Question for an Immunologist, sudden reaction on leg?!
Question: I was at a museum I volonteer at on (in Broward County, Fl) Sat, April 4, and I felt a sharp pain in the back of my calf, like a pin prick. It kept bugging me, so I felt down there, and it seemed there was something under my jeans. I thought it was a sticker (thorny seed of a weed).
It began to burn very badly, so I went to the bathroom and checked the inside of my pants. I couldn't find anything. At this point, there started to be bumps forming that looked like small burns. The pain became very great. I could barely stand it. At this point the area had grown to about 1" x 2". I took 800mg of Ibuproffin and that helped the swelling and pain. Now, 9 days later or so, there's still many, many red bumps, and it's growing. It itches too, and I don't know whether to risk going to the doctor and paying out of pocket, or waiting (and risking a more serious condition).
Any ideas?
Any Immunologists, Internists, Dermatologists, etc. input would be wonderful.
Answers: I was at a museum I volonteer at on (in Broward County, Fl) Sat, April 4, and I felt a sharp pain in the back of my calf, like a pin prick. It kept bugging me, so I felt down there, and it seemed there was something under my jeans. I thought it was a sticker (thorny seed of a weed).
It began to burn very badly, so I went to the bathroom and checked the inside of my pants. I couldn't find anything. At this point, there started to be bumps forming that looked like small burns. The pain became very great. I could barely stand it. At this point the area had grown to about 1" x 2". I took 800mg of Ibuproffin and that helped the swelling and pain. Now, 9 days later or so, there's still many, many red bumps, and it's growing. It itches too, and I don't know whether to risk going to the doctor and paying out of pocket, or waiting (and risking a more serious condition).
Any ideas?
Any Immunologists, Internists, Dermatologists, etc. input would be wonderful.
It probably was a spider bite. Spider bites can become very serious if they advance into MRSA: methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus infection. It could have also advanced into cellulitis, impetigo, necrotizing fascittis (the flesh-eating bacterial infection), or some other very serious condition. The most important things you mentioned were that it was *growing* and that is was significantly *swollen* and greatly *painful*. All of these signs indicate that it might require immediate treatment by a physician, likely with oral antibiotics -- not an over-the-counter antibiotic cream.
Also, ibuprofen is not going to hurt your liver. (Tylenol/acetaminophen does that, but only if taken in excess quantities.) However, ibuprofen is only masking the symptoms and not treating the underlying condition, which sounds like a potentially serious infection.
Get to a doctor as soon as possible -- don't wait for an appointment. Go to a walk-in-clinic, preferably. Make a trip to an emergency room if you must.
Put some neosporin on it with pain relief. 800 mg of Ibuprofin is not great for you liver. Take benadryl and if that doesnt work dr time.
It could be a spider bite or something you got into the day before and it had just started (like a poison ivy)