Top Remedies for Hidradenitis Suppurativa

Hi, I have been suffering with hs for 12 years. I hit puberty at age 13 and I am going to be 25 this month, so yeah, 12 years. I have had surgery to my left groin area due to hs, I had an abcess that lasted nearly 2 months, the surgein went in and cleared out all of the scar tissue, my incision was 4 inches long and 1 1/2 inches deep into my leg. That was the area I got my first boil in. I had recurring abcesses there maybe 10- 15 times throughout my life up until the surgery. No more boils there since then but I have had them on the opposing leg and also my butt cheeks. I have seen dermatologists, they just want to give out scripts that literally do nothing. I have found that rubbing alcohol to the area up to 4 times a day I put it on. I apply it with a q tip. I see or feel one starting now and I begin the regimen of putting it on several times a day. I have seen them disappear in two days at times. Warm baths only have ever soothed it for me, not fixed it. I think its worse when on birth control though. I did not get a flare up for months and thought well I will get back on birth control and oh my body decides to grant me two boils at once, that's my favorite... Not. This condition flat out sucks, it does, but the rubbing alcohol does help, for me anyway, there have been studies saying a tablespoon of bleach in your bath once a week helps, this is only a clinical trial though.

From what I have read there are no cures for this condition but things we can do to help prevent and treat them. In personal experience when I put my snug form fitting leggings and jeans and tights on it makes it worse, when I exercise and eat well it gets better. When I was pregnant with both of my children ther were no signs of boils, it was the longest consecutive period of time I have gone without them, two days after I had my first son I got three abcesses. It made a very happy time depressing and painful, but I have done a ton of research and have been examined by several very good doctors and dermatologists and surgeons and I have learned alot about this condition, my mother had it also, for a short time, and my sister. It has gotten better with my age, I am used to living with it now. Don't be depressed, its ok and there are many of us out there. Any questions and feel free to ask. I have only had one flare up in about 6 months, I took care of it and it was gone in about 2 days with the rubbing alcohol trick;) hope this helps.

P. S. I never write on these things but this was totally worth my time because I know how alone you feel sometimes due to this, I have been there.

I had something similar on my back, and used acetone ie. nail polish remover. It seems to kill the bug even if the boil isnt opened you can feel it stinging and doing its thing. Acetone is handled by the body quite well, in fact the body produces it. Just a thought? but alchohol is good, for killing bugs.

Puja, read up on turmeric (haldi, I think) for this.

I have had Hidradenitis Suppurativa (HS) since puberty, so around 20 years. I have only been diagnosed in 2011 after countless doctors and visits.

My HS is stage 2-3 (I luckily do not have that many tracts yet). At first my HS started on my face, I would get a cyst on my nose or beside. My entire face would swell to the point of closing my eye shut. I lived with HS on my face for the first 13 years. Within the last 7 years my HS now flares up in my armpits, breasts, stomache, groin, anal entry and inside my vagina and sometime on my legs.

My worst cases:

My left armpit. I had one cysts that opened with 3 holes about the diameter of a pencil eraser, eventually they turned into one hole that I could fit a stack of 5 quarters neatly into, I could see my muscle.

My right breast (cleavage area). I had one cyst that pussed and was open for 2 years and was very foul smelling. It would seem to go away, and then it would flare larger right before menses.

My right thigh. This one just happened 2 days ago. Within 3 days I went from no cyst to a cyst the size of a softball. It was highly infected (heat, inflamed, red) and extremely painful. I had a low grade fever as well. When it burst (mine almost always do) I drained out over a 1/4 cup of pus. Within 2 days the hole has closed.

What I currently do to treat. For all of these cysts no medication has worked. What worked was, frequent cleansing with Hydrogen Peroxide. If the cyst is starting to collect pus again, I lift off scab, squeeze to drain out some of the pus and cleanse with hydrogen peroxide. Give the wound some air time. I use no bandaging if possible for two reason (my skin is sensitive, wherever the bandage lays on my skin, when the bandage is taken off, it peels my skin off as well leaving open wounds around the cyst. I also have psoriasis, and any cuts or scrapes will turn into psoriasis or inflame the cysts. The second reason I do not use bandages is the closed cyst will not heal and infection will get worse (I guess it just festers under the bandages).

For the cyst on my boob, hydrogen peroxide as well as M___'s Clarifying Cleanser (acne treatment) used daily worked. The cleanser is a facial cleanser. In desperation I tried this on my breasts and the open cyst closed within days, not weeks or months or another year. A cyst has yet to reactivate in this spot which is a scar now. This cleanser seems to work on many of my cysts that take longer to heal, especially around the boob area. They also have a good skin daily vitamin and if you sign up for the auto shipment you get wicked deals. I have used their acne body wash with no effect, but this face cleanser packs a powerful punch. This cyst was open for two years and was quite foul smelling, I tried all treatments in this time. And I highly recommend their facial cleansers/systems, they work wonders.

There is currently a clinical trial taking place for Hidradenitis Suppurativa. Go to clinicaltrials.gov to find clinical locations near you. They are studying if Adalimumab is an effective treatment.

Try to gain access to the medical site PubMed. There are over 800 medical articles on HS. I am currently trying to read through these. Some of the info I have found:

Adalimumab which is used to treat psoriatic arthritis has been shown to help with HS.

Overweight and smoking can effect HS.

Some people find white vinegar baths effective to control HS.

HS may be an autoimmune disease and thought to be linked to crohns' disease and graves disease.

It is easier to treat HS in the first stage. People with stage 3 should seek medical attention for their disease.

Hidradenitis Suppurativa usually flares up each month for women before or durring their menses due to hormone levels.

looking online, there seems to be much discussion on diet. People that have limited refined foods/carbs, dairy, sugar seem to be able to control their HS. Many HS sufferers seem to have positive results following the Paleo diet.

As my HS flares up before my menses or when I am stressed, I know hormones play a big role in my HS. As there is much speculation that HS is an autoimmune disease and has been linked to crohns and can cause psoriatic arthritis- I plan on looking further into diet. There is much info on diets to control inflammation, exzema, psoriasis which I think might also help HS.

If anyone has experimented with food to treat Hidradenitis Suppurativa, please share your experiences.

I have been living with HS for a little over a year though I was being misdiagnosed with Staph. My boyfriend found this site for me, and I have been pouring into all the information I can about HS. I feel a glimmer of hope that I could live with this. Before last October I didn't have health insurance. Everytime I would get another boil I'd go the hospital they would never help me or really even care. And even now, I have been to a million doctors, many of who do not believe my pain and could never help me. All they would do is pump me with antibiotics which made me sooo sick! But I just got surgery on my right underarm because I had about 3 lumps there for several months. It's been about a month since the surgery and it's been healing nicely. I have had several occurences before that in my underarms and groin area. Today I realised one of my old areas is getting inflammed once again. It's just really hard. I can't go to work alot because I am in so much pain. I feel sick constantly and I'm always super exhausted. I just want my life back. However, now that I found this site and with all of your suggestions I feel like maybe I can start figuring my life out. If anyone of you have any other suggestions, please let me know! I am willing to try anything! Also, I will update again soon because I'm going to start the Turmeric and will be getting a food allergey test soon. I'm just really happy that I have found some answers, and I'm really just trying to stay positive. It is just all so stressful.... Anyway, thank you all so much for sharing your stories. And hope everyone is doing well! =)

My Mom had H.S., but had no diagnosis back in the '70's. Instead, her doc sent her to a shrink, which about humiliated her! Now my 32 year old daughter has it. She has special needs, so I tend to her needs in this area, so I am always trying new things and read whatever I can find about H.S.... She has it mainly in her underarms. I never shave her, instead I buzz cut her underarms with a personal shaver. Never use any deodorants, instead I wash her affected areas with clear bath water, thoroughly dry her and clean her with antibacterial wet wipes. It seems to work, 'cuz I never smell any odors and her outbreaks are few. I feed her fresh pineapple almost daily as I read it has great benefits for the skin. I also add fresh strawberries as often as I can. In addition, I give her a probiotic daily and Omega 3 in the form of chewable gummies... Her clothes and bedding are 100% cotton. I try to watch that she doesn't sweat and keep her as calm as possible. When the occasional outbreak does occur, I use lots of wet warm compresses and follow up with Neosporin with pain relief. She has been on Clindamycin topical solution 2x per day for several years and it works great for her with no side effects. She only sleeps in sleeveless nighties. When there is an outbreak, I do not put a bra on her and always keep her clothing loose... I watch her caffeine and sugar intake. She is always in a smoke-free environment. When she has the occasional flare-up, I treat it like the inflammation that it is and administer 4oo mg Ibuprofen as needed. I hope some of these ideas help some of you... GOOD LUCK ;-)

Tea tree oil for hidranitis.

Hi, like most of you on here I have been suffering from HS for about 10 years. Like most of you I have endured it silently. I get them in groin area, armpits and weirdly enough only under left breast. I have seen a few doctors but they say its an infection and give me antibiotics. They can become sooo painful all you can do is cry. I highly believe in holistic medicine and decided to treat them with tea tree oil. I found tea tree just wasn't enough so I added lemon oil to the mix. This seemed to help them clear up much faster but I would still get outbreaks. I did notice though that there wasn't a bad smell when they burst. This is because tee tree kills bacteria. I also have pcos and insulin resistence. I am also a smoker which doesn't help.

So fed up I did some research and discovered turmeric. I started mixing it with almond milk, cinnamon and honey. It tastes really good. I noticed my outbreaks lessened and when I did get anything the pain would be gone within a day or two and then it would drain. I no longer really get any in my groin mostly now just under left breast. It makes me sad all the scars and deep purple scars it has left behind. Time does lessen the appearance and I also use rose water to help with the scars. I have been using an essential oil liver cleanse which has helped tremendously. It's peppermint oil and lemon oil cleanse. You use it by adding one drop of each in a cup of distilled water and I squeeze a half lemon in it and drinking it first thing in the morning. The peppermint does wonders by cooling the inflammation and the lemon helps cleanse and alkalanize the ph in body. It gives me more energy and cleans liver at the same time. I also just started using black cumin oil. I don't know how much it is helping yet since I have just started using it a few days ago.

About a week ago I went to the movies and ate salty buttery popcorn and halfway through the movie I noticed a very painful little friend just popped up in groin area. The next morning I drank my cleanse and poof it popped and drained that day. They used to last weeks. I also just noticed a bright red one that appeared under breast but without any pain. I have been putting Turmeric directly on it and it's gone already. It's amazing what these treatments have done for me. Yes I still break out but the pain isn't there anymore at least not nearly as bad as it used to be, no smell, and they go away sooo quickly. Oh and I had a bad one under breast a few weeks ago and I treated it and the pain went away but the lump didn't bt it also didn't spread. Then about one week ago I noticed it felt wet under breast and it had popped and was draining. I didn't even know it was still there. No pain or anything.

I hope this can help some of you. I have read others posts about mixing turmeric with warm water and drinking it but gross. Mixing it with cinnamon and milk makes it tastes almost like chai tea. I really enjoy the taste. I haven't needed it though for awhile since I began the liver cleanse.

Chocolate is the villain in my HS nightmare, I cut it out and I found relief.

Like most of you reading this I have suffered with HS for many years. I suffered with this on my buttocks and inner thigh and I thought I had tried everything. I endured multiple day surgeries to open the glands and have them stuffed with antibiotic gauze, and just about every ointment/pill the Dr would prescribe. I decided there had to be something better that would give better results, bc the surgery was so painful and it just wasn't doing much. I tried taking Tumeric and using antibacterial soap, and both were helpful but I still wasn't getting the results I wanted and this was starting to really effect my personal life!

I did some research of my own and discovered that dr's in Europe have been using Zinc Gluconate in clinical trials and found that most people had remission of symptoms that lasted! I decided to try it bc really what did I have to lose, right? I did everything the same as the trials, 100 mg of zinc gluconate/ day. I also decided to try diaper rash cream as a topical agent since it contains a lot of zinc. All the areas are almost gone! I have been doing this for 2 weeks are the results are amazing! I finally feel like I have found something that really works!!!!!!

I would say prior to this I had moderate HS and now it is almost gone, I hope this treatment works for all of you as it did for me :) I know how terrible thie condition is and the toll it can take on your life!

And for less that 15$, something that really worked for me!

Hi Guys,

I have had this disease from few years now & never bothered till the bumps & lumps got bigger & spreading with marks on my skin.... I got this disease all around my pubic hair....

I have found a remedy after trying nearly everything I read abt this diesease....

Try this and in a months time not only will you get rid of the marks & scars.... But it is the best remedy for this diesease....

No surgery needed.....

All you need is honey & cinnamon powder....

Yes thats it....

One tablespoon of honey & one half a teaspoon of cinnamon powder.... Mix them & make a paste...... Apply this all over your infected area & cover it with tissue.... Or any cloth leave it for three to four hours.... Do this preferably before you go to sleep.....

The best bit is it smells good & is good for ur skin as well.....

In one months time..... You are free from this chronic disease....

Good luck & be well...

Mark

Hi Mark,

I noticed you wrote here years ago. Are you still in remission? Of everything I have read I am most intrigued by the cinnamon and honey treatment. I just started it. I am grateful to have found your post and would love to hear an update if you get this!

Nicole

After trying the gamut of internal and external treatments for the past 30 years - everything short of surgery - I have had some promising results (touch wood) with two simple products: exfoliating body scrub and a tea tree oil-based deodorant. This will not necessarily clear up an existing outbreak but it may help prevent or reduce the severity of future ones.

Try an exfoliating body scrub daily on problem areas. I have been using a Neutrogena acne scrub containing salycilic acid, as well as a delightful coconut scrub from Pure Fiji. They help keep pores and follicles clear and may keep nasties from getting a foothold.

Have also switched to a tea trea oil-based deodorant (by Jason), applying it to armpits as well as other problem areas.

I started this about 4 months ago after an especially nasty and persistent outbreak that affected several parts of my body at once. It finally cleared up with a course of heavy antibiotics supplemented by several of the home remedies described on this forum (especially turmeric tea, turmeric paste, and tea trea oil). In 4 months I have had only a couple of very small and superficial "pimples" that subsided in 1 or 2 days. Good luck.

CK

I've suffered with HS for about 6 years now and I've tried everything from Accutane to tumeric and nothing had worked until about 3 weeks ago I went to my gynecologist for my yearly check-up and during my breast exam he check my under arms.... I was so embarrased because I had band aids under my arms for the drainage. He asked me what was going on and I told him and I also explained how I had gone to several dermatologist and had paid out so much money and tried several different harsh medicines, he told me to get some salt crystal deodorant and to try that and that it would not only keep me smelling fresh, but that it will clear it up.

I tell you that my HS has cleared up 80%.... I no longer have to have all the band aids because it is drying up and there is no foul smell under my arms. I just had to share this and hope that it will help someone else that is dealing with this terrible disease. And remember GOD can heal you of this because he has healed me and I thank GOD for healing me.

Reply to: Aalexand from Greenwood, Ms, Usa

Hello,

My under my arms is the worst part of my HS, because of odor under my arms and the small open sores that don't want to close. My mobility of my right arm is limited, I can't reach for things with that arm, hug people and sleeping hurts. Actually my right arm is usually down at my side. Friends and family haven't noticed because I sadly play it off well.

Something simple like using salt crystal deodorant is why I love EC so much, I would have never though of that. I am already using turmeric and AZO yeast supplements which helping ridiculous amounts, but if salt crystal deodorant would help with the odor under my arms and actually aid in clearing the HS up as you said... Would be AMAZING!

I was wondering though how salt crystal deodorant feel under the arms, because I am a bit sensitive on the right side with the HS. Also if there is any stinging or burning sensation associated?

Thank you so much for your comment, I am so glad you are doing much better =)

I have HS and have been boil-free since November after changing my diet. Nothing that the doctors did to help me were effective. I took out all grains and dairy along with sugar at first (basically a paleo diet) and took warm baths with tea tree oil. I wouldn't use the crystal deoderant down yonder. The tea tree oil bathes helped with drainage and the smell - maybe you could try that instead?

I am 43 and first started seeing outbreaks in my early 20's, mostly on my inner thighs, then buttocks and I have had 1 on my face and 1 in my armpit, 1 under my breast and 1 by my belly button. My thighs and butt are mostly prone and I have scarring and pits on my thighs from this and tracks. I was diagnosed about 4 years ago and told it was a mild case. Honestly? I was thinking MILD? but then I did research on this and yes in comparison it is. I am sorry for folks who have it worse then I as it is a terrible thing to have to deal with. I have had them as big as an orange I guess on my inner thighs (my Dr. was sure it was MERSA when she saw it - but tested negative) and when they flare up I have managed them myself with heat compresses, onion/garlic compresses, tea tree oil, hot epsom salt baths. They do cycle around my period, which suggests hormones, no doubt. I have also had cysts on occasion. I had a barthelone (sp?) Cyst flare up 3 times and had it removed and a cyst gone wild in my ear lobe. Cysts are a sign for needing blood cleansing, purifying. I knew I had a problem with Sugar and Bread (was not sure if it was white flour or yeast) and tested negative for gluten intolerance. I had known this for a couple of years, because when I at sugar or ate like crap, it would affect my mind, mood and depression and fatigue would set in. Now, about 1 year ago I tested positive for systematic candida...AHA! The more I researched it and thought about it, well my inner awareness is screaming at me that this is a very large part of HS, if not the issue all together. I am at 44 days of NO sugar, carbs, No Starch, No Dairy, only meat, veg and fruit. I have had two menstrual cycles during this time and the second seemed better than the first. I just ordered a full on treatment program (4months) for cleansing candida. As soon as this program arrives I will be starting it. I also am going to to a parasite cleanse at the 2 month mark. I will report back on my progress and outcome after the 4 month treatment and let you all know. I just scrolled down and started reading LRGold's reply. Folks I really do feel this is one of if not the underlying issue Systematic Candida...I will post back.

I've been dealing with HS for 12 years now. I usually tell my boyfriends that I have an issue with my sweat glands... That they get infected and don't function properly. That is usually sufficient and they always understand : )

For me, all of these things help:turmeric, topical antibiotics (evoclin), and using antibacterial soap. In addition, I'm mindful of the fabrics I wear (cotton almost always), the personal hygiene products I use (natural deodorants), and usually go "commando. " Lol. However, nothing has "cured" my HS yet.

I've quit smoking cigarettes and am working on losing weight. I am specifically focusing on having a clean and healthy body from the inside out. Eventually, I will do a comprehensive detox like a raw food cleanse for a few weeks this summer. It makes sense that this will be the best option because it has worked for others and these types of regimens have healed cancer and other vile diseases.

I'll keep you all posted <3
Samantha

Hidradenitis: It is great to find this web page to read what is and is not working for different people. I've been diagnosed with HS for three years now. Tried most of the things on this page and some would ease the pain and make HS bearable, but no remission for me. I pray and hope for all of us, that a "cure" is found sooner than later. Just wanted everyone suffering with this currently incurrable disease to keep your head up. BTW as a single female, how do you explain this to your boyfriend or potential boyfriend? It looks horrible to me, especiallly when there's drainage, much less someone else. I have been tested for MRSA and Staph infections and they came back negative. I've been told it's not contagious, but tell that to someone you want to be intimate with. Anyone have any suggestions on how to discuss HS with potential mates?

Im so amazed at what ive read. Im so happy to know that im not alone. All these stories have motivated me to eat better try harder and not give up. I have had HS or been diagnois since I was 15. Im embarassed at times too about my scars. Ive had several surgeries and still they come back. My last surgrey left me with open wounds under my arm for almost 3yrs now. I keep them cealn and I dont take any more antibotics. I know that God can heal me if I put the effort to heal myself. Im going try so of the things ive read and see what happens. Im so happy to share this because like Liam I have not been able to maintain a healthy relationship for several reasons but not having anyone to relate makes the stress more stressful. Im so determined now to just accept the dis-ease and make it my everyday goal to do something to better my HS. One thing that helps is in the bible Job was one of the most faithful men of God and he got boils and God blessed him. So I know that we are all blessed and highly favored in his eyes.

Get a food allergy test (from a naturopath). People with HS tend to have food sensitivities (due to weak immune systems)... Trust me - it changed my life."

I can not say it enough times on here - it is the CURE and will change your life!! Take out what your body can't digest and you will be back to normal!!!

I would like to help as many ppl as possible who have had this horrible disease -I have this horrible disease for 3-4 years.... And I have now finally overcome it and am now living a "normal" life once again!!!

This MESSAGE needs to BE SPREAD to ALL HS SUFFERERS!!!

Hi Michael,

I am so sorry to hear of your suffering. Work to keep your spirits up. I know it's hard when sometimes the odds seem against you. So, since you are in China, have you explored Chinese medicine? Often, what cannot be explained in Western medicine, answers can be found in Chinese medicine. Also, our diet governs so much about our health. It is what creates our body. Whatever goes into it, our body uses to make it up. In that respect, how is your diet? Lots of greens will give healing energy to your body, raw mostly. And green juices as well. Recently, I read the anti-cancer diet book and there was fascinating evidence that turmeric is an extremely effective spice to take in helping heal the body and especially effective with "boil-type" issues and inflammatory problems. One of the key things it said that its effectiveness is raised exponentially by ingesting it with black pepper. This is traditionally what is in curry and could be the wisdom behind this combo of folk/culture knowledge. Burdock root is also used to purify blood and help remove toxins. It is known to be effective in antibacterials and antifungals- a concern in hd sufferers. The western drs. seem to recommend antibacterial soaps to be used with hd but, my concern would be that those soaps would throw off the natural, very important balance of the skin. For myself, I feel that cleaning up your diet changes everything.

I wish you the best and hope that some of this info can help you. Don't give up- answers are there but you have to search and sometimes quite deeply. I do not have hd but have had my own health issues. I have restored my health after 5 years of research and exploration. The final answer was truly found with diet. I eat a lot of raw greens and veggies, sprouts, green juicing daily, lots of garlic and onions and have cut out dairy and gluten which can wreak havoc in the body. I pass on this information because I have spent a lot of time and energy looking for answers so if I can help just one person by passing on what I've learned, that would be great! I just want to let others know it is not a "hopeless situation" as drs. will sometimes diagnose because in my own quest, I have heard story after story of these diagnoses turned around through natural means.

You are in my thoughts, Lisa

Michael.. you have gone thru Hell..My Thai Father in Law.. Had a baseball growth under his rib cage.the massage lady found it.. He is 86 ..too old to operate.. which i was glad.. my Theory about Apple Cider Vinegar..NOTHING I Mean nothing bad will grow in your system, if you take ACV.. my father in law from Old Thai School.. Trusted me. he took ACV 3 times a day. 2 tea-spoon full in glass of water.. In Only 2 1/2 month the Tumor or what ever was gone.He keeps taking ACV because he feels better.. Now we have YOU..I am upset.. those Doctors cutting you up. Michael PLEASE start taking ACV Today..You can not take too much of ACV.. you can not overdose on ACV. No side effects.Please start now .. two TABLE SPOONS IN GLASS OF WATER.. 4 times a day.. i KNOW it will FLUSH all that bad stuff out of your system.. If you have boils now..they will disapear.. NO new boils will start.. Michael.. It sounds too easy.. It is easy.. IT WORKS.dO NOT TELL YOUR dOCTOR.. HE KNOWS NOTHING ABOUT ACV.yOU MUST FLUSH OUT YOUR SYSTEM WITH acv. YOU WILL FEEL BETTER AS YOU DO IT. I TAKE ACV DAILY.
you will feel better soon
Alfred

Michael, You got some info from Ted & Lisa..Now its up to You..YOU ARE WHAT YOU EAT. First I suggest you clean out your system.. A lot of bad crud, that hanging around in your body. In San diego they have a health spa.. people who have one month to live.. They clean them out with Wheat Grass juice and Rejuvalac. See if you can find wheat grass juice, put into your body via enema. Twice a day..Drink 3 oz of juice twice a day..Put the juice in your eyes, ears.. anything growing on your body, put the wheatgrass pulp on the growths.. attach with masking tape..Then drink all the Rejuvalac you can drink. After two week ..Your insides will be like a baby.. then as Lisa said.. change your eating habits. No salt or food loaded with salt, no soft drinks, no fried foods, no food with fat, Stay close to raw foods or as close as possible.. Eat vegtables and fruit.. Green vegtables are very healthy.

Michael.. the ball is in your court.. it up to you.. get healthy with fruits and vegtables.
Much caring
Alfred

Michael...I can empathize with you. I have had surgeries to remove individual lesions, tried every antibiotic; topical and oral, tried ACV, Zinc, Magnesium, Turmeric all the way to Mercury (homeopathically). I've been back to surgeons for help again and now have been turned down by 5 plastic surgeons because of the extent of my disease. My physician has pretty much thrown in the towel because her only answer is for me to be on antibiotics for the rest of my life and I refused. I fortunately work in a medical facility that has physicians who are at least willing to troubleshoot for me. Problem is; there is so little information on the disease that even the best physicians are at a loss as what to do. As far as the weight issue goes; I was not over weight when they started. After children; yes but I have lost 65# in the last year and have seen no improvement at all; as matter of fact they have worsened. I now have what I believe to be cellutitis. (yes I am medically educated)Onset was just a day ago and the pain is increasing so I may need to be seen by my physician at this juncture.

Quick info about me: I am 38 y/o, was diagnosed with Obsessive Compulsive Disorder at age 14, no underlying medical conditions, no family history of this disease, had HS for almost 10 years, supportive family, and the ability to see physicians all over the country for this because we are a military family. I pointed out the OCD because that should indicate to you how compulsively I clean "everything". There is no cure! I take ibuprofen and take hot baths for the pain, Xanax for the anxiety it causes and ocassionally a nice stiff drink. (Ibuprofen because my physician will not prescribe anything else) I cover them with gauze since they constantly drain and ooze, wash the area several times a day with "normal" soap that I keep in my purse (the small travel size) and keep the area as dry as possible.

I have recently realized this may just be my cross to bear. It is a horrible disease that I wouldn't wish on anyone but I get through by thinking of those who have health problems that are far worse than my own. I haven't given up; I just refuse to do any more than I already do everyday; lead a healthy life by eating right, exercise and prayer.

I hope you all find peace and maybe one day they will find a cure. God's blessings to all.

As you can see from my previous post; I had stated I was going to do nothing more than I already had. Well unfortunately I must say my HS took a serious turn for the worse. I had several days of feeling yuckier than usual and started getting red streaks down my legs and up on my abdomen. I had a fever and was told by my MD to go to the ER. Long story short they took all kinds of wound and blood cultures and low and behold I had a blood infection. Several days in the hospital with so many IV medications I lost count. Only good part of it all was the Morphine they gave me for the pain. :) Well it's been 2 weeks and I'm still not well. I'm taking 3 antibiotics, an antifungal because the wound culture grew fungus, antinausea meds and a narcotic. My new dermatologist prescribed me a drug that is not approved in the US so I had to order it from Canada. He thinks outside of the box and I like that. It's called Diane35. It's basically a birthcontrol pill so only women can use it but it has some pretty interesting data when it comes to HS or severe acne cases. It's very affordable, you don't need a prescription and it also helps with excessive hair growth and sweating. Kills 3 birds with one stone. Worth a shot.

Hi Susan, I too was diagnosed with HS in 2008 and I know how devastating it is. What you are doing now is fine, but pls. go back to using Turmeric as follows: 1 tea spoon turmeric some black pepper 1 table spoon of oil some fresh lemon juice (1 table spoon) stir and add water and drink - from time to time add 1 spoon of powder ginger this is to be taken from 2 to 3 times daily. Lemon alkalizes your body and is a good antioxidant and does kill the strong smell and taste of turmeric for those who can't stand it.

Also add 50mg of zinc supplement to your daily diet, some people take metformin which helps.

Stay away from sugar and caffeine, sugar is a terrible trigger and try to cut off fats and white wheat from your diet.You might find this hard at the beginning, but you will get used to it. Try to see a doctor re. those holes so he can clean it to stop this leakage and start healing - always dry youself up very very well after showers.

We do all we can, HS doesn't really go away but we try to contain it as possible we can, good luck.

Dolly

This your body encapsulating gluten & particular for mw wheat. Also cheeses. Histamine producing foods. This is like an autoimmune issue that is reacting to the rejection of foods through a reaction to the foods by the gastrointestinal system. Try more good probiotics, but I don't know which to suggest. Milk has something called Iga if that even though it's organic but if the cow is commercially raised. Iga causes gastrointestinal issues that show up with this sort of acne cysts. I have this too and it subsides the longer I stay away from foods my body is reactive to, or can't digest.

HS: In my experience calcium bentonite clay compress draws out inflammation, soothes and accelerates healing process. Combine with epsom salt baths.

I am a self diagnosed case of Hidradenitis. My MD took a culture and it came back Strep, but she never used the medical term Hidradenitis; I'm sure she is unfamiliar with it. To the woman (or anyone ) who soaks in bleach water, please don't do that: Bleach suppresses the endocrine system; not safe at all especially when sick!

My MD prescribed a short round of Penicillin which helped me, but not for long. I then switched to coconut oil (medium chain fatty acids in coconut oil kill many viruses and bacteria). I also used oregano oil, (super Strength P-73). If it doesn't say P-73 on the bottle, it may not be the right oil. I also took adaptogens (Rhodiola, schizandra, etc.) to support my adrenal glands.

OREGANO: I filled two 00 gelatin capsules twice a day for 2 days with food, then backed down to one 2x a day. I also rubbed it on the skin as much as I could tolerate throughout the day.

COCONUT OIL: I took 4-6 coconut oil gelcaps 2x a day and also rubbed it on the skin constantly. Be aware that oregano oil can cause a temporary burning sensation. After all this; there is no evidence that I ever had a boil. Praying helped too, I'm sure.

What a horrible, HORRIBLE PAIN!!!

Hi Dolly...HS sounds very difficult to control. I had tinea cruris (jock itch) for about 7 years, nothing I ever tried -- all the drugs, antibiotics, rubs -- all useless.

Then I read here that Milk of Magnesia (MoM) was a cure for tinea cruris which is fungal and not bacterial like HD. I had tinea in my crotch that went right round to my rectal area.

Using MoM every night after my shower, I would apply MoM externally all over the affected areas, and shower it off the next morning before breakfast. I have also read that MoM dries out and that you should wash it off after 10-20 mins because MoM also has a drying effect on the skin. Up to you really, I just did it my way.

Took 2 days to eradicate my tinea, after 7 whole years !!!

My belief is that because MoM has a pH of about 10, and all bacteria, fungus and microbes will be completely destroyed by this extreme alkalinity which does little harm to the skin. MoM even kills MRSA -- which is bacterial -- according to this site and I well believe it.

So perhaps a topical application of MoM is worth a try for HS. Try MoM on a small patch or area of HS first to see if it works. Worth a try.

Good luck !!

This works for me too, I'm just coming off of one of the worst breakout's in years. I'm sick of dermatologists saying part of it is being over weight, i recently gained about 30 pounds due to my thyroid and menopause. I asked this last dermatologist, why have i had this for years, when i was rail thin ??? and i just lost 10 pounds !!!!

All the stuff i've been on over the years and it came down to the strongest anti bacterial soap i could find, good exfoliation, Iodone and making my grandmothers oatmeal pack, i just did this and the next day the "bumps" were flat and the inflammation was gone. get a large container of plain oatmeal, baking soda and sea salt. and generous amounts, boil like you would to eat it,put the salt and baking soda in so it boils, add oatmeal, cook until you can't see the water anymore then mash with a potato masher.apply when temperature is comfortable to you, leave on for 20 - 30 minutes. use an old sheet to lie on, remove with an old bath towel then rinse off. this works even better if you take a baking soda bath first or wash area with hot water and baking soda. you can save the remaning oat meal and just reheat it. then apply your iodine.

I have been suffering with this for about the past 10 - 12 years too. The most significant surgery I've had was to remove golfball sized lesions from my armpits. I have had no problems there since the surgery about 2 years ago.

I have certainly found one thing that DEFINITELY works. When the boil forms, the fastest way to bring it to a head and have it drain itself without having to prick it yourself or go to the doctor is this: Take a regular brown paper bag (a lunch bag), cut it into squares just large enough to cover the boil. Cut 3 squares. Place these in a bowl and pour just enough White Vinegar to cover them. Allow them to soak about 30 minutes. Get a box of Tegaderm dressings (2 3/8" X 2 3/4") Place the soaked paper bag squares on the Tegaderm and put it over the boil. If you put it on at night, by the time you take it off the next morning, the boil will have come to the surface and burst. Sometimes, for the really bad ones, you may have the repeat the procedure once or twice more.