Scab inside of left nose not healing

Posted by ofbushido @ofbushido, Mar 27, 2021

Hello All,

I have a scab inside my left nose for the last couple of months that won't heal. It's on the mucous membrane. I reached out to my doctor who later referred me to an ENT, but their treatment is not working, so I'm looking for someone who experienced this before and could perhaps help me out. They think it's just dry nose.

At first I noticed the scab when I was blowing my nose and saw dried blood and felt stinging. When I looked inside my nose with an otoscope, I saw the attached pictures, which I sent to my doctor. He said it's an infection and put me on a 10 day Mupirocin ointment with instruction to keep it moist for a week after that antibiotics course is done. So I applied saline gel every two hours for a week straight, but as you can see from the pictures the scab is back at full force, so I don't think it's related to dryness, but I'm not a doctor.

Here is a description of the pics:
Pic 1: before the Mupirocin treatment started
Pic 2: halfway through the treatment
Pic 3: after the Mupirocin treatment ended
Pic 4: now

Any help would be appreciated.

Thank you.

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@bustrbrwn22

@ofbushido. I had a similar thing and used triple antibiotic ointment at least 2x a day in the nostril. It seemed to take forever but after a month it was gone. This is just what worked for me, not sure if a dr would agree. I tried Vaseline first and that didn’t help. But you have to use it religiously.

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@bustrbrwn22 Hi bustrbrwn. Thanks for the info. The ENT did say it's a minor bacterial infection. He put me on mupirocin antibiotics for three weeks. Hopefully that will take care of it 🙂

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...reminds me of when I first came to Canada and central hot air heating. Had lived in UK 18 years and it seems in those bygone days it rained every day and no central heating... so no dry nose! After a few winters here I got a "scab"up inside right nostril and it was on whatever that piece of bone or cartalege? is between nostrils and believe it or not I had it for many YEARS. Never saw Dr.about it. I would take it off with my finger and put vaseline on and then next time it bothered me, a few days, or weeks, especially winter of course, same thing. Those were days before computers and Dr.Google and being able to take photos of inside of nose. Thinking back am surprised it didn't turn to a cancer or spread all over.... it did not bleed very much at all.... just kept reappearing. Then it just suddenly stopped and now cant remember if when I moved to another house - with central hot water heating not hot air.. but why was it only in one nostril? I also remember years ago buying a tube of nasal gel , no prescription and wish I could think of the name and used very sparingly... sorry I cant be of more help with your issue but mine did end up leaving after a very very long time, and I never used antibiotics. Odd thing is now after all these years, for last year I am having a lot of clear nasal mucous I blow out in long clear strings.... about 10 times a day... honestly there is a saying "the nose knows" but I don't think mine does! Good luck. J.
ps how did you get your photos so small, i wanted to put some up but saw some before and they were huge!

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p.s. "SECARIS" is just an over the counter gel here in Canada could be in USA too...not suggesting you stop your antibiotic but maybe used in conjunction with?

Medicinal Ingredients:
Mixture of Polyethylene Glycol 15% and Propylene Glycol 20% in a gel adjusted to pH 5.5
Non-medicinal Ingredients:
Purified water, Carbopol 934-P, Carboxel X-395-F, sodium hydroxide, sodium chloride, potassium chloride, benzalkonium chloride.
Dosage:
Apply a small amount of gel into each nostril every 4 hours or as needed

*only thing I don't like is benzalkonium chloride... so my go to now in winter for prevention is good old Vaselne!

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@ofbushido

@loribmt Hi Lori. I hope you are well. I saw the on Thursday. He said it's just a minor bacterial infection. He said to continue using the antibiotics for three weeks. Hopefully that will do the trick 🙂

Ya, you are right about the dry air. I think that's the culprit.

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Great! I’m glad that’s all it is. It’s worth the trip to the doctor for the peace of mind! ☺️

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@lacy2 photo uploads have improved and now are much smaller, so share away!

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@amandajro

@lacy2 photo uploads have improved and now are much smaller, so share away!

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oh good, my nose is big enough ! x

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p.s. .. now i wish i could delete comment/photos. Thing is I also have a list other more drastic illnesses but this tubes of mucous started a year ago and is day and night on top of louder and longer tinnitus, all night long too; ear pain and pressure and pain around jaw and cheeks. Wont even list my other issues... if this is normal, ok, i just dont know why it started and from what "orifice" this is coming from, a box of kleenex every 2 days. Anyway, moderator, just delete if you can.... its not top of my list by any means. lol

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@lacy2

p.s. .. now i wish i could delete comment/photos. Thing is I also have a list other more drastic illnesses but this tubes of mucous started a year ago and is day and night on top of louder and longer tinnitus, all night long too; ear pain and pressure and pain around jaw and cheeks. Wont even list my other issues... if this is normal, ok, i just dont know why it started and from what "orifice" this is coming from, a box of kleenex every 2 days. Anyway, moderator, just delete if you can.... its not top of my list by any means. lol

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@lacy2 I deleted your previous comment and photos per your request.

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@ofbushido

@loribmt LOL, I love your description of your nose symmetry. It gave me a good laugh.

I seem to be breathing about the same through both nostrils. I tested them separately lol. I just learned that the part of my nose that's bigger than the other is called the inferior turbinate which apparently can inflame with seasonal allergies. I'm learning as I go, but you are right, the best way is an in-person visit which I will definitely do. I'm glad to be more informed about the topic. Thank you so much for your help and leading me to the right direction 🙂

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Hello! I have something very similar. Your story sounds like mine. For months I’ve had this white scabby thing. I’ve used the same cream with little results. Did it eventually heal up? I have seen 2 ENT’s. I have a culture at the lab and have yet to receive the results. Curious how yours has been.

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@alexisnarroyo

Hello! I have something very similar. Your story sounds like mine. For months I’ve had this white scabby thing. I’ve used the same cream with little results. Did it eventually heal up? I have seen 2 ENT’s. I have a culture at the lab and have yet to receive the results. Curious how yours has been.

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I have something like yours except that min is spread all over my body, from forehead hairline to knees, both inside and outside; mouth, nose, eyelids, skin, shoulders, neck, spine, etc. I probably have 200 to 300 spots. Now looking like large pimples, some are white spots, and they all itch. The dozen or so in my mouth are quite painful. They seem to be the ones called "Torres del Muir" or "Muir-Torres". A dentist said they were "Torries", but that they were not cancerous. Wrong! If they are Myeloma, they are cancer. One MD said they are part of the Myeloma-Amyloidosis family. They grow very slowly, and never go away. I started with a single, on the lower eyelid, then on to the esophagus, then elsewhere. Now they seem to be growing on the bone lesions I have in my scalp on my skull bones. oldkarl

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