To try and pop this lump?

[UseAMuckySock]

I’ve got a horrible lump on the back of my ear, obviously I can’t see it but DH said it looks like a massive zit. It’s about as big as an M&M - it’s getting painful now.

GP surgery is closed until 6th Jan. it doesn’t warrant an emergency appointment - I’ve got some sterile needles, should I just pop the fucker?

How am I a time waster?? I specifically said I dont want to go to the GP as I knew people would suggest that!

@ClarissaPoncissa Then they're in breach of their contract.

It's not a GP job. If it won't pop, them maybe ask the pharmacist. Personally, I'd just leave it. It'll go eventually.

Mine are definitely cysts - they refill every so often and I have to go through the process again. I’d not go to the GP though - mine are overrun as they are. I wish there was some kind of private dermatology shop where you could just go and pay at the counter for this sort of thing - cysts, spots, inflamed hangnails, skin tags, ingrown hairs you can’t get out etc - I’m sure they’d make a fortune.

There are, they're expensive though.

Hot salt water compress 3x a day, it'll bring it to a head.

You mentioned when the GP surgery opened, and yes you said it doesn’t warrant an urgent appointment. It doesn’t warrant any kind of GP appointment!

I was about to agree with @olympicsrock before I even knew she's a doctor!

OP, I had an inflamed sebaceous cyst a bit bigger than yours, on the back of my thigh and I squeezed the hell out of it. It started growing wildly and by the time I saw a GP it was an infected abscess. Needed 5 days of antibiotics to bring it down before having it cut/drained. Then more antibiotics.

I try my hardest not to squeeze things anymore (but christ I know the temptation!)

Thanks everyone, not great news I’m afraid, it hasn’t popped and is now inflamed and very painful 😞 was up at 4:40am this morning with the pain. Going to chemist today and will ask them to have a look at it, I think I need antibiotics.

Thsnk you @olympicsrock - I read your post and stopped messing with it straight away, unfortunately I think the damage had been done though 😬

Yes good call OP - a course of antibiotics should settle it down.
@friskybivalves thanks for the kind reference. I don’t always announce that I’m a doctor on these threads as some people hate it. 😂

The skin on you ear is not like skin on, say, leg. It is not springy so it's hard to squeeze anything but I think I would use a needle and an hot compress to draw out the pus. There are side effects on your gut and long term on your resistance on antibiotics so I woudn't take any. Jab it and give it time to ooze and heal, keeping it covered.

I had one identical to that. It lasted for weeks and my dp was frothing at the mouth to stick a pin in it.

I eventually consented and it was wonderful.

You don't need antibiotics. It's a spot that's not ready to be picked and you've squeezed and burned it.

Leave it alone and let it go on its own accord. You don't need the GP, antibiotics or any other medical intervention.

Do you usually have health anxiety?

Yes I do.

Im also taking the advice of the doctor on this thread, are you a doctor?

@mumsnet can you move this to sporners corner please?

You're taking advice from a "doctor" on Mumsnet.

Get a grip OP. This is the internet. Leave the pimple alone and see how it is in a few days.

Ooooops @olympicsrock so sorry for outing you. But the thought that you could use terminology such as:

'You can clearly see a punctum... There is no surrounding erythema and is firm rather than fluctuant.' when the rest of us are going, 'Yeah, it's a juicy one all right, bring it to a head,'

And for people not to realise you have serious doctor qualifications...

OP, I am also really sorry you are in such pain with it now. I very much hope the pharmacist has some good and wise counsel for you, and that you get some relief soon.

Ok so chemist said I needed to see a doctor, I contacted Gp surgery and they asked me to send photos … I did that and they now want to see me at 4:30 today! Now I’m worrying a bit.
updated photo …

Don’t worry - my sister had similar. She had antibiotics to get rid of the infection and then had it removed.

Have you tried magnesium paste? I think it was recommended unthread. I’ve used it before on a boil-type thing, and it went away after a few days.

How does it look if you're not pulling it tight?

Doesn’t look too bad now - perhaps settling a little by itself now the squeezing / scalding has finished 😂

What did they say? ( besides don’t listen to a load of gunk hungry mumsnetters 😝🤣)

Ok, my GP literally said word for word what you said here 😂 I’m so glad I listened to you rather than continuing to stab, scald and squash it. He’s given me antibiotics and told me to leave it alone 😬

I think the scalding was the final straw with it 😂 I can’t believe I listened to this lot telling me to torture myself 😂😂

To be fair, I am an avid watcher of Dr Pimple Popper so I really wanted it to be a puss fest 😞 will just hope I get a good blackhead to stab at at some point

I can't see anything.