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Abscess Treatment
2. Antibiotics
Flucloxacillin
As far as I can tell, Flucloxacillin is the default prescription of choice when doctors see an abscess or related infection. Penicillin-based, Flucloxacillin can be administered via injection but is usually taken orally in pill form. It's supposed to tackle the infection, deal with any pus and basically, kill the bastard.
Click here for the medical lowdown on Flucloxacillin.
Does it work?
In my experience, Flucloxacillin as a lone treatment doesn't usually get rid of my abscesses. But then that might be because I suffer from a particularly virulent strain of infection. When I occasionally get a milder lump (one where the pain is uncomfortable rather than excruciating), I can never tell if it's the Flucloxacillin working or whether my body's own immune system is successfully attacking the foreign cells. It's probably a combination of the two of course.
There's a good reason that doctors prescribe Flucloxacillin so I guess it must work for the vast majority of people.
Augmentin
Augmentin is another orally-administered penicillin-based antibiotic used to treat anything from skin infections to bronchitis, sinusitis and pneumonia.
This website gives you more medical information about Augmentin.
Does it work?
I've only ever been told to take Augmentin once and that was just before and after I had to have an abscess removed under general anaesthetic. It was also taken in combination with another antibiotic called Metronidazole.
Click here to read more about my experience of having an abscess removed under general anaesthetic.
Augmentin / Metronidazole might have worked more effectively if I'd given them longer but about 4 days after starting the courses the pain got so bad that I decided to have the removal surgery. The post-operative courses (which lasted about 10 days) certainly may have helped prevent any re-infection of the affected part of my body.
Metronidazole
Again, orally administered but not-penicillin based, Metronidazole is an antibiotic as well as an amebicide (kills amoeba) and an antiprotozoal (kills protozoa).
Here's much more information about Metronidazole.
Does it work?
I've described (above) how I took Metronidazole in combination with another antibiotic called Augmentin. The only other things I can tell you about it are that:
a) I understood that Metronidazole was regarded by my doctors as a "hard-core" drug – something that was only given when everything else had apparently failed;
b) That its strength was made clear to me when I was told to absolutely avoid alcohol. Whereas I could drink when taking Flucloxacillin (they said), booze would seriously (and immediately) mess up my liver if I was taking Metronidazole.
To be safe, I didn't have my first tipple until at least 48 hours after I'd finished the course of antibiotics.
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