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Suffering with extreme ankle ulcers, I need a quick remedy.

Posted , 10 users are following.

louise31888
louise31888

I was diagnosed with eczema on my ankles and was given all creams nothing worked. Went pack to my GP and an intern said I have a Venus Stasis Ulcer. Put legs up wear compression stockings. After awhile an open wound burst on my right ankle. My medical doctor, took a culture lost the culture and the wound healed. Kept on going back to GP they kept saying wear compression stockings. Two years ago I finally went to a Vascular Doc. He diagnosed and said I had Venus Insuffiency which can lead to ulcerations. No meds just compression stockings. Took a Doppler. Everything ok. Recently I would say about two months now the ulcerations have been getting worse. An adhesion burst leaving me with an open wound. The doctor put an unna boot on me with zinc oxide for one week. Wound still not healed suggested a bandaide and ace. Meds given 300mgs of Gabapentin. The pain is excruciating, a constant throbbing. The meds not doing anything. I'm going for a second opinion. No relief in site. I just turned 70 this week. I'm very energetic and work in a school. Most of my jobs have been always on foot. I'm not used to sitting. Be cautious with people giving home remedies. Someone suggested raw honey and baking soda on the raw wound. That was a burning beyond. My only relief is soaking in warm water, then ice pack wrap. Mousturize red scaly shiny skin with Pure Coconut oil. I'm at my wits end. The pain is so intense and I have to wait for second opinion on 28th of November. Any suggestions and prayers would be helpful. Thank you.

Disgusted: Miss Louise

l

1 like, 12 replies

12 Replies

  • sandra93595
    sandra93595 louise31888

    Posted

    Dear Miss Louise

    I can relate to your misery. I too have venus insufficiency which has lead to a large ulcer.  The doctor has recommended flaminal gel and elevation as much as possible.  However, I have tried various creams and gels but nothing seems to help.  At the moment I just bath the wound in salt water and apply a cream type gauze dressing (that they use for burns) and a cut up sock to hold it on, so that i don't have to use any surgical tape at all. Where the surgical tape sticks to my skin, it causes another wound.  I haven't really used suppression stockings daily, only when I fly. I live in a hot country and they are hard to wear in high temperatures and humidity.

    Anyway, good luck and keep in touch.

    Regards

    Sandra

    Again I can empathise with your pain.

     

  • nicole06049
    nicole06049 louise31888

    Posted

    I also have an ulcer on my ankle.  I wish there was a quick fix, but I would say there is not.  I am 35 and have been dealing with this healing back up now for the past two months.  Where mine is located is on the outside of my right ankle.  I had an accident 3 years ago were the bone dislocated and broke the skin there.  They had to pop it back into place and sew it back up and I healed up after about 4 months.  Cut to almost 3 years later when this scar decided to open back up. The doctor told me that scar tissue, even when it is healed will only be at about 80%.  So having anything on your ankle, it is a bad spot.  To help heal my wound I am using a  Gel dressing made by Sorbat I believe.  It helps keep the wound moist, which is what you want to keep the healing process moving.  Now for the area around the wound, I want to protect it so I am using a barrier cream.  Barrier creams are what they use for babies and diaper rash, they said to look for one with a higher number of zinc oxide.  I also use a compression sock to help with circulation, more blood flow means quicker healing.  I have to go to a doctor (specializing in wound care) each week for wound debridement and that sucks, but apparently helps in the healing process.  For pain, I take Tylenol Extra Strength about every 5 1/2 hours and at night he prescribed me Oxycodone, so I can get some sleep without the pain.  On the subject of trying honey, there is this wound gel called Medihoney that is really good.  It burns a little for the first 45 min though in my experience.  On there website, they did suggest to use Lidocaine first which numbs the area and then put on the Medihoney.  Good Luck!
  • sandra93595
    sandra93595 louise31888

    Posted

    Dear Louise

    Many thanks for your imput. It is all very helpful. These leg ulcers are a curse. There seems to nothing that really helps and the pain is excruciating at time. I'm now thinking of a skin graft.

    Good luck & god bless.

    Sandra  

  • beverly87625
    beverly87625 louise31888

    Posted

    Prayers your way Louise...sorry about the pain. I'm a teacher as well and had my first ulcer this past Sept but was told it was cellulitis and spent a week in the hospital. Wound doc is the one who told me the most accurate information. I dont have any pearls of wisdom but I wish you pain free days🙏

    • Terrycafe
      Terrycafe beverly87625

      Posted

      Hi Beverly. I ended up in hospital with cellulitis also. What were the results of your treatment? I'm so tired of wound care. All kinds of tests. Still the wound has not healed. Please let me know. Thanks. Terry

  • Terrycafe
    Terrycafe louise31888

    Posted

    Hello. I also have chronic venous insuffency. I guess this means it can reoccur. Because it has. The key, I believe is compression. So this last doctor told me I will have to wear thigh high compression stockings. Ugh. They arrive in mail tomorrow. Hope they work. Hang in there
    • beverly87625
      beverly87625 Terrycafe

      Posted

      My original vein specialist stressed, quite emphatically, the importance of compression...my new specialist prescribed a Flexitouch compression system to use on my legs every night (45 min) to reduce a reoccurrence of my stasis ulcer (in addition to my daily compression stockings)...so far so good...I'm also waiting insurance approval for high frequency radio wave ablation of my great saphenous vein and a perforator vein...and most of my reading points to correcting the underlying persistent reflux in order to decrease likelihood of ulcers. I'm hoping to not repeat the experience...

  • janene04
    janene04 louise31888

    Posted

    Hi Louise, I use maxitrol which is an eye ointment.  Had an ulcer on my leg. For 3 years, this was the only thing that healed it.  I think it is a prescription ointment in NZ . I have problems with the itchiness and can't find a thing that will help and also the dry skin.

    • Terrycafe
      Terrycafe janene04

      Posted

      Hi Janene. You used maxitrol for your ulcer.Did you do anything else? Wrap it, or compression? Sounds good that this works. I am yet to find anything that works. Let me know. Thanks. Terry
  • Terrycafe
    Terrycafe louise31888

    Posted

    Hi Louise. Wondering how you are feeling now. My ulcer came back. That's why they call it Chronic venous insuffency. It can come back. I'm overweight and work on my feet in retail job. Plus been a smoker. Trying to quit the smoking.It's probably worst thing I have done.

    • beverly87625
      beverly87625 Terrycafe

      Posted

      Hey Terry, sorry to hear about your wounds not healing...it's been 9 months since my episode of ankle ulceration and thankfully have not had a reoccurrence. I used a Silver Sulfadiazine Cream, USP 1% for wound care (after the unna boot treatments). Daily compression stockings, though I hate them, are essential (because I hate being in the hospital more). Let me know if you can't find the Silver ointment. Also are you supplementing with Vitamin E? And zinc?

  • coral_89788
    coral_89788 louise31888

    Posted

    Hi !! This is my first time with leg ulcers, I am fifty. The doctor wouldn't even give me pain pills, says take Motrin .... I can't sleep, eat or stand for to long. The only little relief I got was putting my legs up very high on pillows but still had some pain... finally I found something that helped a lot.... put a spray bottle of sterilized water in fridge and spray ulcer when it stings and burns.. mine hurt so bad couldn't even dress them.. finally I looked in my medicine cabinet for anything was going crazy with pain. I even wanted to go to emergency so they can numb my legs to get a couple of hours of relief...I had some burn cream with lidocaine in it from 99 cent store .. omg I rubbed it around the ulcer (6 ulcers) and carefully rubbed it on the edges of where the skin connects to the ulcer !!! Instant relief, I was crying I was so happy to get a good nights sleep!!! Went back to store and bought 12 tubes because I cake it on ... l love the stuff it totally numbed my legs for about three hours.... it's worth a try, it's over the counter.. good luck

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