Infection/Rash --- Cheapest Way to Get Medical Treatment?

Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share
1

I have some sort of rash or infection on my arm just above my wrist. I started as a little cut or bug/spider bite, I am not sure. The size of the infected area grew to about 1 inch by 1 inch. Well, it has been about two weeks and it doesn’t seem that much better. I have used disinfectant and used triple antibiotic. The triple antibiotic just seemed to make things worse. The skin around it also broke out form the band-aids I was using. I have been keeping it clean, but it doesn’t seem to heal. It gets little bumps and leaks a clear fluid. It also gets a crust on it. Now it is starting to hurt like a sunburn (past 24 hours), but does seem to look less infected. The area with bumps is getting smaller. Is this impetigo? It doesn’t itch at all.

So I have decided I need to go to a doctor, but I don’t have insurance so I need to know what is the most affordable way to get good care for this. How much will this cost?

2

Where do you live? In many parts of the U.S. there are free health clinics, or clinics that charge fees on a sliding scale based on income. Contact a hospital near you and ask if they have such a program or if they can recommend one. Or ask your local health department.

Which doctor would you normally go to? Call and ask what an office visit costs, and explain your situation. Many doctors will actually give reduced prices to a person without insurance because they will avoid the related paperwork. Many if not all will also let you pay on installments if you can’t pay all at once.

If you are not in the U.S., of course, all of this advice is irrelevant.

3

Bug or spider bite?

Public health service ought to be interested, especially if it won’t heal.

Could be a bite form one of those mutant zombie flesh-eating bacteria spiders or sumfin’ similar. It’s their job to find out.

Hey, it MIGHT work…

4

I always thought the sores from impetigo were visible on the face, particularly around the mouth.
Sores and rashes are something that need to be seen by your doctor…otherwise it’s hard to diagnose because the rash could be cause by several things. The most common form of rash is caused by allergies. Try applying some hydrocortisone cream to the area a few times a day and see what happens. This reduces skin responses to allergens and is available without prescription. If you want a natural remedy for rashes and skin lesions, Chickweed is often recommended. It is available as healing salve in pharmacies and health stores. If your rash doesn’t respond to either treatment, then you should definitely see your doctor. (I have no idea how much a visit costs to see a doctor…here in Australia it’s free, so I can’t be of help with how much you’ll need to fork out in an effort to clear up your rash.)

5

Major Kong, I can empathize with you on both levels. It sounds to me like you might have a spider bite that you either had an allergic reaction to or might have been mildly poisonous. I myself do not react well to spider bites. They tend to get inflamed and develop symptoms similar to those you have described.

If it is a spider bite, I can recommend these “home remedies.” Disclaimer: IANAD

Try taking something anti-inflammatory. There are over-the-counter medicines that have ingredients of this kind. It won’t make it go away, but it makes the bite feel better.

Try calamine lotion. And stop the triple antibiotic, if it’s weeping. Antibiotic is great for keeping out infection, but it sounds like it is slowing down the healing process. It needs to dry out. Calamine helps with this, plus it stops any burning or itching. Also, let it “air out.” Sometimes things like that need to scab over to heal. Bandages help keep moisture in.

These are just some things that have helped me. YMMV.

The above being said, if it has been two weeks, and it isn’t getting better, I’d say you really NEED to see a doctor. I never had health insurance until recently, so I know how much it sucks to have to pay expensive doctor bills. Here are the options that I used:

Where we live, there are several “Urgent Care” clinics. They are small, walk-in offices that deal with most basic medical concerns. The ones around here are affiliated with the local hospital system. They are MUCH more affordable than the ER or a “regular” doc. Check your phone book to see if you have any.

Last resort- Go to the ER. I have lived in many cities. Every ER I’ve ever been to will bill you, if you don’t have an available method of payment. Once the billing procedure begins, they will work out a payment plan with you, if you can’t pay all at once. It’s still expensive. But it is highly preferable to walking around with a festering arm.

Are you having any other symptoms? Headache, nausea, blurry vision? I ask because these are signs of a really bad reaction and can be quite serious. Of course, after two weeks, you’re probably ok. Except for the rash.

Get better soon!

6

I went to the doctor and they gave me an antibiotic and said to come back in a couple of days. They had samples for the anitbiotic and I had a credit at my old doctor for some reason so it was only $28. My arm really hurt this morning and after taking the antibiotic and two Advil it feels a whole lot better. It looks like some of the swelling that started up last night went away, too. Should an antibiotic work this fast? The doctor said it should take about two days for it feel better.

It still looks pretty nasty, but it does feel better.

7

Glad you got some help. Yes, antibiotics sometimes start to work within 24 hours. The Advil obviously helped the pain and inflammation.

Just be very VERY sure to finish all of the antibiotic. The absolute worst thing you could do would be to stop taking it when the symptoms go away. If you don’t take ALL of the medicine, even if you feel fine, you will have merely killed the weakest of the germs. The strongest ones, having no competition, will then multiply and your infection will come back worse than ever.

8

I always do this. I was even kind of worried that one pill a day for seven didn’t seem like enough, but I guess this is the standard for the antibiotic I’m taking.

9

I have heard of that, too. Either a newer drug or new formulation to minimize the number of people who don’t follow the directions.