My wife had been experiencing swelling and pain in the right jaw bone area since early July. We saw her dentist who took and X-ray which showed nothing abnormal. He prescribed 500 mg daily dose of Penicillin.

We saw our ENT about a week before July 20 2010 when we were to leave on vacation. He recommended taking the penicillin because of the pain and swelling.

She took the penicillin for a week and the swelling and pain almost went away. A week or so within our vacation, she woke up with her face swollen and in pain. She started to take the penicillin again. The swelling and pain got better.


After we got back from vacation the first week of August, we saw the ENT again and he said that since my wife had taken all the antibiotic nothing else was needed although she still had some pain.

Since she still had pain, we saw the ENT again in August. He said that it was a salivary gland infection and that mostly likely she needed surgery to remove it. He however prescribed 4000 mg daily dose of Augmentin. The pain and swelling got better than about a week later the right face swelled up really bad.

We were scheduled for surgery the morning of September 8 to remove the salivary gland. The ENT indicated that we could cancel the surgery if the infection had gotten better or gone away.

The morning of September 8, my wife was prepped for surgery and the IV was placed. The ENT came by and asked my wife why her lips were swollen. They had been for a couple of days. She wanted to know from him since he is the doctor. He said he did not know and this worried him since the the swelling and pain in the area of the right jawbone were still there.

He left and sometimes later sent his young resident to visit with my wife. The resident did a visual/feel exam of the right cheek area and left to confer with the ENT.

The resident came back and said that the surgery was off. They wanted to the right thing for my wife. The resident proceeded to say that this may be cancer so they sent us immediately for a CT scan although the ENT by now had had over two months to order one. We did the scan that same morning.

The next day the ENT calls my wife and says that the CT showed "Diffuse Cellulitis" and for her to keep taking the Augmentin.

We saw the doctor last week and again no improvement. Upon our request, he prescribed a new antibiotic, Avelox, 400 mg daily dose.

There was a mild improvement but this morning she woke up with the right side of her face very swollen and in pain. She no longer has any feeling in the area below her bottom lip. I contacted the ENT and he said he was going to order a PET/CT.

We are frustrated and worried. This has been going on since early July and there is no progress. We asked the ENT on several occasions as to what happens if this infection does not go away. He replies that he has never seen that happen and at the most the infection will form an abscess which will need to be drained.

At one of our visits about a month ago, I asked the ENT to hospitalize my wife so she could get the antibiotics through an IV directly into the blood stream. He did not agree with me.

I would appreciate any help or assistance with anyone who has experienced "Diffuse Cellulitis" since we have ran into a block wall with our ENT. Please help.

Thank you.
_________________________

Watch the Avelox. I had an adverse reaction to it. After taking it for 6 days, I developed a headache which would not go away. After 8 days it was so severe that I could not sleep at all. Felt like my brain was being pushed through my skull. I stopped taking it and it took 48 hours to get out of my system, but the headache went away and I haven't had one since. Just thought I'd give you a heads up.

Take care,
Eileen