Weird symptoms after splinter: Hello, I had a... - CLL Support

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Weird symptoms after splinter

4 years ago•7 Replies

Hello, I had a splinter from a desk get in the tip of my finger about two weeks ago. I used a needle which I probably didn't sterilize well enough to get it out. I was successful however, my finger has remained swollen where I can't bend it down to a fist and it seems like it's affecting my shoulder muscle because I can't lift it. There's no pain, but just impossible to raise my hand. Went to an urgent Care and was prescribed doxycycline. 5th day in of dose. Any thoughts on why my shoulder is affected?

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Wushie

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cajunjeff4 years ago

I would just be guessing, but you can ask your doctor if he thinks septic arthritis is a possible culprit. Septic arthritis occurs when a bacterial infection enters the blood stream at one location and travels to another, usually a large joint.

I doubt that is it, but was you say, its weird to have shoulder problems with a finger infection and the only way I could think to connect those two would be through the blood.

It might be the finger and shoulder issues are unconnected and coincidentally happened at the same time. Good luck, hopefully both are better today.

webmd.com/arthritis/septic-...

caven4 years ago

Any time an infection migrates from the body's periphery to a point much closer to the body's core (in your case to a point a short distance from your heart) then do not delay in seeing your PCP. You will probably be directed to the ER for intravenous antibiotic therapy. If you've been dosing with doxy for 5-days without any change then that's a sign it is not addressing your infection.

I'm guessing that the Urgent Care provider didn't know or didn't fully take into account your immune-compromised status.

I suspect that this will be viewed as an emergency by your PCP once it's diagnosed that sepsis is migrating. Your CLL-status may require a non-standard antibiotic therapy . . . Go today, not tomorrow!

Caven

NewdawnAdministrator4 years ago

Welcome Wushie as I see this is your first post. Shame it had to be about an infected splinter...ouch!

Are you on W&W or having treatment for your CLL because the level of immune compromisation could be an issue here. Maybe an issue for your haematologist if it doesn’t subside.

Best wishes,

Newdawn

JigFettlerVolunteer4 years ago

Potentially very important infection. If the doxycycline is not improving matters, return to your Dr.

The finger will be swollen, this splints the finger and full range of movement is lost, that's normal in the circumstances.

If very small movements of the finger are painful... that needs urgent medical attention. IV antibiotics and limb elevation. It does not seem you're in that situation.

The shoulder pain... normally the lymph nodes around the shoulder, (axillary) will swell in this situation. You dont say which muscle, I am assuming the shoulder on same same side as finger.

If you have no fever and the finger "feels" improved, you're probably on the mend.

But... if in doubt please get a review medical assessment.

Your experience is important to share, so thank you, for it emphasises the need for gloves, I am saying that, mindful I a relaxing my glove habit, and most FCR with low Ns and Ls...

I hope you are improving.

Take care

Jig

NewdawnAdministrator4 years ago

Wushie, could you confirm if you have CLL please because you’ll see that the good advice you are receiving is different and more critical for people with a blood cancer and therefore at greater risk from infections.

Regards,

Newdawn

Wushie4 years ago

Thanks everyone for the responses. I wanted to address that I do not have CCL. However, I do have autoimmune disease and am taking remicade which is a immunosuppressant. So far it seems like it has not been getting better, and I have contacted my PCP but won't be able to see them until 2 weeks from now. I also went to a dermatologist and they said nothing is in my finger anymore. Which now makes me wonder, if it's an antibiotic resistant infection or fungal.

NewdawnAdministrator in reply to Wushie4 years ago

It certainly sounds like you need further medical advice for this Wushie.

We have to restrict the posts to people affected by CLL I’m afraid because whilst CLL can attract auto-immune conditions, it isn’t an auto-immune condition, it’s a cancerous malignancy. That means that advice relating to CLL and advice relating to your health issues may be very different indeed. For example, immunosuppressants could be very hazardous to us. We develop infections of all kinds due to neutropenia and hypogammaglobulinaemia (low immunoglobulins) etc. Therefore it would be concerning for you to take advice on here due to the different causal factors for infection.

Hope you manage to sort this and wishing you well with your health. Dependent on your condition be it coeliac disease, RA, lupus or another, I’m sure you’ll find an appropriate HU site to support you.

I’ll now turn off replies.

Newdawn

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