Cellulitis

[bigbanana]

I've had an angry,red rash on both of my lower legs for a couple of weeks. In both legs, I have a strange sensation of itching and burning. In addition, the skin on both legs is very tight, shiny and reflects the light. The rash extends from my ankles to about six inches below the knee in both legs. The skin on both legs is very taut and didn't vibrate when the GP tapped the muscles at the back and below my knee.

I'd seen this condition before at uni with a fellow student when it was called erysipelas, but the GP referred to it today as Cellulitis. He prescribed oral amoxycillin 500mg QDS and oral flucloxacillin 250mg TDS for seven days.

I've had varicose veins for years in both legs and I've been diagnosed with Atrial Fibrillation since May 2012. I've also had other cardiac problems for many years including pericarditis. I've also got swollen ankles and I'm on Furosemide 40mg plus a number of anti-hypertensives which aren't bringing my BP down.

What I wanted to ask was why I have the cellulitis in both legs. As I understand it the infection gets in through a wound of some sort and apart from an old healed varicose ulcer on one leg, nothing else appears amiss. It's all very odd.

Thank you.

[Mamyalynne]

Hi bigbanana, it would seem from your history given above that peripheral vascular disease, is a possibility as a reason for this - the old ulcer site may be an inroad for the catalyst, but as least the GP has you on the antibiotics now.

Hope you soon get some respite.

Mamya (not qualified)

[Caran]

Could be Vasculitis, I had it about 6 years ago. Only took a very heavy dose of paracetamol daily.

[Sqad]

Erysipelas and cellulitis are basically the same thing.....bacterial infection of the skin ant the treatment given to you by your doctor is correct.

Clearly you must have had swelling, to a degree, of both legs due to congestive cardiac failure which needs reassessing by you GP and perhaps a change in drug therapy.

This situation of a "water logged "legs is a "sitting duck" for any passing bug and will result in erysipelas/cellulitis.

Keep us informed.....interesting.

[Essell]

Exactly the reaction I get to some blood pressure drugs. So intense that in one case I ended up with hundreds of tiny blood blisters on lower legs which burst and scabbed. I don't take blood pressure drugs any more because they had no effect on blood pressure, but did swell ankles.
Hope you feel better soon.

[Essell]

Bendroflumethiazide had the worst effect - that was the one that caused the blood blisters, precede by intense burning and itching.