Cellulitis

Cellulitis is quite scary, it is quite easy to introduce germs into the skin especially if the skin is already broken. I have heard that it is much more prevelant than it used to be, why ?

Had cellulitis about 15 years ago - started as an ear infection. So bad my face swelled up and I was unable to eat. Had to go into hospital for about 5 days and be attached to an intravenous antibiotic drip. The most painful experience ever - up there with being in labour for 24 hours with my son - although more scary!

Strangely both my nieces have had this in their legs at approx age 20 (even though they are not close in age).
I think it is an infection of connective tissue - which is not very well supplied with blood and therefore difficult for immune system and antibiotics to work. Hence the heavy dose.

Two friends at different times had it because wearing wooden Scholls sandals had made their heels very cracked which caused the infection to be introduced.

My neighbour Jenny told me this week that her ankle problem recently was now said to have been cellulitis...............

It is very common. Can happen anywhere!

My husband was seriously ill with this condition a few years ago. He'd gone to the doc in the morning with a pain in his leg. He came home with antibiotics. However by that evening he had a high temp and his leg was bright red and swollen. I took him to A&E and they admitted him. He was in hospital for about 3 weeks. His leg was awful to look at. I won't describe it here! He became allergic to the penicillan needed to treat him, but eventually he began to respond to antibiotics. When he came home he had to have a nurse visit for several weeks. Even now, several years later his leg is fragile and discoloured. It was a frightening experience for both of us.

Good heavens - I had only heard of it in an aunt in her 80's and had no idea it is so widespread. How on earth can you tell, as I would never think of seeing a doctor for an itchy spot just assume it was a touch of eczema or whatever. Scary.

My nieces certainly knew - leg all red and swollen - and both ended up in hospital.

I developed cellulitis earlier this year when staying with my daughter in New Zealand. I am highly allergic to sandfly bites and within a week had legs and feet the size of an elephant's, that were quite suppurating and nasty (definitely too much information). My daughter's doctor was absolutely fascinated – bless her. She prescribed a massive dose of antibiotics and steroids, plus anti-histamines to help with the allergy. She also threatened to take me into hospital for an antibiotic drip if things didn't improve within 24 hours and made vague references to amputation. I had to promise to draw a line with a biro to mark the extent of the swelling; I asked one of my granddaughters to do that, which she thought was jolly funny. Happily, I didn't have to go to hospital and was eventually okay for the rest of my trip, but still have nasty little marks where the nasty little sandflies bit me.

Crikey! I didn't realise it was so awful. I thought it was a term which related to orange peel skin of which I have a basketful on my legs

Sandflies are the very devil. They bit you 5 minutes after you sit down on any beach or near one, in S Island or the S part of N island.
'Fraid next time you just have to keep moving and you will not get bitten!

The other kind of "cellulitis" golden is a concept invented by the cosmetic industry to try to convince people that if they rub expensive cream into their thighs they will miraculously become smoother and thinner. A complete and utter myth!

I suspect many of us have 'cellulite'; but only a few are unfortunate enough to have had cellulitis!

Cellulite isn't a myth, Jess - although the idea that expensive creams can get rid of it is!

sorry i should have said "cellulite" is a myth. It is just fat that is not very smooth. Most people have an area like this on their bottoms or thighs and there is nothing abnormal about it. Babies' fat nice and smooth. Grown up fat deposits not so smooth. Giving it a special name turns it into a "problem" and once you have convinced people that they have a problem then you can, potentially, sell them a "solution". Sales and marketing basic principle. So that is what I was getting at.

I have had it twice. The first time I was in Teneriffe and had been bitten badly by mozzies and that led on to cellulitis.

The second time I had a very small cut and it happened very quickly, leg swollen, red hot and moving in a band gradually up my leg.Antibiotics and constant watching for it to move up and up before hospital.

Had not realised you could get it in your face. That would be very scary indeed Bellesnan.

My husband had it after a knee replacement. I remember the surgical wound was weeping so badly that we had to wrap a clean cotton vest round his leg to catch the fluid. We took him to the hospital; it was the day of an appointment anyway, and they kept him in a room of his own for a week, on a very strong anti-biotic drip, monitored every hour. They were really nice to him, and it was only afterwards, reading up on cellulitis on the net, that I realised how much danger he'd been in.

His leg is fine, now.

Well I've been taking the antibiotics for a week and it's still red around the area, so I've called the surgery to leave a message for the doctor to call me so he can prescribe some more antibiotics. It's not hard or swollen or painful any more - which is a relief.

janthea

Good, sounds as though it is going the right way, good luck.

hello, what is the difference between cellulite and cellulitis?

Message deleted by Gransnet for breaking our forum guidelines. Replies may also be deleted.

My husband developed cellulitis from a bout of athletes foot. His big toe became very inflamed and turned black then his leg began to swell. The doctor drew a biro line on his leg and gave him a shed load of Ampicillin. If the swelling got worse he had to go to hospital. Fortunately all was well but his toe is still sensitive to pressure almost 10 years on.

A friend's wife developed cellulitis on her hand after getting a paper cut. I got it in my breast after my 2nd biopsy.
It's a b☆☆☆☆r of an infection. Thank goodness for antibiotics!

Well, that's cellulite. Cellulitis is a very nasty bacterial infection. It often involves hospital admission and treatment with intravenous antibiotics.

Sneaky way to get your spam in fanbrits, but reported.