Cellulitis

[faraday]

I am experiencing a long attack of cellulitis. If anyone who has had this condition fairly recently and would be willing to report what treatment they received I would be grateful, and of course I would say what treatment I am receiving.

I hav not found the subject discussed on any other medical forum.

Many thanks in anticipation.

[Lollyhoney]

My mum had this in her right cheek left year and it gave her lots of pain (obviously), her skin was really hard and orange peel like, and she had a raging fever of 38.8*. She was admitted into hospital as she required intravenous antibiotics for 5 day, and was then discharged on a weeks worth of oral antibiotics. Can't remember which ones, I will ask her later and report back.

[mimififi]

my husband had this in his finger a few weeks back. The infection spread up his hand and we were worried that it was tracking.

We went to A&E where they had a look, documented the area and sent him home with oral anti b's. It got worse before it got better and at one point they were umming and erring about iv anti b's.

Finally, it did begin to recede after about 10-14 days.

He still has the site mark though, it is still red and inflamed but has finished peeling. It is still hard but does not affect his mobility any more.

hope this helps

love
mimi

[faraday]

Lollyhoney and mimififi

Thank you for your replies. My problem is that the antibiotic (Penicillin V) that I was prescribed and cured my last attack over 11 years ago has not worked on my current attack. After a week on this I have since had three other antibiotics prescribed, but I still have a swollen ankle and a large red patch on my leg with orange peel skin on my foot nine weeks after the the trouble first appeared. I feel that this is far too long, and when I see my GP tomorrow morning I shall ask him to send me to hospital (he did talk about it last time I saw him, so I expect him to agree). I don't think it is good for me to be on antibiotics that are not really effective for so long.

I will let you know what happens, but of course I shall not be able to do so for a few days if I am admitted to hospital.

[kazza12345]

i believe pretty standard treatment in the uk would be with flucloxacillin

[faraday]

Kazza12345

My GP put me on flucloxacillin at first for 4 weeks, but as recovery was so slow he then tried clarithromycin for 2 weeks and I have been on ciproprofloxacin for the last 2 weeks.

As I wrote earlier I am concerned about taking antibiotics that are not working as well as I expected for so long (nine weeks so far). I have had cellulitis several times previously, and it has cleared up in about a month.

[kazza12345]

maybe it just wasnt strong enough a dose the first time?

have you had the leg swabbed and or blood cultures taken to work out the sensitivities?

[faraday]

Kazza12345

My treatment has only been tablets. My GP has now prescribed flucloxacillin and Penicillin V together. So presumably this is an increase in strength. He would only send me to hospital if my condition worsened (which he did not think likely) and there was no talk of the investigations you mentioned. Would they be done by the practice nurse?

[mimififi]

faraday, are you diabetic? Or do you have any other symptoms or diabetes? Cellulitis is a condition that often affects unmanaged diabetics and as you seem to have recurring cellulitis, it seems you should be looking for maybe another cause.

My husband was tested in the hospital for diabetes just in case and he doesn't even exhibit any of the other symptoms of diabetes, just this one off cellulitis.

maybe worth a chat with a different doctor.

[faraday]

mimififi.

When I had the relevant blood test in 2004 my GP said I had a reduced tolerance to glucose, which did not mean I had diabetes. (But could be in the early stages, I thought, so I cut down on sugar). Last autumn I asked for and had the same test; my GP said that there was no change - he doesn't quote any figures.

Thank you for your comments. I will ask the GP if the above could be related to my present attack. I am going on holiday to Exmouth next week; if the rash does not show signs of disappearing within a few days I shall probably go to see a local doctor.

[hazel78]

Hi there,

I was discharged from hosp on 10 apr after 12 days.The diagnosis was left leg cellulitis.Whilst in there I had 10 days iv antibiotics-FLUOXICILLIN & BENZYLPENECILLIN.These were in a carrier of something,maybe water?)and administered over a time period of apprx 3 min for each sep medication,as infusing too fast,and too concentrate,causes severe pain at the venflon site.Other palliative care was,elevation of the leg&minimal amount of weight bearing on that leg.Before the diagnosis was made I had a doppler scan to rule out DVT and MRI to check how far into the soft tissue the infection was and to rule out ant muscl or bone inflamation.But I am afraid that I will be seeing my gp first thing tues,as the swelling and pain are back before I have even been home 1 week !!Will have to see what gp says,just hoping whatever it is he gives me is oral as I DONT want to be back in hosp for more iv meds,but I have been told by a reliable source,that gp's can give DEPO IM injection once a day.

Hope this helps....Hazel

[faraday]

Hazel78 Hi,

Many thanks for your posting, which I read after returning from holiday. It is doubly helpful because the callulitis is in our legs - yours left, mine right. When I had my first attack around 1990 I did go into hospital for several days. I soon recovered, and had a number of other attacks up to the spring of 1994, all treated orally with Penicillin V (which worked on its own then). This current attack is proving difficult to treat - progress in losing redness of skin is very slow. Initially the whole of my foot and my leg up to about 3 inches below the knee was affected. It has taken about 10 weeks for the foot to return to something like normal, but the leg is still inflamed, albeit less red. The area is 50 to 60 square inches!

I saw my GP this morning. I broached the question of a second opinion, and he was very helpful. If dramatic improvements do not occur before I see him again next Tuesday he will arrange for me to see a consultant. The first contact would have to be private to avoid a long wait, but that would suit me.

Being hospitalised in 1990, I was under a consultant, who insisted on Strict Bed Rest, which meant I wasn't supposed to leave the bed at all!

On the subject of elevation of the leg, I have done this as much as possible. . I soon looked out my four-legged stick/seat sold by the National Trust. It is ideal - it can be carried around and used outside - I used it on holiday sitting on a seaside bench.

I am looking forward to getting what I want; I hope you are now getting what you want.

Faraday

PS What is a DEPO IM injection for?

used to dash