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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

Wait and see? (Picture) anyone up?!

106 replies

Lucky3333 · 27/01/2022 00:54

Sorry shamelessly posting for medical issue!

I was diagnosed yesterday with cellulitis on my outer ear. The GP told me to go to hospital if it got any worse/spread but said he thinks they'd caught it early enough and prescribed 2 weeks of antibiotics.

I have only taken three of the tablets so far as I obviously only got them yesterday morning.

I'm a bit worried as it's on my face. I feel very tired but unable to sleep, hot and have a throbbing headache and feel incredibly thirsty but unable to quench it not sure if it's linked or not.

The first picture was this morning when I went to the doctor. The second is now. It's spread to the bottom of my ear and my neck just underneath that now feels tender and sore.

The reason I'm reluctant is firstly because I know I've not really given the antibiotics chance to work yet and secondly I have my young baby here. Going into hospital now would mean waking family to come and stay with him in the middle of the night.

Should I wait and give the ABs more chance to work or?

OP posts:

2022sucksalready · 27/01/2022 07:00

That looks so painful. I hope you have been seen. I can’t imagine your mum would mind being woken for that.

VelvetChairGirl · 27/01/2022 07:12

I got a infected ear from a piercing, the GP wasnt bothered, it wasnt getting any better so I went to A+E.

turned out I had some nasty flesh eating bug thing that came from a batch of tainted piercing cleaner (there was a court case over it that got in the paper, sadly I got no money out of it despite being contacted by the court and sending them pictures of the damage)

I had to go into A&E every 2 days to get a tonne of injections and some silver lattice stuff put in my ear to act as a scaffolding for my cartilage in hopes it would grow back, there was also a fear of sepsis and they kept checking that to make sure the infection didnt entire blood circulatory system of the neck as it wouldnt take long to get to the heart from there and become serious.
I now have a slightly bent ear with a gap in the cartilage.

anything around that area I would go straight to A+E

Rainallnight · 27/01/2022 07:15

Ah ok, now I’ve read your clarification I agree with you. Definitely looks worse.

Mistyplanet · 27/01/2022 07:24

You need to go straight to A and E with extremities there's a lack of circulation and you could potentially cause lasting damage/lose your ear worst case scenario. You need IV antibiotics. Tell your mum its an absolute emergency.

MoiraNotRuby · 27/01/2022 07:32

Hope you're ok OP. I'd hate for my daughter to have this and not call me for help!

NotMyselfWithoutCoffee · 27/01/2022 07:43

Hope you are ok, personally I think cellulitis on the head or face is not something to be messed about with and should be referred straight to a&e for iv antibiotics.
Our nhs is a shambles.

lborgia · 27/01/2022 07:59

@NotMyselfWithoutCoffee - I am astonished, and agree that all things being equal, this should've been straight to iv antibiotics.

OP, I hope you're now being treated, but meanwhile, a couple of hints -

1 - be aware that once you've had cellulitis once, you're a bit more susceptible to it in the future.

2 - if you do ever have to deal with it again, please draw around the edge with a pen. From the minute you start taking your prescription, the redness, heat and swelling should pretty much stay with the line. If it carries on spreading, draw another line. If it doesn't slow down within the day, go to a&e.

It's not that the drugs will start to cure what's already there, but they should stop it getting worse / at least stabilise, within a pretty short time.

Quite a common issue here, with mosie and spider bites etc, and unfortunately I'm a dab hand now!

Let us know you're ok

Pyri · 27/01/2022 07:59

Hope you’re feeling ok OP, that looks bad

lborgia · 27/01/2022 08:06

PS another important change was that you ended up with whole body/ systemic symptoms, fever etc, which is always a sign that your whole body is on high alert for something that was once localised.

Just so you know!

Seeline · 27/01/2022 08:11

I was the one that suggested cellulitis yesterday OP. So sorry things have progressed like this! Hope A&E have managed to sort things for you.

LakieLady · 27/01/2022 08:15

Good grief, that must be really painful.

Big handhold from me, OP, and hope you're getting it sorted.

HollowTalk · 27/01/2022 08:21

That looks really painful. I hope you got some good treatment last night.

KitKat1985 · 27/01/2022 08:22

Oh bless OP that looks painful. I hope you managed to get it sorted.

Forgossake · 27/01/2022 08:22

This looks like perichondritis. I had this a couple of weeks ago. Was given antibiotics on the Thursday, it had got worse by Friday and when I called the doctors again they advised that if it got worse by midday Saturday, to go straight to a&e for IV antibiotics.
Luckily the antibiotics kicked in by then and the swelling went down. By Monday the ear was back to normal. It can be a nasty infection (it gets into the cartilage of the ear) and can be serious if left untreated.
Good luck op and get yourself to a&e if the swelling gets any worse. The doctor was not willing for me to wait more than 36 hours for the antibiotics to work.

Hb12 · 27/01/2022 08:39

Ah you poor love. That looks really sore. Lots of people have given better advice, but please don't worry about asking your mum. If she's anything like my mum, she would far rather you did.

BreathingDeep · 27/01/2022 08:51

Oh you poor thing. I don't have any words of wisdom but please know that strangers on the internet are wishing you well and hope you've been seen and are being taken care of.

Wheresthebeach · 27/01/2022 08:53

Hope you're in hospital and getting IV antibiotics OP. That looks bloody sore.

MalbecandToast · 27/01/2022 08:54

Yeah I'd have gone to A&E too either that. I really hope where you are the wait isn't too bad, I was taken in a few weeks ago and the waiting time just for triage was 6 hours 8 to see a clinician! And that was a Monday night, not even a weekend. Mental. Get well soon OP

MrsPelligrinoPetrichor · 27/01/2022 08:59

I hope you've gone to A and E OP.

WhatsWithAllTheCarrots · 27/01/2022 09:07

Hope you went to A&E OP and that you're okay.

Original poster

Lucky3333 · 27/01/2022 09:15

Thank you! I'm in a&e. They were hoping to get me in to an ENT department so I could be seen faster but they haven't been able to unfortunately so just got the long wait now.

OP posts:

Jconnais1chansonquivavsenerver · 27/01/2022 09:28

Just seen this now, good luck! I hope your mum is OK still looking after your baby so you don't have that extra worry.

karalou2 · 27/01/2022 09:36

Could be allergic to the antibiotics but hope you've got it sorted by now. Have you actually seen your ear? I think I'd have been on the phone to GP or A&E before asking for advice on here though!

Pregnagainagain · 27/01/2022 09:37

The people who advise others not to attend A and E on these threads are dangerous sometimes.

Mulberr663 · 27/01/2022 09:39

I hope you get better soon, that looks so painful

Another one here who has had sepsis, I wouldn't take my chances if I thought there was a change of getting it again.

You've absolutely done the right thing by going to A&E.

Keep us updated?

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