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My son has developed what I think is a pilonidal cyst. It meets the criteria, as far as I can tell. I seem to remember a post made a while back where someone was recommending a hot compress with, I think, epson salts to take care of a pilonidal cyst. I've searched the archives in vain. Anyone remember the exact procedure?
In Reply to: Pilonidal Cyst posted by Cheezi [50.275] on September 04, 2004 at 22:25:56:
Hey Cheezi,
just take a wash cloth and add a little epsom salt in the middle. About a tbls I would say. Then fold it in half and then another half. Then you want to put it under HOT water and saturate it. Then immediately take the cloth to the tailbone and sit on it for about 20 minutes.
You need to do this I would say 4 or 5 times a day. Sometimes I use it more when needed.
Good luck to you both :)
In Reply to: Re: Pilonidal Cyst posted by Hope [1618.1319] on September 05, 2004 at 01:33:56:
Thanks, Hope.
The only thing I would add would be to refresh the heat every time it gets comfortable (every few seconds) and only do the whole thing for about 5 minutes.
Walt
In Reply to: Pilonidal Cyst posted by Cheezi [50.275] on September 04, 2004 at 22:25:56:
Thanks, Hope and Walt. Unfortunately, the info comes just a 'hair' too late. My son woke me about 1/2 an hour after I went to sleep last night. He was in so much pain from trying to get up from the floor where he'd laid down that he was drenched in sweat, weak and nauseous. He'd been running a low-grade fever alternating with chills for hours. He ASKED to go to the hospital because he just couldn't take the pain any longer. My son usually has a pretty high pain threshold, so my husband and I quickly got dressed and took him at 3:30am.
The doctor in ER eventually got to us and confirmed my suspicion of a Pilonidal Cyst. He couldn't tell from the outside exactly what was going on inside and said that he needed to open up the area and clean it out. As I watched, he did just that, opening, pinching and draining; the smell was horrendous. And the infection was quite obvious. I saw him hesitate and then grab a gob of guck with the gauze. 'Ingrown hair,' he announced. He then finished cleaning out the area (as I put my head between my knees) and packed it with gauze, leaving the tail poking out as a drain, and also telling us that we'll need to bring him back in two days to have it removed. He said that Mike's cyst was better than some because of the fact that the ingrown hair had been the cause. He may never have another. He was already moving much easier as we left the hospital at 7:30am.
Mike is doing pretty well now, able to move about much easier. (I'm sure the Vicodin is helping that, too.) He's on a hefty dose of Keflex (500mg 4x daily) along with the pain medication.
Thanks again for the replies. Should another cyst ever develop, I'll get him started on the hot compresses and epson salts right away. I would have done so last night, had I known, but this darned thing developed and became unbearable very quickly and I didn't know anything about it until then. Two days gestation seems ridiculously fast.
In Reply to: Re: Pilonidal Cyst posted by Cheezi [50.275] on September 06, 2004 at 00:07:13:
Well I am glad he is doing better. I know the pain he felt last night to have it lanced :( I have been there many, many times. It is worse than anything I have ever felt.
The best thing for you to do now is to have the area shaved and keep it really clean ALWAYS. If he feels the slightest bit of ache there, start the epsom salts.
Good luck to Mike and your family :)
In Reply to: Re: Pilonidal Cyst posted by Hope [1618.1319] on September 06, 2004 at 02:32:42:
Thanks, Hope.
I asked about shaving the area, though. He told me that it would probably make it more likely to develop another ingrown hair if we do. I'm confused about that one.
In Reply to: Re: Pilonidal Cyst posted by Cheezi [50.275] on September 06, 2004 at 00:07:13:
Sorry, Cheezi.
If it was a pilonidal problem, it will be back. If your son will just start the hot compresses as soon as the symptoms start, rather than waiting until it is so bad, he has a good chance of aborting the problem for that time.
Walt
In Reply to: Re: Pilonidal Cyst posted by Walt Stoll [9.8] on September 06, 2004 at 10:44:58:
Yeah I know, Walt. I'm hoping that it was just an ingrown hair and won't bother him again. Keeping my fingers crossed for the young'un. He's got to go have the packing removed tomorrow, but after that, is it okay to do the epson salts baths? Or will that be painful for him?
In Reply to: Re: Pilonidal Cyst posted by Cheezi [50.275] on September 06, 2004 at 10:00:03:
All I know is what I have experienced. When my is shaved, I have less flareups.
I guess you have to see how it goes.
Good luck!
In Reply to: Re: Pilonidal Cyst posted by Cheezi [50.275] on September 06, 2004 at 00:07:13:
So sorry your son had to go through this. I had the surgery 18 years ago. Much like your son, it just got out of control before I knew what was happening. I had been out camping for a few weeks and I thought I just got a darn mosquito bite in one of the most awkward places! I saw my general surgeon (had done my hernia repair a few months earlier) and he had me admitted the next day. I was in College and my parents flew in immediately and took care of me. I had the "packed with gauze, needs changing three times a day" granulation healing process. It was uncomfortable and embarr(ass)ing for a few weeks. I had a day nurse come in the morning and evening after my parents left. My roomates thought it was quite funny. It was a different nurse everytime. I would turn red when I had to explain they needed to follow me into my room, allow me to take a shower after the packing was removed, and wait for me to dry off and repack the darn thing.
Fortunately, I have been able to avert any recurrences. I just practice continuous hygiene. I recommend TUX pads as a regular help, plenty of showers and avoiding bumps to that area. If I feel any sensation down there, I take warm baths as frequently as is practical.
I don't think the "ingrown" hair thing makes sense. I don't believe it's hair growing from the outside in. Dr. Walt will correct me, but I suspect it's coming from the inside.
Anyhow, best of luck and godspeed to your son. There is hope. I don't even think about Pilonidal disease anymore. I monitor this board to try and lend some advice and offer my experience. As Walt would say, I am one of the lucky 50%'ers.
In Reply to: Re: Pilonidal Cyst posted by Hope [1618.1319] on September 07, 2004 at 01:11:29:
Thanks, Hope. Can you zap me a note please? That way I'll have your e-mail address and if this thing ever comes up again, I can yell for help. Had the packing removed today and Mike's feeling a bit better. He knows to keep the hot compresses and epson salts at the ready.
In Reply to: Re: Pilonidal Cyst posted by Steve [373.9] on September 07, 2004 at 11:11:30:
Hi, Steve. Thanks for the input and congratulations for not having your cyst recur. I'm hoping that Mike is also one of the 'lucky 50%ers!' I actually saw the doc take out an ingrown infected-looking hair, though. Could be just secondary, I don't know. But I'm hoping that was the cause and we've seen the last of it.
In Reply to: Re: Pilonidal Cyst (Correct hot compresses protocol.) Archive. posted by Walt Stoll [9.8] on September 05, 2004 at 07:30:35:
Dr. Stoll: Where does the hair come from? Inside our outside? When I had my surgery they said there was a massive hairball inside, but I have no idea where that would have come from. I thought someone explained it as skin that was meant to be on the outside of your body actually on the inside. Maybe that is the nidi? And I figured that maybe that skin was producing hair. What are your thoughts? Because I do see sometimes people recommend shaving or using a hair removal cream. I would suspect that irritating that area would do more harm than good.
Hope you are feeling good these days. It sure is a relief to have you back on this board!
-Steve
In Reply to: Re: Pilonidal Cyst posted by Steve [373.9] on September 07, 2004 at 11:11:30:
Thanks, Steve.
You are absolutely right about most of the ingrown hairs coming from inside! Since a few of then can still be from the outside, shaving and hair remover CAN reduce a amall number of flareups.
Walt
In Reply to: Re: Pilonidal Cyst (Correct hot compresses protocol.) Archive. posted by Steve [373.9] on September 07, 2004 at 23:08:17:
Thanks, Steve.
See my previous response today. IF the shaving or hair removal cream causes any irritation, I would agree.
Walt
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