Your treatment plan
If you are diagnosed with cellulitis, your recommended treatment plan will depend on your general state of health and the severity of your symptoms.
You can usually be treated at home with antibiotic tablets if:
- you do not have any symptoms (such as nausea and vomiting) that would suggest the cellulitis infection has spread from your skin to other parts of the body
- there are no other factors that make you more vulnerable to infection, such as having a weakened immune system or poor circulation
If this is not the case, admission to hospital is usually recommended, and you will be injected with antibiotics.
Treatment at home
Antibiotics
If it is thought that you are well enough to be treated at home, you will be given a seven-day course of antibiotic tablets.
The most commonly prescribed antibiotic for cellulitis is flucloxacillin, which is part of the penicillin group of antibiotics.
The most common side effects of flucloxacillin are mild digestive problems, such as an upset stomach or episodes of diarrhoea.
If you cannot take flucloxacillin because you are allergic to penicillin, an alternative antibiotic known as erythromycin can be used.
The side effects of erythromycin are usually mild and short-lived. They include:
- nausea
- abdominal (tummy) discomfort
- vomiting
- diarrhoea
If it is suspected that your cellulitis was caused by a wound in your skin being exposed to contaminated water, you will be given a combination of two different antibiotics: usually doxycycline or ciprofloxacin in combination with flucloxacillin or erythromycin.
When you first start taking the antibiotics, you may notice that your skin becomes redder. This is usually only a temporary reaction, and the redness should start to fade within 48 hours.
Contact your GP immediately if your symptoms get worse 48 hours after taking the antibiotics, or you develop additional symptoms, such as a high temperature or vomiting.
Self-care
If you have cellulitis, there are things you can do at home to ease your symptoms and speed up your recovery.
Drink plenty of water to prevent dehydration. If your leg is affected by cellulitis, keep it raised. This should make you feel more comfortable and help to reduce the swelling.
Pain relief
If your cellulitis is causing pain or a high temperature (fever), an over-the-counter painkiller may ease your symptoms. Paracetamol and ibuprofen are suitable for cellulitis.
Treatment at hospital
If you need to be admitted to hospital for treatment, you will be given antibiotics directly into your vein through an injection or a drip (known as intravenous antibiotics).
The type of antibiotics that will be used depends on the suspected cause of your infection, although a type of antibiotic known as a broad-spectrum antibiotic is often used. This type of antibiotic can kill a range of different strains of bacteria.
If your symptoms improve and you are otherwise healthy, you may be discharged after 48 hours and your treatment can switch to antibiotic tablets.
If this is not the case, a three- to four-day course of intravenous antibiotics is usually recommended before switching over to antibiotic tablets.
