Lumps Under Armpits.. Please Help!!

my daughter used to get these. They are staph infections (boils) - our dr had her get hibacleanse (probably not spelled right). it is a soap and it dries out your skin pretty badly, so use it only once every 3 or 4 days. It really worked very well, and DD hasn't had one in several years. you have to find hibaclens in the pharmacy area, not by regular soap, but where the bandages and topical ointments are. You may need to ask for help finding it. It is worth a try!

It does sound like boils.
Some people are more prone to developing boils than others.
A boil is an abscess that forms in a hair follicle or oil gland.
If the skin is injured (nicked by a razor?) skin surface bacteria can inflame and infect.
Generally a boil will last about 2 weeks, so it you've had them more or less continuously for 6+ months I'd see a dermatologist and see what he says.
I'd be worried about what the underlying cause might be.
Are you diabetic or on the edge of developing diabetes?
Do what you can to boost your immune system.
Take a daily vitamin and cut back on sugar consumption (it affects the bacteria that lives on our skin).
Some medications can suppress your immune system (certain steroids, etc).
I'd try using a spray deodorant rather than a roll on (for fear that anything that touches your skin repeatedly might re-infect you).
Shave in the direction of your hair - not against it - so you don't shave too closely.
Change razors often (weekly), don't ever share a razor with anyone, wash it after use and dip the head in rubbing alcohol afterward and then let it air dry.

http://www.medicinenet.com/boils/article.htm

http://www.webmd.com/skin-problems-and-treatments/guide/b...

http://www.livestrong.com/article/179038-how-to-clean-a-d...

Are they telling you what they really are? Are they infected sweat glands? Are they lymph nodes? I'd really want to know WHAT they are.

I do want to mention that there is a possibility that you might have a problem with refined sugars and gluten. This happened to someone I know, however, her's caused what you are talking about in her private areas. She had to have them surgically removed, they were so bad. What saved her from continuing to have them was completely altering her diet. Vegetables and lean meats, fruits, and no processed foods at all. She hasn't had one in 15 years now, because of her diet.

Doctors don't always understand this, R.. If I were you, I'd take an empirical approach and try what I'm talking about, though it is VERY hard to do. See if it works.

Good luck,
Dawn

My friend gets these but her doc calls them cysts. She has found that she cannot shave her pits or she gets more.

Did any of the doctors you saw say anything about boils? They kind of sound like a boil but a boil doesn't usually itch.

Maybe research boils and see if this is what they are.

Please ask for testing for diabetes in form of HgA1C, celiac testing. Keep skin washed and clean twice a day and use a crystal type deoderant.end use of antiperspirant s. If they are infected you may need a 10 day course of antibiotics. Go to your closest larger city to get treatment at a larger possibly a teaching hospital and be your own advocate. If you have weight issues start working on it as this can contribute to this as well.

They are called sebaceous cysts. If it is not a sebaceous cyst, it could be an axillary abscess.

Your doctor can drain them. While it would drive me crazy not to shave my armpits, you might notice they are more irritated after shaving.

Go to your doctor. They can remove them. Yellow puss usually means infection. You can also go to a dermatologist. There is a LOT of bacteria in the arm pit. Typically, behind the development of a lump in the armpit is the action of diverse micro-organisms, such as allergic response to deodorants, or scented soaps or powders. If this lump is an allergy, it will go away with the trigger is removed.