A health concern

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poppy86
Regular Contributor
Posts: 197
Joined: Sun Mar 29, 2020 10:23 pm

A health concern

Postby poppy86 » Mon Dec 14, 2020 10:48 am

Hi all. I'm 6 months out from cdiff, doing mostly okay lately but dealing with IBS.

I woke up this morning with a very painful swelling on my forearm. There is no redness, so I don't know if it's an infection, but I'm afraid. Taking clindamycin for an infection (breast abscess) gave me cdiff. I have no health insurance, my husband is currently unemployed so we have no income, and we are running out of money fast. I'm so afraid of taking another antibiotic and getting cdiff again. I don't have money for doctors right now. I don't even know who I would go to see for this.

So I decided that it will either go away on its own, or it will get worse and I'll have to go to the ER. I would rather die than get cdiff again. I can't do it again.

Ril
Long Time Contributor
Posts: 1837
Joined: Sat Oct 27, 2012 2:45 pm

Re: A health concern

Postby Ril » Mon Dec 14, 2020 12:20 pm

We can’t give medical advice here. However check out on google...signs of infection are usually redness and heat in the area. Think if you remember hurting yourself....
You can try applying ice and elevate which is what is usually advised for swelling without redness and heat and see if that helps. If the swelling and pain continues to the point that you need to see a dr, try to find out if there is a free clinic in your area. You will hopefully qualify since you currently have no insurance or income. You should do that now in case it is needed. Have the list of antibiotics from the CDI section so you know which is the most and lest risk for causing c diff and don’t take clindamycin again...it is the highest offender.

Don’t panic. Don’t think the worst. And should you need an antibiotic you can get the generic of Florastor to take which may prove helpful.
Rita

beth22
Long Time Contributor
Posts: 10852
Joined: Tue Apr 07, 2009 2:23 pm

Re: A health concern

Postby beth22 » Tue Dec 15, 2020 1:55 am

I have had swelling with tendonitis and if I pulled a muscle. Rita gave you good advice. That is what I have done when I had that type of thing.

poppy86
Regular Contributor
Posts: 197
Joined: Sun Mar 29, 2020 10:23 pm

Re: A health concern

Postby poppy86 » Fri Dec 18, 2020 7:34 pm

Thank you for your replies Ril and Beth. I iced my arm, and the pain and swelling both diminished a lot, so I'm feeling relieved about this now. I don't know what caused it, but there are no signs of redness or heat in the area, so I don't think it was an infection. Unfortunately now my breast is hurting in the same spot where I had the abscess 10 months ago. It hurts off and on because there is a cyst that remains, and it could become infected again at any time, so that worries me.

I'll see if there are free clinics in my area. I'm trying to avoid going out anywhere because my husband is on immunosuppressant medication (he has insurance coverage from his former employer, but my son and I are uninsured right now). I also can't take Florastor, my gastroenterologist told me due to bleeding hemorrhoids that I should not take it.

All this stress and worry is causing another IBS flare-up, so I'm dealing with that as well. I just want us all to get through the winter.

beth22
Long Time Contributor
Posts: 10852
Joined: Tue Apr 07, 2009 2:23 pm

Re: A health concern

Postby beth22 » Sat Dec 19, 2020 1:46 am

Glad you are better with the arm. I woke up this morning with similar symptoms on my shoulder and have been icing as well. All your worries are probably not helping with IBS. Try to take things one day at a time and not project too much into the future with "what ifs". I do that too and it doesn't help me. It only makes things worse.


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