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cddrennen · Nov 15, 2006, 09:44 PM

I have some kind of an abscess on the inside of my thigh, I have been draining it for the past 3 days and each day that goes by the fluid inside turns a darker green and is very very smelly, almost like rotten meat. What should I do? Does anybody know what it could be?

J_9 · Nov 16, 2006, 05:48 AM

You have an infection and need to get to the doctor as soon as possible to rule out MRSA.

cddrennen · Nov 16, 2006, 03:06 PM

What is MRSA?

SINGLE4 · Nov 16, 2006, 03:13 PM

I get them quite often. They are cysts. The white part is usually the size of a dime. My doctor suggested to me to sit in a nice warm bath and that released the infection and cleans out the area.

Definitely talk to your doctor about it as he/she may want to cut it out.

Good Luck!

shygrneyzs · Nov 16, 2006, 03:28 PM

I am on J_9's point of view here - you may well have a staph infection - that is what MRSA is. GET yourself to a doctor. Soaking in the tub will not make it go away. An untreated staph infection can land you in the hospital, with surgery and a long recovery. I have known people who have become so ill with staph that they were in ICU. Not to scare you, but get yourself seen by a doctor and do it ASAP!

LisaB4657 · Nov 16, 2006, 03:58 PM

I agree that you should see a doctor but also do a Google search for "Hidradenitis Suppurativa".

dannysmom · Nov 16, 2006, 06:13 PM

Sounds like an infection to me too.

J_9 · Nov 16, 2006, 06:17 PM

MRSA is Methacillin Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus, and can be a life threatening infection. The Staph are resistant to many different antibiotics. The "cillin" in Methacillin is reflective of the Penicillin family. Any antibiotic that ends in "cillin" is in that category of antibiotics. This family of antibiotics will most likely not kill this form of Staph.

MRSA is a very serious infection that has been known to be deadly.

I am concerned because you said that the color was green and smelly, you likened it to the smell of rotten meat. That is most likely what is happening, your flesh is rotting from the infection.

Soaking it right now could be very dangerous. That can add moisture to the infection. What you want to do is keep it dry and clean, away from anything that can ad bacteria. Best thing to do is keep it covered with gauze.

Then get into the doctor's office ASAP!!

shygrneyzs · Nov 16, 2006, 07:35 PM

I had a home health client last year who had this staph infection and it became gangrenous. She spent several months in the hospital, luckily she was able to keep her leg. So please please please see your doctor ASAP!

J_9 · Nov 16, 2006, 07:38 PM

I had in in my thumb 2 years ago and spent a week in the hospital and mine was not as bad as the OPs.

cddrennen · Nov 16, 2006, 09:41 PM

Originally Posted by SINGLE4

I get them quite often. They are cysts. The white part is usually the size of a dime. My doctor suggested to me to sit in a nice warm bath and that released the infection and cleans out the area.

Definately talk to your doctor about it as he/she may want to cut it out.

Good Luck!

Well guys, I think this is worst than a cyst as there are no white spots or anything, it's deep purplish red and what I thought was one big spot is actually 2 side by side, one (the one I have been draining) is soft and mushy while the other is really hard. Not to worry, but I am going to the doctor tomorrow, I got a fresh sample of the "ooze" or drainage, what ever you want to call it, sitting at the bottom of the fridge. Maybe my doctor can tell me what is going on as I have been getting them for as long as I can remember (I'm 22 years old now) and it's got to end sometime soon, I'm tired of getting them. This one has me actually worried as I have never had one stink before and this one smells so bad; it smells like a cross between rotten meat and a really dirty fish tank (for those of you that don't know what a dirty fish tank smells like, think moldy fish then times it by 10, it's very over powering)

LisaB4657 · Nov 17, 2006, 06:41 AM

Please ask your doctor about Hidradenitis. It sounds like you've moved into Stage 2 where the abscesses start forming channels. If you have Hidradenitis then there is no cure but a lot of people are able to get relief by using tea tree oil. A small dab of it on the abscess can cause it to dry up within 24-48 hours. Others have reported going into remission after starting a low-carb diet.

Check out http://rarediseases.about.com/cs/hid...p/a/072703.htm for a general explanation and description. Then do a Google search and you'll find hundreds of websites about it. There's even a Yahoo support group where people give all of their tips for keeping it under control.

J_9 · Nov 17, 2006, 06:48 AM

Wow, Lisa, that is pretty interesting, I have never heard of that before, and am wondering if that indeed could be a possibility, however, after reading the OPs last post, I am beginning to lead more toward a bacterial infection called pseudomonas. The green discharge and the particular odor are common symptoms in psuedomonas infections. If I could actually smell it I could tell you. If you have ever smelled pseudomonas you will never forget it. I know that sounded terrible, but in severe infections the odor permeates the room.

I hope to hear back from him (?) to find out what the doctor said.

LisaB4657 · Nov 17, 2006, 06:53 AM

The description that the original poster gave is also exactly what an HD abscess is like when it ruptures. It can be smelled from across the room and you never forget what it smells like. The interesting thing is that, in many cases, the liquid from the abscess has no infection present when tested. That's why antibiotics aren't an effective treatment.

Most doctors and health professionals aren't even aware it exists. Some refer to it as a rare disease but it's thought that most people are too embarrassed to tell their doctor about it. There have been estimates that it affects at least 1% of the population.

J_9 · Nov 17, 2006, 06:57 AM

Yes, I read that, it is very strange. I am glad you brought it up so that the OP can bring it up to the doctor just in case. GOOD catch!!

I really do hope that it is not MRSA or pseudomonas though. Those are really tough ones to clear up.

J_9 · Nov 17, 2006, 07:01 AM

LOL, the funny part was that I read DOCTOR. I did not even notice you wrote DAUGHTER until now!!

LOL, way too funny!!

SINGLE4 · Nov 17, 2006, 07:09 AM

Originally Posted by cddrennen

Not to worry, but I am going to the doctor tomorrow

ANXIOUSLY waiting to hear from you...

Thomas1970 · Nov 17, 2006, 07:26 AM

Originally Posted by LisaB4657

If you have Hidradenitis then there is no cure but a lot of people are able to get relief by using tea tree oil.

Just curious, do you know, is it known exactly what type of organism causes this condition? Fungal perhaps? It is interesting that people can benefit fom both tea tree oil and a low carb diet.
Thanks.

LisaB4657 · Nov 17, 2006, 07:32 AM

They don't know yet what causes it. Some theories are hormones (since it affects more women than men by a ratio of about 5:1 and tends to begin at puberty), ingrown hairs, plugged glands, etc. It's not likely that an organism causes it since there is no infection present. It's known that it has nothing to do with cleanliness or a lack of it.

The tea tree oil is a severe drying agent, to the point that if you use too much it makes the skin start to flake or peel and it can cause a burning feeling. A lot of people need to dilute it with water. The low-carb diet has been proven to change the body's hormone balance.

J_9 · Nov 17, 2006, 07:35 AM

Thomas, I believe, from my reading, that the etiology is still unknown. It is said that no causative organism "exists" that may be why it is usually misdiagnosed.

However, in some of my other readings it seems to be caused by E-Coli, yet others say it is caused by Streptococcus milleri. So, I would be interested in hearing from a doctor about this. Maybe I will ask one of my professors who is a doctor to get it from the horse's mouth, so to speak.