Abscess??

[zippy]

Where my belt/jeans rub on my belly it breaks out and gets itchy because i am allergic to metals. A few weeks ago i noticed it was feeling sore and when i felt it there was a lump under my skin and it was red and hot to touch. I went to see my gp last week and he said it was an abscess and gave me strong anti biotics and i have to go back in 2 weeks if it hasnt gone. I stupidly googled and i am convinced its not an abscess because there is no head on it and it just feels like a big hard lump that isn't going away. I can't stop poking it and squeezing it but there is no way anything will come out of it. I am getting anxiety symptoms again because all i am thinking about is this stupid lump. I keep getting butterflies and i know this is the start of my anxiety rearing its head again. Why do i always think the worst and make myself ill.....

[Em84]

Hun.....dont squeeze it or poke etc etc

I have had abcess's in very awkward places and once had to have surgery to get it drained as i was to embarassed to see the doctor and left it until it was huge....
Keep taking the antibiotics then go back if you notice it doesnt go down,...sometimes if you leave them they may get a little bigger and can burst and drain themselfs....

you have to be careful about squeezing and stuff incase you cause infections.....

x

[zippy]

Thanks EM, my problem is i am convinced it's not an abscess and worrying it's something sinister. Can an abscess be a big hard lump with no head, it's not even sore now. I haven't slept all night and i know i am making myself ill with worry.

[pearl79]

Yes they can.. Definately. I get them alot.. I had one on my bottom last week.. Huge horrible great thing..... No head!!! Lasted four weeks xxx chill out

[zippy]

Thanks Pearl. I have had boils etc and they usually have an head on but this is just a big hard mass with no head. I will try and chill out and stop feeling it and googling

---------- Post added at 11:31 ---------- Previous post was at 09:36 ----------

Anyone else been told they had an abscess and it has no head? I am trying not to worry but i obviously am. It isnt sore and it's about the size of a ping pong ball. It feels elongated and deep under my belly. I started the anti biotics on saturday and it hasnt changed in size which tells me they arent doing anything. Should the antibiotics not get rid of the lump if it is an abscess? It feels too deep down to ever get an head on and drain.

[Elen]

Like the others have said Zippy there is no reason why this abscess should have a head at the moment.

The anti biotics will not have time to make an impact on it yet so I am afraid that you will have to be patient.

Try not to keep prodding and poking at it as that will upset all the surrounding tissue, which will in turn convince you that there is something more sinister going on.

[swgrl09]

I had one on my face (ugh so awful!!!) with no head... I had it drained in the doctors office. It kept coming back though because some infection was still in there so they gave me injections of some sort. I don't remember what they were but after two or three times it stopped coming back. I was only 13 so I don't remember much of it, just that it was so embarrassing on my face!

[zippy]

Well i have tried not to feel it all day and it's still very big and hard and no signs of getting an head on at all. I can't get the thought out of my head that it's something sinister.

[zippy]

What does that last comment mean?

[Mick081081]

Hi Zippy,

I've had lumps on my neck, back, face and recently my arm. They were all sebaceous cysts (google them they are harmless) that needed operating on to remove them, no head was visible whatsoever. I had the one removed from my arm afew weeks ago this one just suddenly appeared while I was on holiday in October. Don't poke or mess with them or they'll get inflamed and grow in size, They are harmless so try not to worry it could just be a spot under the skin as had my fair share of those aswell and they go after a while.

Try to calm down I know it's easier said than done but it's nothing sinister, keep taking your antibiotics and if it doesn't clear up call back to the GP.

Take care,

Mick.