I'm in utter agony.. Please help me identify what this is..

[Inagony234]

Small lump started about a week ago, each day goes by it progresses.. Today its red raw where my thighs have rubbed together the skin has broken down. I've lathered it magnesium sulphate and hot compress... I can see a very tiny head coming up.
My god the agony is unreal.. Also don't feel myself at all. Not feverish or anything. Just feel really terrible.
What is this? Boil? Abscess??

The white stuff is magnesium sulphate BTW

I had a hot bath and now I'm sitting with a hot water bottle between my legs. Feeling sorry for myself. Still waiting for a clinician to ring me. Feeling a bit better but still not my normal self. It looks very ripe now 😭

I had something similar a few months ago, in the same place. It appeared quite suddenly - a hard, angry looking lump, very painful and definitely not squeezable. I had a soak in a hot bath then took ibuprofen and went to bed with a hot water bottle between my legs.

In the morning it had shrunk a bit and stopped hurting. I just stuck a plaster over it to stop anything rubbing on it and forgot about it. The next day when I took the plaster off it was gone.

Really feeling rough now :(

What did 111 advise?

Oh dear, will you be able to get someone to look after your DC or fetch the antibiotics for you. Where are you located in case anyone is close by and can help. If you're county Durham I can!

They haven't called yet, they said within the hour, five hours ago. My neighbours are lovely, they said whatever I need to just let them know and they'll help.
It's really come up to the head now, I think it'll burst soon.. Can't bloody wait. So grim.

@gaggiagirl that's kind bless you, I'm in the South though so a fair few hundred miles away 😂

Call 111 back there is an option that says “ calling about an earlier call” - choose that one abs tell them exactly how unwell you’re feeling so they can re-triage you

Someone on here had something very similar about a month ago. I think they had to take antibiotics.

When I had something like this in took several curses if antibiotics but didn't touch it. It needs to pop and also saves you taking antibiotics.

Just get a pin in the very top part of the yellow bit where skin is thin.

Stick a needle in the top!

Keep chasing up the real life medical advice and ignore the posters telling to stick a pin in it.

Have you taken painkillers?

Hope you get a call back soon.

Here’s the nhs official advice…

www.nhs.uk/conditions/boils/

I had a bite that looked a bit like that. I think it was from a horse fly. I just kept applying sudocrem, germaline and washing it in a bit of dettol. It eventually went. If you think it’s getting worse then it could be because it’s getting infected so it’s worth seeing if you can see a pharmacist or send a photo to the gp if you’re struggling to see anyone in person.

I'm on hold waiting to speak to 111 again. Taken ibuprofen and now in bed, put some more magnesium sulphate on it and have a hot water bottle between my legs.
So awful, I can't exercise either, I usually work out 5 times a week at home as fitness is important to me, but I didn't today as was scared the sweat would exacerbate the boil. Its so bloody painful also.
Bullshit.

Yeah i would never ever stick a pin in it.. Knowing my luck, I'd end up getting my leg amputated because of it. Not risking it.

You can take paracetamol safely with ibuprofen. If you’ve got cocodamol or codeine they can be taken with ibuprofen as well.

Really hope you get a call soon.

I have hydradentitis supparativa, which causes boils like this in a similar area. Sudocreme works like a charm, helps bring it to a head, soothe the pain and shrink it down. Do you have some of that handy?

Op I would sit in a hot bath with absolutely tonnes of salt in for as long as you can bear, salt really is a miracle worker. And then I'd put tea tree oil on it after. But I think you are going to need antibiotics. If you need salt or tea tree oil and your anywhere near me I can drop some off tomorrow! I'm in East lancs.

@PurpleDaisies

You can take paracetamol safely with ibuprofen. If you’ve got cocodamol or codeine they can be taken with ibuprofen as well.

Really hope you get a call soon.

Just to be clear on this: you can take either paracetamol OR co-codamol . You may well already know this, but with paracetamol containing medicines that I think it's worth being extra clear.

Glad you called someone, don't prick that with a needle, you could make it worse, wait for the antibiotics to work, cover it with an off the shelf dressing so it doesn't rub on anything, keep it clean. It doesn't look like the kind of abcess you can burst and you just risk introducing more infection.
I am a medical professional. Hope it feels better soon.

Aww thanks everyone, that's so kind to offer x fortunately I have a pharmacy just down the road..
This is the first time I've ever had anything like this type of boil. I've had a bartholins cyst before, my god the relief when that popped was unimaginable.

@Inagony234 . A&E dr here. It’s an abscess. At best you need antibiotics,but it actually looked like you need it lanced and drained. Go to your closet A&E. x

I’ve had that a few times. What works for me is a cloth dipped in boiling water and put on it while as hot as I can bear. It brings it out to burst very quickly. The relief is amazing.