Infection from Biopsy

[beth22]

Leave it to me to have something like this happen. On Friday I had a skin biopsy on my right hand. The doctor's assistant finished up and put a dressing on it and told me to just put a Band-Aid with Neosporin when I got home. On Saturday I had all the signs of infection. She had forgotten to give me the instruction sheet for post wound care which said to use hydrogen peroxide and some other stuff. The dermatologist was kind enough to meet me at his office and said it was infected and because of my c diff history gave me a Rx for doxycycline, but said to try a RX ointment first. Things got worse, but I tried the ointment and today my hand is still red and swollen, but not painful like yesterday. So, I decided to go to Urgent Care and have someone check to see if it was still an infection and if I needed oral antibiotics, because I will not take them unless absolutely necessary. I went and was out of there in 45 minutes, but there were all kinds of kids coughing there. Thankfully, they make you wear a mask if you cough. The doctor thought that I did not need the doxy at this time unless things got worse. He thinks at this point it is inflammation. I sure hope so. I don't need any more problems. I am having a hard enough time adjusting to stopping Pepto Bismol cold turkey after years of usage. To top it off, my husband is away 4 days a week and I have to deal with everything alone. I'm hoping and believing for a good week ahead. The dermatologist wants to look at my hand again tomorrow. Praying there is no infection and hopefully, the biopsy is benign or he will have to take more out. UGH!!!

[seekingcure]

Sorry to hear that, Beth. Hopefully the ointment they gave you will take care of it and you won't have to take the Doxy. My son had some pretty bad looking insect bites last month that the doctor said were infected. They were red and swollen with white pus, so I'm confident they were infected. He prescribed Keflex and an antibiotic ointment called Bactroban. Since we were on vacation with my son and I could keep an eye on the bites, I suggested he try the ointment first and wait about taking the Keflex. By the end of the day, the places were starting to look less angry, so he kept using the ointment three times a day and we watched the places closely. They continued to improve and eventually healed completely without him taking the Keflex. Hopefully you will have the same results with the ointment you were prescribed. Fingers crossed!

[beth22]

That's the same ointment that I have and it does seem to help. I still have redness and swelling though, but there is no discharge from the wound and the pain is pretty much gone, so perhaps it is working and the Urgent Care doctor is right that at this point it is not infection, but inflammation. Here's hoping.

The reason I had to stop the Pepto is because it has an aspirin component and I have these pinpoint red dots on my legs that are capillaries bleeding. My blood count was ok, so they think it is perhaps the Pepto. It was a little rough not taking it after so many years on it, but hopefully I can stay off for good now. I am only taking some VSL#3. I tried the pancreatic enzymes the GI prescribed and felt worse, so I will stick with the probiotic for now.

[getwellsoon]

So sorry Liz you have yet another thing to worry about. Skin infections clear up well with just ointment so try not to worry. It will probably be less red later today. Hope you are feeling ok without the Pepto and no D. Can you take a smidgeon of Immodium if D rears its head? Just a thought. Hang in there, it has to get better.

[seekingcure]

I'm glad the ointment seems to be working for you.

Sorry about the Pepto. I also use it once or twice a week and it does seem to help. I know it was the one thing that you seemed to be able to tolerate so I'm sure it's tough to do without it, but hang in there. You can do it.

I've had those pinpoint red dots on my arms before, but they seem to have mostly gone away. I have no idea what caused them for me.

Keep us updated on how you do with the skin infection. I think it will be fine. My son had several really bad looking spots and they cleared up fine with Bactroban. I believe it's even effective on MRSA, if I remember correctly, perhaps more so to prevent it than to cure an active infection with it.

[beth22]

Saw the dermatologist today and he thinks the hand has improved. He wants me to continue using hydrogen peroxide and then the ointment right after. He will re-check on Friday. Hopefully, no antibiotics will be needed. Am doing so-so without the Pepto. Some days are ok, even better than with it, but others not so much. I have to try and eat more fiber I think and keep things moving. Spinach seems to agree and avocados, which used to agree, now don't so much. I will try a few more vegetables and see what happens. Fruit is still a no-no. I sure hope they come up with a cure one of these days for c diff so that we don't have to panic every time the possibility of taking an antibiotic comes around. I still think that some form of it hangs around low-grade in our GI tracts and causes all of these post- c diff problems like food intolerances, etc. Maybe when they come out with the pill form of FMT, it might balance out the good vs bad bacteria.

Those red dots are called petechiae and can be caused from something as simple as a vitamin deficiency to something more serious like leukemia I read. Next week I have an appointment with the doctor and will look into it. I recall having a few, but not this many ever.