Pilonidal Abscess

B

Bill S

New member
I've got a large very inflamed ridiculously painful lump at the base of my spin/top of my buttocks, I went to the doctor who informed me it was a Pilonidal abscess, she gave me flucloxacillin for a week, I'm only on the second day of antibiotics but today I noticed it has started to drain by itself. It isn't too much pus quite bloody actually and it's hurting. The thing is I'm going away on the weekend and I just wondered now it's draining do you think it will ease by the weekend or could it possibly just half drain if you know what I mean?

This is the first time it's gotten this bad and I just have no idea what to do, any advice or anything that anybody has I will be so grateful if you've been in this position to just explain to me what you experienced.

Many thanks.
 
I too have a plonial cyst at the base of my spine, they are a curse. I first had to have mine drained roughly 15 years ago. Since then I have had it drained probaly 4-5 times at the ER, they will recur for sure so you should seek someone out to remove it. I personally haven't been able to find a surgeon who would remove mine until now, they all told me it will discipate as I get older and they couldn't guarantee it wouldn't come back.....(it's my healthcare up here, some of them don't know their butts from a hole in the ground I know). I will be having it removed just after X-mas of this year. Seeing as how it will be laying me up for probaly a good 6 weeks or so the surgeon has told me. Goodluck with yours, if it gets too bad head to the ER and have it drained.
 
hey Orion,
I have had 2. The first one surgically removed came back probably 8 years or so later. The second surgery was a success though. Its been almost 20 years. The surgeon was super confident it would not come back. He explained that he injected it with dye and that he had a very good success rate. You have my sympathies, they are SO gross! I suffered with them for many years. Mine would just drain when it felt like it. It was a 50 cent piece around and one-half inch thick of pain and grossness. And the way it made the drainage ports... ugggh!

So anyway I would go the surgery route if you can. If you sit for a living you will be out of commission for at least a few days. I was poor so the surgeon let me make payments. Great guy.

Best of luck dealing with it. Take care.
 
Now that it's draining, your pain should be almost or totally gone by the weekend. The drainage should be about gone as well. But in time, the cyst will most probably recur. My husband and son both have had trouble with pilonidal cysts. My husband's recurs at least once a year. As soon as it opens and begins draining, the problem is temporarily solved. My son had his surgically repaired about 15 years ago; it has never recurred. Surgery is usually the only permanent fix for these things.

Just keep the area clean and dry for now. Hopefully, it'll be a long time before it flares again.

ETA... Just for the record, antibiotics do ridiculously little good for pilonidal cysts. There is no blood supply to the cyst, so the AB doesn't get delivered there and does almost nothing for the infection in them.
 
I agree with Midwest.....surgery is the only way to get rid of these cysts as they can go deep into the tissues and antibiotics don't help much. They swell and drain and swell and drain and in the meantime, go deeper and deeper into the tissues.

Get it surgically fixed. Day surgery. Hubby and I both have had them and in fact, we met when was in the hospital for his.

Neither of us has had a recurrence in over 35 years(we married 8 months after that surgery).

Jenny
 
Thank you for your replies everyone it's really good to get a bit more information from people who have suffered from them too. Just a couple more questions, it's still draining at the moment and the first type of pain I got is going down a bit and I can lay on my side (the only way I can) more comfortably with less pain. But when I woke up this morning I felt like I'd been doing some serious exercise, my back and where the abscess is is really aching is this normal?

It's annoying because I'm going away on the weekend I can't get an appointment to talk to my doctor about what I can do. So my question is for those of you who have suffered with them, after it's stopped draining will it not go down at all? The thing is I had it a couple of times before but it was like the size of a pea and went away after a few days of sitting differently but as this time it's infected it's a lot worse. I thought once it drained it would go away (obviously then come back). But I'm going to be gutted if it at least doesn't disappear for a while once it's stopped draining.

I saw some pictures of people who've had surgery on it, will it leave a big scar at all? How painful is it after surgery and for how long?

I can't believe this it's gross and painful and horrible I know how all you guys who have had it before feel and I have a lot of sympathy for you but you've made me feel a lot better knowing more what to expect.

Thank you a million!

P.S. Jenny that's a really lovely story, something so nice after something so horrible!
 
Once my husband's stops draining, the area still feels a little lumpy, but it doesn't hurt from pressure after that. He never complained about an achy back like you mention. Am not sure what that's about.

The surgery was easy for my son. He had it on spring break his freshman year in college. It was done as an outpatient, and he was home by early afternoon. I recall him lying around on the couch for a day or two, taking it easy. But then he got bored with that, called some friends and resumed his life. He was discharged with prescription pain pills, but he never took any of them. He never was a complaining child, though, so I wasn't surprised how he really breezed through it. As for a scar? Well, he was a 19-year old and I'm the mom. Some things are not meant for mom's eyes, you know? I highly doubt there's anything to see there, though.

One thing you might try... Sit in a tub of warm water to see if it will facilitate the drainage. You might still be having pain because the drainage isn't yet complete. Sometimes, my husband will have a little drainage and then it'll stop. The pain gets better but doesn't go away until the cyst is completely empty.

Hope you feel better soon, hon. I feel for anyone who has one of those monsters after seeing my two guys suffer with them.
 
Yeah I tried the whole hot bath thing but I don't think it made much difference to the drainage. It's closed up now but the bit to the left is still there and rock hard, hot baths don't seem to make it any softer either. I'm off on my holiday tomorrow so I've got my fingers crossed that if it does come back or it'll at least wait until I've enjoyed my holiday. Not going to get my hopes up, would rather be prepared but when I'm back if it's still there the first thing I'm going to do is speak to my doctor about getting it removed.

I really appreciate all the help and advice you've all given me, it really helps to hear about other people who've been in my position and how they dealt with it.

Thank you so much for all your support, I hope all of you who have Pilonidal Cysts don't suffer to much from now on. I know what they're like and I have sympathy for you all.

Thank you again!
 
It was miserable for me, also.


I think I got a little relief after it stopped draining, but not much, unfortunately. It could be different for you though.


There was definite scarring. The pain after the operation was not nearly as bad as the pain and stress of having the crummy thing. I was sleeping on my stomach for a while but I only missed a couple of days of work.

Cheers! :wave:
 
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