Ok so I've been living with infected sweat glands for years now. I'm 29 and got my first one at 16. I have a few scars under my armpits and on bikini line from this. My major flare up's were in my early twenties and it seemed to die down for a bit but now they are coming back again. I already went to the doc and got a new prescription (I haven't taken anything for years). I'm wondering if any other moms have been diagnosed with this, how they cope, if anyone has had the surgery to remove the glands. All the scarring and swelling from this makes me so selfconscious in the bedroom casue any person that didn't know any better would think I have some sexually transmitted disease like herpes or something down there. I have to constantly explain to them look its in my armpit too so unless I'm into weird stuff its not a disease.
what were you prescribed (if you don't mind my asking)? just curious because I have this myself, not alot though, though I never knew what it was. I always thought it was ingrown hairs.
Wow! I thought I was the only person who had this problem. I have been dealing with this for years and every time i get a bad flare up i say i will call the dr. then i get embarrassed and they end up clearing up for the most part. They hurt so badly - I get them on my thighs and butt. Lately they have spread to my groin. I finally did go to the dr 2 wks ago - got a perscription - seems like it helped at first, but now the one on my groin keeps breaking open. Its right where my underwear sits so maybe that's why. My dr. said that if the medicine doesn't help then some people do get surgery. At this point i am so sick of these things that i would do the surgery.
Even though i have no advice for you - i thought you'd like to know that your not alone. I am glad to know i am not alone!
Take care!
Hi there-
I haven't been officially diagnosed with this but I suspect that this is what I have as I occasionally will get inflamed follicles that seem to get very big and hard. When I was pregnant, with my most recent child, they got so big that it turned into cellulitis. I have since had 2 more cases of cellulitis and about 5 more sebacious cysts. Mine are also under my arms and in my groin.
The Doctor talked about having them removed surgically if they didn't respond to treatment- antibiotics. They did...mostly but then I got 2 more. I am not interested in surgery and am just waiting them out. They are not painful (right now) and so I am just trying to be cautious. He recommends shaving only when necessary and using shaving cream to help minimize cuts.
Also, I don't know if you know this or have this but this diagnosis is often linked with Diabetes and Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome. If you aren't familiar with either of these, maybe looking into this would help as it might offer some other things to get treatment on.
Best of luck and feel free to e-mail if you have questions.
N.
Ive had hirdradenitis befor I ever knew that it was called HS it started when I was around 10 when I had gotten my first menstrual cycle. At that time it was just 1 to deal with in my bikini area and I thought nothing of it sometimes it would hurt when I went to pee but was nothing too big to mention to my mom at the time.After I had my son in 2002 is when it started geting alot worse I had bad break outs up and down on my bikini areas. My mother in-law at the time would pop them for me until I started getting them in my skin all the way down my thigh to where I could barely walk.I went to hospital after hospital and they would always just tell me to put heat on the area and throw some kind of antibiotic at me. For awhile I thought my problem had gone away until recently,Now 8 years later my arms had taken an extreame effect and have cried so many times I have had 3 altogether drianed and cuts from my left goran area to my left under arm and just a few days ago my right arm.With hidradenitis flaring up so rapidily.I am now shedualed for surgery in Jan for under my right arm to have the apocrine gland taken out. I would Love to sit here and tell you its gets better but as you see over the years it gets worse and worse and doctors still to this day dont happen to know as much as they should about HS hang in there try to stay away from heat inviroments and try to stay stress free I know its like telling some of us to hold our breaths thats the way I feel about it anyway but just know there are ways to lessen your chances of flare ups weather its being on medicine or actually having the surgery done....I've seen all types of doctors from hospitals to urgent care to physians, dermitalogisit to now a surgen....there is hope just pray and become educated as much as you can with what your going through and maybe you'll tell the doctors something they just might not know and get them curious to find out more:) Be strong sweetie its a rollercoaster ride I know....
Find a dermatologist (www.aad.org) and make sure you are doing everything you can to treat your condition. Sometimes injections of a steriod in combination with oral medication provides significant relief. Find a provider to see what would be appropriate for you
