Hi Carol
You posted in the right place. Been doing this for close to ten years and once in a great while I take a day off, which is what happened this week...especially with doctor visits Thursday/Friday.
It can be difficult to distinguish between cellulitis and lymphangitis. Also, they are treated in much the same way too. Omly lymphangitis might be hti with a much more strong antibiotic then cellultitis due to the fact that lymphangitis is actually in the lymph channels.
This is the Google Image page on cellulitis:
http://www.google.com/search?num=10&hl= ... 8gScz8jyBgThis is the Google image page on lymphangitis:
http://www.google.com/search?num=10&hl= ... 24&bih=653If these links don't go through go to Google Image and type in the terms (seperately) and the images should come up.
Personally, if my doctors though were having a difficult time, I would think about changing docs. Try to get to an infectious disease doctor as they are the specialists in this.
Since it is lymphangitis, they might consider IV antibiotics as well. Two that I used with great success were Gentamicin and
unasyn. The next step might be vancomycin although it should be used sparingly due to the fact that many bacteria are becoming immune to the antibiotics.
Vancomycin
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmedhealth/PMH0000282/Gentamicin
http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/drug ... 82275.htmlUnasyn
http://www.drugs.com/pro/unasyn.htmlAlso, I would hope they might at least do a blood culture too, just to see if by chance it will show up and the bacteria can be positively identified.
Hope this helps.
PatLymphangitis
http://www.lymphedemapeople.com/wiki/do ... mphangitisCellulitis
http://www.lymphedemapeople.com/thesite ... ulitis.htmAntibiotics
http://www.lymphedemapeople.com/thesite ... iotics.htm