UKC

I got a bite of some sort which seems to have turned to cellulitis. The pharmacist yesterday gave me antibiotics, so I have been on them for 24 hours. So far there is no improvement. Is it too early to expect improvement or should I be getting concerned? Time to call 111? 

Hmmm🤔.

It probably shouldn't be getting worse. I had a wound that progressed to cellulitis. I remember the red swollen inflamed are growing so went back to docs. 

Got a temperature, feel ill/ fluey etc?

I'm not a doctor btw😂.

(Vet)

Oh....did they swab it for culture? Make sure you're on the right antibiotic.

Anyway...hope your leg/arm doesn't fall off.

I don't think it's any worse, but not really any better either.

No, didn't swab. I nearly didn't even ask about it. I had put antisan on it, assuming it was just a bad reaction. The antisan did nothing so when I was in Tesco and it was bothering me, I thought I would ask if they had a different anti allergy cream with a different active ingredient. She looked at it and said it was infected and prescribed me an antibiotic. I didn't even know they could do that a supermarket pharmacy! She just looked though, no swab.

I feel fine other than that.

I hope my leg doesn't fall off too!! I find it pretty useful!

if red area on skin draw around it with felt pen. If red extends beyond pen line tomorrow ...see a Dr (insist)

believe me

https://www.healthline.com/health/how-do-antibiotics-work

Chris

My doctor was very good with this. It's normally impossible to get an appointment without spending weeks playing the 9am phone lottery.

I went to the pharmacist at lunchtime with an infected bite with swelling that grew rapidly during my morning at work. She told me to call my doctor straight away and I was being seen 15 minutes later.

Oh. Pharmacists cant prescribe antibiotics in uk. Maybe you're not in uk?

Yeah.....do the draw around the red area thing. I did that. That's what medics do.

Or take photos is useful.

Maybe it's not antibiotics you got?

I got stung 3 times by wasps on my arm couple of years ago. My arm swelled up, went red and the skin took on a tight shiny look. Quite alarming so I went to the pharmacist and they told me to call 111 because it looked infected. When the nurse called back she told me to take anti histamines, as her view was it was an allergic reaction rather than infection. Difficult to know who was right but it took nearly a week to calm down.  

I am in the UK, and it was a penicillin based antibiotic she gave me. Is this unusual?

I will draw round it (that will look special at work tomorrow! Lol. It is looking like being a shorts day!).

This has a bumpy surface, which seems to tie in with cellulitis. I am just about at the time of year for taking antihistamines anyway, so could just start them early I guess, it won't do any harm. But given antisan didn't help, I suspect it's not. 

Seconded.  Also start a photo journal.  Keep an eye out for veins around the site becoming more prominent - especially if that prominence start spreading away from the site.

In reply to girlymonkey:

You might do a google image search on "horsefly bite" to get an idea of what kind of inflammatory / histamine response you can get from those f*****s.

If the pharmacist diagnosed cellulitis and you have any concerns, that would seem wise.  It's what they're there for.

I had a bad do with a bite a few years ago. My lower leg looked like an archers target drawn on an elephant foot, it had that many rings drawn on it and was that swollen. Amoxicilln wasn't cutting it and got moved to something different which sorted it in the end.

Yeah, unusual for pharmacists to dispense antibiotics. 

The other thing I found with a swelling shin with cellulitis was alot of pain.

Antibiotics usually slow or stop the division of bacteria rather than immediately killing them like a disinfectant. The tissue damage (swelling and inflammation) is not directly helped by these drugs and takes time to resolve especially in a cellulitis. So a little time is needed. Despite this, if concerned, speak to the NHS. 

Ok to prescribe if a PIP. 

What kind of animals do you treat?!

Always worth keeping a close eye on infections, most of them clear up just fine and most of the rest clear up fine with antibiotics but if does start to get worse quickly or you start getting sepsis symptoms, don't bother booking a doctor's appointment, go to A&E immediately, an infection can kill you in hours whether you are young and fit and healthy or not.

Yes, it is pretty sore too. 

Thanks, it's no bigger this morning and a bit less red. The weird hard bit is about the same so I reckon I'm ok. 

I am going to work in shorts with felt pen on my leg though! Lol

Dogs n cats mostly.....but we get all sorts in. Why? 😂

Yeah. I asked google. What's a pip. My missus is gp and swore blind only doctors can prescribe antibiotics.

Lots of allied health care professionals can take the relevant prescribing courses for antibiotics i.e emergency nurse practitioners, paramedics, dentists and presumably pharmacists? As far as I know though it's usually sort of first-line medicines for simple and isolated infections. 

https://www.rpharms.com/recognition/all-our-campaigns/policy-a-z/pharmacist...
 

I also wonder whether there has been any temporary deregulation during COVID as for veterinary medicines. 

We have a prescribing nurse at our surgery.  

Are you getting better now? Hope so!

Yes, I think so! There is still the weird hard lumpy stuff under the skin, but not hot or burning any more. I have added myself to the work medication rounds to make sure I remember to take them! Lol.