Doctor advice?
Hi all, short term lurker, long time sufferer here having dealt with flares for probably 15 years now. All generally contained to the inner thighs, I’d shuffled into urgent care many times for cysts before having one removed by wide excision last year. The biopsy didn’t show anything and I had a brief period of calm but flares returned and I sought out a dermatologist who diagnosed me as HS stage II.
Initial care consisted of Hibiclens and Clindamycin, but sure enough I flared again. I sent a message to the derm and got 100mg doxy twice daily for long term use. It helped the flares but killed my gut after a few weeks to the point I had to pause on taking it, which of course led to more flares popping up. I have my dermatology follow up next week and am most likely losing my job at the end of the month (yes, also next week). What rx or supplies should I try to get now vs waiting for either new insurance or medicaid? I want to receive more aggressive treatment but also can’t afford to do anything crazy at the moment. Any other suggestions or advice I can take into the doctor’s appointment?
My doc seems nice (and very confident) but he also just finished his residency and I’m not sure if he’s super experienced with our condition. Alternatively, there’s a specialty HS clinic like an hour from me that I’m considering. I’ve seen mixed reviews on the specialty clinics but curious if people had extra input or advice on that dilemma, too.
Thanks in advance!!