what happened to me?

[BananaBandit]

i've included a pic

It's on my lower calf/upper ankle area. 

 

I can't recall any specific incident that would cause this. 

 

Could a bug or spider bite do this?    Maybe one bit me in my sleep, or while I was in my rural Issan yard.  

 

It hurts a little bit, but it looks worse than it feels. 

 

Has anyone had this?    Is there any suggested course of treatment?

Edited May 4, 2022 by BananaBandit

[Sheryl]

You have a nasty cellulitis and it needs prompt antibiotic treatment, possibly even IV treatment.

 

And yes, it could have been caused by a bite. In fact there seems to be a spot in the middle that is probably where you were bitten.

 

The very first thing to do now is to use a marker pen and outline the red area so that you can easily see if it spreads. (If it does --- straight to a hospital for IV antibiotics, this can get very serious fast).

 

Second thing to do is either see a doctor, who will prescribe antibiotic, or self-treat with antibiotics (careful if you have any history of allergies).  Your call which one but if you chose #2 make sure you get clear instructions on dosage and look up all contraindications. Usual first line drugs are the cephalosporins (e.g. cephalexin) or dicloxacillin, easily obtained at any pharmacy but if you decide on this approach monitor the size of the area closely. As said, you may need IV anbtibiotics instead and for that a trip to the hospital is unavoidable (though if you specifically ask they can probabl yput you on a once a day dose schedule and let you come in for it daily as opposed to being admitted). Even small community level government hospitals can handle this.

 

Antibiotics are usually needed for at least 7 days for something like this. And you need to start at once. Do not wait until morning.

[Lacessit]

The inflammation looks nasty, I'd suggest a visit to a hospital or clinic.

Irrespective of how it happened, sepsis is not something anyone wants to follow the initial trauma.

[Tom H]

You need antibiotics asap!

100% sure.

[EVENKEEL]

22 minutes ago, Sheryl said:

You have a nasty cellulitis and it needs prompt antibiotic treatment, possibly even IV treatment.

 

And yes, it could have been caused by a bite. In fact there seems to be a spot in the middle that is probably where you were bitten.

 

The very first thing to do now is to use a marker pen and outline the red area so that you can easily see if it spreads. (If it does --- straight to a hospital for IV antibiotics, this can get very serious fast).

 

Second thing to do is either see a doctor, who will prescribe antibiotic, or self-treat with antibiotics (careful if you have any history of allergies).  Your call which one but if you chose #2 make sure you get clear instructions on dosage and look up all contraindications. Usual first line drugs are the cephalosporins (e.g. cephalexin) or dicloxacillin, easily obtained at any pharmacy but if you decide on this approach monitor the size of the area closely. As said, you may need IV anbtibiotics instead and for that a trip to the hospital is unavoidable (though if you specifically ask they can probabl yput you on a once a day dose schedule and let you come in for it daily as opposed to being admitted). Even small community level government hospitals can handle this.

 

Antibiotics are usually needed for at least 7 days for something like this. And you need to start at once. Do not wait until morning.

 

 

2 weeks in the Hospital, intravenous antibiotics for all 2 weeks. Never really found out what the cause was. Started as a little ahwee on a toe. I was lucky to live and keep my foot.

Edited May 4, 2022 by EVENKEEL

[ThailandRyan]

looks like MRSA in these last photos.....not a good thing to have.

[bkk6060]

Certainly looks like a nasty infection.  See a Doctor now!

[BananaBandit]

I was not expecting such urgent responses. After receiving them, I went to the hospital.  

 

On antibiotics now. 

 

Thank you all for your warnings.

[ThailandRyan]

1 minute ago, BananaBandit said:

I was not expecting such urgent responses. After receiving them, I went to the hospital.  

 

On antibiotics now. 

 

Thank you all for your warnings.

Was it MRSA, or a spider bite like one would get from a Brown Recluse or Black Widow?

[BananaBandit]

21 hours ago, Sheryl said:

You have a nasty cellulitis and it needs prompt antibiotic treatment, possibly even IV treatment.

 

And yes, it could have been caused by a bite. In fact there seems to be a spot in the middle that is probably where you were bitten.

 

The very first thing to do now is to use a marker pen and outline the red area so that you can easily see if it spreads. (If it does --- straight to a hospital for IV antibiotics, this can get very serious fast).

 

Second thing to do is either see a doctor, who will prescribe antibiotic, or self-treat with antibiotics (careful if you have any history of allergies).  Your call which one but if you chose #2 make sure you get clear instructions on dosage and look up all contraindications. Usual first line drugs are the cephalosporins (e.g. cephalexin) or dicloxacillin, easily obtained at any pharmacy but if you decide on this approach monitor the size of the area closely. As said, you may need IV anbtibiotics instead and for that a trip to the hospital is unavoidable (though if you specifically ask they can probabl yput you on a once a day dose schedule and let you come in for it daily as opposed to being admitted). Even small community level government hospitals can handle this.

 

Antibiotics are usually needed for at least 7 days for something like this. And you need to start at once. Do not wait until morning.

I did as you said, Sheryl. 

 

Online or offline, I'm not sure I've ever encountered anyone as consistently apt and helpful as you are.

[BananaBandit]

1 hour ago, ThailandRyan said:

Was it MRSA, or a spider bite like one would get from a Brown Recluse or Black Widow?

I don't believe any specific diagnosis was mentioned. Just the word "infection."

 

Among other words I recall:  "antibiotics"  "penicillin" 

 

I eat pills for 3 days. If no improvement, then go back to hospital for IV-antibiotics. 

 

Spiders are on my list of suspects.

[BananaBandit]

22 hours ago, EVENKEEL said:

 

 

2 weeks in the Hospital, intravenous antibiotics for all 2 weeks. Never really found out what the cause was. Started as a little ahwee on a toe. I was lucky to live and keep my foot.

Oh, brother.  That's definitely a vivid warning.  Thank you.    

 

And, if that was you in the photo, I hope you have recovered fully.

[BananaBandit]

23 hours ago, Lacessit said:

The inflammation looks nasty, I'd suggest a visit to a hospital or clinic.

Irrespective of how it happened, sepsis is not something anyone wants to follow the initial trauma.

You have given me some worthy advice before. Thank you once again.

[EVENKEEL]

16 minutes ago, BananaBandit said:

Oh, brother.  That's definitely a vivid warning.  Thank you.    

 

And, if that was you in the photo, I hope you have recovered fully.

That is me after 2 weeks of the AK-47 of antibiotics, that was the term the doctors used, I left hospital and had wound cleaned and bandaged for a month by an outside clinic. When they admitted me to emergency the foot just looked swollen, the foot in pics happened within a few days. But it healed up nicely.

[Aussieroaming]

I got bitten by a spider and it was like a blister, then an ulcer shape and it turned quite a blue colour around the rim of the flesh and the flesh basically dissolved away. Quite nasty and I never even felt the spider bite me. The doctor recognised the symptoms.

[scoutman360]

Also, don't rule it out. I have seen similar on TV where it was a fly larva growing under the skin. Mostly occurs in Africa, but worth taking note.