Pilonidal Sinus / Abscess - Anyone Here Experience This?

[wetbuns]

As the title says really. I've been a DL for about 5 yrs, and not had this ever before, so I don't think it's related. It's like a little bump inbetween the butt cheeks, and the doctor has prescribed antibiotics the first few times. I'm now on my fourth course, after it came back again. It's not really painfull, just uncomfortable to sit on, but obviously cuts out any nappy fun as the area has to be kept clean and dry. I shower every morning, and sometimes at night / during the day, always make sure I'm dry, wear cotton undies; Seem to be doing everything right, just maybe it's taking a while to shift?

[ScottG]

I worked as a paramedic in an Emergency Department for a number of years in a past life. Those pilonidal cysts can be nasty. The smell from them can be much worse. Have you had it drained and packed properly? If not, the antibiotics you're being prescribed won't do anything.

[Guest diamondback688]

yea...my mom works as a nurse in Fast Trak at the ER and gets those abcesses all the time...she always has to drain and pack them...from the sound of it, there pretty gross...

[wetbuns]

From the sounds of it, mine's not that bad at all then. Certainly doesn't smell, there isn't anything big enough to drain, and I haven't had any surgery *yet*. It's just a little uncomfortable really. The doctor said she saw some broken skin, but nothing serious, hence she prescribed slightly stronger antibio's this time, and some cream which I'm using. To be honest, antiseptics seemed to be doing a decent job, but it was just under the surface, and never quite going away... Hopefully this'll be the end of it for good - or a good while!

[Guest diamondback688]

good luck...keep us updated...

[babyrobert]

I was unfortunate to experience a pilonidil sinus some years back. To the best of my knowledge it is ingrowing hair at the base of the back between the cheeks of your bottom. In my case it was extremely uncomfortable and when fluff from my clothing got into the opening caused by the ingrowing hair, an infection would flare up and by god that was extremely painful. The only way i was cured was by surgery, they dug deep to get all the ingrowing hair out and then you had the pain of having the wound (in my case the size of my fist) packed on a daily basis. After about 5 days of packing, they then used a bung which was change every day. It was vitally important that the wound was kept absolutely clean as infections would be very painful and would result in further surgery to clean it up. The only way that this type of surgical wound could be healed was from the inside healing outwards, hence the use of packing and the bung.

I do hope you can avoid surgery as i have to say it is the most painful experience i have endured. Good luck

[nazeer]

sorry, but i can only aggree with babyrobert and tell you that your sinus pilonidalis won't leave you until you get properly rid of it. antibiotics and disinfectants can sometimes help for a while, but they won't definitely cure it. the only way is surgical resection, as a sinus pilonidalis tends to become encapsulated. this means, in the periphery there is kind of a membrane of fibrous and inflammatory tissue. this membrane prevents antibiotics and disinfectants from reaching their destination, so they will not cure it completely, they just mitigate the symptoms, such as pain, swelling etc. surgical resection and the treatment afterwards are not really nice, but believe me, having seen many of them myself, complete resection really is the only chance of saying goodbye to your sinus pilonidalis!

best wishes and good luck,

nazeer

[Dill_Pickle]

Does scrubbing with a buf-puf (rough fiber pad, made for acne) help the situation any?

Does scrubbing with a buf-puf (rough fiber pad, made for acne) help the situation any?

[DollyDiaper]

Ouch! That sounds like a painful suggestion for an absess Dill Pickle and I wouldn't recommend it myself.

Anyway, the absess is only the immediate problem, the underlying cause is a cyst, which can only be removed surgically to the best of my knowledge.

D lly

[wetbuns]

Well, I'm done with the course of antibiotics, and I've been using the cream (fusidic acid) that I was given. Unfortunately, it looks like the pessimists are right - not that I'm shooting the messenger - as it's still a little sore, even with all the loving attention and care I've given it

But seriously, I'm going to give it another week or so, keeping it dry, and try some teatree oil/cream. I did try a rough kind of body exfoliator Dill, but it just irritated it; I think as the problem is under the skin as Nazeer and Dolly say, that surgery might be the only permanent option.

[nazeer]

Ouch! That sounds like a painful suggestion for an absess Dill Pickle and I wouldn't recommend it myself.

Anyway, the absess is only the immediate problem, the underlying cause is a cyst, which can only be removed surgically to the best of my knowledge.

D lly

Completely correct! And just the idea of rubbing an abscess with a rough pad...very painful, makes my toenails curl, aaah!

[dpr13ca]

You need to get off the creams and antibiotics before it gets resistant,my son had one of those and it had to be incized(cut) and packed till it drained and dried up,about a week.It has never come back.Good luck

[Rusty234]

Just a little over 2 years ago, I had this pilonidal cyst pop up. Was extremly painful to walk and even worse trying to sit down. However mine didnt have a smell to it. Mine did clear up luckily though w/ some antibiotics and have been told that it may again come back, but so far so good.

[Dill_Pickle]

Completely correct! And just the idea of rubbing an abscess with a rough pad...very painful, makes my toenails curl, aaah!

Guys:

I was thinking about the PREVENTION department...how to keep the hairs from getting trapped in the first place, BEFORE it all got infected and turned into a cyst or abscess....and needs to be cut...

[wetbuns]

Well... I think it's just about gone. There's some minor discomfort, and I can still feel something there; more like an irritated cocyx. I'll see anyway. Thanks for your info everyone, and if it comes back, I'll post what happens

[AbriForm]

Know it's an old topic, but yes, I have one of these myself. I'm on my third flareup within a year. Doctor prescribed antibiotics this time since I was too busy to have anything done about it right away.

My cyst is in a relatively good place (low, but not too low to grow out of control), so I'll probably have it lanced later this year.

Despite what many of the horror stories tell you online, lancing will usually cure the problem. The online discussions fixate around people who the lancing fails on. Lancing has a 60% success rate, but you can increase the chances depending on how the lancing is done.

The best lancings (from what I've read from experts on this) are ones that cut alongside the cyst to drain it and get the gunk out of the abcess. A second cut then obliterates the enlarged hair follicles, and hopefully with daily intense cleaning new hair follicles won't enlarge and start the process over again.

Unfortunately, most surgeons from what I hear aren't aware of that second cut, they just pop open the abscess and drain it... leaving the sinus to fill it up again. So, talk to your doctor about lancing both the cyst and the sinus... and keep it clean.

Oh, and I almost forgot... diapers and pilonidals go together in the worst of ways. On top of pushing hair back up against your tailbone, you have a hot, sweaty environment usually filled with a couple of other fluids. The cocktail is a breeding ground for pilonidals. Unfortunately, I haven't found a good solution... the diaper doesn't want to stay on if you pull it below the tailbone. Best thing I can suggest is using a cloth or something to keep that part dry.

[Guest XpLoDiuM]

Know it's an old topic, but yes, I have one of these myself. I'm on my third flareup within a year. Doctor prescribed antibiotics this time since I was too busy to have anything done about it right away.

My cyst is in a relatively good place (low, but not too low to grow out of control), so I'll probably have it lanced later this year.

Despite what many of the horror stories tell you online, lancing will usually cure the problem. The online discussions fixate around people who the lancing fails on. Lancing has a 60% success rate, but you can increase the chances depending on how the lancing is done.

The best lancings (from what I've read from experts on this) are ones that cut alongside the cyst to drain it and get the gunk out of the abcess. A second cut then obliterates the enlarged hair follicles, and hopefully with daily intense cleaning new hair follicles won't enlarge and start the process over again.

Unfortunately, most surgeons from what I hear aren't aware of that second cut, they just pop open the abscess and drain it... leaving the sinus to fill it up again. So, talk to your doctor about lancing both the cyst and the sinus... and keep it clean.

Oh, and I almost forgot... diapers and pilonidals go together in the worst of ways. On top of pushing hair back up against your tailbone, you have a hot, sweaty environment usually filled with a couple of other fluids. The cocktail is a breeding ground for pilonidals. Unfortunately, I haven't found a good solution... the diaper doesn't want to stay on if you pull it below the tailbone. Best thing I can suggest is using a cloth or something to keep that part dry.

OWW:(

I had one myself too.

After 2 times now.

However i never went to surgery and the last time i got it was in 2006.

I was scared to go to the hospital and have it removed due to the problems i read on different forums here in the Netherlands.

It looks like if the cyst grows to much and they remove it , there is a change that your nurves for peeing and pooping can be damaged.

So after that you won't be able to go to the Toilet.

Make sure that if you got the cyst to not wait too long otherwise it will grow.

The 2 times i got the cyst my body released the fluid itself...

It was horrible smelly but it seems that i don't have any problems at all for the last 2 years. *(hope it stays like that !)

I wish everyone goodluck!!!! with these sinus problem.

Bye.

[Tinkles123]

Let me add a "ditto" to baby Robert. I'm 62. When I was an infant, my mother noticed a little dimple where the pilonidal sinus would eventually develop. At 18 I had my first flare up. Doctor said not to worry, that it was "a classic pain in the ass" and not much more. Eight years, and several flare ups later another doctor suggested surgery, advising me that a pilonidal sinus will continue to grow until it is excised. Mine was pretty big, and the loss of all the flesh that had to b removed has caused continuing discomfort. As Robert said, the thing has to heal from within. I actually saw the fascia covering my coccyx one day after a sitz bath while a dressing was being changed. Healing to the point where I could sit and work comfortably took about six weeks.

I would have had the surgery years earlier if I had known that putting it off would only make the problem worse.

[Creepymouse]

My mother actually crushed hers somehow, I think she got kicked by a horse. She thought she broke her tailbone, but once the doctor got the sinus fixed up, it hasn't caused a problem since.

[Tinkles123]

You can't keep the hairs from growing inward, because you're dealing with a fairly common congenital malformation. Usually you'll see the tiniest dimple at the base of a baby's spine who's going to develop a pilonidal sinus/cyst. As for the idea of scrubbing with an acne pad, let me add my own OUCH! A very unpleasant prospect.

During the years before I had mine excised, I'd often leak pus, blood, or a straw-colored fluid I was always wearing some kind of protection day and night. If I hadn't been, I would have needed something like a Kotex.

[Guest andreajones021]

From the sounds of it, mine's not that bad at all then. Certainly doesn't smell, there isn't annihilation big abundant to drain, and I haven't had any anaplasty *yet*. It's just a little afflictive really. The doctor said she saw some torn skin, but annihilation serious, appropriately she assigned hardly stronger antibio's this time, and some chrism which I'm using. To be honest, antiseptics seemed to be accomplishing a appropriate job, but it was just beneath the surface, and never absolutely traveling away... Hopefully this'll be the end of it for acceptable - or a acceptable while!

_________________

[Dougie]

Had one before. Didn't even feel it. The incision to remove it was several inches deep when it was taken out.

It won't go away because with meds the antibiotics don't remove the cause.

[AbriForm]

No, but they do for most people make it manageable. It's a matter of statistics. If half of people can take antibiotics once or twice a year, that's probably better than chopping out every pilonidal.

There is such a high risk of infection when doing an excision, combined with the considerable pain and downtime. The prognosis for pilonidals are really made to sound worse than they are... because when they're bad, it's really bad. Fortunately, most people will be able to have it treated with antibiotics or lancing.

I just don't want people that stumble upon this thread to start being scared of the pilonidal, or think they immediately will need for it to be excised. Only about 25% of pilonidals eventually require excision. Most either settle down, become scar tissue, or require periodic antibiotics.

Unfortunately, the medical community still is undecided on the notion of it "taxing" the body's immune system. Most doctors I've read on the matter say that if it isn't causing symptoms (pain, fever, etc) that it isn't doing enough damage to warrant removal.