Lengthy Battle With Cellulitis Deserves Another Look | News, Sports, Jobs – Wheeling Intelligencer

DEAR DR ROACH: I am having a serious, lengthy battle with cellulitis on my lower leg. For nearly three months, nothing any doctor has recommended or prescribed has worked. The inflammation and skin discoloration have not abated even with three days of intravenous injections of antibiotics and three courses of antibiotic pills. I have soaked my leg in Epsom salt, used antibiotic creams, Vicks rub, aspirin for inflammation, raised my leg when I am sitting all to no avail. The doctors I have seen seem to have thrown up their hands and offer no resolution. Every medical person who sees my leg immediately diagnoses the problem to be cellulitis. An ultrasound showed no blood clot.

This occurred after a 15-hour plane flight and a subsequent day of walking about 18,000 steps. I wore support hose on the flight and moved as much as possible. I basically missed a night of sleep, walked for several hours, went to bed and was woken in the night with leg cramps and the swelling and rash. There was no break in the skin nor insect bite that I was aware of. I am female, 75, in fairly good health, not obese, do not have any circulation problems.

I know that an infection lasting so long is very dangerous and can lead to sepsis. I am willing to do whatever is necessary to rid myself of this bacterial menace. Please advise, and soon, as I am desperate! T.E.

ANSWER: Cellulitis, infection of the deeper tissues of the skin, is a common infection. It is usually caused by Staphylococcal or Streptococcal bacteria. Not everything that looks like cellulitis is an infection, however, and when several courses of antibiotics have failed, its time to reconsider the diagnosis.

Looking for a blood clot was wise; blood clots can cause redness and swelling that looks very much like cellulitis sometimes. A deep tissue abscess can prevent cure with antibiotics, but that should be apparent after a few days, let alone three months.

There are several other less-common chronic skin conditions that can mimic cellulitis.

A wound care nurse colleague of mine with far more experience than me suggested the possibility of acute lipodermatosclerosis, which is a noninfectious inflammation of the deep skin. It happens more commonly in people with poor venous drainage of the legs, which is common in women (but men, too) in middle age. The airplane flight and walking is a setup for exacerbating any venous insufficiency. This condition is diagnosed by a wound care expert or dermatologist, and is usually treated by high-potency steroid creams and compression. It can frequently be misdiagnosed in its early stages, and is among the most common skin disorders misdiagnosed as cellulitis.

DEAR DR. ROACH: Im 53 and perimenopausal. Ive been very emotional. I dont want to cry about every little thing its embarrassing! What do you suggest? T.

ANSWER: Mood lability (ups and downs) are very common in women in early menopause. Mood symptoms are effectively treated with hormone replacement, but not everyone needs it. However, particularly for women with depression, hormone therapy can be very effective when combined with an antidepressant. I do not recommend medication treatment lightly, but depression is a condition I take very seriously. Since the incidence of depression is high during the time of menopause, I discuss the risks and benefits of hormonal therapy (sometimes along with antidepressant medication).

Many women are able to taper off treatment in a year. The risks of hormone treatment for a year are small, but still need to be discussed.

Readers may email questions to ToYourGoodHealth@med.cornell.edu or send mail to 628 Virginia Dr., Orlando, FL 32803.

Today's breaking news and more in your inbox

Every influenza (flu) season is predictably unpredictable, with the current one a prime example, thanks to an ...

DEAR ABBY: My niece on my husbands side was engaged to be married two years ago. There was a bridal shower, and ...

DEAR ABBY: I was married to a wonderful, beautiful woman when we were much younger. We got married because of an ...

Now that the new year is in full swing it may be time to ditch some of the resolutions you have not kept and start ...

Dear Heloise: To prevent a filled pie from BUBBLING OVER onto the oven, just roll out the bottom crust a little ...

DEAR ABBY: I am trying hard to let go of my paralyzing fear of driving, which has prevented me from getting a ...

Continue reading here:
Lengthy Battle With Cellulitis Deserves Another Look | News, Sports, Jobs - Wheeling Intelligencer