Pilonidal Abscess

[Anonymous995]

Has anyone experience with these? I've had a recurrent one for 2 years though I managed to go nearly 12 months between flair ups. Trouble is I've one now which I've finished a course of antibiotics for today and although it's not red and hot now, it's 3 times the size of when I started the course. I've previously had it drained and it was the most excruciatingly painful thing I can remember (and I've given birth 4 times!) I start a new job on Monday and I don't feel I can take 2-3 weeks off straight away to recover from the procedure 😭 just looking for morale support really and people's experiences and what's worked for them?

Dh had one. They don't tend to go away on their own. You need proper surgery. Dh had a 20-min procedure under local, yes, a couple of weeks off work, but it hasn't recurred.

Also, if they're left for years, there's a very small risk that they can turn malignant. Dh did leave his for a while but in the end that wasn't a risk we were happy to take.

Thank you. I didn't know that about them turning malignant at all. It's just in such an awkward place too feel like I'm twisting my spine having to sit and lay at funny angles.
maybe I'll have to bite the bullet and get it done 😭

Feel for you OP. I used to get these. It’s excruciating.

I found that the only antibiotics that successfully worked to get rid of them were metronidazole (a couple of times I was fobbed off with other ones and had to be switched to the metronidazole)- I’m not medical at all, that’s just what worked for me.

But once it’s sufficiently sizeable you can see it, the surgery is sometimes the only way.

Mine recurred through my twenties, but I’ve not had it come back for a good 15 years now.

It's really not as bad as you imagine (OK, I know it was dh rather than me getting it done...). Any pain was pretty moderate and he was mobile-ish straight away - actually came back from surgery on the train.

It's wise to go with a specialist if you can, as there are various surgical methods and some are much easier healing-wise than others.

(I think sometimes people can 'grow out of' them if they're quite young, but not always. I should stress again that the malignancy risk is small).

To be fair I was pregnant when I had it drained and the pregnancy wasn't going so well so maybe my memory of that is skewed somewhat.
I might see if I can try a different antibiotics first so I can at least make a start on the new job before taking time off.

As its been so recurrent for you, I'd be asking about surgery to have it permanently removed too! Surely each time it flares and gets infected, its just adding more scar tissue to the area and making it worse?

A google search says 'Malignant transformation of a pilonidal cyst is a rare complication that occurs in about 0.1% of cases.' So clearly not a common thing at all.'

In the short term, would a doughnut type cushion/ring take the pressure off the sore area? www.boots.com/boots-maternity-comfort-cushion-10288930?cm_mmc=bmm-buk-google-ppc--LIAs---_-pmax_mother%26baby__gg_shopping__lia___pmedia&gad_source=1&gclid=Cj0KCQiAst67BhCEARIsAKKdWOmOFAbZfmfBoX2OnuMSO2RNnAklhvxsKMZ1Plu9iDxQFZ_xQNiacnoaAt9MEALw_wcB&gclsrc=aw.ds

I had one of those many years ago. I was also prescribed Metronidazole and I think it was Keflex. I took both together. It was infected and very painful. When I walked, I felt like a dog wagging a very painful tail. The combination of the two antibiotics sorted it.

I hope you get it sorted OP!

Thanks @JC03745 thats a good shout, I'm sort of trying to hang of a cushion but it's slightly more to the right hand side so I'm leaning onto my left a lot.
last time I went the GP said they'd refer me for a permanent removal if it came back again but I had to go through 111 this time so I don't think they do referrals the same way so I'll mention it when I ask for new antibiotics I think.

Thanks @PeachPumpkin as well. I'll mention these when I phone GP.

I've had these in the past - got referred to A&E twice from the GP and had the drainage surgery... i think i had 2-3 years between the two ops/occurrences

It never really healed properly/permanently after the second one, and i was really lucky - the GP referred me back to the hospital for corrective surgery - bascombe cleft lift.

Ever since then (8/9 years) no further flare ups.

If you’ve not tried them both before, it may be worth giving them a go. I’d actually left mine until it got really bad (stupid I know). The doctor said to come back if it was no better by X date. It started to go down right at the end of the antibiotics course. I think I was close to needing further intervention, but fortunately it didn’t get that far. The antibiotics completely put me off my food, but it was obviously worth it.

DD had a bad one, needed surgery , then wound had to be packed from the bottom, to heal properly, had district nurses daily, It took months of treatment and was very painful.
If they had been healed properly before do you know the cause. Daughter was a bit hairy and wore thongs and jeans, which were blamed. Think it is caused by the hairs in growing. Think I would see gp or go to a&e and make sure it gets drained and heals properly with packing.
Hope you are ok, it is nasty

@Mumofacertainage this is exactly what puts me off getting it done, the packing/unpacking part of it.
I feel like mine flares up when I'm run down or stressed. But yea I read a lot about it being ingrown hairs though I'm fair haired and not got much body hair.

My son in law poor thing. He had surgery and it was the only thing to resolve it

DH had one , virtually appeared out of nowhere and he could barely walk , took a few weeks of packing and unfortunately surgery had to be repeated as the first didn’t work / heal properly. I guess it depends how bad it is , they took DH into hospital the same day he saw the GP although he had to wait a couple of days for the op . A friend also had the same and had the op as an emergency and about the same recovery time , both caused by in grown hair .

Oh you poor thing, nothing more painful I’ve had one, was also pregnant and drainage was not nice. Thankfully not deep enough for packing. Perhaps get it checked soon and drained before it gets worse? They are awful and the longer you leave it the worse it gets. I’m a nurse and once nursed this poor lovely 15 year old with one. So so painful, I unpacked and redressed it for her initially it was so painful. She was one of those patients you just remember. So brave bless her. I hope it never recurred for her. Mine never did. Hope you’re on the mend soon op sounds horrible especially with your new job

@Lemonade2011 do you think it's possible to work while having wound packed/unpacked my job is quite on your feet based with bits of sitting at a desk. I'd rather work on a reduced role than be off 🙈 only because it's the new job, last month I'd have just taken the month off, but no it flares up now!

DH has had two of these and several operations/recurrence, and then low level flaring up of one of them for years. Then a couple of years ago he was referred for laser hair removal (his is right at the top of his bum crack) and it's been nothing short of miraculous. Almost immediately the wound healed perfectly and no longer weeps and hurts like it used to.

Bloody hideous things! I started getting them aged about 15, persevered for 6 years and finally had it drained/packed.

That didn't help a great deal and they continued until randomly stopped when I was about 40 - haven't had a flare up touch wood for about 3-4 years!

Strangely the best thing that ever happened, and disclaimer I wouldn't recommend this!, my young son kicked me full force during a serious flare up, cue bloody gunk pouring out. Following that, I didn't have any major flares, more like aggravation for a day or two followed by the sinus opening and fluid coming out. Sounds grim, but it was better then it had been!

OP- You could potentially put the doughnut cushion I posted above, within a large, regular cushion cover to sit on. No one in the office would know it was a doughnut cushion and in time, when not needed, just remove it. I doubt anyone would even notice.