What on Earth is this?

[Wtafis]

name changed, you guys are my only hope on a Sunday noght

had a swelling at the top of thigh for a week or so but today it’s really painful had a look and it like tbis

any ideas what it is or how I treat it

It’s right at the top of my leg so it’s constantly rubbing.

I had one in the exact same place I sadly know just how painful it is. Before mine burst (literally whilst waiting to see the doctor after my 111 call scored an OOH appointment at the hospital) I was using some covered cotton wool (vet gamgee for horses actually and some cohesive bandage/vet wrap around the top of my leg to hold it in place.
FFS give up your evening and go to your local A&E/minor injuries unit, you won't be "wasting" a valuable appointment. You should have gone days ago!

Just as a random fact, but did you know before the advent of antibiotics and modern medicine skin infections were

Posted too soon… skin infections were one of the top causes of death.

seriously, get yourself in front of someone with a prescribing pad. If you’ve got the cash try one of those online GP services.

I'd try out of hours or A and E tonight, that does not look good.

Are you not willing to go to a walk in / urgent care / A&E?

That's what most people with experience will advise but I don't want to keep repeating myself as it'll get annoying and clog up the thread.

You need to see someone today or tomorrow due to the infection risk. It already looks infected.

You should never ever fuck around when it comes to infections, it's just not worth it.

Go to A&E/urgent care.

You should have been there days ago.

She did and was told to get it seen in person.

there isn’t an urgent care here.

it’s neither an accident nor an emergency so a&e not the right place.

online GP didn’t look at it.
she was talking about packing the hole, but you wouldn’t even fit the stick of s
cotton bud in it so that won’t work.

its a lot less inflamed than yesterday so I’m hoping it’s healing itself and will be ok before the dr on Monday

I'm not sure why you didn't visit a pharmacist a few days ago as suggested as it needs to be seen first hand.

Hopefully it gets better but a wound from a two week old swelling that's been very painful for one of those weeks and has had an exposed hole (that was constantly leaking previously) is an emergency tbh due to the infection risk.

Sorry realise reading back this sounds snippy. Personal experience of someone close to me getting sepsis due to leaving something too long means I am aware of how much people put off getting infections / potential infections seen to.

Can you not get an out of hours appointment through 111 online?

A&E is the right place for an unresolved and untreated infection. My mum had one last spring and the doc told her off for not going sooner. She had hers surgically drained and special packing put in. And IV antibiotics.

Actually your recent photo looks much better and like it's starting to heal. Keep up with the salt bathing and keep it covered with antiseptic cream. The slightest hint of not feeling well then go to A and E.

If you ring 111,they will give you an appt for OOH, our one is next to the A and E dept. Is it better than yesterday or worse? If it's worse then ring now.

Any news OP? I do hope you're healing up well.

Come back, do t leave us thinking you’ve been overcome with rabid infection 😳

@Wtafis, that looks like it's burst, but if it's a cyst, the sac will need to be removed to make sure it doesn't come back.

dont worry, pretty sure I’m not rabid

nothing to report really, it’s still going down, not as sore

Glad to hear it's healing - the pic certainly looks better than the previous one.

I'd highlhy recommend Magnesium sulphate to help it drain