Hidradenitis Suppurativa Support Group

Hidradenitis suppurativa (hi-drad-uh-NIE-tis sup-yoo-ruh-TIE-vuh) is rare, long-term skin condition that features small, painful lumps under the skin. The disease manifests as clusters of chronic abscesses or boils, sometimes as large as baseballs, that are extremely painful to the touch and may persist for years with occasional to frequent periods of inflammation,...

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tulip76 04/09/2015

I finally got in to see a dermatologist, and he said my sores couldn't be HS because I only have them in my groin and not my armpits. Has anyone heard something like that before?

He also told me I should treat them by covering them in yogurt every day. What the heck, I'm totally trying it. Nothing else as worked.

SisterJoyce 04/09/2015

Not true i dont have them in my arm pits but groin. Just another sign you need to see a specialist. Save yourself time n money n frustration.

chronic99 04/09/2015

That's me too. I've had HS in the pelvic parts continually for 10 years, and not more than six months out of that whole time have I had anything in the underarms that could remotely be called HS or anything else.

Ironically, I'm not sure what they would have called it if I'd seen a doctor - I guess the other end of the stick would be that I could get a rash under the arm and since I have HS down below, half the doctors might call the rash HS? - but the underarm stuff went away on its own and hasn't returned.

My new general practitioner did the same thing, I undressed so they could get their first look and the doctor was staring at my armpits in disbelief. I honestly think they were about to overturn the diagnosis because I didn't have HS in the underarms too. I guess in fairness maybe they've seen a lot of HS patients who do have underarm lesions?

Do you know what the doctor thought it was if they didn't think it was HS?

antiqueme 04/09/2015

Having HS in one area is common, depending on what stage the patient is in. You may have Stage I. That's not to take away the pain you're in, because I use to get them in my groin, and that's super painful... Now trying yogurts?? Will yogurt kill the soreness and swelling? If it works, use it! Having had HS for so many year's, it started in the underarms with me, then it traveled to my upper thighs, groin and buttocks. Subsequently, it traveled to the lower leg; massive tunneling occurred on my leg, and an ER doctor thought it was MRSA, but it wasn't. Next it went to both breast and my Dermatologist began injections with steroids, into each boil on my breast. That was extremely painful. Have you had any success with surgery? I've had two. Complete removal of the left underarm, and an emergency drainage on the right underarm. The removal of the left axilla stopped the return of future flare-ups under the left arm for over, 27 year's. But every case is different. Now I continue to get them on my breast and on my neck, I use raw garlic and it works to reduce the size of my flare-ups.

noiradle 04/09/2015

I'd be wary of a doctor that thinks HS can't be present without being in the armpits.

respectful 04/14/2015

Your dermatologist is ill-informed. Not everyone gets them in their Armpits, mine have been confined to my groin and a** for nearly 35 years. My dermatologists knows diddly squat about HS too...see a colo-rectal surgeon or Regular surgeon for your groin, as they deal with that area all the time. You can ask your gynecologist for a reference. Hey, let me know if the yogurt thing works...and what kind? Plain?

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