Sebacious Cyst - is it supposed to hurt this much?

[BackBleb]

Hi all,
I've got a sebacious cyst - had it for years and a week ago Wednesday (17th) it started leaking a bit of pus. Spoke to the on-call nurse the next day - I thought it was getting better so he said he'd hold off on antibiotics. Spoke to a different on-call nurse last Friday when there was no change (not getting better or worse), she decided against antibiotics at the time.

Had it squeezed out (! lots of pus and a bit of blood) on Tuesday by the GP. He said it looked a bit infected, so I started on Flucloxacillin that night.

Since yesterday it's hurting more and more - it was merely tender before. It's reaaaalllly sensitive to my clothes brushing over it now. It stopped producing anything on the plaster covering it a couple of days ago and seems to be capped over.

Not hot to touch, just a bit red - will post photo.

Is the pain a sign it's getting worse? Or will it get better after this? Should I do anything??

A pic from today - it feels like it should be far redder than this!

And a pic from last week! Weird angle as I was doing ti myself in the mirror.

PS I really admire you sporners, I'm glad you're out there but it's certainly not me!

I have a sebaceous cyst and it gets infected every 2 years like clockwork. As soon as I feel a swelling redness and a bit of pain I get antibiotics. They always give me one weeks worth and then a second weeks worth of something different.

Yours looks pretty good for a week and a half of possible infection. But if it’s painful and sensitive it probably is a sign it’s getting worse. Keep taking the antibiotics and review again on Tuesday if the swelling hasn’t got any bigger that’s a good sign and it should clear on it’s own. If it’s getting bigger and really painful ask for a second course of antibiotics.

I personally find it the hardest bit the pain and not being able to sleep properly. Good luck !

I just had one recently. Mine was infected. It swalled to 5 times or so the size, it was tender. Then painful and throbbing. GP prescribed antibiotics.
It developed a head and oozed almost all the content as yours, with gentle squeezing and hot compresses.
It hurt then, and was red. But after 3 days or so, it is not painful.
Are you still taking antibiotics?
I would give it another two days of antibiotics. If not back to almost normal it will be time to get back to the GP.
Try hot compresses. They helped me a lot.

I had one and it was horrendous.
On my inner thigh. I have a relatively physical job and had to request a few days working from home so I could sit in my pants with my legs spread 😳

It ended up bursting and antibiotics calmed it right down within 48 hours but it was VERY painful and enormous.

I had one in a similar place. Earlier this year it became infected and sore. It took 3 courses of fluclox to get it under control and the GP removed it in the end as it was right on my brastrap line and liable to be irritated easily.

I had one on my breast. Totally painless until it wasn't. Holy fuck it was agony. It swelled like mad- like a huge plum. Then it started oozing green pus. It was disgusting. The gp drained it for me and then i had surgery under local anaesthetic to remove the whole thing.
Literally so painful.

I had one for 20 years that suddenly a few weeks ago it grew and became infected - really sore - I had a bath to try to make it do something, and it grew five pus heads. It was about 3 inches wide by then and quite substantial. Went to A&E (I have private health A&E in Portugal) and they got quite excited and after a stack of local anaesthetic, they burst it and squeezed it for over an hour - there was blood and pus everywhere. The relief was immense. Antibiotics for seven days and daily trips for squeezing at the hospital. Three weeks later they have now removed the capsule (which was the size of my thumb) and promised me it will never come back. Six stitches, but nowhere near as much pain as the cyst. It was right under the clasp for my bra and really hurt. Is there any way you can get it removed?

My one was on my breast bone. Ten years with no issues and then bam! Infected and so painful. Antibiotics didn't work. Had to have it squeezed and then removed a few months later. That was 2016 though.

@m00rfarm Apparently they only remove on the NHS if it's problematic/abcessy. I can go private for removal though if I want.

Mine was only about the size of a 10p, I'm in awe of some of the ones on this thread!

I'm still taking the antibitotics, just finished the 3rd day of a 7 day course.

Thank you everyone for weighing in, I'm such a wuss about pain.

This was mine before the pain got too much and they exploded it ...

Ask your GP to refer you to have it taken out if you want to. Mine has, though I am still waiting for a letter.
The GP said that once they start to give problems, the NHS will remove.
So far nobody has come back with an abcess on theirs, but I have seen a video that was horrific! This poor woman had it on her back, close to bra straps too ( mine is at the base of my neck, close to the bra strap too, it could be a theme here!), and it bursted, but not towards the skin, it bursted the sack, under her skin. She needed surgery, a good drainage, and stitches, but it was huge, and looking so so painful. Bess her. I want mine out, do not want to risk it.
Anyone had theirs removed for a reasonable amount? The private one I had mentioned to me charges £180 for a consultation, next appointment in Feb. I have not asked how much to remove it!

@m00rfarm that looks so painful!

I had an infected Sebacious Cyst earlier this year. It was bloody agony and about 4cm across at its worst. It comes back every couple of years. It started to get infected during lockdown and it took nearly 2 weeks, 2 lots of antibiotics and lots of photos before my GP finally agreed to see me in person. Looking back, the look of horror on her face when she realised just how big and badly infected it was, would have been funny if it wasn't so serious.

I was immediately sent off to hospital to have it squeezed. I'm sure there is a surgical name for this but squeezed is as good a name as any. The nurses loved me, I had quite an audience.

I have photos on my phone which would do very well in sporners corner but I won't be posting them.

I had to go and have it packed by the nurse for a month afterwards. Totally horrendous and they didn't get rid of it all, so no doubt it'll be back again one day.

@notangelinajolie no photos 😂😂😂😳

Well, I popped a hot water bottle on it earlier (hurt but also nice!) and it started producing gunk again- just a tiny bit, it hurts way too much for me to squeeze. It feels a tiny bit better, but really is awful still.

This is going to sound mental and like I dance naked on a full moon BUT: try putting a poultice of bread and warm milk on it. It’s an old wives tale but my mum had two that randomly popped up and became nastily infected and she had to stop taking the antibiotics because they were making her unwell (I know, I know). She would sit on the sofa with the compresses on for a few hours (changing them to keep them warm) and in a day or two the whole thing just drained to the extent when she went back to the GP both had completely dried up and he said he was going to suggest it to other patients. I’m sure it’s been mentioned on Sporner Corner before. The relief was immense apparently. I loved it from afar. BRIGHT GREEN GUNK EVERYWHERE.

I'd consider a poultice if it wasn't already "open".

Slept terribly. Mucho pain.

Mag sulph on a plaster will help draw it out

Sugar poultice? Obviously this is not a proper medical journal article but it sounds pretty safe and is apparently quite effective. www.bbc.com/future/article/20180328-how-sugar-could-help-heal-wounds

I have photos on my phone which would do very well in sporners corner but I won't be posting them.

Oh @notangelinajolie

Op I would keep on with the hot compresses, you can boiled water on sterile gauze if you're concerned about infection. I was always taught that salt is a good natural antiseptic and salt water (made with boiled water) always clears up a mouth ulcer for me quickly.

Don't forget you can take painkillers to help with the pain too - eg paracetamol and ibuprofen. The latter is an anti inflammatory as well if youre able to take it.

Well, I've been referred to the Surgical unit, it looks a bit like m00rfarm's now, but with only one head. :/

That is good you have been referred - mine grew from one head to many heads during the course of a tennis tournament and the following lunch ... so you may find some more heads soon! I am going back to the hospital this afternoon (not sure why - maybe to have the stitches out?).

I had it done and OMG was it painful!!!

So they've burst it and you have antibiotics and will have it packed and dressed for a few weeks? Are they then going to surgically remove the capsule? That will make sure it does not come back. Mine was the size of my thumb (and that was after they had squeezed out all the crap for a few weeks).