Aibu to ask how to treat an open wound - abscess in lip.

[Scared2BeHomeless]

I can’t get to a hospital until tomorrow evening - I am stuck at home with my 2 young DS’.

I have an abscess in my bottom lip. Yes, you heard me right my lip!! I was prescribed flucloxacillin antibiotics on Tuesday morning when the infection arose.

My lip is swollen x4 of its usual size. It is very painful to the touch, red and slightly weeping. It is full of pus.

I feel ok within myself - no fever, chills etc but a little nauseous.

Still taking antibiotics and alternating paracetamol and ibuprofen.

Is there anything I can do to naturally draw the pus out? The pressure and swelling is massive - I think this is what is knocking me sick.

No swelling to the rest of my face its located all inside the bottom lip.

Any help is appreciated.

I had one of these, the doctor had to cut it open :( still have the scar.

O.K completely different situation but the only time I've dealt with an abscess was on the cats head late on christmas eve. This was the vets advice

A hot flannel not boiling but as hot as you can stand pressed over the area keep refreshing when it gets cool. It shouldn't take too long and that will pop it get lots of tissues to clean up and rinse with salt water

Who prescribed for you? Can you them? GP or whatever?

*call

Teaspoon of bicarbonate of soda in warm water. Rinse round your mouth as often as you can. If you can bear it, gently rub some bicarb along the inside of your lip, once an hour or so. It will reduce the inflammation and help draw pus to surface. Bicarb tastes vile but is extremely effective as an anti inflammatory and disinfectant.

Can you get to the dentist? They are much better than GPS at anything to do with mouths.

The problem is its not inside my mouth - its inside my lip. The wound is on the outside of my lip.

Even better. moisten outside of lip and apply bicarb gently rub it in.

Oh you poor thing. Infected wounds are ghastly in the best of locations, never mind in your lip.

The experts on wound management are usually the nursing staff at your GP. The ones at our practice have done dissertations on how to heal them and are ridiculously knowledgeable.

See if you can get an appt today to see your practice nurse. Most GPs have daily dressing appointments and will try to fit you in to be seen. They can help with pain management, wound care, infection control and so on.

It's important you get it looked at today. Infected wounds need close monitoring to make sure they are headed in the right direction and the nurses are the pros at that.

Has it been swabbed to make sure the fluc is the right anti b for it?

Ginger is a natural anti inflammatory and turmeric is amazing for infections (cleared up conjunctivitis when I couldn't get to the dr).

Obviously it won't totally clear it up, but if you have some turmeric power, mix it with warm water and clean it with it a few times a day, it might help.

I hope you feel better soon.

Epsom salt paste apparently works miracles. Otherwise, yes to hot flannels. I had a cyst on my nethers so you have sympathy. It took aaaaages to bugger off. You need it to drain. Antibiotics aren't particularly helpful for abscesses, they need to drain comoletely. You're not supposed to squeeze but I had to help it along as the pus was really thick (sorry, grim)

You could try a bread poultice. Soak bread in heated milk (as hot as you can bear), wrap in a cotton cloth and put it on your lip. It worked on an abcess in my armpit.

I would second Epsom salts for drawing out pus, also manuka honey is fantastic for open wounds, I have used it many times to treat infected wounds on myself and the kids.

Please look away if squeemish!

Thanks for your advice will try some of these methods.

You need A&E! You could become septic. Please, please get it sorted.

GP surgery, now. Seriously, you need that looked at asap.

If they won't fit you in go and show yourself in the surgery. I doubt they will turn you away once they see the extent of the swelling.

I'm amazed so many are offering up suggestions of things to put on it. An infected abcess on your face is not to be messed about with and really should be treated professionally.

Crikey. If you were having a heart attack, you would find a way to get to hosp. That looks serious, get thee to hosp now!

Gp’s now

Blimey that looks bad see a doctor!

Don't put anything on it! The most you should do is bathe with cooled, boiled water, with salt added. Don't put food on it ffs. Go back to the GP or a walk-in centre.

yes it needs looking at now as it should have improved with the antibiotics if they were going to work. It needs draining and I suspect a different antibiotic

Agree with PP you need to get it looked at before tomorrow night. I had an abcess in the groin last year. Went to emergency and ended up having it removed under general and 2 nights in hospital with an antibiotic drip. Apparently they got it just in time. Don't wait.

Thats quite a serious swelling, you really should have that looked at again asap

medical help required now OP. sepsis can set in very fast and that looks like it needs draining NOW.