can an abcess return?

**swole25** · 04-08-2007, 09:02 AM

just a question, don't know if i should believe my boy or not. i recently had an abcess on my delt about the size of a 1/2 golfball. this was on friday from a sunday shot. so i went to the doc, he confirmed it was an infected abcess and prescribed me 10 days of keflex and wanted me to see a surgeon but he couldn't get me in until monday. well, after taking the antibiotics since friday, the lump, redness, and pain are all but gone and will probrably be totally gone by tommorrow with 7 days of keflex remaining. so i was thinking of cancelling the surgeon appointment and saving the money it would cost since the lump is gone, but one of my buddies said that it could come back after i'm off of the antibiotics. is this true? should i go in to see the surgeon or cancel? i just don't see the point if there's no lump there for him to drain. thanks.

**TheSentinal** · 04-08-2007, 09:07 AM

This may be unpopular, but I would wait and see. If you have no pain, no lump and are finishing your complete medication, then I would wait. However, I would definately call your current doctor and ask him. He may tell you it is fine.

I do not think the abcess will return since the infection will be gone. The concern would be developing a fibrotic pocket with the puss was trapped. Ask your doc.

**curtisb1** · 04-08-2007, 09:33 AM

I have never had one return but even month later i can feel some irritation or even numbness in the area. anyone else?

**rrrozell** · 04-08-2007, 11:57 AM

the body is a funny thing but yes an abcess can return. what usually happens is that people wont finish there antibiotics. but imo i would just wait, take all the antibiotics, and just watch the site for an sign of new infection

**nbkandrew13** · 04-08-2007, 07:29 PM

i remember when u posted the original question, i thought you jumped the gun on going to see the dr, but if you needed keflex u had to go anyway, but no 99% the keflex took care of it and u didnt need surgeon. my experience with having A true abcess i went through asll the things you did but when i knew it was a problem it was pussy you know like a huge zit thats why it had to be cut.

**nbkandrew13** · 04-08-2007, 07:30 PM

just my experience bro

**swole25** · 04-08-2007, 09:01 PM

guess i'll cancel then and just keep an eye on the area after finishing the next week of antibiotics. if it starts swelling again, then i guess surgeon it is. it was amazing how effective the keflex was though. within 2 days of taking it, it went from feeling like my arm was about to split open with an alien screaming out of it to a mosquito bite. wonder where all of whatever was in that lump went though? i mean it was sticking out of my arm probrably around an inch!