I have an abscess on my leg - antibiotics not working - what to do?

[skinissue]

I am at my wits end and would be very grateful for any help or advice.

I have a skin abscess at the top of my inner thigh measuring about 2.5 inches and it is very red, hot, angry, and most of all - painful.

Had this about 8 days and I am on a 7 day course of Flucloxaxillin - 1,000mg (4 tablets per day) so strong dose.

In short, it has not cleared up at all and is still pretty much the same size, redness, and swelling. It is perhaps around 10% less painful, but there is no 'head' or any part of it that looks as though pus will emerge, but a small part of the top of it looks as though it might be starting to yellow slightly and perhaps scab over.

It is so so painful as every time I walk it rubs against my other leg and sitting / standing / turning over in bed / bending / using the loo are all agony.

Questions:

• Do I need an incision and drainage?
• Are these procedures typically successful and what is the approximate recovery period?
• Should I go to my local A&E to get this done? Want to avoid my GP for personal reasons that I don't have the post length to get into right now.

Thank you in advance!

Who prescribed the antibiotics? I'm not medical but can't you speak with them and tell them it's not working, and try an alternative antibiotic?

when you were prescribed the antibiotics, how long did GP indicate it would take before seeing an improvement?
Given you don't want to go back to GP, try 111 for advice?
If not wanting to see GP is long term, look into changing your GP.

Sorry if I’ve not understood your post properly, but when did you start taking the antibiotics?

Do you have a minor injuries near you?

Anyway, wherever you go, you need to get it seen

My GP wouldn't drain something that big so I'd phone the local walk in centre or A&E and ask them if they would do it. I'd rather have it drained than keep taking different antibiotics.

Definitely go back and see the doctor, I don’t want to alarm you but I know of a lady who died due to an abscess on her leg which didn’t heal and she got sepsis. She was in her 80s though. But regardless, it can be serious so don’t just leave it.

I started them 5 days ago, so today I have completed 5 full days and virtually no improvement.

I have 2 days of the medication to go, tomorrow and Tuesday.

You need to return to the gp as you may need a longer course of antibiotics. The dose you are on is the lowest dose of fluclox. It is not for A and E at this point.

It sounds like it needs draining.

Annoyingly they probably wont do it in ED, and there'll inevitably be an 8 hour argument about whether it needs an orthopaedic surgeon, vascular surgeon or general surgeon depending on what edge of the femoral triangle it lies on.

Then probably 24-48 hours waiting for a slot on an emergency theatre list....

That's if it's anything like the last 5 hospitals i worked in....

You need a swab doing, so they can identify the infection and prescribe specific antibiotics.

The GP is the most appropriate place to go. I know that's not you want to hear

Where I live if its close to your spine or in a place where it rubs, they're more likely to drain it than tell you to have a second course.

Who prescribed the antibiotics? I would contact them in the first instance…

Is it a giant commodone? I’ve had surgery to remove one before in Harley Street. The next time I had one I went via NHS and didn’t fancy the clinic so didn’t get it removed, nothing really happened to it, it’s just there.

It is not the lowest does is it? Two separate doctors have said that it is the highest dose! And online is says that typical doses are 250mg or 500mg, so I am on double that - how can it be low?

No, I really don't think it is.

A private walk in clinic in my city, but I cannot really afford to return there. I did call two days ago to say that it was not showing any signs of improvement at all and they said to see the course through but that I could have a bloodiest in the interim to determine my infection markers if I wished.

But can they swab it if there is no open wound or pus that has come out of it yet? Everything is currently 'contained' within the abscess.

This doesn't fill me with hope! But thank you for your response, I just want it drained now so will try to make that happen, just not sure where

Well yes, this is what I am scared of

Hello abscess buddy (if that is not too flippant). I currently have one that sounds very similar under my arm although it’s been there for two weeks now. I’m on day 4 of fluclox (4 x 500mg) and not sure they’re doing much but I’ll keep taking them - a little bit of gunk came out this evening but it’s still like having a golf ball under my arm and very sore. My GP said that it might need draining if it wasn’t better after a week on the antibiotics and that would mean a trip to the the local minor injuries unit.

They really don’t like doing i&d
I have a condition which causes abscesses and I’ve had hundreds but there was only 1 where they did i&d on it, and it had to be GA as they can’t numb infected areas
plus then you’ve got the healing of that with packing, dressings in an awkward spot etc, mine didn’t heal so I ended up having a skin flap

basically I would head to the GP and avoid i&d

This is the one they did i&d on (the redness was down to my boobs( and what I ended up with after the skin flap (I waited 8 months with an open wound that wouldn’t heal)

Why do they not like doing I&D?

And what tends to be the alternative to that if it has not healed with antibiotics?

I am sorry to hear that you have had so many - that sounds a bit miserable :(

Not sure what a skin flap is and too scared to google as I am squeamish! ha

Eh? I’ve had incision and drainage with local anaesthetic on my lower half. It healed fine.

Oh no :( that sounds very uncomfortable indeed. Is it your first one? How do you feel about the prospect of I&D?