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could it be Cellulitis

Posted , 5 users are following.

sheltielife
sheltielife

Hi All, For ages I have had problems with swollen, burning and painful feet and legs which have gradually gone worse over time. Now they are really bad I can barely walk. I had been told I had poor circulation of blood in my feet and legs and thick blood and thought this was the cause.  Yesterday I suspected I had  DVT as my left leg was even more swollen and hard. I had a home visit from the GP and she agreed and I was given a Fragmin injection by the district nurse yesterday. Today the district nurse came again to take some blood for testing to see if it was a DVT. She phoned back later and said that it was negative, which is great news, except it doesn't get me anywhere. I asked what it could be and she said Lymphoedema and so I did my usual looking up and found that one of the causes could be Cellulitis. Then I looked up that and it seemed exactly like my legs and feet. The strange thing is that the man next door and another one next door but one have had it in the last year, but were diagnosed quickly and received antibiotics. So, I am wondering if it could be.

0 likes, 26 replies

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  • Zulu_Man
    Zulu_Man sheltielife

    Posted

    Hi,

    Sorry to hear that.

    Seems strange that so many people have had it all nearby?

    Could it be some insect bite or something? 

  • sheltielife
    sheltielife

    Posted

    My reply is above but it isn't finished!  I was about to say could it be cellulitis. Then Zulu Man you said about strange that so many people nearby have had it and said about insect bites. Of course, it is a possibility although theirs started much later than mine. However, it doesn't mean that mine wasn't in insect bite just years ealier. In fact I seem to remember being bitten by an insect and stung by a bee, but I can't remember when. I was always out in the garden until I no longer could do it. So, yes, it could be an insect bite. However, I haven't even spoken to a doctor since they said it wasn't DVT but am doing tomorrow and so will mention it as a possibility. I have recently changed GP practices due to a drug interaction given to me by my old practice where I went into a coma for a couple of hours! I then looked up drug interactions it was Gabapentin and I am on buprenorphine for my RA. It said it could cause coma or even death! Hence the reason I changed. These new doctors I have only been with a couple of months and up to now they have been much better and prepared to listen to what I think things are. So, I am hoping it is that as they keep still wanting to give me other drugs for nerve damage and I am frightened of taking anything else like those. I was given Pregabalin after the Gabapentin and I didn't go into a coma, but I could hardly see and I was falling very often even using a walker. The idea of just needing antibiotics is a far better prospect. I just hope it isn't too late without having to go into hospital to be put on a drip.
  • Zulu_Man
    Zulu_Man sheltielife

    Posted

    Hi sheltielife. The good thing about a drip is that the antibiotic they can give you through it can be very powerful compared to one that isn't put straight into your bloodstream, as far as I know.

    Also, make sure you're not alergic to any anti-biotic they prescribe.

    Get yourself a little bottle of anti-bacterial hand-gel. It's powerful stuff and is supposed to be very effective if used when you get a scratch/scrape/insect bite, from what I've read.

    Very best of luck with it getting easier for you!

     

    • sheltielife
      sheltielife Zulu_Man

      Posted

      Hi Zulu Man, Well woke up this morning even worse I could barely get to the bathroom using my walker and I was shivering really bad. My feet and legs were roasting the rest of me was freezing so I phoned the GPs. I spoke to a doctor who said he would come and visit me which he did at lunchtime. He looked at my legs and feet and instantly said it was cellulitis! So, he asked me about being able to get a prescription for them and my nearest chemist doesn't deliver to me as it's 7 miles away. So, I asked a neighbour and he is currently goint to get them. It is a penicillin type flu something can't quite remember and I have it it before and I am fine with it. So, with a bit of luck I might recover. It makes me  wonder as I said if all these years this has been the problem, even after seeing loads of doctors and consultants they have all said it was nerve damage. I have some of that hand gel already so good idea I should use it in the future if anything happens. I just pray this is the answer. I will report back obviously it will take a couple of days for them to really show a difference.
    • sheltielife
      sheltielife

      Posted

      Hi Zulu Man, Just realised another thing for a long time I had Cushing's Syndrome due to a tumour on my adrenal gland, which causes cortisol to be very high. Another thing that took doctors years to accept, except the renal man but it wasn't his field. He knew what it was but couldn't convince the endocrine lot. I am now wondering seeing as I have obviously had this for a long time if the reason I got the cellulitis is if your steroid level is high you are more prone to infection. So, maybe not an insect bit after all.  All this is a steep learning curve, but I'm sure that people on these forums have more idea than the doctors! Thank goodness we have them.
    • Zulu_Man
      Zulu_Man sheltielife

      Posted

      Hi sheltielife,

      I'm really sorry to hear about all this.

      I think once the anti-bodies in your body get weaker then it's much easier to get cellulitis. I've also understood that once you've had it once, and it goes away, you are always more susceptible to getting it again. I'm sure the fever that you have is caused by the bacteria/cellulitis. I had that too, and my leg inflated very quickly over 3 days. It's very very important to act as quick as possible. 

      After antibiotics for a few weeks the fever will go and the swelling will begin to reverse. It's good to keep your leg elevated to slightly above horizontal else the blood flows straight back in. I could literally waych my foot get bigger and smaller as I lowered and raised my leg.

      Something that helped with this was a compression sock/stocking. It really helped to squeeze everything back to normal size but this was towards the end of it getting better.

      I pray things get easier for you. 

      Peace

  • ladyjack51
    ladyjack51 sheltielife

    Posted

    Hi Sheltielife,

    You sound just like me.....for many years I have had slow swelling of my left leg. Began with a contact swollen ankle when younger. Then for the past 10 to 15 yrs it has slowly come up to my knee. My skin turned like a sunburn and was always swollen but over the past 4 years this leg is the size of 2 legs now and the skin got translucent and bubbled and I think it stretched to where the skin broke and I got Cellulitis. Cellulitis starts from lymphodema..fyi....it is a side affect. You don't get lymphodema from cellulitis. It can also start from many other things...usually bacterial but from other diseases of the skin I mean. My leg became one huge open wound....draining pus and swelling fluid from my leg. Right now I am going to a wound care clinic every week to try to get these wounds healed and then if we can get some swelling down I can get into a compression stocking. Right now it won't fit....too big. Here is my issue...I have decent circulation into the leg, so I'm blessed that nothing turns black or would have to be amputated....but my return veins are weak. My leg won't push the fluid back out of my leg and I should have started compression socks years ago and then this would never have happened. So how close is your case to mine so far? Ladyjack51

    • sheltielife
      sheltielife ladyjack51

      Posted

      Hi ladyjack51

      Amazing!  What is more amazing is that a couple of days ago I had to call the doc out the first time this week! She thought I had a DVT and sent a district nurse to give me a fragmin injection, then later another one came to take a blood sample sorry that was the next day she had 4 attempts and failed so a more qualified one came iit was the 3rd attempt she made it. Later another one came and said it wasn't a DVT. So I asked her what could it be she said lymphodema! She told me to keep my feet up to help the fluid come back.  However you are worrying me as I do have poor blood circlation and thick blood! So the blood from an ultra sound has trouble getting down so if I put my feet up that will make my blood flow worse! Then, I was going to say today, but it's 1.15am so really it's yesterday Wednesday that the doc said it's cellulitus. So whichever way I have my feet is probably wrong for one of them! I have 2 ulcers on my feet and my toe nails go black. I will have to see what happens in a day or 2 but if nothing changes I had better start shouting! I just don't trust doctors. What makes it worse is that 4 years ago my husband had a small heart attack and scans showed some problems with the lymph nodes in his oesphagus but it wasn't followed up and my husband kept refusing to go to the docs he did last year around this time of year and was sent for a barium swallow which showed something wrong various other tests and eventually diagnosed with terminal cancer, he died last November. Is it any wonder I don't trust them apart from ignoring my problem. Oh well if it ends up with amputation at least it won't hurt! I must admit I have thought that for a while now as the pain means I have no quality of life.

    • ladyjack51
      ladyjack51 sheltielife

      Posted

      Wow...so we are the same but opposite aswell since we both have poor circulation but yours won't carry oxygen and fluids where they should...mine gets it there and just leaves it...the blood pools and won't pump back out. So I have to have my legs up all the time, which is impossible, in order to keep down swelling. Babygirl....I hear you about the quality of life...in 4 years I have gone from working in the medical business world to disabled and barely able to walk with a cane! I also have Plantar Fasciitis in my left heel and I don't know if you've ever heard of that but it is excruciating Lee painful and feels as though you are walking on rocks on your heel only. My husband had to buy me a mobility scooter just so I could go anywhere like the grocery store or the doctors appointments... much less go to anything fun wish we never seem to do anymore. So it feels like a double whammy on that leg, as well as that leg feeling like it weighs a hundred pounds due to the swelling. I can't wear pants anymore. I have one pair of palazzo pants because they're extra extra big legged. Other than that I have to wear long dresses.And since I have had to stop working and go on disability that means I no longer have my work insurance anymore and have had to try to do all the doctor appointments and things through the county hospital which means everything is much slower and much harder. However I guess I should be thankful that I even have that. I also was diagnosed with COPD in Sept so bc of that I did quit smoking after 35 years but now I'm left with the disease...my own fault of course. It has improved since I quit smoking. Thank you Jesus. I'm only 55...my husband and I should be enjoying things but we cant....bc of me. Trust me I have crazy thought going thru my head about that. Hey...what is DVT you keep mentioning? They have done every test you can think of on my leg to rule out blood clots and things. ThankGod...nothing. But I think yours can get worse if they don't do maybe a surgery on you to open some veins with you already having black toenails etc...that's not good. I have pain too but they don't give me anything....they gave me Gabapentin awhIle back but it knocked me out so I never took it. They were tryin to treat the nerves like you were saying. I also take bupenorphrine in Suboxone...but didn't know it could put me in a coma!!! So you taught me something. Glad I didn't take the Gabapentin!!!!
    • ladyjack51
      ladyjack51 sheltielife

      Posted

      Also...im.very sorry to hear about your husband. That must've been awful for you and now all that you are having to deal with. I hope you have some older kids who can support you?
    • sheltielife
      sheltielife ladyjack51

      Posted

      Hi Thanks for your reply, I will have say more tomorrow or I won't get any sleep. BTW I don't have any children or family, not my choice! I don't know if we are allowed to put email addresses in here but if we are I will give you mine might be easier to reply it's [removed by Moderator].

      Emis Moderator comment: I have removed the email address as we do not publish these in the forums. If users wish to exchange contact details please use the Private Message service.

      http://patient.uservoice.com/knowledgebase/articles/398331-private-messages

    • sheltielife
      sheltielife ladyjack51

      Posted

      Seems like I can't give you my email so will have to reply tomorrow as I included it in my last reply. 
    • ladyjack51
      ladyjack51 sheltielife

      Posted

      You can also click on the gray envelope to the right of this when you get it and it sends private messages.....
  • ladyjack51
    ladyjack51 sheltielife

    Posted

    Lol...I tried to break it down too and it stopped it. My name is Gina Blackburn in Dallas, Texas on facebook....do you ever use FB?
  • ladyjack51
    ladyjack51 sheltielife

    Posted

    I sent my email to you thru here..click on the envelope or Send messages
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