Cellulitis

What exactly do you want to know? I've had it 5 times in the last nine months, so I feel like an expert on it. I assume you know at least the basics about it, right?

Yeak I just want to know wot causes it, wot treatment is used and stuff like that. Like u said, just the basics.

The stapholococus (sp?) germ (bacteria)is what causes it. Staph lives on practically everyone's skin--somewhere on the body. When there is a break in the skin, the staph germ attacks. Most of the time, just washing the cut area right away with antibacterial, peroxide, etc., prevents an infection from occurring. When the skin's immune response isn't strong enough, the infection occurs. Antibiotics, such as augmentin, are prescribed. Usually one course is enough to clear it up. Twice i've had subcutaneous infections, where the infection was trapped below the skin. When that happened, I had to have the site lanced and drained and was put on intravenous antibiotics, rocefin or vancomyecin. These can be serious infections, especially for people with diabetes or comprimised immune systems. I have lupus, so that's why I have such a hard time with the infections. Hope this helps.
Lizbet

I recently had a bout of erysipelas that the doctors originally thought was cellulitis. I woke up one evening and one side of my neck hurt extremely bad. I also did not feel well and began running a fever. My fever was ranging from 103-104 and would spike every hour regardless of the tylenol I was taking. I figured I just had a flu. Went to bed that evening and woke up the next day and the other side of my neck was stiff. I still was running a fever and decided it was time to see the doctor. I got to the doctor's office and had been crying because I felt so bad. He asked me how long I have had a cold and I explained I didn't, my nose was running because I was crying. This doctor didn't do any sort of tests despite the fever I was running and basically told me I have the flu. I knew this was not the case because I had never felt like this before. We went home and I began vomitting and my husband said we were going to the hospital. We got there and sat for over 4 hours which was excrusiating for me due to being so uncomfortable. After not being seen I told him I wanted to go home. We got home and I fought the fever and chills and decided to try the "urgent care" in our area. When we got there the doctor did a full physical and actually took blood and urine samples. He said he was "stumped" didn't know what was wrong with me. I had more respect for this doctor for saying he was stumped then the other doctor that did no test and said I just had the flu. The next morning I got a call from the urgent care and they wanted me to come back in or go to the emergency room. My white count was extremely high and my sed rate was not right. That morning when I woke up I felt like my forehead was swelling. My husband looked at me and confirmed that it was swelling. By the time I got back to the urgent care my forehead had swelled and it was now going down the left side of my face and into my neck. The doctor instantly knew it was "cellulitis" and gave me a shot in my hip and sent me with antibiotics. She told me to see my doctor the next day (monday). When I got to the doctor my face had began to swell so bad that my eyes were almost swollen shut. He then referred me to a infectious disease doctor who then diagnosed it as "erysipelas." I was put on intravenous antibiotics and had to come in each day for a week. Once we started the intravenous antibiotics I started to feel well again but the swelling didn't start to go down for 2 days in my face. The reason I am telling this lengthy story is because I think you know your body and I am extremely frustrated with the first doctor that told me I had the flu or a cold and didn't not test for anything. I had more respect for the "urgent care" doctor who said he was stumped. I was not given alot of information on erysipelas but this is what I know from looking online. It is caused by the "strep" virus. I had had strep 3 weeks prior. It is a form of a bacterial infection that if left untreated can cause damage. I was so thankful when I went to the infectious disease doctor and he took one look at me and knew exactly what it was. The other two doctors had a harder time because I didn't start showing signs of erysipelas for two days just presented with fever, chills, vomiting and general feeling of weakness and exhaustion. I am not sure what type of antibiotics they were using intravenously but as soon as I started that I began to feel like myself again. We are still unsure how I got this but I am thinking the virus remained in my system after the strep throat and recked havoc. Good luck and hope you see there are different forms of cellulitis.