Moist arm & hand

vlnrph

First summer with LE and I am noticing dampness of the affected limb while the other remains dry. I know that fluid can ooze out of pores or skin openings, especially for folks with lower extremity problems (gravity is also a factor for them) but my swelling seems minimal at the present time. Is this a common complication?

Have not been wearing the day sleeve since my bout with cellulitis a month ago because I don't want to create an environment that would encourage another infection. I will slip on a glove or gauntlet sometimes, for instance at our state Survivorship Forum last week. A day long meeting hosted by Marquette University's School of Nursing for both providers and patients, I wore compression as a "badge" and also showed my men's Under Armour shirt to several people. The Tribute has been helping keep things under control at night, along with manual drainage.

Even with the AC going at work or home, I can wipe away a clear layer which is not even visible although I can feel that it is there! I'm not sure if I should be doing anything else besides elevation when possible and hydration.

AnnetteS

Thanks for asking...I have no answers for you, but I have noticed the same thing. At times, it is like my LE arm is the only part of my body sweating.

Nordy

Vln-- the one thing I would say is that you may be able to resolve some of that by doing your best to keep the fluid down in your arm. If your cellulitis is fully resolved (and I am guessing that it is) - you need to go back to all those things that help decrease lymphedema. Yes, that means mld (self or treatment by a certified MLD therapist), elevation and compression. If your arm is weeping, it is a sign that there is too much fluid there. You need to get this under control - there is nothing that contributes more to infection than moist, damp areas. In addition to that, the weeping in itself leads to little pathways where bacteria can get in - it is not a one way street for fluid just for fluid to get out. Does your compression sleeve still fit you since your episode of cellulitis? You may need to be refitted so that the sleeve helps rather than harms. You say that the tribute keeps things under control- is your arm damp in the morning when it comes out of your night garment? How much larger does it get during the day? If you have so much fluid backed up in your arm that it is coming out of your skin- this sets you up for other things such as skin tears and infection. Your best line of defense right now is to resume CDT - sterile, breathable bandages as lining followed by padding with foam and short stretch bandages. You may have to change them frequently depending on how much the limb is weeping. Once you and your therapist get a handle on this, then it is advisable that you resume use of your daytime compression garment - making sure to moisturize properly, not ony to maintain the integrity of the limb, but to provide a bit of a barrier to bacteria. I did a resea rch paper for work several years ago when the flesh eating bacteria was on the rise and one of the main things they daid to protect your skin was to moisturize it to provide a thin barrier on the surface of your skin. You don't want the weeping to keep going on, so my best advice is to contact your certified MLD therapist. If you don't have one, please post back and we will all help you find one. Hang in there!

vlnrph

The cellulitis did clear and I filled a prescription for antibiotics to have in case anything similar pops up again. I don't notice the damp feeling at night but sometimes take the Tribute off if a "warm flush" occurs - don't really get hot flashes, so that's good. The weeping is not constant during the day, just often enough to make me wonder what is going on.

Didn't think about wrapping with sterile bandages since the bacteria that would cause problems is normal skin flora. 

It is probably appropriate to get another sleeve since I wore the first couple quite a bit last fall & winter and we are flying to the east coast later this month. Perhaps the moisturizer I have been using is too oily. It still seems like a mystery...

Nordy

Vln - this is no mystery. Do you use the same moisturizer on the other arm? And is weeping? I am thinking that it is not. It is back up of fluid that your body is not able to get rid of through the proper channels, so it is getting rid of it through your skin. Please see your certified lymphedema therapist. Sooner rather than later.

Binney4

I'll second that, Vln. Sooner's better, because lymph fluid is caustic and causes skin breakdown, which can lead easily to infection, and you don't want to go there. Do keep us posted!

Be well,
Binney

vlnrph

Having now completed a second season of warm weather with LE (there has been snow on the ground since yesterday!), I'm happy to say that I managed to avoid infection this year.

Talked to my internist last month, who has a special interest in following cancer patients. When I mentioned that my armpit never sweats but I seem to get moist from biceps to fingertips, she thought this was explainable as a consequence of axillary node dissection and would occur whether I had lymphedema or not due to the nervous system's effort to compensate.

I guess there is a small benefit in the fact that my antiperspirant stick lasts twice as long since I only need to use it on one side...

carol57

vlnrph, now that's what I call a glass-half-full attitude (on the antiperspirant savings). Good chuckle from that. Sweaty arm...not so funny, but at least you have an explanation now.