Well that's just fucking fantastic - spot on my arse for Christmas.

[MichaelaFrey]

I'm a bit run down at the moment, I think it's a virus as I have sniffles, fatigue, aches etc... This last week I have developed cold sores, mouth ulcers, spots on the tongue and this morning, the piece de resistance, a bloody great boil right next to where the sun doesn't shine. I can't see it because of the position but it feels about the size of a pea and hurts. What can I do, Oh wise ladies of Sporner Corner what is to be done?

So OP you have got a perianal
abscess and feeling systemically unwell and feverish . You need an appointment to see your GP tomorrow or out of hours GP in the next 24 hours . Say the above .
They may start antibiotics or if there is already a small abscess there the likelihood is that it will continue to grow until it bursts or you end you spending christmas in hospital having it treated .
Be brave and get it sorted… DOI I’m a surgeon.

Have a hot bath and give it a good squeeze. Hopefully you can take some of the pressure out of it. Sympathy, I get things like this when I'm run down.

If you're a surgeon you should know better than to diagnose over the Internet.

Also think this is something that should be seen by a HCP, especially if you're feeling a bit crap too.

If it's too close to your anus it might come to a head internally and then you might develop a fistula which would need surgery to correct (that was my Christmas 2016 🤢)

Your GP will have seen much worse (especially if you have a wash before your appointment) and if you start antibiotics now you might feel a bit better by Christmas day.

Ooh OP I do think you need to be seen by an HCP, embarrassing as that might be. If you need antibiotics then the sooner you start them the better.
I’ve managed to grow another spot on my nose in time for Christmas. Bane of my life but not painful or requiring treatment.
Hope you get sorted OP.

Not to be alarmist, but My Dsis had similar and it had to be drained as it got to the size of a golf ball within 24hrs or so (it was a block hair follicle, but the infection meant incision/packing/antibiotics. I am wondering whether maybe you should call GP tomorrow (or 111 tonight) to get it checked out before Christmas?

I have exactly this right now. Was seen at GP practice within 24 hours of it developing, have been on strong antibiotics for 3 days, abscess still not draining. I have tried piercing it and squeezing but it's deep under the skin. Going to call GP again tomorrow as I know how tricky these can be and don't fancy spending Xmas in hospital having this drained and packed! Good luck, don't ignore it, there's a high risk of sepsis with these.

Not a diagnosis - OP has stated they have an abscess and it is next to her anus… in medical speak that is a ‘perianal abscess’.

Am hoping OP is quiet because she is having it assessed and getting treatment, which is what was advised and will mean an uninterrupted Christmas. 🤞

@MichaelaFrey how's your bum today?

Hope you’re feeling much better today

My husband had what he thought was flu, and developed a sore arse...turns out it was a perianal abscess which was incredibly deep and large by the time he was operated on. It's been 10 weeks of recovery and he can finally sit up.

Get it checked out! Hope you're ok.

Sorry for the disappearing act. We drove off for a Christmas stay on 23 and only got back today and I don't have Mumsnet on my phone.

Bit of an anticlimax, for which I was and am eternally grateful. I was fiddling with it Sunday evening and managed to 'pop' it in some way, certainly some liquid came out. I kept it very clean and it has calmed right down and mostly gone. I can still feel something under the skin if I poke hard enough but I think it is now 'dormant. Was very scared after reading all your stories that I was driving away to the Christmas from Hell, but thankfully it was not to be.

Hope you all had a cracking Christmas!

Crikey! Poor man, that sounds atrocious. Hope he's well on the mend now.

Hope you've got yourself sorted and didn't suffer too much over Christmas

I’m a little late to this, but I would bet a lot of money on OlympicRocks being an actual surgeon. She’s been on here for a long time and a lot of threads and has helped a number of posters. She wasn’t diagnosing, she was saying ‘it might be this and based on your symptoms it’s important to get seen.’

There might yet be a part two to this horror show. It's back! Not got a head on it yet. Stay tuned for further updates...

Oh no OP! Hope if it’s back that you can get it seen by an HCP.