• Welcome to Crohn's Forum, a support group for people with all forms of IBD. While this community is not a substitute for doctor's advice and we cannot treat or diagnose, we find being able to communicate with others who have IBD is invaluable as we navigate our struggles and celebrate our successes. We invite you to join us.

Abscess on labia for second time in little over a year, need advice???

Hi everyone.

I have not been diagnosed with IBD, but have had gut issues for quite a few years now. I am told I have IBS by Gastro doctor. I am also seeing a functional Practitioner who diagnosed me with CIRS( chronic inflammatory response syndrome) which is mold illness meaning my body is sick from hidden mold exposure. Anyhow, back to matter at hand, Last April which was a little over a year ago, I developed this hard lump under the skin on my lower right labia. Kind of adjacent to the area between the vagina and anal area but to the right. Well at the time I ended up going to the dermatologist and she said it was an abscess( probably infected oil gland etc..) and she lanced it. It healed up pretty much after a couple months. There was always this tiny little bump there though afterwards, but no pain or any drainage at all. Fast forward, yesterday over a year later I have the same abscess back again! It hurts like heck. It starts out as a hard marble to small grape size lump under the skin. I have been putting warm compresses on it every couple hours today( I cannot do baths or sitz baths because I am Way to prone to getting UTI's so No baths for me, only showers). I called the dermatologist today and spoke to the nurse and she said to do the warm compresses and I have an appt to see the dermatologist Monday. Ugh, and of course my period is due today so I will be bleeding then.

I am concerned as to why I have another abscess in the same exact spot as I did last year? I asked the nurse this and she just said sometimes when Hair follicles or glands get blocked or infected then they are always vulnerable. I am not sure what to think about this.

Everything you read online says to use warm compresses and hopefully it will drain, if not to get it lanced. Last time I had it lanced it was such a pain to deal with because of where it is. They say to keep it covered which is Impossible because it is right near my vaginal opening! Every time I urinate, the urine hits it. I tried holding a tissue over it while I pee'd, but ended up peeing all over my hand and it soaked through the towel anyhow! I also have IC( Intrstitial Cystitis) so I urinate very often at times so putting a bandage on would be futile if I am peeing every hour or so!

Sorry for rambling, but I am concerned as to why this abscess came back in same exact spot as last year. When I showed my Gastro doc the healing abscess when I had it last year he just shrugged and thought it was no big deal and said it was not related to my intestinal issues at all.

Any ideas or suggestions? also have any ladies on here dealt with this? This is Not a bartholin Cyst because it is not near the opening of the vagina really, more on the Labia Majora. I also have been using ZInc cream on it.
 
Thanks for the link. I looked it up, but the only odd thing is I do not have any bumps anywhere else. This is just in this one spot and this is the second time in the last 16 months that it has recurred. It did not really start as a bump on the outer skin. It starts as a hard lump deep under the skin that hurts. After very warm compresses it will usually get a small head on it. Last time it did get a little hole that drained a little yellow stuff, but it would not drain all the way so I had to get it lanced. I am probably going to have to do the same thing this time. The Hidradenitis Suppurativa seems like there would be multiple boil like things on the skin. This doesn't look like that. This is more of one grape size lump under the skin. I ca can feel like a movable ball when I squeeze it between my fingers. I just am worried as to why it has come back and in the same exact place.








 
Have you had a colonoscopy? Have your doctors ruled out Crohn's? Sometimes a fistula is the first sign of Crohn's.
 
I have had colonoscopy, MRE, stool tests, CT scan, blood work within the last 5 years and none of them ever showed anything much. My gastro is stuck on IBS. I have lots of other health issues( IC, Fibro, CFS, CIRS, etc). I am just wondering why it came back in the same place. Is there anything I can do to bring it to a head where it will open and drain on it's own?







Have you had a colonoscopy? Have your doctors ruled out Crohn's? Sometimes a fistula is the first sign of Crohn's.
 

cmack

Moderator
Staff member
Pee is nearly sterile when leaving your body. Hopefully it's going to be okay. Whatever the problem, I doubt pee would hurt it much. Zinc cream is great, it helps almost anything to heal. Good luck. :)
 
This probably doesn't help, but I have gotten similar sounding lumps when I get ingrown hairs down there in the past. But never had one in the area you described.

I hope this isn't Asking/giving too much info, but are you waxing it all down there (a Brazilian)? Could it be ingrown hair? I have gotten them before where they are super hard, painful, red and just need the pressure to be relieved. Warm compresses also help a bit. Very similar to what you've described. Once they pop, yellow stuff and some blood does come out, and once the hair is removed from it, all the pain and the lump go away.

Again I realize this may not help at all. I've never experienced exactly what you described.
 
Thanks for the reply. No I have do not shave and have never waxed at all. Yes, this is like a hard lump that is under the skin. It never starts with a red bump on top of the skin like a pimple. This is totally under the skin and then like last time I put the warm compresses on it and it got like a little head on it( like a tiny hole and yellow stuff was seeping out). I have been putting the warm compresses on it all day yesterday. It seemed a tiny bit smaller today, but still painful. I hope it would go down on it's own, that would be great. My period is coming so praying that does not make things worse. I cannot wear tampons because of my IC and the risk of getting UTI's, I have to wear pads. Hope that does not make this abscess worse.















This probably doesn't help, but I have gotten similar sounding lumps when I get ingrown hairs down there in the past. But never had one in the area you described.

I hope this isn't Asking/giving too much info, but are you waxing it all down there (a Brazilian)? Could it be ingrown hair? I have gotten them before where they are super hard, painful, red and just need the pressure to be relieved. Warm compresses also help a bit. Very similar to what you've described. Once they pop, yellow stuff and some blood does come out, and once the hair is removed from it, all the pain and the lump go away.

Again I realize this may not help at all. I've never experienced exactly what you described.
 

cmack

Moderator
Staff member
Hi Hurt,

I get ingrown hairs that can cause quite a large lump sometimes. Some drugs with antidepressant properties seem to trigger this after a year or two for me. You may want to have it lanced and drained, It hurts but soon you feel relief.


All the best to you,

Chris
 
Top