Convincing myself I have Sepsis Now

[chl_hobbs]

Ok well Im in such a state AGAIN. As some of u know I was in hospital 6 weeks ago where they put an IV in my arm (inner elbow). It really hurt so after asking at least 5 times for them to take it out, 8 hours later they took it out. Immediately after they removed it, halfway down my arm, inbetween the hand and elbow, a red itchy patch came up.

I told them at the time and they said it was fine, that if it was anything bad it would be around the cannula insertion site (it wasnt and never has been).

I went home, and then the panic set in. My whole arm started to hurt, with sharp shooting pains up my arm and into my fingers. There was no redness now, just my veins seemed thicker and I could see them quite clearly.

Since then, Ive been to a+e 4 times, thinking I had phlebitis or a DVT. All 5 d-dimers have come back and they said there's no clot. No raised White Blood Cells, no inflammation etc.

No one has ever given me an answer as to what it is. No doctor has been able to tell me why Im getting pains and why my fingers hurt or why I get pins and needles etc in that arm. Im so freaked out and I hate not knowing what it is.

I saw my GP yesterday. Again I told him my arm hurt a lot. This is 5 weeks later!!! He looked at it and said its possible nerve damage (when you touch the skin it hurts and is extra sensitive). But he didnt know for sure.

Today I suddenly feel very sick, have diarrhea, headache, and feel achey. Ive convinced myself that instead of this being some sort of bug, i have SEPTICEMIA from whatever is in my arm. It really hurts still, and even though I know my doctor saw it yesterday and that my blood tests (taken 6 days ago) were all ok, no in my head i have sepsis.

Please help me. I dont know what Im supposed to do or think. Is this just nerve damage and I have a tummy bug on top of it?? What does nerve damage from IV feel like? Im so scared AGAIN.

Sorry but please if anyone has any idea, please help.

Charlotte x

[overhead_drums]

Hi Charlotte,

I really wouldn't worry about it, you have seen lots of doctors and they know what they are looking for.

All of your symptoms the sickness, tummy problems and aching etc are all also symptoms of anxiety which i'm sure you know anyway.

A really hard part for me was trusting the doctors judgement.

Please do not worry, they know!

have a great xmas!

[chl_hobbs]

Thanks, I am being such a massive worrier at the moment, and it's literally ruining my life. My arm is so painful and I cant believe it's nothing :( I have got a bug, as my partner has had it, but not as bad as me.... but in my mind Im getting septicemia from this arm pain from the cannula :( I had to have a blood test from that arm last week and Im worrying it's triggered an infection. The arm isnt red or swollen, just a bit mottled and you can see the veins that you cant see on the other arm

x

[virgo199060]

Hi!

Sorry to hear that you're going through such a distressing time!

What you're describing does sound a lot like nerve damage and can happen when the needle doesn't go exactly where it's meant to.

I highly doubt you'll have sepsis as even though the nerves in your arm my be damaged, the wound from the needle will have healed weeks ago and sepsis is caused by infection. If your arm is hot to touch and really red, that's a sign of infection and even then, sepsis probably wouldn't occur. If it looks like the other then please don't worry.

I'm sending you lots of positive energy! Hope you feel much happier soon!

[Anxious_gal]

I don't like IVs, the Hurt, also the make my arm and hand red and numb.
It's normal for it to itch and bruise.
I've had at least 10 IVs, some to take blood out and other times hooked up to a that bag of fluids.

From hearing about it online and people posting pictures, it's often down a bit from the insertion point where people bruise or go red, it's not uncommon to have a lot of bruising or redness so it looks like you got beat up :p

My veins did that with the needle in and after, they looked bigger and were poking out, I had cramps too in my hand and arm.
My arms are very slim, so I don't know if that's a cause but I have naturally cold hands which I guess means my circulation isn't the best.

I do belive your pain is real. I do think maybe it might need time to heal and maybe it could be a bit of nerve damage.
But I also know how you add things up, the red mark, the pain, bulging veins and you come up with a scary worst possiable reason!

Having seen people with blood poisoning, you would be very weak, vomiting, your body temperture would be either very high or very low.
You'd be in the hospital sick.
It's highly unlikely, not from a tiny sterilised needle, the skin would have been cleaned before and after.

I would be slightly worried your arm is still sore. If it doesn't improve I would ask for a referal to a doctor who deals with nerve damage.

I really don't know if the rest of your symtoms are related.
It seems that you've worried yourself sick.
Or maybe picked up a tummy bug.
The trick is not to add all these symptoms together and come up with a diagnoises.

The blood work would have showed up the infection :)

Could you describe the pain in your arm a bit more?
If it hurts when you do certain movements its very likely it's a sore nerve.
Sometimes you can feel a shooting pain or the pain seems to follow a path.
I know sore nerves can be fixed if they don't heal on their own, a although I'm going mostly on people I know who had back and neck pain due to a nerve problem.

I really don't think you need to worry.
Try some hot baths and resting your arm.
The last thing I would think it was an infection, your blood work was good, you've seen your doctor, you're able to get up and walk around ;) you've no high or low temperture.

Becareful not to assume every symptom is a symptom of something scary :)
It could be a cold, anxiety, a simple tummy bug and so on.

Hopefully the arm pain will go soon and you'll forget all about it :)

[chl_hobbs]

Thankyou everyone. The sickness and diarrhea has gone now am just feeling quite dizzy. No real high temperature though.

My arm really worries me. I think it's because no dr can say for sure what it is - and that panics me. I know it isnt a clot - but I keep convincing myself that it will turn into a clot and kill me... even though the Drs say that wont happen.

The pain varies. I get sharp, shooting pains all up my arm, but mainly in the forearm along the vein that is visible (the vein on the other arm isnt visible at all). I get pins and needles in the arm below the elbow and into the hand, especially at night. The forearm is often itchy but even if I scratch it it doesnt make a difference. Over the vein in my forearm theres a discoloured patch, like a very light round bruise across the vein, which i thought was a clot, but the d-dimer tests say it isnt. It isnt swollen (i measured my arms!!!) or bright red.

I try to calm down, and then it flares up again and I panic, thinking the worst. Is this nerve damage pain? or something else?

Charlotte xx