crease.
Had an appointment at the urgent care centre today who confirmed it was and she said we need to get to the bottom of why you keep getting recurring spots.

I mentioned HS and she said it could be that. Most likely will get referred to a skin specialist in future.

So was given two options - take flucloxacillin or surgery to drain.
I wanted the tablets first to see if I can get rid of it but will also try hot compress and magnesium sulphate.

Do any of your wonderful people have any other tips I can try? I'm trying to avoid the surgery altogether

"So was given two options - take flucloxacillin or surgery to drain."

You've tried one and it hasn't worked. Why would you avoid having it drained?

I haven't tried flucloxacillin since having the abscess.
The abscess came within the last few days. I took flucloxacillin the last time a few weeks back.

So willing to try them first.

I think you're right to try the flucloxacillin first.
I did the same and it cleared up without surgery or recurrence.
Hopefully this works for you too.