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Bit of a horrible one this, but I have had this lump for many years at the top of my left thigh, kind of at the front.
I've always thought maybe it's an ingrowing hair gone bad, maybe caused by cycling somehow, rubbing shorts etc, but it's generally just kept itself to itself and been about the size of a butter bean with a small dark dot. Obviously I never went to see a doctor about it.
In the last week or so, I reckon something changed, maybe it was irritating me and I must have scratched it or caught it on clothing maybe, but it became pretty itchy, pretty sensitive and disgustingly, quite smelly and weeping 🤮
I've been to the doctors, and they weren't overly interested. I thought maybe he'd want a good squeeze of it, maybe a little sniff, but no, hardly said anything. He sent me away with a course of antibiotics and said if it's getting worse in a few days, go to A&E for it to be drained.
It's calmed down a little over the last few days. Riding on Saturday didn't feel too comfortable, but it continuous to emit stuff in the shower 🤮
I'm not too up on these things, but having watched quite a few Pimple Popper episodes, I thought it had to be fully cut out? Is this something you'd expect a doctor to do? Is my doctor just not a cyst fan?
I've looked for another thread on here (maybe there's one in a cyster publication?) and there is an old one, but I thought I'd try and invoke some contemporary cyst chat.
Any cyst enthusiasts in? What's been your experience?
Zero thank god.
I gave you a Like for "cyster publication".
We need scratch n sniff enabled pictures.
Squeeze the bugger!
Before and after photos please.
Pics? We need video!
NHS won't normally remove a cyst unless it's causing significant problems. GP's approach seems reasonable - antibiotics to try to deal with the immediate infection, instruction to pop to A&E to get it drained if it continues to cause issues.
As you say, you've had it for many years without it causing you problems, it may well revert to its non-problematic state once this infection has subsided.
Is this something you’d expect a doctor to do? Is my doctor just not a cyst fan?
A number of years ago yes, these days they don't [get to] do anything. I'm not sure if it's rules or workload but all the minor surgery and bits don't seem to be done at a GP surgery anymore.
I feel a bit sorry for them really, must have been like having your favourite toy taken away so now they only get to deal with the hyperchondrics, old folks being old and kids with coughs that have time to clog the switchboard from 7.55.
Little lump on my back that I was "ignoring" randomly grew substantially over a few days and suddenly developed multiple pinheads early in pandemic. Photo attached to e-consult form to GP and had a call within 20mins asking me how soon I could get to Southampton General. Abscess opened and drained of nasty stuff, left me with a rather sore open wound approx size of £1 coin when anaesthetic wore off. Had to be cleaned and new bandages most days for a month by nurse, couldn't ride for several weeks in case it got infected via sweat, while it healed from the inside-out. Now a small patch of skin at a lower level than the rest of my back.
Slight digression, but it seems hard to be a good patient these days - if you go to the doc you're sneered at for being one of the "worried well", and if you don't you're being a fool for ignoring potentially serious symptoms. What do those of us who aren't actually medically trained and experienced do?
I've got a generally small cyst at the top of my thigh/groin. When I was commuting by bike it would be fine in the morning but uncomfortable on the home trip. WFH now so it's less of an issue. I did go back to my GP to insist on an assessment by the urology people in hospital. That appt took months to come along and they had a brief look and booked me in for surgery. In the mean time I broke my collar bone so come there pre-op I wasn't riding and there was nothing to be seen so they sent me home.
Given NHS workloads they will always send you away if it's not life threatening. If the cyst is worrisome, I'd persist and insist on a referral to the urology team.
My GP removed a sebaceous cyst on my back about 13 years ago as it was starting to cause discomfort. Holy f***! It was the most painful medical procedure I’ve ever had. (For reference: I’ve had stitches in my inner thigh without anaesthetic and 2 heart procedures, both only semi-sedated). Think of a sadist squeezing a septic teenage zit and multiply the pain by 100.
Hope that helps 😳
Sounds more like an abscess, nothing a big squeeze followed by a plaster and lots of sudocrem probably can't fix. I've had a few before that's always the advice my GP sisters given me
Cysts? Pah! I'll raise you two pilonidal sinus operations.
The first required such a big excavation that the consultant asked if I was OK if he used the photos for his medical students, and every trainee District Nurse in Sussex got to come and marvel at its grandeur when the wound got repacked.
The second took so long to heal "from the inside" that eventually the consultant put a drop of silver nitrate on it. No one else seems to have heard of this technique but it did the trick, and never have the words "This may smart a bit" been more apt - and I'm speaking as someone who wasn't given enough local when he went for a vasectomy!
I think Dr J makes a good point about the difficulty of navigating the health system, but I’m also going to complicate the replies and advice so far. I work in emergency medicine, and unless there’s a rapidly developing infection/sepsis etc we are not best placed or set up for dealing with minor surgical procedures on long standing problems- we would have hoped for your GP to refer you to the appropriate surgical specialty. A&e has become the default access point to specialties for a range of non-emergency conditions, and it makes for a frustrating and inefficient process for the patient.
A&e has become the default access point to specialties for a range of non-emergency conditions, and it makes for a frustrating and inefficient process for the patient.
You do know that A&E stands for Anything & Everything don’t you?
Yup!
. I work in emergency medicine, and unless there’s a rapidly developing infection/sepsis etc we are not best placed or set up for dealing with minor surgical procedures on long standing problems- we would have hoped for your GP to refer you to the appropriate surgical specialty. A&e has become the default access point to specialties for a range of non-emergency conditions, and it makes for a frustrating and inefficient process for the patient.
Yes, this was my thought exactly. I shouldn't and don't want to go to A&E if I can help it.
I thought the doc would set something up maybe.
Guess I'll have to wait until me leg is falling off.
I had something similar, giving grief a couple of weeks ago. Phoned 111,'can you be at the walk-in centre in 20 mins?'
Checked over there, 'can you get to the general hospital right away'. Checked over there,'can you be back here at 7am tomorrow?'
By 11 am Monday I'd had a GA and all done. The NHS worked with astonishing efficiency and did I feel much better for it.
Apparently there's a bit of a risk of septicemia so I wouldn't be too casual about it. Only downside was a week on anti-biotics and advice is to stay of the bike for 6 weeks. Also might be a camera job on the horizon and all the joys that involves (see earlier STW).
we would have hoped for your GP to refer you to the appropriate surgical specialty. A&e has become the default access point to specialties for a range of non-emergency conditions, and it makes for a frustrating and inefficient process for the patient.
It's possible that the OP's GP knows that delays within the referral pathways for the correct specialty in his area are also making for a frustrating and inefficient experience for the patient. Unacceptable waits for semi-urgent but non-emergency stuff are one reason why inappropriate caseload gets dumped on A&E. If antibiotics fail and infection remains problematic, and you don't believe the patient will be seen in a timely way via the normal referral pathway, it must be very tempting to make sure that someone who can identify sepsis etc gets to clap eyes on it. But yes, ideally you'd want the twin track approach of referral with instructions to the patient to go the A&E if it worsens significantly.
Also might be a camera job on the horizon and all the joys that involves (see earlier STW).
Boy am I glad I didn't see that thread. I assume it had pictures.
Sqeeze it and clean it then whack a plaster on it. It'll be reet. I get ingrowing hairs all the time. Some of them are pretty painful, but a good squeeze usually sorts them out.
IANAD!
I had one cut off of my neck around ten years ago. At that time, my doc told me, even back then, that unless it was constantly getting infected, or is causing discomfort, it wouldn’t get removed.
Mine was removed due to re infections. Quite grim. Have a nice scar where they took it off. They won’t remove it, obvs, until the anti-biotics have done their thing.
Ive just spent 36 hours in hospital on iv antibiotics and had a surgical drainage under GA for an infected cyst / abcess. These things can get serious quickly . I had cellulitis and was perhaps heading for sepsis
Wow TJ! Rest up and recover quickly.
The revenge of Boily McBoilface 🙄🤣
I had a cyst on my appendix. It burst. I walked to the hospital. I didn't die but **** me I kinda wished I would when no one believes morphine does nothing for me.
It's a great regret I don't even have a picture of what they cut out of me.
I have/had one on my neck. Originally cut out around 15 years ago by my GP who made a bit of a mess if it. It came back a year later and got infected maybe 3 times with antibiotics each time. Eventually I went to walk in centre last year where they advised me to go back to GP to arrange getting it removed but GP was not interested.
Had to go private and paid a fair chunk of money. This was may last year and it's just started coming back again despite the surgeon telling me it was all removed and shouldnt come back. Pretty annoying and disgusting.
I used to see a bloke near my last house who'd had sepsis. It was awful, looked like he'd been playing battlechess, these things aren't trivial. If you have a concern, don't sit on it, get it checked out.
I phoned nhs 24 looking for some antibiotics and possibly to have it lanced. Nope admitted via acute receiving unit immediately once the out of hours doc saw me. Not allowed to go home. Immediate iv antibiotics. Surgery as soon as they could get me on the table
Hiya!
resident gp here
i used to do these myself- sebaceous cysts etc- but passed that on to my younger colleagues a few years back.
We are allowed to (and can claim a fee for) removal of sebaceous cysts but wouldn’t intervene surgically if currently or recently infected. might not be possible in your practice if none of the docs has had the training, but that’s rare.
infected cysts would get antibiotics and then if not responding would need to be brought to the attention of someone with a sharp implement in a hospital. In an ideal world this would be back to gp who would phone up and speak to a surgeon at the hospital who would accept the case as an admission. For various reasons to do with the collapse of the nhs this seems harder to do nowadays. Quite often when we ring to refer people in we are advised to send to a&e for one reason or another so perhaps the op’s gp was aware that this was the best way for the op‘s cyst to be drained…
anyway best of luck. They mostly clear up after a few days flucloxacillin. If that happens you might want to leave it alone again or you might want to see if your gp could arrange for it to be swapped for a scar if it’s causing symptoms….
DrJ
What do those of us who aren’t actually medically trained and experienced do?
Wait, you're not actually a doctor? I've been following your medical tips for years!
PS OP if you do take the slip joint pliers to it, the members of www.reddit.com/r/popping would probably love a video... 🤢
I didn’t die but **** me I kinda wished I would when no one believes morphine does nothing for me.
I feel your pain. I'm the same, as was my sister who was the first to find out. Opiates don't do frick all for me. The positive side is I appear to be able to smoke with no addiction. Should I ever want to.
Wait, you’re not actually a doctor? I’ve been following your medical tips for years!
Yes, that often comes as a shock to my "patients" 🙂
With all the sharp tools at your disposal, you've not had a go at removing it yourself?
I had one on my neck removed at a local private practice, not hugely expensive but the NHS wouldn't do anything. It was irritating me as it sat on collar/rucksack line.
Done under local, it was bigger than thought so the cut went outside the localised area which was a bit eyewatering. Couple of weeks off the bike whilst it healed due to stressing the stitches then back to normal.
Over the last 30ish years I have had a few cysts removed from my head. 10minutes in minor ops , local anaesthetic and that's it done for good. Virtually pain free other than the anaesthetic injection which is not too bad.
To the op or others
Usually they are self limiting even if infected ie they pop. But if they get painful or reddening round the area or you get a temperature or feel unwell thats time to see the professionals. I left mine too late hence the emergency admission for IVs and surgery
Ive just spent 36 hours in hospital on iv antibiotics and had a surgical drainage under GA for an infected cyst / abcess. These things can get serious quickly . I had cellulitis and was perhaps heading for sepsis
Crikey. Glad you're doing OK. 😳
Hiya!
resident gp here
Thanks @docrobster. Really helpful.
With all the sharp tools at your disposal, you’ve not had a go at removing it yourself?
I did think that, but then remembered that Cedric Gracia video where an innocuous little crash had him nearly bleeding to death from his femoral artery and I'm not totally sure where my femoral artery is if I'm honest. 😳
Anyway, I don't think I've got the appropriate multitool blade in. 😂
Usually they are self limiting even if infected ie they pop. But if they get painful or reddening round the area or you get a temperature or feel unwell thats time to see the professionals.
Definitely a bit of reddening and pain around it, but I guess that's the infection, and that has lessened a bit over the weekend.
Don't feel unwell or have a temperature.
I had an infected cyst on a toe nail bed.
Got cellulitis and started tracking up the leg.
Had a very uncomfortable night in hospital before it was removed under GA.
I've also got a photo of it without the bandage. Will post if I get 100 likes.
It's a real shame,back in the good old days you could have gone to the local boil sucker,sorted for 2 bags of salt and a chicken. 😆 🤣
Mmnn this is a topic close to my neck.
This has been at my neckline for a couple of years been to the docs who have referred me to hospital. Took a year to see them, he was unimpressed and explained due to COVID these things are only removed if causing an issue.
It's now causing an issue. It aches and is affecting my neck muscles. Should I go back to my GP?
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I can’t resist trying to tackle these things myself. I’d be taking something sharp to that Merak.
You're a mental funkmasterp. Its louping to be honest and I'm too much of a pussy to go near it.🤮
It’s now causing an issue. It aches and is affecting my neck muscles. Should I go back to my GP?
Absolutely.
Never really suffered from cysts or anything like that, fortunately. I’ve had the occasional ingrown hair, which I’ve always dealt with myself with the aid of some very sharp tweezers to hook the hair out and some antiseptic splashed on, but something like Merak’s I definitely wouldn’t want to attempt myself, that’s a job for a professional! Looks very uncomfortable, that.
“Mmnn this is a topic close to my neck”
Do you work in advertising?
This was a nice bit of internet browsing and all's good with the world etc, until Merak's uninvited selfie of a hairy neck-balloon that's probably next to be shot down by the USA.
The smelliness suggests a sebaceous cyst. They stick the laboratory out when we get a good one at work. Like an intense cheesy feet smell.
But also the fact that it's been there for years on the fatty part of the thigh would indicate a lipoma. Both almost certainly non malignant.
Most GPs have a mole/cyst enthusiast, keen surgeon partner who'll do a clinic to get rid.
Lipomas though are a bit more involved and need a more skilled surgeon than a GP can provide.
Oh crumbs, you're in Warwickshire aren't you? If you have that removed I might get to see it anyway 😆
I’ll raise you two pilonidal sinus operations.
Ah, love the hunt the hair tract game! The specimens do look like they'd be painful for the patient and involve them sitting on some sort of inflatable ring for a few weeks
Oh crumbs, you’re in Warwickshire aren’t you? If you have that removed I might get to see it anyway 😆
Yeah man. Look forward to cycle-specific cyst chat on the next podcast 😂👍
The first required such a big excavation that the consultant asked if I was OK if he used the photos for his medical students, and every trainee District Nurse in Sussex got to come and marvel at its grandeur when the wound got repacked.
Any chance that was at Princess Royal in Haywards Heath? and was the consultant an Asian gentleman? If it was he did the same to me. maybe he has a collection in a scrap book. 2 Ops also, no silver nitrate though.
Do you work in advertising?
🙂
Very good!
Any chance that was at Princess Royal in Haywards Heath? and was the consultant an Asian gentleman? If it was he did the same to me
Slightly further up the county but quite possibly the same guy.
I have had 3 removed, one on the back of the neck, no issues. Second one very close to the jugular on the neck.
And the third back in 2019 (the largest one) which really unsettled me and caused issues as it was in my throat and causing problems with my voice.
Crikey mounty_73. That sounds pretty gnarly 😳
Scary stuff.
The cyst got infected and it came up the size of a golf ball, half under the skin.
Out of the whole experience the only thing that frightened me, was the needle for the anaesthetic, crazy stuff!