pain left hip(muscle), joints, sores on left buttock only

[gogrannygo]

I'm a 58 y/o female who had a left total knee replacement 15 months ago with a subsequent MRSA sepsis.  I underwent a second surgery where the left knee was debrided and the plastic part of the joint replacement was changed.  I was treated with 8 weeks of IV Vanco and oral Rifampin.  Now I have continual pain in my left buttock with "sores" only on the left side only.  I continue with pain in the left buttock muscle, as well as most of my other joints.  I tested positive for MRSA (nasal swab) and also tested positive for MRSA on my right ankle "rash".  I finished 14 days of Doxycycline, the rash is somewhat better.  The sores on the buttock were cultured and showed enterococcus faecalis (normal per the ID doc)...I'm at the end of my rope because nobody can give me any answers to my situation....fibromyalgia?  I also have numbness occasionally in my feet and I was started on Neurontin a week ago, still waiting for any change....my GP and Ortho act like it's all in my head....can anybody relate to these symptoms or should I just see a psychiatrist?

[MsFish]

Could it be shingles?

[Bhupinder Kaur, MD]

Hello,

The cause of recurrent infections in your case could be related to diabetes.As you are having numbness also,so diabetes which is an important cause of numbness in the peripheries has to be ruled out.

Secondly,all the symptoms that you are having are on left side of the lower limbs only.Other possibilities can be fibromyalgia, polymyositis (means 'many muscle inflammation') and polymyalgia rheumatica(an inflammatory disorder that causes widespread muscle aching and stiffness, primarily in your neck, shoulders, upper arms, thighs and hips. It literally appears overnight, but the cause may be a problem with the immune system, perhaps involving both genetic and environmental factors).

Pls discuss these possibilities with your doctor and get your blood sugar evaluated.

Hope it helps. Take care and regards.