I have a boil located around my inner thigh area and it's really painful. I went to the doctor yesterday, and they said they couldn't drain it because it was too hard. What are some tips of treating the pain, and making the swelling go down?

warm compresses applied to the infected area several times a day. You can also talk to you pharmacist about the best type of over the counter creams. Your Dr. should have told you what you could do to treat it. Boils are a types of staph infection...where bacteria get into the skin and cause the infection. If it is really bad they will have to lance it, or have it surgically removed, because there are some that are resistant to treatment. Lance that sucker! No, seriously...what you have is probably a staph infection, cellulitis. You should be on Keflex antibiotics, and if it's too late to lance it, it's too late...but that would help alot. I had one, and i did it myself...better not recommend it, though. my boyfriend has the same exact thing doctor told him to take 3 20 minute baths a day and it popped they can write you a prescription for an antibiotic to help it go away faster ask your doctor I had one on my eye once. It was both painful and itchy at the same time and I'll never forget it. I got the most relief from applying a hot cloth several times a day. By the end of the day, it started to feel a lot better and then it was just about gone the next day.