A question for the pus experts: squeeze, cut, wait or go to Minor Injuries?

[Himalaya]

One for the pus lovers among you

I have a cyst on my back. The Dr has seen it and put in for me to have it surgically removed, but there is no sign of an appointment yet.

Meanwhile it has become infected: angry, red and sore with a soft core.

I have an appointment at the dr on Thursday to see if I can get antibiotics, or get bumped up the waiting list before it blows.

Last night it started weeping goo, not enough to drain, but seems like it is becoming unstable.

DH thinks I should go to Minor Injuries today and see if they can do anything. I am getting tempted to puncture it with a sterilised needle (except it's on my back, so would have to get DH to do it). Or I could wait till Thursday and hope it doesn't get worse.

WWUD oh pus lovers of MN?

Go to minor injuries. They will love you and also give you abs

Oh no don't puncture it whatever you do.

PERSONALLY I would give it a go myself. And, of course, film it for us sporners. Please.

That said, you should maybe consider out of hours GP if you're concerned about it. But they're less likely to allow you to film it for us your memory box.

Actually squeeze isn't really an option at the moment. I squeezed it last night when it was weepy, but it's not yielding any more to pressure (like maybe there was a sub-chamber that emptied, but not the main one?).

Try lying in a hot salt bath. It may draw the pus out.

Manuka honey is great when the pus starts coming out. It just nukes the bacteria. I have used it on a couple of very nasty ingrowing toenails when my son was younger and I did not want him to have ABs. The podiatrist was amazed how well it worked.

No to squeezing because of risk of further infection. It needs to be lanced properly via syringing (that in itself can take some time) and you will need a course of antibiotics afterwards to clear up the infection that is already there.

Would attend minor injuries unit today.

sub-chamber?

I'd go to minor injuries.

take your cameraphone.

Don't do anything to it yourself.

Get antibiotics, let the infection clear up and wait for an appointment for it to be excised under proper conditions.

DO NOT LET THEM DRAIN IT IN A&E OR MINOR INJURIES.

It is better to have it excised while it is stable and not infected, or you will have a very long process of healing 'from the inside out' which will require daily packing at dressing by a nurse.

*packing AND dressing by a nurse.

I have an appointment at the dr on Thursday to see if I can get antibiotics

Get antibiotics sooner than thursday.

or get bumped up the waiting list before it blows

That wont happen because they absolutely wont operate on it while it is infected.

If this is a sebacceous cyst on your back then it should be treated asap even if it appears to look like a small volcano.

Amberleaf - so will they give me antibiotics at minor injuries, then I wait till it calms down then get it excised?

They should do yes, but they may offer to lance it too, I strongly advise you not to disturb it any more than necessary though.

If you have it removed when its 'dormant' and not infected they will simply stitch it up after, google 'inside out healing' and wound packing, its not pleasant and id do anything to avoid that.

If the minor injuries place has either a doctor or a nurse practitioner they should be able to prescribe antibiotics.

Also all they could do to it in this state is cut it open and scrape it out!

You would possibly still have to go back and have the sac excised at a later date.

I had one which healed from the bottom up. It wasn't terrible, but maybe I got lucky that time. Thanks for the advice though. I will get me to Minor Injuries and try to get some ABs.

Good luck!

Update:

I did go to Minor Injuries yesterday who gave me antibiotics.
It was oozing a bit yesterday night so I put a dressing on it, when I took it off this afternoon it was pus city. It is now much flatter and oozy, but there is no open "bullet hole" and the area is red and yellow.

DH cleaned and dressed it.

Any more advice appreciated at this stage? Should I just keep taking the ABs and changing the dressing and go to the Dr Thursday, or does it require more urgent attention?

Sorry no video