Please give advice. I really think I've tried everything to get rid of my folliculitis.
So glad I found this forum yesterday. I'll try to keep this as short as possible.
I first got a boil near my lower tummy many years ago and thought it was a pimple. Ended up spreading it to other parts of my body. Had the occasional boil, and once I finally knew what it was (not why though) I stopped spreading it. A few years I'd get these red bumps, mostly on my upper chest, shoulders, neck and face. At first I thought it was acne, but being in my 30's and after finally combatting pimply skin I knew it wasn't.
They didn't happen very often, but they were annoying. Doctors said it was pimples, and just use acne stuff on it. One Doctor did say it was folliculitis, but then she moved to another province. I have lived in a few different provinces now, using completely different products, been tested for allergies, & still have folliculitis.
Another Doctor prescribed Biaxin, and it worked for awhile but then kept coming back. I kept taking Biaxin for it. I changed Doctors and the new one gave different antibiotics, and said folliculitis was caused by staph aureus. I've taken Keflex (cephalexin) Biaxin, amoxycillin, Sulpha, minocycline and a few more. Used an antibacterial wash, fucidin, Nizoral & Loprox. Use Retin A occasionally. Also was given Muprocin to put up the nose. It would work for a little while, then keep coming back.
Researched follicultitis online & read that it could be bacterial or fungal and that a scraping should be done. Had to BEG my doctor to do this. Scraping came back as Kliebsiella Oxytoca, bacteria from colon often found in hospitals and nursing homes. Ciprofloxin was helping at first, then stopped helping. He recently tried Sulfa, but it isn't helping either, in fact the folliculitis is now worse. The bumps are pink on my chest and some are pink on my face, but there are a bunch with just skin color, maybe because I am way more dilligent with my face.
You know it's not a pimple when it's in the same place for weeks and doesn't go away. Some of them end up scarring, even without me touching them. I have bumps, some worse than others on my chest, shoulders, front & back, neck, and face. It's really bad now, and my forehead is covered in bumps. Sometimes I don't see anything in the bumps, but other times the ones on my chest will dry up inside and some white stuff will get hard & I have to squeeze it out. It still doesn't go away. It's nothing like a pimple. I don't have too many bad boils anymore, but they would get big and hard and hurt, sometimes nothing would come out, or just clear fluid. I keep begging my Doctor to do another scraping and to refer me to someone and he says he'll refer me to infectious disease, since he can't help me. I've asked to see an internist as well, but my Doctor and dermatologist don't take me seriously. I have pictures taken WEEKS ago of the spots on my top shoulders ,in the SAME place and they won't go away. A couple of them spread out and turn into scars.
I'm guessing all those doses of antibiotics made things much worse. I use Vichy Normaderm, a facial line that gave me clear skin for years, and even that and Retin A isn't helping.
I take multivitamins, vitamin e and b, oil of oregano pills or I put the oil right on the bumps or boils. I also drink Aloe vera juice or put it on my skin. I've tried bleach baths as my dermatologist suggested, because he doesn't care about helping with my folliculitis. I've put rubbing alcohol and apple cider vinegar on my bumps. OMG what haven't I tried? Have I forgotten anything?
Oh yeah, in case all of the antiobiotics killed my good bacteria, I also drink cranberry juice, eat yogurt and take high quality probiotics.
I don't know what to do anymore. I'm 40, but don't look it, but I feel like I'm a teenager again freaked out over bad skin. I stopped wearing makeup to work months ago, because not only did it make my skin look worse, but the bacteria ruins the makeup.
I don't know if it's bacterial, or fungal, but I can't take it any longer. At least I live in Canada where it doesn't cost me anything to see a Doctor. What do I do if my own Doctor or dermatologist won't help me? Sure my face isn't as bad as some people that are scarred all over with acne, but you would think a dermatologist would understand how hard this could be on one's self esteem.
Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.