Does anyone suffer from Folliculitis? (by suffer, i mean have had to deal with more than once)
Apparently people with diabetes and other people with "compromised immune systems" are more likely to get them than anyone else.
I just wonder, as since I was about..14, I've dealt with them on a semi-regular basis(well..every few spring seasons) and I'm wondering if it's really common for diabetics(like my family doc has said). I got a HUGE outbreak when I got my first tattoo at 18, on my back..which is weird cuz I made sure I cleaned my back extra good during that period and there's also a history of them on my dad's side..according to my mom, he used to get them all the time..but he's not a T1 or T2. But there's a history of T2 on both sides(his mom was dx about 4years before I was and my mom's dad was dx withing a few years of when I was dx with T1) so I wonder if that that is just boosting my chances.
It's nothing gross really, once I notice two red dots or so, since I know what it is and could become, I'm at the doc's getting the antibiotic cream and that usually fixes it.
but like I said, just curious to see if it's just me!
I'm a type one diabetic and I have had folliculitis. My doctors were really concerned. I got it on my underarms after shaving with a razor. Diabetics do tend to get it most often according to the people that treated me. The antibiotic cream did not work for me because the folliculitus had progressed to a point where they needed to hospitalize me, but I took pills for a few months before it compeltely went away. I have not had another outbreak since. I hope this helps! Dont worry, your not alone! :)
i only get it under the arms as well, but the cream always seems to help(probably cuz i catch it in the first few days) but it does re-occur, even though I change my razors reguarly :S
Dear God, why did I "google images" folliculitis. I deeply regret it.
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haha i googled it too..and trust me..those are EXTREME cases and not all of them are filed right..a lot of them are Boils - which is similar to Folluculitis but is actually called Furuncle. Even I was grossed out and I know what they actually look like..if they weren't almost gone(just look like red circles now) I would take a pic and show you haha
Weird. I've never heard it called folliculitis. I've always called it 'cystic acne'. I found that a steady regimen of minocycline seemed to keep it in check until I developed lower GI issues because of it. So my doc and I agreed I stop taking antibiotic for it. I was fine for several years (meaning that I didn't have any further outbreaks). And several years was 10. But as I became peri-menopausal, well, it's back. Best I can do is to leave them alone (don't pick or pop), treat topically with bacitracin (it pulls the infection to the surface - works with run-of-the-mill white heads, too), and when it's way bad (like all over) I've got a huge bottle of Bactrum to treat them - doc and I agreed 6 days of that antibiotic.
And screw the docs for blaming everything on the frickin' diabetes. Just because my pancreas doesn't work b/c of some autoimmune disease that attacked it doesn't lead to everything else is cause by it.
Dear God, why did I "google images" folliculitis. I deeply regret it.
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haha i googled it too..and trust me..those are EXTREME cases and not all of them are filed right..a lot of them are Boils - which is similar to Folluculitis but is actually called Furuncle. Even I was grossed out and I know what they actually look like..if they weren't almost gone(just look like red circles now) I would take a pic and show you haha
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lol I figured those were crazy extreme cases and not what you guys have. Don't worry, I don't think you're gross, but those advanced cases on google images... lets just say I would avoid you if I met you and you had THAT.
Weird. I've never heard it called folliculitis. I've always called it 'cystic acne'. I found that a steady regimen of minocycline seemed to keep it in check until I developed lower GI issues because of it. So my doc and I agreed I stop taking antibiotic for it. I was fine for several years (meaning that I didn't have any further outbreaks). And several years was 10. But as I became peri-menopausal, well, it's back. Best I can do is to leave them alone (don't pick or pop), treat topically with bacitracin (it pulls the infection to the surface - works with run-of-the-mill white heads, too), and when it's way bad (like all over) I've got a huge bottle of Bactrum to treat them - doc and I agreed 6 days of that antibiotic.
And screw the docs for blaming everything on the frickin' diabetes. Just because my pancreas doesn't work b/c of some autoimmune disease that attacked it doesn't lead to everything else is cause by it.
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I've heard several names for them. The clinic doc I saw last week to get the Bratroban cream tried to tell me it was just acne, even after I told him straight up I knew what they were, I get them almost every year, I know that I need the anti-biotic cream to deal with them and that the reason it wasn't more than two on each side was because I knew the signs/symptoms and wanted to get them treated before I woke up the next day with 20. Wanted me to get an acne soap to wash with everyday!
It's been almost a week(tomorrow will be a week) since I started the cream at x2 daily(though it's suppose to be 3 I rarely remember) and they are almost gone. Take that clinic doc!
My family doc said that it's pretty common in Diabetics, but since my dad got them so often that probably doesn't help. haha. I agree it sucks when people say I'll get something cuz of my diabetes..but sometimes, it seems to be true. This and another problem I'm dealing with are the only two examples for me where it's actually true. I have another condition, that unfortunately thrives on low immune systems and the $80/monthly treatment is in fact suppose to boost your immune system, just so that my body can attack it.
Dear God, why did I "google images" folliculitis. I deeply regret it.
[/quote]
haha i googled it too..and trust me..those are EXTREME cases and not all of them are filed right..a lot of them are Boils - which is similar to Folluculitis but is actually called Furuncle. Even I was grossed out and I know what they actually look like..if they weren't almost gone(just look like red circles now) I would take a pic and show you haha
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lol I figured those were crazy extreme cases and not what you guys have. Don't worry, I don't think you're gross, but those advanced cases on google images... lets just say I would avoid you if I met you and you had THAT.
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haha yeah man, those pictures made me almost barf. soooo gross!
Weird. I've never heard it called folliculitis. I've always called it 'cystic acne'. I found that a steady regimen of minocycline seemed to keep it in check until I developed lower GI issues because of it. So my doc and I agreed I stop taking antibiotic for it. I was fine for several years (meaning that I didn't have any further outbreaks). And several years was 10. But as I became peri-menopausal, well, it's back. Best I can do is to leave them alone (don't pick or pop), treat topically with bacitracin (it pulls the infection to the surface - works with run-of-the-mill white heads, too), and when it's way bad (like all over) I've got a huge bottle of Bactrum to treat them - doc and I agreed 6 days of that antibiotic.
And screw the docs for blaming everything on the frickin' diabetes. Just because my pancreas doesn't work b/c of some autoimmune disease that attacked it doesn't lead to everything else is cause by it.
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I thought it was different than acne?
I've gotten little bumps under my arms and one on my knee, but it's always just cleared up on its own. Maybe it's the same as what you have Batts?
I've gotten little bumps under my arms and one on my knee, but it's always just cleared up on its own. Maybe it's the same as what you have Batts?
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it is different, he just didn't believe me that it was a bacteria skin infection. at the point i went to go see him(at a clinic i rarely go to cuz i rarely get a good doctor..but it was across from my dentist's office where i was anyways), they were just four small red dots(i had popped the only whitehead the night before) so he told me it was acne..i told him it wasn't. i actually argued with him for about 10minutes before he gave me the prescription i came in and ASKED for.
I've been told by a dermatolgist that folliculitis can be more common in uncontrolled diabetes. Kinda goes along with the idea that any kind of bacterial infection will suck worse if your blood sugars higher than they should be because the bacteria feeds off the sugar.
But folliculitis is incredibly common. Lots of people have it and have no idea because it's not bad enough to cause problems and usually passes on its own.
Best way to treat it is with topical antibiotics like Clindamycin or Mupirocin. You can treat the symptoms (itchiness, redness, etc.) with topical steroids to calm the inflammation. The antibacterial soaps are good for prevention because it decreases the natural bacteria on the skin that causes folliculitis.
I had some skin problems randomly pop up 2 summers ago and I've dealt
with it on ever since, but I had diabetes 9 years prior to that and
never had skin problems so I never made the association that "I got
folliculitis BECAUSE I have diabetes."
I've had this around my "bikini" line ever since I became diabetic 16 years ago. I was so embarrassed by it that I didn't seek treatment for it until I was nearly 30. I've generally heard my doctors call it "skin staph" or "recurrent staph infections." One of my doctors is convinced it's mrsa, but I don' t know. He said you can wind up colonizing it in your nose and that causes frequent infections.
I've tried lots of different topical treatments, but kind of gave up because they never really go away. I had one really bad spot that was getting reinfected a lot treated surgically by my gynecologist. It has since healed and has never been infected again. I used to take oral antibiotics a lot for this, but again, I gave up because it never really seemed to heal.