Please help - incredibly painful finger, weird thing on it!!

[newnamenellie]

Does anyone recognise this please?

It started a few days ago, just painful to touch initially and very slightly red. Next day there seemed to be a more obvious bump and a bit more redness, GP prescribed antibiotics to be on safe side. I had to send her some photos which weren’t the best and she wasn’t sure what it was. Said to start ABs then go back if no better in a few days.

Four days on now from initial pain and it looks like this -see pic.

The pain is so bad, if I catch it on anything it makes me scream out!!

Have taken 4 out of 28 antibiotics so far so not expecting them to be doing much yet.

I think it looks more viral maybe?? The pic was from this morning taken with magnifier and torch.

Looks infected. I'd stick it in some boiled (warm) salt water for a while

Ouch! Poor you. It looks like a Paronychia, antibiotics may not reach deep enough down into the soft tissue ( but essential to carry on for extra cover). You may need to have it incised at a minor injuries unit or A&E.
It is EQUISUTELY painful ( the Paronychia, not the incising, though it may make your eyes water a bit). But, the equally exquisite relief is so worth it. I'd seek out some help today. Good luck x

Can't edit, just to add, I'm a practice nurse and have worked in A&E.

Could it be a whitlow? Do you get cold sores?

@Oneearringlost thank you!

The antibiotics are oral ones, do you think they’d work ok? I’m hoping they’ll kick in soon!

Whitlow was my first thought but the nurse on here suggested something else - which I thought maybe the medical term for one!!!!

I would suggest though that it needs incising whatever it's called.

Are whitlows caused by the same virus as cold sores? 😧

@WolfFoxHare i do get cold sores and also thought about it being a whitlow - it’s definitely a possibility.

Just to add, it’s not around the nail bed. It’s on the side of my finger pad

Mostly - herpatic whitlows are caused by the herpes virus but I’m not sure if it’s just that if you have one of the herpes virus in your system, they can pop up on your finger spontaneously or if you need to have touched your own cold sore and sort of self-infected…

Also, the pain is coming directly from those minuscule brown marks in the centre of the redness. The whole thing including swelling is about 1cm diameter.

I don't think it looks like a paronychia. Looks more like a whitlow IMO. You can take antivirals but only if seen within 48hrs. Sorry you're in pain OP!

They’re often confused with paronychia but if yours isn’t next to the nail, whitlow sounds like a possibility. Antibiotics won’t help if it’s a herpatic whitlow but you can get bacterial whitlows too, I think.

That does not look like a paronychia in that picture and there is nothing obvious to currently incise from what I can see at that angle.
it does look blistery and almost viral as suggested up thread, or a wee infected cut. Other thing that springs to mind is did you accidentally get glass/thorn anything in it that may be infected. Does not appear to currently involve the joint either. You might need to go on a double dose of the antibiotic rather than IV currently but it is hard to tell without seeing it in person.
I would recommend you to an Urgent Care or Minor Injuries for that to be examined in good light if it is exquisitely painful. I can only imagine how annoying it is.

If you have Zovirax in for cold sores use it on your finger. If it’s a whitlow it will help.

Thanks @WolfFoxHare I did not know that. I used to get a lot of whitlows when I was a child but no one mentioned viruses as far as I can remember.

As I was saying, oral antibiotics may well not get deep enough to target the infection, but DO continue with them.
Is it throbbing? I'd imagine it would be. I couldn't actually see an obvious collection of pus, which is when it is ideal in incise and drain, but you don't want to wait until the infection is tracking up your finger/hand. I would get it seen today, if I was you, and based on experience. Best of luck, it's miserable. X

Spider bite?

Were you gardening?

I had a whitlow that came up on top of the toe next to the little one about four weeks ago. I kept thinking it would go away but 11 days later I ended up going to minor injuries as I could hardly walk it was so painful. The doc there made a small incision and cleaned up the toe and I had a week's worth of antibiotics to take home.

Is it infected? Put in hot water (it may sting) then press the inflamed area around to see if any pus cones out (it may hurt when you do this).

Thanks everyone, I really appreciate you all taking time to help 😊

@Oneearringlost thanks, I’ll continue with the abx that were prescribed. I’ve only taken one days worth so far and was really hoping they’d help! I’ve got seven days worth, Flucloxacillin 500mg capsules. No, it’s not throbbing really, although it has on and off. It looks worse today but there’s nothing to incise, no pus. It’s very firm around the red area.

I’ve just put a layer of Zovirax on it and placed a cushioned plaster over it. I’ll go back to the GP tomorrow as she advised if the abx don’t help.

DH had similar some years ago.
It got worse and he ended up in A and E for several days on intravenous ABs for cellulitis.
Don't mean to scaremonger, but the GP didn't diagnose this, it was spotted at A and E.

Seeing as the A and E nurse upthread is saying go to urgent care or A and E today, I would echo that.

Keep an eye on it and maybe draw a demarcation line around the current area of redness. If it starts to expand beyond the line, go to A&E where you will be able to show them proof of spread. Might end up needing IV antibiotics if this happens, so A&E would be the place to get those - or a nearby emergency room, that may be less of a wait.

Yes, if it spreads, don’t under estimate what it is. Drawing a line around it is a good idea.

Looks like a herpetic whitlow. Def not paronychia. There may be some bacterial infection superimposed so taking the abx not a bad shout.