Boils on groin and in arm pits. Suffering with SLE Lupus,Chronic Fibromyalgia and osteorithis. Treatment?
Patient: Hello Dr.,I continue to get boils in my groin area,sometimes i have 3 or 4 the same time.Two weeks ago i had one under my armpit.The one under armpit only last 2days..Today i discovered one coming in my head. I am very upset at this point.I always keep myself bathed and dry.I use tea tree oil soap.Also i use tea tree oil on a cotton ball and put on boils and all around the areas where the boils are. It heals them pretty fast. The problem is they continue to come back.Would you know what is causing this? I also suffer with SLE Lupus,Chronic Fibromyalgia and osteorithis.I need your help please!! Thank YOU in Advance. Doctor: Hi. Recurrent boils may be a marker of an underlying immunosuppressed state or diabetes. The fact that you have SLE makes me think that you must be on glucocorticoids, and some other immunosuppressant drugs to control your disease, which would make you susceptible to infections and also diabetes. So I would advise the following in my patient:1) If your SLE is under control, your physician/rheumatologist may reduce the drug doses as per need to control the infection. 2) look for diabetes by checking you fasting blood glucose and post prandial blood glucose levels; if high this needs to be controlled3) control the present infection with an adequate course of antibiotics like amoxicillin/clavulinic acid (augmentin for example), draining of the pus collection if required, and dressing.4) if you have nasal carriage of staphylococcus aureus, this makes you predisposed to recurrent boils, and this needs to be eradicated. With these measures, the infection can be controlled.Thank you.