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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Please help me *warning-DISGUSTING photo*

56 replies

youaretheonethingonmymind · 31/12/2022 18:16

Sorry for the disgusting photo (I’ll post it below this)

Hope it’s ok to post a 2nd post about this- it’s got worse/changed since my initial post so just thought I’d make a new post altogether since it’s now more infected rather than simple psoriasis.

ive got a cut behind my ear that’s not healing. It started as simple psoriasis and now it’s got worse and I think it’s infected. It’s red, very painful, wet, and leaking sticky yellow stuff. I think it started 3 weeks ago but I can’t actually remember exactly, but it seems to have got much worse over the last few days especially. It started out behind the crack of my ear but now it’s spread onto the back of my ear and up my head. I can’t lie on it because it hurts and it’s as if the whole area is on fire.

I’ve been using boiled saltwater to clean it and antiseptic cream from the pharmacy in the meantime but the pharmacist said it needs something stronger so when the doctors reopens I’ll make an appointment. Just wondered if anyone had any advice to try and make it go away or anything I could do at home to help it in the meantime?

Obviously if I could fix it myself without needing to take up a GP or nurse appointment for such a small thing it would be much better so if anyone has any advice or tips I would be really grateful x

OP posts:
Original poster
youaretheonethingonmymind · 31/12/2022 19:14

That’s actually a big relief other people have had this aswell and got rid of it! I was starting to panic it would never go away. I’ve got psoriasis (I’ve been to a dermatologist about it already) but this feels different to usual which is why I thought it was infected in the first place and now it just keeps getting worse. I’ve definitely not used fusidin on it but I had some leftover steroid creams from the psoriasis and I tried that when it started off as psoriasis before it got infected but it didn’t make a difference to it and then it got infected x

OP posts:
Original poster
youaretheonethingonmymind · 31/12/2022 19:15

As soon as I get home I’ll check which antiseptic it is but it’s definitely not fusidin, I’m 99.999% sure it’s germolene but it might be savalon. Argh wish I had tried to get some fusidin for it instead!

OP posts:
Jammydodged · 31/12/2022 19:20

I don’t have any advice about the infection as you need to be seen by GP. However i had recurring psoriasis in the same place and the thing which finally got rid of it was steroid cream which had vitamin d in it.

Omgthishurts · 31/12/2022 19:22

If you get a temperature or it starts to feel hot around the area please get it checked

whataballbag · 31/12/2022 19:24

111, but don't ring, do it online. You'll get the exact same outcome as you would on the phone

Original poster
youaretheonethingonmymind · 31/12/2022 21:18

i hadn’t actually thought about nhs 111, the pharmacist said if I become seriously unwell from it to obviously get help over the weekend but would 111 be able to help me if it’s just the skin infection and I’m not sick apart from that or anything?

its definitely red, hot, painful and sticky and it’s getting bigger, so I’m pretty sure it’s infected, but I always thought 111 or out of hours was if you had sepsis or were seriously unwell from it (if that makes sense)

thanks again for the advice, just don’t want to be a time waster or take up an appointment if I don’t need it especially when the nhs is busy enough! x

OP posts:
lipstickwoman · 31/12/2022 21:22

The bottom line is OP, if it's infected and not improving with your current plan, you're going to need something before you can get a GP appointment, which I'm guessing will be Wednesday with the bank holidays.

SlashBeef · 31/12/2022 21:35

That looks so, so sore bless you. My daughter had multiple sores like that when she had strep A and as well as antibiotics for that, the GP gave her some antibiotic cream too and it cleared up really quickly. Please go to 111, you're not a time waster!

Craftybodger · 31/12/2022 21:36

Don’t wait til Tuesday. 111 and get an out of hours appointment- it’s not going to improve til you have stronger treatment and `i don’t think that should wait another 2 and a half days.

BertaHoon · 31/12/2022 21:44

No topical cream is going to sort that. I have fusidic acid skin cream and I also have to use fusidic acid eye drops on a regular basis.

You'll need to get some lymecylin (can't remember spelling) antibiotic, plus cream.

Why did you leave it so long?

NeilHamburger · 31/12/2022 22:24

You need an antibiotic asap. I had a bad burn recently and ended up getting a very nasty case of strep (through open wound). You can’t mess around.

LovedFedAndNoonesDead · 31/12/2022 22:34

I know on your other thread people suggested methotrexate which is a good, long term treatment but not a ‘cure’ for when you’ve got an infected patch of psoriasis.

I think you need fucibet cream which combines a topical antibiotic and steroid in one cream and should address both the infection and underlying inflammatory process of the disorder.

I would also be asking your GP about a referral to a rheumatologist as psoriasis is an autoimmune disorder and, sometimes, it needs more than just a singular approach treatment.

Livingbyariver · 31/12/2022 22:38

Looks and your description suggests Impetigo!

Squeakybits · 31/12/2022 22:43

I've had this and needed a strong topical steroid cream

NeilHamburger · 31/12/2022 22:53

I don’t think topical is enough. You need an oral penicillin.

lipstickwoman · 31/12/2022 23:02

OP I'm not a doctor but I am a medical professional. To me it looks like a staph infection and you need topical and/or oral antibiotics. I do know if you use the steroid or anti fungal some have suggested when in fact you need antibiotics it'll do more harm than good.

Get yourself to a doctor or a chemist who can prescribe and don't take the advice of random strangers, no matter how well intentioned they are.

MuhMuh · 01/01/2023 07:56

youaretheonethingonmymind · 31/12/2022 21:18

i hadn’t actually thought about nhs 111, the pharmacist said if I become seriously unwell from it to obviously get help over the weekend but would 111 be able to help me if it’s just the skin infection and I’m not sick apart from that or anything?

its definitely red, hot, painful and sticky and it’s getting bigger, so I’m pretty sure it’s infected, but I always thought 111 or out of hours was if you had sepsis or were seriously unwell from it (if that makes sense)

thanks again for the advice, just don’t want to be a time waster or take up an appointment if I don’t need it especially when the nhs is busy enough! x

No OP, you’re thinking of 999.

111 is OOH GP when you cannot wait until your surgery is next open.

in this case, you need 111.

sandgrown · 01/01/2023 08:07

Do you have an NHS walk in centre nearby? I am in Lancashire and it looks like ours is open today .

Wibbly1008 · 01/01/2023 08:09

It’s infected and you need antibiotics

LakieLady · 01/01/2023 08:20

Normally, I'd recommend Hypercal cream (you can get it in health food shops) as it seems to be a miracle cure for almost anything, but that looks really unpleasant.

If urgent treatment centres are open today, I'd go asap.

pigonalipstick · 01/01/2023 09:09

Antiseptic cream is to prevent a wound from becoming infected. It's not antibiotics and will not cure an infection.

Original poster
youaretheonethingonmymind · 01/01/2023 11:57

BertaHoon · 31/12/2022 21:44

No topical cream is going to sort that. I have fusidic acid skin cream and I also have to use fusidic acid eye drops on a regular basis.

You'll need to get some lymecylin (can't remember spelling) antibiotic, plus cream.

Why did you leave it so long?

at first i just thought it was psoriasis so I tried to fix it myself and didn’t want to waste a GP appointment, I shouldn’t have let it get so bad and it’s my own fault, I just thought it would fix itself and with the NHS being so busy I didn’t want to waste an appointment for something I should fix myself. I made an appointment but it had to get cancelled and then the more I thought about it the more I thought I should let it fix itself but obviously that didn’t happen and then it was the Christmas holidays x

OP posts:
Original poster
youaretheonethingonmymind · 01/01/2023 12:01

lipstickwoman · 31/12/2022 23:02

OP I'm not a doctor but I am a medical professional. To me it looks like a staph infection and you need topical and/or oral antibiotics. I do know if you use the steroid or anti fungal some have suggested when in fact you need antibiotics it'll do more harm than good.

Get yourself to a doctor or a chemist who can prescribe and don't take the advice of random strangers, no matter how well intentioned they are.

Thank you (and everyone else) I’m going to stop using stuff on it altogether in case it was making it worse and I’ll get it looked at, it’s even worse today unfortunately😫 just wish it would bloody go away

OP posts:
ChangedmynameagainforChristmas · 01/01/2023 12:12

As soon as I saw the pic I knew what it was. For years my ears were like this. I always use Betnovate whenever I have a flare up which is rare these days. Like another poster I have it under my breasts also and it gets wet and smelly but the Betnovate instantly stops it. I find underwired bras to be the cause of a lot of it as they are so tight and restricting. If I wear a sports bra it does not happen as much

ABBAsnumberonefan · 01/01/2023 12:33

Are you a bit worried about seeing a GP or nurse, OP? You seem to be avoiding it.