A serious infection (TMI)

Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share
1

I’m sitting here waiting for my doctor to call me back, so I might as well run the situation past you guys.

About two months ago I got a very minor scrape on my shin, about a third of the way up from my foot. It was only the epidermis that was scraped; there wasn’t even a drop of blood. I cleaned the wound with alcohol, applied some Neosporin and covered it with a bandage. I’m always careful to treat even a very minor injury, because I’m diabetic, and every little thing takes forever to heal.

To make a long story short, the wound somehow got infected, and there were areas where the bandage pulled a little, and they got infected too. I went to my doctor, who prescribed antibiotics. When I returned to him a week later, everything looked better, but not entirely healed, and I got a refill for the antibiotics.

When the antibiotics once again ran out, everything was looking so good that I just continued to keep the area clean. I know the dangers of overuse of antibiotics, and didn’t want that to happen. And the area was itching, which I considered a good thing.

And then it started to get bad again. There was a lot of pus coming from the wound, which was spreading. And now I had some intense itching in the surrounding area. I was covering the entire area with Neosporin, which obviously was inadequate. And now, something new: I started seeing boils in the surrounding tissue . . . pockets of pus that I had to lance and drain.

Over this past weekend everything became worse, and the intense itching has spread to various other areas . . . my back, my scalp, my left forearm, my right thigh, my genitals. I’ve never experienced this intensity of itching before, and scratching has no effect on it. And now I have to double the dressing and change it twice a day, because it gets totally soaked with pus.

And now I’m remembering something: Back in August or September, I had the same kind of boils on my left shin, a little higher up than the wounded area. They went down after a few days, and I forgot about them. So now I’m thinking that there was already some kind of infection in that leg, which the scrape simply exacerbated.

So here I am, waiting to hear from my doctor. I know that this type of thing can be very serious for a diabetic, and if it’s allowed to progress it can lead to amputation. I’m thinking that if I don’t hear from my doctor soon, I’ll go to the ER instead.

2

Get your ass to the ER now. Right now. Do you even really need someone to tell you this? Don’t even wait for the other doctor to call back. Helpful hint: If there is an ER within driving distance of you thats a bit further drive but in the “good part of town” go to it (care might or might not be better, but it will most very likely be less backed up).

3

I think your doctor is going to tell you to go to the ER. Save yourself some time and go NOW.

4

Dude - if you have a weird ass infection making your genitals itch, you should be driving to the ER. I’m assuming that’s a part you want amputated even less than a leg.

5

panache, you know it’s serious, so please get to the ER. Can you forward your phone to your cell?

I also wonder if the itching is an allergic reaction to the antibiotics.

6

Ok, guys, I’m off to the ER.

7

Possible. I had an allergic reaction to an antibiotic a couple of months ago, which had never happened to me before. About a week into taking the medication (Bactrim, a sulfa drug), my feet began feeling hot and itchy and over a couple of days it spread over the rest of my body. Fortunately it cleared up a couple of days after I quit.

Definitely should be looked at, though.

8

Okay, the op has gone to the ER, hoping for the best there. I just wanted to add that I don’t think a topical antibiotic is all that useful for a serious infection. I remember reading somewhere that the antibiotic loses its effectiveness after a couple hours and you’re just left with a greasy growing medium for bacteria.

9

As a diabetic you should have gotten yourself to a doctor a LONG time ago!

10

I hope everything turns out ok!

As an aside: diabetics are more prone to infection? I didn’t know that. Why?

11

Their tissues tend to be full of yummy sugar, which bacteria can use to grow, and impaired circulation is a common complication, which makes getting the body’s defenses to where they’re needed more difficult. The combination is not good.

That said - I’ve had my own round with serious infections, and I’m not a diabetic.

Well, the OP went to the ER, which I also probably would have suggested, along with a thump for 'WHY DID YOU WAIT SO LONG?" but hey, I’ve been guilty of that, too.

Hoping for the best.

12

Why’s itching good?

13

Healing skin can be itchy.

14

Good luck, panache! I hope everything gets taken care of!

15

I don’t understand why anyone would lance their own “pockets of pus”. Especially a diabetic!! Are you using sterile instruments when you do that? Are you aware that your extremities can be very insensitive to pain because of diabetic neuropathy, and you can really hurt yourself poking around in there? Aiiiii! Get better.

16

Something similar to this happened to my husband. A minor scrape on his shin that five days later put him in the ER with cellulitis and a horrible fever.

Diabetes is a nasty disease. Panache, I hope you feel better soon and don’t take so long next time!

17

sending good thoughts and wishes to Panache! hope everything works out well.

18

IIRC, the OP doesn’t have health insurance. He is self employed and the diabetes qualified as a pre-existing condition and he couldn’t get coverage. He may have been trying to save some money on medical bills if it was something he could take care of himself.

19

:(:frowning:

I hope you’re OK, panache. Please let us know as soon as you’re able.

20

My husband had something similar to what you’re talking about. It was red, VERY itchy, running with some sort of pus, and soaking his sock within just an hour, or so. It ended up being some sort of contagious, bacterial infection, but no one else here at home caught it, thankfully. It started on the top of his foot, and ended up halfway up up his leg. That entire area was a runny, pus-filled mess. He went to the Dermatologist, and she sent him to the ER, where they scraped it, cleaned it, and then his Dermatologist put him on a week’s worth of IV antibiotics, via out-patient procedure. It finally cleared up, and he’s got a light scar from the top of his foot, to the middle of his leg, where this shit was. Messy. I’m glad you’re getting it checked out! Best of luck to you! Please let us know what happens with it all.