swelling up

I might have cellulitis, not to be confused with cellulite, though I probably have that too :(. On Friday, my first right metatarsal-phalangeal joint (connects great toe to the rest of my foot) started hurting. The next morning, the pain was unbelievable! Constant pain, weight-bearing and non-weight-bearing, extremely tender to the touch. I was limping around and had a hard time driving. The sudden onset of pain was unusual.

Fortunately for me, I hung out with my friend, an M.D., and he checked out my foot. His differential diagnosis:

1. Cellulitis--infection of the skin and the soft tissues underneath the skin. I have a pretty good pain-free range of motion through the joint. The inflammation, swelling, tenderness, heat appears to be superficial. I don't have any cuts or wounds in that area, but I had spider bites on my legs a couple days ago. Bacteria could have entered my body that way.
2. Gout--automatically comes to mind when the first metatarsal-phalangeal joint is involved, though in my case the joint itself doesn't seem to be affected. It's a rare condition for women my age.
3. Fracture--I did bump my toe a couple days before, but it was a small bump. I didn't think much about it.

If it is cellulitis, it should clear up with 7-10 days of prescription antibiotics.