ME AGAIN, THE RETURN OF IT IS BACK AGAIN

[completely-zero654]

Hello yep it is me again and I am so so sorry for being such a pain in the bum, but it is history repeating itself, cellulitis. Finished antis Tuesday and it returned last night, felt bit under the weather cold, tired, headache and sick too I was not sick just felt. So same senario booked phone call with duty G.P., she rang approx. 60 mins later, actually asked me a few more questions this time, like how was it etc., whilst checking details on computer the other end, said she was happy to let me have another 14 days antis. So Steve (husband) went and picked them up and started them again at 2 o' clock today. I was also asked during the phone call if I was eating and drinking alright! I said no but she said nothing. Is there any reason as to why this was asked?

I have an appointment to see my lymphoedema nurse on June 18th, and have my fingers crossed so I do not have cellulitis as have not had any leg garments etc on for ages now.

Just thought I would post as just can not seem to get rid of this cellulitis, getting really really fed up now and if this was paper it would be wet with tears. I know there are people even little children with this and worse, but it is so depressing when it just will not go.

Please forgive me for being so silly. Bless you all xxxx

[Lynora]

She may have asked the food/drink question, as lack of appetite can indicate infection. Also, more importantly, even though you may not feel like it, keep drinking. Try and have at least 250mls every hour - water preferably, but tea/coffee are OK (no sugar) - and avoid fruit juices and diluting juice.

Have you ever eaten watermelon? It’s full of water (clue in the name! 😜) and is a good way to keep hydrated - it can also help with headaches - no idea why, probably coincidental!

Have you asked your GP if she is familiar with this document: lymphoedema.org/images/pdf/...

You may need long term antibiotics.

[completely-zero654 in reply to Lynora]

Never seem to feel very hungry, have either toast & marmite or cereal at breakfast (morning tablets 14), Hovis 7 seed bread, 2.5 slices with something at lunch (tablets 4) and another bowl of cereal about 21:00 hrs when I take my night tablets, 12), about 2/3 5mls of Oramorph during the night. Thats all I have every day and have this on/off for a good 4 months now. No hot food at all. Love my cup of yorkshire Tea and have not taken sugar since I was 11. I have had watermelon some years ago but did not like it.

Have contacted the practice manager at my surgery and suggested that either he downloads this document, or I will give him a copy. Have also suggested in a nice way, that he asks all G.P's at the surgery to do same, and have asked him to discuss this at their next meeting. Pointing out the importance as to why I want them to discuss it, and that it would be an idea if they had at least 1 trained nurse to be there and know what cellulitis was. I wait for results but will not hold my breath.

Bless you for replying to me xxx

[Bev-1966 in reply to completely-zero654]

Good on you girl get them told, and you need constant supply of antibiotics xx

[completely-zero654 in reply to Bev-1966]

Hello, I certainly need something as just can not take much more of the cell seems different each time.

Hope you are well and thank you for your encouragement Bev-1966 xxx

[Lynora in reply to completely-zero654]

You could be malnourished - you’ve listed quite a lot of grains (cereal) but you also need protein for basic functions - milk with cereal is not enough - you also need good fats and green veggies. What about fluids?

[completely-zero654 in reply to Lynora]

Tea, no sugar, zero orange, water with tablets. Love all veg but just lately just have not felt like a meat & veg dinner. Have Jordan's cereal nutty, branflakes, crunchy nut clusters, Tesco 4 nut and maple syrup cereal, Morrisons granola with apple, weetabix. If I cook use veg oil but hardly any as I grill or dry roast.

Before this bout of cellulitis I had a fall outside roughly 1 week before it came on.

Are the white creamy coloured bubble like patches amongst the redness on the legs, poison or something else. Have looked at some pictures but unable to find any that have these marks mentioned.

Thank you for helping me xxx

[Lynora in reply to completely-zero654]

As I said above - that's a lot of cereal and a lot of sweeteners. Not enough protein. You may need supplements to give your body a bit of a boost. Could you get someone to make you some smoothies or soups packed with nutritious stuff and easy to get down? You must drink something every hour, not just with pills.

The bubble like patches may well be lymphangiectasia (lymph blisters). Not poison, but not nice. Don't be tempted to try and remove them.

[completely-zero654 in reply to Lynora]

Have only just seen this Lynora and am so sorry for late reply. Have been feeling really, well horrible within myself can not explain really guess it is the cellulitis which is still quite red, sore, leg swollen and hot. Taking antibiotics religeous as want the wretched infection gone been hanging around for 2 months now, need a break from it or I will go spare.

I promised sammy-van that I would try and do what you told me, and with husband's help (needs instructions though), will.

I do have loads and loads of these bubble like patches and can hardly bear to touch them to cream legs, as they feel very rough and not smooth like they should be. They are like all raised and you could not put a pin between them (ouch), horrible and do not like it one bit, do not feel like my legs and am finding really hard to deal with mentally this time. Sorry should not ramble when there are people far worse off than myself, but can not help it.

Also promise I will not remove them but did have the urge to shave them off to see if leg would be smooth again if I did, but I promise not to.

So very grateful that you are here as do not know where I would be now if it was not for you and the kind caring people on the LSN site.

You are 1 in a million Lynora xxxxxx

[Brandish54 in reply to completely-zero654]

I found this was due to sometimes the onset of ulcers which is when I usually ended up in hospital tell the doctor to prevent it getting worse but do not leave till it burst or you will have big problems then sorry to be a drag but it is best to know than not take care

[completely-zero654 in reply to Brandish54]

Brandish, I am desparately trying to catch up and reply to all of the dear kind people who have replied and helped in lots of ways with their coping with this lymphoedema/cellulitis.

Lynora said what these raised things on my legs were (I did not know), how did these raised things on legs become or are the onset of ulcers? I am absolutely unaware apart from knowing that leg fire hot, itchy but tried so hard not to have a darn good scratch, sore beyond words, swollen and of course these raised horrible to touch little raised rough pin head like things rough as a badgers bum. Also had funny white patch down front of leg which I thought was poison. Where does the ulcers bit come?

Hope you can see what I am trying to explain as not too good with words.

[Brandish54 in reply to completely-zero654]

The ulcers are all part of infection but do not always appear usually when I had them mine burst into ulcers which took a long time to heal anything up to two years and they weeped constantly very annoying a ulcer happens when skin breaks open and goes from size of five pence to size of fifty pence in a couple of days be careful of getting breaks in skin take care and do not let doctor fob you off these doctors read about the condition but never experience it out of all the doctors I have seen over the years only two understood the seriousness of it one doctor actually use to bring tablets to me when I rang up to say my lymphoedema was flared he was a fantastic caring doctor there is not many like that God bless

[Brandish54 in reply to completely-zero654]

I kept having infection after infection and it used to knock me for six for a good ten days I felt like a dead thing and I also used to have second infection shortly after first infection then the doctor put me on mild dose antibiotics which I take all the time it makes a big difference I still have infections but less often and it only makes me feel rough for seven to twelve hours the infection is still there but it does not affect me also in the time it flares up the doctor tells me to double dose instead of two twice a day two four times daily

[completely-zero654 in reply to Brandish54]

Dear, dear Brandish54, you have it said it in 2 lines, one infection and second infection one following the other. I just hope that this clears before my appointment with my lymph nurse on the 17th June, I will then ask her if I could have a letter or something to tell my "hard of hearing" G.P. that I need to be on a small dose daily. When first diagnosed my G.P. was away and I saw a very good young tall Indian G.P who also works at the surgery, he said then I needed to take a small dose for the rest of my life. I just wish that my G.P had not been so blind to the fact that he, the Indian G.P., was right and he was not, stupid man. Feel like giving him a good slap for being so "I know better than him" attitude. Grrrrrrrrr.

Good to hear from you Brandish54, hope you are "stabilized" now and escape cellulitis, xxxxxxxxx

[holly-bush1]

Hi. I've said this before. But I had same problem till hospital consultant put me on permanent antibiotics 250mg twice a day. Have been on this for 4 years now with no recurrence. I sympathise with you as I was hospitalised 3 times with intravenous antibiotics. I hope you can get the right help. Good luck.

[completely-zero654 in reply to holly-bush1]

Hello holly-bush1,

Thanks for replying, when you had cellulitis and was on antibiotics or penicillin to treat it when it came, take the course for 14 days then a day later come back? and have it happen 3 months running without a break, have cellulitis for 3 months continuous?

Wish my surgery was like yours, get fed up with telling them and making suggestions.

Take care and many thanks xxx

[ssc123]

Hi, my daughter also struggled with reoccurring cellulitis and hospital admissions for IV antibiotics. What helped massively was a daily therapeutic dose of antibiotics. She took a single dose of eyrthomycin for about two years (she has a penicillin allergy). She now only takes antibiotics therapeutically if she is doing any very high risk activities and we are very careful that she doesn’t walk bare foot, keeps her skin well moisturised, showers daily and any cuts (even tiny ones) are treated with Savlon and covered. It has now been about 4 years since her last cellulitis infection. I think the therapeutic antibiotic dose calmed everything down and now we understand the importance of moisturising effectively we have better control.

Best Wishes

[completely-zero654 in reply to ssc123]

Bless you and your daughter ssc123, there is me complaining and you have a young daughter with this awful condition. I too though am allergic to penicillin and am on Clarithmorycin 500 mg twice daily, but that is just because I have cellulitis again, one bout then another within 1 day of finishing a 14 day course.

I am 55 and should know better but love going barefoot, shoes were never me and now definitely have to wear some awful things. Wish I was a child again so could go barefoot.

It is very pleasing to know that your daughter is sorted out now but if I could have it for her I would. Life is just not fair good people always seem to get things they do not want like this, bad people seem to get away with everything.

Please take care and hope that your daughter stays brave, as we are very special people who have this condition xxxxxxxx

[sammyvan]

Just came on line and noticed your post. Can't believe you are still dealing with this Cellulitis! I know you hate the idea of Hospital - we are exactly the same in this regard, but could it not be time you bit the bullet and asked your GP if this might not be an idea?

Hubby and I have just moved to a flat with a warden on call 24/7 - I am exhausted packing and unpacking everything. Been taking a multitude of vitamins, as eating properly became a luxury with all the trauma of moving! I have stuck to my 250 mg Clarithromycin daily for the last three years now, but still had two instances of Cellulitis, the last went on for ages until I was put on IV plus oral for a month, in hospital.

Thinking of you and hoping you finally get over this dreaded ''Cellulitis'' SOON. Do listen to Lynora though - what you eat is so important to your body and resistance to infection.

Take care, xxxxx

sammy

[completely-zero654 in reply to sammyvan]

So good to hear from you sammy, have missed you as know this cellulitis has been worse for you. Have been so flippin low, this time it has just had my left leg, normally both, the left has swollen up scary.

Still on the clarithromycin 500 mg been 2 months now, I have asked my surgery if they will bring lymphoedema up at their next meeting as apart from 3 G.Ps , they think it is something from mars. Also told the practice manager to download the LSN leaflet, read it and make sure the others do too. Just have to wait and see now.

Pleased you have somewhere with a warden especially 24/7 it must be a big reassurance for both. Just relax and take time it is very tiring, get some rest now and keep taking those vitamins as I do not want to hear that you have been back into that unmentionable place. A month? just could not and would not, you are a HERO in my eyes sammy.

I WILL listen to our Lynora she is so kind and genuine.

It seems to take longer and is worse each time.

Really happy that you and hubby are now in safe hands if needed, you are a very special person sammy and bless you for thinking about me,

Wherever you are and wherever you go take it easy and most of all take special care of you and hubby. xxxxxxxxxxxxx

[sammyvan]

Always remember - each and every one of those who have Lymphoedema are VERY special! We understand each other, need to take time to lift each others spirits at times and always ''be there'' for anyone who feels it is all too much. This forum has been a life saver for me, though most times I ''lurk'' and just read the advice! In your case I make an exception, as you have really had to put up with more than your fair share. So be strong, be happy and never feel you are alone.

So hope you will soon be rid of ''IT''!

Take care, and keep in touch.

xxxx sammy

[completely-zero654 in reply to sammyvan]

sammyvan, you are a very special lady and I will,

xxxxxxxx

[Debbie602]

Please don't run for antibiotics you need to read my post about yeast overgrowth and try Collodial silver for a week you have nothing left to lose and if it is already full-blown cellulitis go to hospital before you lose a limb, they will give antibiotics. I didn't put in my other post that one of my lesions that I thought had healed turned to cellulitis after bout of oral antibiotics from dr. Prescribed for lymph swelling. Ended up spending 1 week in hospital with iv antibiotics and 2 surgeries on my hand... I just wanted to share because the collodial silver has changed my life. I believe my yeast problems started as young as 2 with kidney infections & hospitalization with lots of antibiotics. It wouldn't surprise me to find a link between childhood obesity being caused antibiotics.

[Lynora in reply to Debbie602]

While I am pleased for you that colloidal silver helped your health issues, it is unlikely to have any effect on cellulitis, which is a very serious bacterial infection. Advice should always be sought from a medical professional.

[completely-zero654 in reply to Debbie602]

Thank you Debbie602 for info and am astonished at what you have been through. You are one very brave lady to have had all that happen to you, never new that cellulitis could cause limb loss.

Hope you are fully recovered as can be after all this happening to you,

Thanking you for replying, take care xxx