massive 2cm cyst just off to the corner of mouth

Hi everyone...well, I have just finished taking a course of flucloxacillin for a huge, painful 2cm cyst. I looked like I had a gobstopper in my mouth because it was so swollen!

After a few days, the cyst 'burst' on its own and a lot of pus came out, and I encouraged it to do so by gently pressing against it with my tongue. It would sort of 'drain' itself every few days. I also tried putting a hot wheatbag over the cyst to encourage blood flow to the area, and this also encouraged it to drain.
The swelling has gone a lot. However, there is still a large, hard lump under the skin. It is almost like the cyst is in three parts and one part of it has not come to a head, even after the antibiotics, but is not near the surface to get it drained etc (at least, that's what the doc told me 2 days into the fluclox course). My question is, should I go back to the doctor since there is still a lump there (and it is still quite red, although not as bad as it was) or should I just hope it heals on its own?

Has anyone else had an experience like this? What did you do?

I am so fed up with acne, and I have a couple of other cysts on my neck, although they are nowhere near as big, painful and obvious!

Neck nodule, I think?

Hi everyone,

I believe I have a nodule on my neck..it's a big, hard lump and has been there now for over one week. There is no sign of a white head forming etc. For nodules, do you need to get an injection, or can you just put benzoyl peroxide on it etc and hope it goes away? I am a bit worried, since it's rather big and will likely dent. I have never been told about injections etc before for acne.
The other ones I have around my chin are cysts, I think, since they always come back in the same place and get whiteheads. I always used to pick and squeeze them when I was younger, so is there any hope they will clear?

Benzoyl Peroxide...

Hey everyone, great to have this board to come to!

I was just wondering, can you put BP on your neck? I have acne round my jawline and top of neck near glands, so is it safe to put BP on here? It won't get into the glands or anything, will it? (paranoid, I know!).
I am thinking of starting 2.5% BP, and doing some light therapy also.

vitex for my apparent PCOS

Hi everyone, I have been reading through lots of posts on this board and am hoping someone can help me.

I am 22 female and have pretty bad acne on my chin, jawline, top of neck and around my lips (see pic...it's really not pretty!) and have now got another cyst on my neck. I get some pimples around my hairline and forehead but they are tiny and don't worry me at all. My chin is usually very red inbetween the acne spots, too. I used to get acne on my chin when I was 17, but only the odd one or two, and from age 19 onward, it's just gotten worse. I must admit, I used to squeeze and pick them, so I probably have made it worse. Although, the neck ones all began at the start of this year and I have not squeezed them etc.

In the past, I have tried Estelle, Yasmin, Doxycycline, minocycline (which I think actually may have made it worse...since I was on these antibiotics for 4-6 months). I have also used Differin and Duac (Duac was great but had to stop after 3 months). I am currently taking probiotics, zinc, fish oil, b-complex, everning primrose oil and eat lots of food with vit c. I exercise regularly, too. Not much is helping me, though. I have been advised by doctors not to take roaccutane, since I am active and don't want to get sore joints and also have anxiety issues.

My hormone levels last year showed I had high levels of androgens and testosterone (didn't have progesterone done), although they were within the normal range (by one point!). Then I got referred to an endocrinologist and I had them tested again about 2 weeks ago while I had my period and my testosterone was down to 2.2 and my progesterone level is normal.

The endocrinologist has diagnosed me with "likely having PCOS" (although my periods have always been regular, although heavy, until the last few months). She said I could consider spironolactone (although, if the hormones are always imbalanced and I stopped taking the meds, then the problem would come back, right?) but I am uneasy about this, since it has side effects I am not too keen on (e.g. needing to pee more...not a good thing at work!), and the tumour controversy also worries me.

The other med she mentioned was Vitex. However, I have heard this med is more for people who have low progesterone, and mine is normal (well, while I had my period, anyway). So, would this herb actually work for me, or worsen my acne?

I have heard that a sluggish liver can contribute to acne...blood tests show my liver function is fine (and kidneys), but is it possible maybe I have some liver damage that does not show up on the results? I used to not look after myself very well in my younger days (various bad things I used to do!), and maybe I am paying for it now.

Is there anyone on here with similar problems that can help me?

thanks!