Pls help - cyst on back and VERY painful :(

R

rockgurl

New member
Hi there. I thought I had a painful pimple on my back so I squeezed it - very little pus came out, but then the next day it was huge and hard under the skin and now 2 days later it is VERY VERY painful. I know it has turned into a cyst.

I've read numerous googles on applying heat about 4 times a day for 20 min. until I can get to a dermatologist on Monday and am thinking they'll shoot it with corticosteroids??

Luckily I have some pain killers, but OMG does it hurt. It's very red, swollen and hard under the skin now with no signs of coming to a head or whatever.

Any suggestions? It's Saturday so I have 2 more days. I don't want to do anything wrong and don't feel urgent care would do much good at this point so I don't want to waste my money or time or have them turn it into something much worse.

Any help is greatly appreciated.

Laurie
 
I've had only 1 and it was like yours............until it went postal on me. Believe it or not, it can get worse. Mine distended to the point the skin never quite went back to normal. There is a spot about the size of a quarter where the skin is sort of like silly putty.

Anyway, have you had them before? I went to urgent care when I couldn't stand it anymore and they lanced it. It hurt like heck when they did it but that was like for 15 seconds. Then immediate, wonderful relief. But talk about a nasty experience. It was full of infection and it poured out down my body. They actually opened the window of the room (it was the last week of NOVEMBER) because the smell was so awful.

Anyway, they did nothing else. I was to put warm packs on for a few days to drawl any more ick out of it but the guy did a great job. My insurance wouldn't pay because I went to the wrong urgent care place but it was the best $200 I ever spent. If you are taking anything stronger than over the counter type pain meds, and especially if you have insurance that will cover urgent care, don't wait. At least I wouldn't.

...Oh, if you decide to go to urgent care, take some extra clothes just in case. Especially pants. You'll have your shirt off but if it's like mine, the ick might run onto the pants a bit and the smell is without rival. ....
 
Wow! I'm so afraid to go to urgent care because I don't want another scar in my back. I did just have one two months ago around my upper back. It looked like a black head or maybe it was the piece of hair I was seeing so away we went picking and then of course it blew up. :(

So I went to this new dermatologist and he did a HORRIBLE job. The stitches were not tight enough so by the time it was time to take them out - they fell out. So now instead of this tiny little scar (1/4" or less he promised), I now have a circular scar because it opened up or started to spread, etc. So I will NOT be going back to him.

I've read that sometimes they can inject it with steroids that will either shrink it or makes it drain, etc. so I don't want someone cutting on me again unnecessarily. I'm afraid to go to urgent care (regular dr.) in case he/she doesn't specialize in that and winds up making it worse.

Right now it's very red, swollen and hurts like I don't know what. I'm afraid if anyone touched it my automatic reflex would be to knock them out.

So I'm at a loss right now - just not sure if it'll get bigger or worse or ? It's only been 2 days and you're thinking it will smell that bad already? Yuk!

Please reply when you get the chance. :) Thx :)
 
Update: I did go to urgent care and they gave me levaquin (antibiotic) for 7 days and some pain killers. They also told me to either take a hot bath and soak it for as long as I could to try to get it to drain on its own or to keep a wet wash cloth w/ heating pad on it. I asked for how long and basically - as long as it takes. So where I read 4x a day, etc.. for 30 min.. no - keep doing it until it responds. Their whole point was to getting it to drain or go away.

They gave me the card of a surgeon to see on Monday if it doesn't drain on its own or go away to my approval.

Yes the last dermatologist was a joke and when I told him I shouldn't have been picking he said "Oh no keep picking - we need the business." Pretty sad huh? Can't trust anyone hardly these days. I'm becoming a cynic.
 
Back
Top