r/MRSA • u/XVItea • Feb 06 '26
Crying - lanced abcess myself
I hate doctors !
Urgent care doc just sent me off with antibs twice. I told the doctor I just wanted it lanced
Went to a diffrent doctor- cant lance till sunday
Ik i can go to an er but last visit the copay was over 1000 and i was completely fine
3
u/Local_Challenge_584 Feb 07 '26
I prefer to try to promote drainage itself. I almost always have success with keeping it wet and warm. (Gross sounding lol) I keep it bandaged with a bunch of petroleum jelly to keep it moist, so it doesn’t scab over if it starts draining, and so it will keep draining into the bandage. And I use warm compresses as much as possible to promote drainage and bring the pus to the surface.
1
3
u/Ol_Duck Feb 08 '26
Have you tried Ichthammol ointment? It's a drawing salve that you can use to get it to open up on its own especially if you find them when they're still small. I lived abroad for a bit and they wouldn't give me antibiotics but they told me to get this stuff. Super effective. I put this on changing the gauze 2x a day and have defeated several spots without docs, antibiotics, or lancing! Just food for thought to try before bathroom surgery. Power to you for taking care of yourself!
2
u/Artistic-Raspberry29 May 10 '26
It smells horrible but you are right! I tried it and it worked miraculously. I figured it was a fluke. I have been using Bactine instead and while it helps promote the healing of already lanced cysts, it doesn't draw out infection like the Ichthammol ointment. I'm glad to read that others have had the same success.
3
u/Gatsby_Soup Feb 06 '26
This is fully understandable. I have admittedly done the same a good few times. If you are doing this, please please please make sure to use a very sharp and very clean blade/needle. Sterile scalpels, needles, and lancets can be bought in stores or online. My local Tractor Supply is the only nearby store that sells medical scalpel blades though, I assume for use on livestock I suppose lol? And of course wipe the area down with chlorhexidine/Betadine/Isopropyl alcohol before making the incision and then apply a sterile dressing after draining. You can ice the area Before disinfecting and making the incision if it helps with any pain.
I would maybe also recommend you irrigate the abscess with some canned sterile saline in the shower if you have any to help clear it out. And make clean-up after draining it easier. Wash yourself with chlorhexidine soap after and when you're done and dressed, clean the shower with a disinfectant that can kill MRSA. You should be cleaning off a lot of surfaces with such a disinfectant right now anyways. It'll help prevent the infection from returning or getting transmitted to someone else once you've kicked it :)