# Lumps Bumps & Boils!



## Lorna (Jan 18, 2008)

I know that a lot of people have posted over the years about skin irritations in the shape of lumps or boils. I have had these almost constantly for years in almost every place you can imagine... 
I have tried most things, I use anti bacterial wash, columbia powder and even taking collodial silver. All of these things and more have had varying degrees of success, although I admit when I saw the news article of the man who turned his skin silvery blue from taking the collodial silver I was a bit less enthusiastic lol :shocked:
At last I have had complete success, all are gone ,the ugly bruise like marks are even fading, I feel great! What worked? a course of antibiotics!. My step son left about ten days supply of amoxicillan last time he came, not that I advocate taking anyone elses medicatin but I didnt want to waste them and was feeling at my wits end about this problem.
I am mad that I wasted so much time living with these things, so really this was just to let others know that this worked for me and might for you too, dont waste time like I did get along to your Dr and see if you can get some help.
Oh and happy new year !


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## moore2me (Jan 18, 2008)

Lorna said:


> I know that a lot of people have posted over the years about skin irritations in the shape of lumps or boils. I have had these almost constantly for years in almost every place you can imagine...
> I have tried most things, I use anti bacterial wash, columbia powder and even taking collodial silver. All of these things and more have had varying degrees of success, although I admit when I saw the news article of the man who turned his skin silvery blue from taking the collodial silver I was a bit less enthusiastic lol :shocked:
> At last I have had complete success, all are gone ,the ugly bruise like marks are even fading, I feel great! What worked? a course of antibiotics!. My step son left about ten days supply of amoxicillan last time he came, not that I advocate taking anyone elses medicatin but I didnt want to waste them and was feeling at my wits end about this problem.
> 
> ...



*Happy New Year to you too.*


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## Miss Vickie (Jan 18, 2008)

Lorna, it makes sense that the antibiotics would help since boils are usually a bacterial infection. I'm not sure Amoxicillin would have been specifically the *best* antibiotic but since it cleared it up it tells me that it's bacterial in nature, and likely the type amoxicillin can kill. Next time, if there is a next time, can I make a suggestion? Maybe if you see a doc, you can ask for it to be cultured, and that way they can figure out what the best drug is for that particular infection. It's too late to do a culture once you start antibiotics but before treatment, they can do it and you'll get the best possible antibiotic for the job.

I hope it's gone for good but since boils are usually a strain of staph aureus that we find on our skin, it may come back. At least now you know the best way to treat it!  And yeah, I echo Moore in that that duration might not have been long enough to kill ALL of the bad guys. You do run the risk of creating superbugs but hopefully doing it just this once won't cause that. Next time, though? If you can, get in and get it treated right. Sadly, many of us don't do that -- out of embarrassment, financial woes or time constraints -- but it's usually the best way to prevent recurrence.


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## Lorna (Jan 19, 2008)

Thanks for the replies ladies, it is sound advice which I will try to follow!


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## CleverBomb (Jan 19, 2008)

Couldn't Rep Moore2, but did get Vickie.

Antibiotic resistance is dead serious business.

-Rusty


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## Surlysomething (Jan 19, 2008)

Boils are also a sympton of bigger problems. They thrive with uncontrolled diabetes. That's how I basically self-diagnosed my diabetes.

It might be wise to get a fasting blood glucose test to see how your sugars are.

Miss Vickie, your thoughts?


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## Miss Vickie (Jan 20, 2008)

Surlysomething said:


> Boils are also a sympton of bigger problems. They thrive with uncontrolled diabetes. That's how I basically self-diagnosed my diabetes.
> 
> It might be wise to get a fasting blood glucose test to see how your sugars are.
> 
> Miss Vickie, your thoughts?



I agree, it's never a bad idea to get a fasting sugar checked, particularly if you have any risk factors for diabetes. Most of the patients I see with boils don't have diabetes, but rather it's a lifestyle thing (in the villages they share steam baths and so MRSA is passed back and forth easily). But yes, bacteria thrives on sugar and if you have high levels of sugar in your body it does help those boils survive and thrive.

Boils can also happen, if I remember right, in the presence of PCOS. So a trip to the doctor is probably in order, just to be sure they're not a symptom of something bigger.


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## Emma (Jan 20, 2008)

I was coming to post a boil related post so I thought I'd just stick it on this one. 

I had a decent sized one on my leg, and I was fiddling with it and squeezing it earlier (yes i know i shouldn't) and i felt like a pop (like when you pop them) but it hadn't popped outwards, it must have popped on the inside. It was definatly smaller and less puss filled, but the puss must be... inside me? Will that do any damage?


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## moore2me (Jan 20, 2008)

CurvyEm said:


> I was coming to post a boil related post so I thought I'd just stick it on this one.
> 
> I had a decent sized one on my leg, and I was fiddling with it and squeezing it earlier (yes i know i shouldn't) and i felt like a pop (like when you pop them) but it hadn't popped outwards, it must have popped on the inside. It was definatly smaller and less puss filled, but the puss must be... inside me? Will that do any damage?



A healthy immune system is supposed to handle minor challenges like absorbing pus from small infections. That is the job of your white cells and are carried away as waste material. If the job is too big to handle (absorb), your body might try to eliminate it again by opening an external drain. *If you have any redness or swelling at the site where you fiddled with it or if you have fever, you should call your doctor or seek medical advice - those things are the signs of an infection that your body needs help in fighting.*

Sometimes, not having an opening to the outside is helpful in that bacteria on the outside of your skin or hands cannot get into the wound.


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## Surlysomething (Jan 20, 2008)

Miss Vickie said:


> I agree, it's never a bad idea to get a fasting sugar checked, particularly if you have any risk factors for diabetes. Most of the patients I see with boils don't have diabetes, but rather it's a lifestyle thing (in the villages they share steam baths and so MRSA is passed back and forth easily). But yes, bacteria thrives on sugar and if you have high levels of sugar in your body it does help those boils survive and thrive.
> 
> Boils can also happen, if I remember right, in the presence of PCOS. So a trip to the doctor is probably in order, just to be sure they're not a symptom of something bigger.


 

Thanks, Miss V!

:bow:


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