[SthrnZeta]

I had one on my eyebrow. I ignored it for a week and then started draining it myself and put myself on Augmentin for 7 days. When it started peeling (and didn't go away or get smaller) I went to the doctor who referred me to a surgeon. I told him that Augmentin hadn't touched it. He slit it open and drained it and packed it for a day. He put me on 3 days of Levaquin (which tore my stomach up) and now I keep a band-aid on it while the incision heals. It was very very painful, but I certainly didn't die from it. BUT, it sounds like if I had let it go and never gotten it treated, I could have gotten really sick. As it was, it was just an annoyance. I had one on my armpit last year that had to be packed every day for a week and I was on two different types of antibiotics. Same procedure as before only worse. Not sure what causes these but I think that I'm just more suseptible when I'm tired, etc. This latest one came on the heels of a cold sore and my surgeon said those can weaken your immune system enough to allow one of these nasty bugs to strike. A friend of mine had 2 at once near his scrotum and had to pack those himself every day - not fun! Just stay as clean and healthy as you can - and don't wait to go to the doc if you're worried you may have it! Pretty simple!