Cellulitis

Thank you for updating me Coppernob- I had been wondering how you were doing. Mine is, I think, nearly gone now. It's not nearly so painful but still very red and quite warm compared to the other. My doctor said the other day that it may not calm down completely, but I hope that is not the case. Mine is complicated by the fact that I have had to leave off my Methotrexate, which I take for Rheumatoid Arthritis. It's 4 weeks without it now, and that can have a horible effect on my body.
Hoping you continue to improve!

Thank you for asking Notagranny.
I'm better than I was but the improvement is very slow. My lower leg and ankle are still stiff and painful and standing for any length of time is agony.
I finished my third course of antibiotics last Friday and now have 10 days off them before having another blood test to see if the infection has settled down.
I hope you start to pick up soon.
It's certainly a horrible illness and not one I would wish on anybody.

Yes, I agree, cellulitis IS an infection (Google says "Cellulitis is a bacterial skin infection affecting the deeper layers of skin and underlying tissue") and I saw my doctor last Thursday. Thank you for your concern

If it started 24 May and you are on your third lot of antibiotics and the cellulitis is still hot and painful, that screams infection so unless it has been looked at in the last few days it’s worth getting it checked. It’s potentially serious.

Thank you silver but it has been checked out, first at A&E and then by my GP, so I think the diagnosis of cellulitis is reliable. I was just wondering whether Coppernob's had cleared up yet, as hers sounded even worse than mine.

Hot and painful may imply an infection Notagranny.
It might be an idea to speak to someone, preferably a doctor , at the surgery. Best to be safe.

Hi Coppernob I was wondering how you are getting on with your cellulitis. I read the thread when you first posted as I am suffering with it too. It started in my left leg about the 24th May after a fall 10 days previously where I broke the skin on my knee. I am on my third course of antibiotics and although it is very much better, it is still hot and painful. Has yours cleared up or are you still suffering with it?

Good, I hope this course does the trick!

It's often difficult to get on top of it.

Thank you for all the good wishes.

I saw my GP this morning and he has given me another week of antibiotics. He had my latest blood test results and the infection rate is going down. However, he was worried about my potassium level which was higher than it should have been. He sent me to A&E for a further test. After a 3 hour wait I was told it was ok and I could come home. Further blood tests after I've completed the course of antibiotics.

Hope your appointment with your GP went well Coppernob.

After 3 days of antibiotics my arm is very very slowly losing its angry red look. I have tried aloe Vera gel and a gel for children to soothe chickenpox to releive the pain and inflammation. I must say they have both helped. This might be of use to others.

It is quite frightening how quickly it escalates and becomes a serious thing. I hope I’ve turned the corner and hope Coppernob has too.

MIL was having District Nurses visiting 3 x weekly to change dressings on both legs for months. When she finally got appt with Dermatologist, he wrote out the prescription for little potassium permanganate tablets to dissolve in warm water and local pharmacy did stock them. Nurses said they were familiar with this treatment, so why didn’t they arrange for this? Visits took much longer & they are already hard pressed for time. MIL’s legs improved greatly by bathing in the PP. Now only once weekly Dist Nurse visit & she’s feeling much better at last & we’ve taken her out shopping! Good luck with GP tmrw Coppernob.

Thank you. 111 was where I started on 18 May. We were away visiting my sister in Derbyshire for the weekend when I was taken ill. I ended up in hospital in Chesterfield for a week, about 2 hours away from home, with only enough clothes etc for a weekend. What a nightmare!

For any worrying or worsening symptoms or general feeling of unwell
You can always ring 111.
Day or night.
Thats what they are there for.
All the best.

Wishing Coppernob and wooden spoon a full recovery

Yes I’ve got it right now on my arm. I’m on antibiotics and am not seeing much improvement but it’s only day 2. I’m quite scared to be honest.

Very interested to read this as suffered with cellulitis many times since having mastectomy and lymph glands removed. Goes into my arm but never been in pain with it but feel very ill. Told never to go abroad without antibiotics and have it down on my medical records at the doctors can be given easy access to antibiotics.
I have very dry skin as well and try to be very careful with any cuts, grazes or scratches and wash well and apply dressing, as told germs can enter via a cut and turn into cellulitis as no lymph glands to filter away bacteria.
Frightening how quickly it spreads up my arm, going bright red and swollen.
I try to be careful and people don’t realise how serious a condition it can be.

I had cellulitus in both legs, the district nurses bandaged both legs, changing dressings every few days. It was well over a year before the dressings could be removed, my legs looked a mess, but at least they weren`t seeping anymore. There`s just a bit of scaling left on one foot now, but both legs are permanently discoloured.

When I first went into hospital I had a line drawn round the small red patch under my right knee. By the next day my whole right leg was red, swollen and very painful. It is now the back lower leg and ankle that are still like this.
My leg is now peeling and I'm leaving skin wherever I go despite moisturising it regularly.

I’ve recently suffered from cellulitis on my face, very painful but managed to mostly get rid of it with oral antibiotics. I was woken up by what I thought was a flare up earlier this week but think/hope that although I’m very careful it must have been too much sun.

I first heard of potassium permanganate about 50 years ago when a hospital specialist prescribed it for DD’s painfully cracked feet. I think that PP is difficult to obtain now but I’ve still got a few tiny tablets left which I can crush to make up the solution described by Musky17.

Whilst I didn't react as badly as some, I did suffer this some years ago, and it took ages to resolve as they need to find the best antibiotic for that particular cause (there are lots). I also got eruptions all over my legs and needed months of prescription moisturiser till it all settled down. I now wear compression stockings and it is mostly not a problem, but at the worst attack I could barely walk.

My 92 years old MIL has been fighting this for many months. Several courses of antibiotics and spent 2 weeks in hospital with IV antibiotics. What helped her legs most was, recomm by Derm’t was regular 20 min soakes in a solution of potassium permanganate. Get a small trug or plastic box to fit leg(s) in. Old towel & protect floor as this is purple and stains. Wish you some relief soon Coppernob.

I got it months after a hip replacement and had to be hospitalised. As silverlining58 says, draw a line around it and if it gets bigger/spreads more before tomorrow call for help. If you have recently had surgery you should phone your ward for advice too.

My brother used to have this. He was told to elevate the legs as well as having antibiotics.

Seeing my GP tomorrow morning