Gout and Cellulitis Not Going Away Please Help!

[Hamilton92]

My husband has severe gout that he let go untreated for a week that was in his right foot
He was in agonizing pain and couldn't walk. He finally went to the ER after suffering for a week of this. We don't have health insurance so we went to the emergency room 3 days ago on Thursday night of last week. So all together this has been going on about a week and a half almost two weeks now.
My husband has been on antibiotics for 3 days and also an anti inflammatory and a pain reliever.
He also developed an infection in his foot called cellulitis according to the ER doctor. Well the swelling and redness has gone down but it is still there. The still can't walk on his foot, he can limp around at least now and before he couldn't put any pressure on his foot at all. I think its improved some but my husband is worried that its not going away.
The redness in his foot from the cellultis is almost completely gone. The side of his foot was beet red not it is just slightly pink. I am really worried now. He refuses to go back to hospital because he says it was just a waste of time. We were there for about 11 hours, 5 of those hours sitting in the waiting room waiting to be called back. Like I said we don't have insurance and the antibiotics cost us every penny we had $136.00 plus we had to borrow money from family for the other meds. Even if we go back and they give us prescriptions again we can't afford them and we asked for samples and they told us they didn't have any samples to give us that we would just have to find a way to fill the prescriptions.
Does he just need to give it more time to clear up? He was given 10 days worth of antibiotcs and hes taken 3 pills so far. They are 500mg Levaquin.
Please someone give us advice on what to do.

[midwest1]

His foot is less red, less swollen, and he can now limp on it. That's improvement. It is getting better... maybe not overnight... but it is. You're right that the infection needs more time to completely go away.

He should be religious about taking that antibiotic exactly as directed. He should not miss any doses and should take them on a regular schedule. Even if the pain is barely there two days from now, he still needs to continue taking the antibiotic until it's all used up - or else the infection will return, and it probably will be even worse then.

If the infection, with its redness and pain, isn't mostly gone in the next 2-3 days, he must return to the ER for stronger medicine. I don't want to scare either of you, but he could lose his foot - or even his life - if this infection isn't completely eliminated soon. It's clearly nothing to dilly-dally around with.

I hope he feels better ASAP!

[gardenandcats]

I agree with the above poster. I know medical care is expensive with out insurance. But its best to owe then lose a foot.

[Administrator]

You can also find a treating physician and pay half or less of the cost of emergency care. You could shop around for a doctor that accepts cash payments while no one in the family is in an acute emergency stage.

Establishing your own doctor will save you stress , money and time, as plenty of physcicans accept cash payments (some have reduced rates for cash payments). When you shop for that doctor, ask if they accept same day appts. for urgent care. Once you have a doctor, make sure to see him/her before an issue becomes urgent or an emergency, as much as possible, to avoid the high cost of emergency care.

Physicians often have drug samples. If you are low income there are ways to get some kinds of meds for free. You would have to ask your new doctor.