Not ITP - has anyone ever had cellulitis

This is nothing to do with ITP, sorry.

After a trip to a forest on Tuesday, my leg started turning red and swelling. Three visits to the GP on, I am now diagnosed with cellulitis (possibly due to an insect bite) and on three different types of antibiotic and 18(!) tablets a day. The infection still seems to be spreading because the red patch is still growing. Apparently if this doesn't work the next stage is IV antibiotics? I feel rubbish too.

Just wondered whether anyone else had experienced this condition and how long it took to go away. 18 tablets a day is doing my head in!

Ali

I had cellulitis one time and I was put in the hospital. My hemo said it was life threatening, although I didn't feel too bad. That was probably because my white blood cells were very low at the time.

None the less you should be watched very carefully. You say it is getting worse, so you need to go back in to the Dr. I see you are in England so hopefully you can get in right away. This can lead to sepsis which can get dangerous very quickly. Here is a website on cellulitis from the US gov.:

www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmedhealth/PMH0001858/

Note this part:

"You may need to stay in a hospital if:

You are very sick (for example, you have a very high temperature, blood pressure problems, or nausea and vomiting that does not go away)

You have been on antibiotics and the infection is getting worse

Your immune system is not working well (due to cancer, HIV)

You have an infection around your eyes

You require antibiotics through a vein (IV)"

Keep us up to date!

OK, thats a bit scary! Nobody has mentioned life-threatening and I definitely don't want gangrene.....

The GP added new antibiotics today and told me to call the out of hours doctor tomorrow if it was still spreading - its currently covering some of my foot and nearly all my leg up to my knee. She did mention that hospital might be a possibility though. I have taken some paracetemol and am feeling ok again, so I think I'll maybe give it till tomorrow.

Argh, so much for a healthy walk in the forest!

Thanks for the info Ananta

Ali

Don't panic yet...antibiotics can take a few days to kick in. Hope you get it under control soon.

Things are looking better today - it seems to be decreasing a bit in size. Something is really wiping me out though because I've only been awake about three hours today! Maybe the antibiotics?

If you're in hospital with it they will draw round the inflamed patch on the body with a marker pen so that they can see if it is increasing or decreasing in area. I wouldn't do that with an ordinary marker pen as it may be toxic but I think I'd do a tracing on tissue paper somehow so that I could compare and see if it is increasing anywhere.

Also, I've was told after I had it that I was more prone to it in the future as well. Now ANY skin break I get, no matter how small, I clean with hibaclense so I don't get it again. Mine was from a blister on my foot originally.

alisonp, are you ok?
Erica

Hi Erica,

Thanks for asking - yes, I am fine. Not totally better, but so much better than earlier in the week. I slept all day Saturday and Sunday, but I think that might have been the tablets? I've got to go back to the GP tomorrow because my antibiotics run out and she had said to go back for more if it wasn't 100% better.

Its a horrible thing and I don't want to think about ever getting it again, but thanks for the warning Barrelgal.

Ali

Seriously how are you today?

Out of interest, what were you wearing on that day as they say it reduces the risk of limes disease (which is not fun). Didn't know about cellulitis though.

Hope you are much better and hope it wont stop you going into forrests again?